by Mac Flynn
"Can you not give us hints, and we shall guess from there?" Lady Stewart pleaded.
Ken stood beside the hearth and leaned on the mantel. We spectators between this match of pigheadedness were seated on the furniture in a semi-circle. All eyes lay on him. My husband smiled and shook his head.
"No, my lady, not for all the wealth in the land," he refused.
Lady Stewart, seeing it was useless to persuade him, turned to Lady Douglas. "You are a company to this plot. As your hostess, I demand some information."
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Ken spoke up.
Lady Douglas stood straight and turned up her nose. "I will not betray the confidence in which Laird Moray has granted me."
Lady Stewart looked to the two main leads. The pair were seated side-by-side near the front windows. "Surely you may gratify my curiosity," she pleaded.
Lord Cameron smiled, but shook his head. "Not us, my lady."
Lady Stewart frowned. "I feel there is a conspiracy against me."
Elisa turned away in embarrassment, and I noticed her eyes caught on something through the windows. "My lady, a carriage approaches."
The whole party stood, and many hurried to the window. Ken, taller than most, smiled as he caught sight of the new guests. I sidled up beside him and lowered my voice so none could overhear.
"Who is it?" I asked him.
"McKenna, and if I am not mistaken, a few of our other friends," he told me.
The party moved as a curious group to the entrance hall, and some to the portico. Ken and I were near the lead with our hosts ahead of us. The carriage stopped at the foot of the left-hand stairs, and a smile brightened my face as I recognized the crest on the side of the carriage. It belonged to Cael. Cael alighted from the carriage, followed by McKenna and another familiar face.
"Dal!" Lady Stewart exclaimed.
It was indeed Dal Carmichael, the young priest and close acquaintance of my mate. The three men met our hosts at the bottom of the steps.
"I am very sorry to be here on such short notice," Dal joked.
"The fault is entirely mine," Cael spoke up as he shook hands with Lord Stewart. "We caught word of this gathering, and I insisted he come with us, as I knew the more would be the merrier."
"And who, pray tell, informed against us?" Lady Stewart wondered.
"A little bird who wishes to remain anonymous," Cael teased. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. "But will you keep us in the cold until we submit?"
I noticed there was a peculiar strain to lady Stewart's smile as she looped her arm through Cael's. "No, of course not. You all are always welcome."
The men joined the company and made themselves well-liked by the original guests. I did notice that McKenna and my mate disappeared soon after the arrival of the men, and reappeared together from the second floor. Ken's eyes twinkled with such a peculiar look that I couldn't help but pull him aside.
"You planned their coming," I told him rather than accused.
"Perhaps," he teased.
"And you have something more you are hiding," I insisted.
He smiled and bowed his head. "You are becoming more perceptive of me, my lady."
"Am I to know your secret?" I asked him.
"All will be revealed tonight during the play," he assured me.
I frowned and turned away from him. "I wonder if you think me an enemy as dangerous as Lady Stewart."
He set his hands on my shoulders and leaned down so his lips brushed against my ear. "Far more dangerous, for only you hold my heart."
I couldn't help but smile. "I seem to have very little sway over your secrets," I countered.
"Soon, my love," he promised as he stepped away from me and offered m his arm. "Now let us mingle and tease Cael."
The good humor of the newly-arrived men allowed the time to pass more swiftly, and before long supper was finished. Ken arose and, as in the previous evening, held up his hands to silence the party.
"Those who are part of the play, please follow me," he requested. "All others must remain in this room until you are called."
The players left with Ken, and I sat uneasily in the corner. Cael took the seat beside me recently vacated by Ken.
"You seem worried," he commented.
"Merely curious, and a little vexed," I replied.
Cael chuckled. "Don't feel too left out. Neither Dal nor I know the plot, and I wonder if McKenna is privy to Ken's play."
I bit my lip and lowered my voice. "I wish he would confide in me a little more often."
Cael clasped one of his hands over mine and smiled. "He means to have the blame, and danger, entirely upon himself."
I sighed, but gave a nod. "I understand, but it is still vexing."
The players practiced for the better part of an hour before the doors to the hall opened. Ken stood in the doorway and bowed to us. "My lairds, my ladies, please take your seats."
He led us across the entrance hall and into the parlor where it was revealed that the furniture had been moved so they faced the fire. The light from the crackling hearth spread over the ground like a stage, and there were no seats there. We all took our seats and quieted. Ken stepped onto the 'stage' and bowed to us.
"I hope my play will entertain and amuse you all," he commented.
He stepped aside, and the play began. I surmised it was a tale of two mates, played by Lord Cameron and Elisa. However, it became something more when their lives were threatened by a familiar foe.
The scene was the bedchamber, and reality blended with fiction when they were attacked from a masked individual who sprang from the shadows at the rear of the 'state.'
My eyes widened as I beheld the full majesty of Ken's plan. Here was our ordeals put to play, and slightly under-embellished in their harrowing reality. There was Ken and myself, and then the arrival of Lady Stewart. The trunk she brought had stowed the assassin. Now I understood all, and why the parts were separated. It was to avoid any one person knowing the full plot and revealing the matter to Lady Stewart, who may have guessed the show beforehand and forbidden its performance through some lame excuse.
Unbidden, my eyes flickered over to Lord and Lady Stewart. Both were tense, and Lady Stewart's lips were pursed tightly together. They, too, had recognized the plot of the play, but there was nothing to do but suffer in silent torment as their deeds were laid out before them.
The play arrived at Ken's near-assassination at our home, though the entirety of the plot was moved to Edinburgh. Lord Cameron and Elisa carried the emotion well, and the scene after the attack was most interesting.
Ken, as the assassin, lay dead on the ground. Robert, Lord Cameron, stood over him. Elisa clung to Robert's side and had her face buried into his sleeve. He broke from her and knelt before the still body. Robert pulled aside the mask and revealed to the audience Ken as the assassin. A gasp of amusement rose from those who watched.
"It is the most vile of scum! An assassin!" Robert exclaimed.
"An assassin?" Elisa gasped. "But what knave would have
Robert stood and wrapped her in his arms as he looked down at the 'body.' "I know not, my love, but we might trace the path of this terrible fiend by his weapon, and from there to those who sold their soul to buy his services!"
An audible gasp escaped from a person in the audience. All heads turned to see Lady Stewart on her feet. She blushed and gave the others a stiff bow of her head. "I-I am very sorry, my friends. A sudden attack took hold of me. I think I must lay down."
"And miss the play?" her husband asked her.
"It cannot be helped," she replied as she hurried to the exit.
The entrance was opened by servants and Lady Stewart meant to retreat through the doorway, but a gentleman stood in her path. I watched her eyes widen and her face grow pale as she, as I did, recognized the face of Lord Camron Robertson. He started back at her hasty retreat, but managed a formal bow of his head.
"Good evening, my lady," he greeted her.
"You here!" she gasped.
He blinked at her. "Aye, my lady, at your beckoning."
"At my-" She paused and glanced over her shoulder. All eyes lay on her, even Ken had raised himself from the dead, and she sheepishly smiled. "I am very forgetful this night. If you would excuse me, I must attend to this new guest."
Lady Stewart grasped his arm and hurried them both from the room. Ken turned his attention to Lord Stewart.
"May we continue, my laird?" Ken asked our host.
Stewart bowed his head, and the play continued, but a cloud of confusion and curiosity hung over everyone present. For myself, my attention was focused on the ending. The scenes ran through the investigation of the assassin's weapon to the reveal, and finally to a grand accusation where the two fiends, one played by Lady Douglas, were presented with the evidence and pleaded guilty.
The play closed on that scene. The audience stood and clapped, and the actors came out as a group and bowed to us. Ken was lavished with praise and the actors were complimented on their fine performances, particularly that of Lord and Lady Cameron.
The hour was late when the party broke for bed. Ken offered me his arm and led me to our bedchamber. When the door had closed I spun around and folded my arms across my chest. A sly smile graced my lips as he turned to me.
"If I didn't know you were a werewolf I would say you were a fox," I teased.
He returned my smile with one of his own. "Then you appreciated the subtleties?"
"Not so much as Lady Stewart," I quipped.
Ken seated himself on the bed and nodded. "Aye. It was more than I hoped."
"Then you planned her reaction?" I guessed as I sat beside him.
"I hoped, but didn't expect, such a reaction," he admitted.
"And what is your next move, playwright?" I teased.
At my question his face fell. "Unfortunately, that is up to our foes."
My heart sank. "Then we are no better off than before the play?"
He straightened and grasped my hands in his. A smile slipped back onto his lips and he shook his head. "No, my love. The whole of the party has seen some evidence of her guilty conscience, and Lady Stewart is now ill at ease. There is now a greater chance that she will stumble and make a fatal error."
I sighed and squeezed his hands. "I only hope the error is not fatal to either of us."
He leaned forward and pecked a light kiss on my lips. "I will be by your side to protect you," he promised.
A warm blush heated my cheeks. "Then I will be comforted."
CHAPTER 50
The next morning we were awoken by a knock on the door. Or, rather, I was awoken. Ken was already half dressed when the intrusion came. I sat up and covered myself with sheets before he opened the door and admitted an unsmiling McKenna.
"What news?" Ken asked him as he buttoned his shirt.
"There is to be a Hunt this day," McKenna informed him.
Ken paused in his dressing and frowned. "Who has suggested it?"
"Laird Stewart," McKenna replied. "And all werewolves are expected to participate, even Cael and myself."
A shadow passed over Ken's brow. "How very kind of our host to force all the men from the house."
"It is very singular," McKenna agreed.
"What is a Hunt?" I spoke up.
Ken half-turned to me as he finished his dressing. "It is much like a normal fox hunt where a fox is released and there is chance. The great differences are there are no horses, and the men are werewolves."
I wrinkled my nose. "And you give chase on foot?"
"Aye. It is quite a dirty experience, and in this winter weather it will be quite wet," Ken commented. He returned his attention to McKenna. "When is the Hunt proposed?"
"Today after the breakfast hour," McKenna replied.
"I see. Thank you, McKenna," Ken answered.
McKenna bowed and left. Ken paced the floor while I crawled to the end of the bed. "What do you believe they plan?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "I am not sure. There may be an attempt on my life during the Hunt, or even yours." He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "I feared they would separate us, but not at such a long distance."
"What should I do?" I asked him.
He strode over and clasped my hands. His unblinking eyes stared into mine. "You should never, under any circumstances, be alone, especially with Lady Stewart."
I pursed my lips and nodded. "I will do so."
He smiled and pecked a kiss on my lips. "Excellent. I will try to make this Hunt as short as possible, but it may take a good hour or two."
"Might I watch?" I suggested.
He chuckled. "If you can follow us," he teased.
"I will follow at a distance," I teased.
"Then we will both be better protected," he agreed.
I dressed, and Ken and I went downstairs. The other guests who were situated in the dining hall were all abuzz with the chance at witnessing their mates in a Hunt.
"We shall see if brute strength matches or defeats foxy cunning," Lady Stewart commented.
"When is the fox released?" one of the women spoke up.
"It was released an hour ago to give more sport," Lord Stewart replied.
"Then it might be halfway across the county," Cael pointed out.
Lord Stewart smiled and shook his head. "Not this fox. It was raised nearby, and knows only this area. It will stay close, but not so close as to not give us a good chase."
Lady Stewart stood and tossed down her napkin. "Well, I for one cannot wait for the Hunt. Let us being at once."
A cry of approval rose up from everyone but those intimate with the devilry of our hosts. We women dressed in our cloaks, and Lady Stewart made an especial show of wearing a large, heavy cloak, and the party ventured outside. The men disregarded their coats, and even removed their shirts and shoes. I watched in awe mixed with concern as many of them half-transformed into werewolves. Their fur covered their naked forms and warmed them.
The women followed the men down the left-hand stairs and to the center of the gravel driveway. I felt someone's arm loop through mine, and saw it was Elisa who held me. Her eyes followed Lord Cameron, and she bit her lip.
"Do you think this is very dangerous?" she whispered to me.
I smiled and shook my head. "Only for the fox." Or so I hoped.
Lord Stewart took the lead, and it was grotesque to see his thin body covered in fur and misshapen muscles. He gestured to the hills behind him, and the fields that lay on them.
"The fox started this way. We-"
"There's no need to tell us where it has gone. We can smell it," one of the lords spoke up.
Lord Stewart frowned, but stepped aside. "Then let us be off!"
The men rushed forward as a pack. Their long, clawed feet left behind strange tracks in the snow as they dove across the lawn and into the line of trees that separated the grounds from the fields. They raced up the slope with many howling in glee and others with their long noses to the ground. It was a strange and unsettling sight, and left the women in awe. Cael was not as fast as the others, but even his form disappeared into the distance.
"Well, let us indoors for a while during their fun," Lady Stewart announced.
I had intended to follow them as best I could, but Elisa leaned against me and squeezed my arm.
"Might we go back inside? I don't believe I could watch them," she pleaded.
"All right," I agreed.
Elisa and I turned away from the sport only to find Lady Stewart behind us. The other women were inside so it was that we three were all that remained.
"Would you not care to watch the Hunt?" she asked us.
Elisa shook her head. "No, thank you."
"Oh, but I insist. You are both so new to the world of the werewolves that this will be quite an experience," she assured us. She wrapped her arms around Elisa and me, and turned us towards the rear of the house.
"I-I suppose," Elisa agreed.
> "I would rather we didn't," I insisted.
Lady Stewart's hand that held me tightened on my shoulder and her smile grew strained. "But I must insist. It is a treat worth seeing at least once, and I know just the location."
My pulse quickened as I detected a hint of threat in her words. We reached the rear of the house and Lady Stewart guided us down the shoveled path away from the home. She pushed us ahead of her and nodded at the trail.
"It isn't wide enough for all three of us. I am a slow walker, so you two may lead me," she suggested.
"But we don't know the way," Elisa pointed out.
"You cannot miss the path. It will lead us to where we wish to be," she assured us.
I clutched Elisa close to myself and smiled at her. "Come along. I'm sure this won't take long."
"No, not long at all," Lady Stewart agreed as she fell back behind us.
We followed the path past the summerhouse and around the bend. The trees grew close to the path so there was only four feet to walk, and they blocked much of the view of the field to our left and the moors to our right. This was the farthest I had gone, and I now saw what had caught my attention many days before. The gray color seen from the windows was a graveyard.
Elisa froze and her eyes widened. "I-I do not like this place."
I silently agreed with her. The graveyard was filled with ancient headstones, battered and bruised by the countless years. A plain black metal fence surrounded the large yard, though the snow was so deep we could hardly see the pointed tops. The graveyard was at least five acres, and in the center was a mausoleum built of stone. The shoveled path led to the long, square building.
"Surely you wish to see how your mate fares in the Hunt," Lady Stewart commented.
"Perhaps we should go back. I am chilled," I complained.
"Oh, surely it isn't so bad as that," Lady Stewart argued. She stepped up behind us so her dress pushed against the backs of ours. We unconsciously moved forward, and she continued her herding of us down he path. "There. Is that so hard?"
Elisa hugged herself against me and shivered. "I'm frightened," she whispered.
I squeezed her hands. "Be brave," I told her.
We reached the mausoleum and saw that its heavy door was open. Elisa and I would not enter its dark domain, lit only by a small hole high on the back wall.
"You're nearly there. Inside now!" our guide ordered us.
I turned us around so we faced Lady Stewart. "We will not. Allow us to return to the house," I demanded.