Highland Soldiers: The Betrayal

by Jarvis, J. L.

  Duncan raised an eyebrow. “Have you planned the journey for me, too?”

  “No, just one part of it.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll go pack now.”

  “Hurry,” Duncan called after, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

  *

  They arrived at Callum’s house, after passing the burned shell of Duncan’s old cottage. Duncan was in no mood to discuss Jenny’s family, which was all she could think of. She had not left them in the way that she should, and she felt badly for it. All she wanted was to rush home and throw her arms about her mother and tell her she was sorry for the trouble she had caused. Her father would be displeased with her, but he would forgive her. She felt certain of it.

  They reached Callum and Mari’s house as the dusk settled about them. Mari fed them a hearty meal and asked all about how they had fared for the winter. The large fireplace warmed away the chill of the early spring night.

  At last, Jenny said, “Tell me more of my parents. You’ve said very little about them.” They had talked about nearly everyone else, until it was clear there was something amiss.

  Callum looked at her directly, and did not mince words. “There is trouble.”

  Jenny braced herself.

  “They are well enough.” Callum reached out and put his hand on Jenny’s to calm her. “It’s to do with money. I know only because I have been helping my father to manage the estate. Between a laird and his tacksman, there are certain financial dealings. Funds have gone missing that were under your father’s care.”

  Jenny said, “I am sure he will right any wrong that has happened on his watch.”

  Callum smiled sympathetically. “Money doesnae go missing like that unless someone is doing something they shouldnae be doing.”

  “Are you saying my father stole from your father?”

  “I’m sorry, Jenny. I only know that money is missing. If there’s a proper reason, your father has yet to offer it.”

  “You make him sound like a common thief.”

  “That was not my intention. I meant only to prepare you. Unless your father can restore the missing money, he will no longer be tacksman.”

  “But our home…”

  Callum delivered the news as gently as anyone could. “You must know that he lives there at the pleasure of the laird. As it is, I have convinced my father to show mercy, as it is his first offense.”

  Duncan went to Jenny and stood behind her chair with his hands on her shoulders. No one spoke of it, but they all knew that thieves could be punished by having an ear or a hand cut off, by being branded on the cheek and banished, or even by hanging.

  Callum said, “But there is still a matter of the missing funds, I’m afraid. If they are not restored, your parents will be banished.”

  Too shocked to absorb what she was hearing, Jenny said, “My father a criminal? My mother must be distraught. I must go to them.”

  Duncan said, “We will go in the morning.”

  Bereft, Jenny tried to absorb it.

  Duncan thanked Mari and Callum for their hospitality, and urged Mari not to trouble herself. They would find their own way to the same room where they had spent their wedding night.

  How different tonight was. Jenny was already weary from traveling here. This news had shaken her too much to express it. She simply readied herself for bed and curled up close to Duncan.

  Duncan held her in his arms. “Your father is a very smart man. He will see his way through this and take care of your mother. And I will always take care of you. You need not worry yourself.”

  But she did, for the life she had known was unhinged. She said softly, “What will they do? I cannae imagine them poor, having to live in a croft somewhere.”

  Duncan took her words like a sharp blow. She was too weary to think of how she had sounded to Duncan. She drifted asleep to escape from her worries, but Duncan did not. He lay awake thinking of how he had dragged her down to a lowly life in a croft. She had been raised for a much different life. He had taken for granted that she would adjust and be happy, for they were in love. Now he wondered if love would always be enough.

  *

  The MacRuer house was a good walk away from Callum’s house. Callum had offered one of his horses so the two could reach Jenny’s parents sooner. Jenny silently rode. Duncan took note, and assumed the weight of her silence as his own. He could not forget what she had said before falling asleep. It put distance between them, which he had never felt before. She was higher born. He had always known it. But growing up as they had, the wall between them had been long ago breached. There had only been love between them. So, when she spoke of her parents not having to stoop to his level, the words cut him.

  They now rode along the same paths they had ridden before. The landscape was the same, but so much had happened that could not be undone. They had changed. It was no longer the home they once knew.

  *

  Duncan gave Jenny’s hand a squeeze as they stood at the door to her house.

  Her mother answered the door and threw her arms about Jenny. She gave Duncan a warm nod, but no more. As she invited them inside, she said, “I’m sorry. The servants have been given the day off.”

  Jenny took a seat beside Duncan. “The day off, Mum? Tell me the truth.”

  Rowena MacRuer’s expression crumbled as she shook her head.

  Jenny said, “What happened?”

  “You should hear that from your father. I know very little. He willnae talk to me about it.”

  “Will he see us?” asked Jenny.

  “I dinnae know, lass. He was so angry with you when you left.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jenny wanted to say more. There was no denying the pain she had caused, even though they had left her no other choice.

  Jenny’s mother reached out and clasped Jenny’s hands. “Are you happy?”

  “I am. But I’m worried about you.”

  “You’ve a life of your own. You need not worry about us.”

  “You’re my parents. Of course I will worry.”

  Rowena smoothed her hair back from her face. “I’m certain your father will sort it all out.”

  Jenny nodded, as if agreeing, although she could not be so sure. “May I see him?”

  “He’s not himself.”

  “Please. I must see him.”

  Her mother was hesitant, but led them to the study. Andrew, with hair in disarray, looked up from his desk and closed the drawer gently. His blank look did not reveal any emotion toward her, but his sharp glance at Duncan left no doubt how he felt toward him.

  Duncan was first to speak. “Mr. MacRuer, I beg your forgiveness for the pain I have caused you and your family.”

  Andrew regarded him quizzically, but said nothing.

  Duncan went on, “I love your daughter, and would give my life to see her safe and happy.”

  “You might better have done that before you stole her from us and a life that was worthy of her.”

  Duncan took his sharp words without flinching. Only a dark look in his eyes betrayed his reaction. “She wanted to go.”

  “She did not know what she was doing.”

  Duncan took a moment to tamp down words he would regret. Instead, he said, “We had promised ourselves to each other.”

  “What did you promise her? A croft with walls blackened by soot, where she’d spend bitter winters huddled by the fire for warmth? Did you promise her hands rough and callused?”

  Jenny hid her hands in the folds of her skirts.

  Duncan said, “I know it was not what you’d hoped for your daughter. I can promise you that she is dearly loved.”

  Andrew scoffed.

  Jenny leaned forward. “Father! Dinnae laugh so at my husband!”

  Andrew was visibly taken aback. He stared at her, first with shock, then with scorn. “Listen to you, bold as brass. Why, you’re ready for life as a merchant’s wife, hawking your wares in the mercat.”

  Duncan took in a sharp breath, but Jenny
spoke before he could. “I would be proud to do it, for there is no better life than to stand beside the man I love and to know he loves me. Duncan’s love is far dearer to me than all of your money.” She stopped short.

  Andrew had no retort, for he had no money. In that moment, they all knew that any station Andrew had held had been lost. He was no higher than Duncan, and he knew it. Jenny had not intended to do so, but her words had brought him down to a place he did not want to be. Thus bitterly humbled, words failed him.

  Andrew was no longer the commanding father to whom Jenny had always looked up. He was powerless now, and she felt pity for him. Jenny sank into a chair and leaned her hands on the desk. “Father, what happened?”

  Duncan stood stiffly by her side.

  Andrew poured himself a drink and offered one to Duncan. “Years ago, my friends and I formed a tontine. We pooled our money and shared the dividends every year. I was charged with keeping the account and disbursing the money. I was once short of money, years ago. So I borrowed from the principal. No one knew, and I paid it all back from the rents I collected. It was always temporary.”

  “Always? So you did it again?”

  “Many times. No one was hurt. I paid it back. That is, until a few years ago. I was short. But I always made the dividend payments, so no one found out.”

  “Some months ago, before the lads all went to the lowlands to fight, I was late with the dividend payment. Malcolm MacLean demanded to see the ledger.”

  “Tavish’s father?”

  “He and I were the last members of the tontine.”

  Duncan put a hand on Jenny’s shoulder as he guessed what was coming.

  “He knew what I’d done. I owed him far more than I could ever repay.” Andrew’s eyes rested on Jenny. “Tavish fancied you. Quite a lot.”

  “Enough to accept her as payment?” Andrew looked down and nodded.

  “Father, you sold me?”

  Andrew looked at her. “We made a marriage arrangement. Such things are done all the time.”

  “Not to satisfy a debt. Men do not barter their daughters.”

  With sorrow, Andrew said, “But they do.”

  “Jenny, dear, it was a very good match,” said her mother.

  Her words were of no use. For all of her life, Jenny had trusted her father. But he was a thief, and she was no more than a business commodity. Jenny leaned back in her chair and studied her rough, callused hands. She said softly, “I would rather sell whisky at mercat than to be sold.”

  “Jenny, please understand.”

  “Do you think Tavish would have loved me knowing that he’d won me like a prize?”

  “He did know.”

  Jenny nodded. “And he held no affection, nor any respect for me.”

  “It angered him greatly to lose you,” said Andrew.

  “Because of his pride,” Jenny hastened to say. “But he never loved me.”

  “After you left, he went into a rage. He demanded compensation. But with no money left in the tontine, he settled for revenge. He went to the Laird of Glengarry. I’m sure it was his plan to repay his public humiliation with mine. But Glengarry has been good enough to keep it private.”

  Jenny reached for Duncan’s hand.

  Andrew gazed at his wife. “I am sorry, good wife.”

  Rowena’s sympathy shone through her distress.

  Before she could speak, Andrew opened his desk drawer and pulled out a pistol. Pushing Jenny behind him, Duncan lunged over the desk and grabbed hold of Andrew’s forearm to keep him from pointing it at himself. A hissing sound and a puff of smoke rose from the pistol, and then nothing. Duncan forced the pistol from Andrew’s hand as Rowena rushed to her husband’s side. “Are you hurt?”

  Andrew stared at his desk without expression. “No, much to my misfortune.”

  Duncan said, “You’re lucky the main charge failed to ignite. Give me your word that you’ll not try that again.”

  Andrew did not respond right away, but a tear trailed down his face. His voice broke as he said, “You have my word.” He fell into his wife’s arms and wept.

  Jenny stared at her father. She had never seen him cry, or express any emotion like this.

  After a quick search of the desk, Duncan found what he needed to remove the ball and clean the powder from the barrel. With that done, he slid the pistol into his belt. “I’ll keep this for you for now.” Pulling Jenny aside, he asked, “Are there any more guns in here?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  While Rowena tended to Andrew, Duncan led Jenny outside. As he closed the door, Jenny said, “I should do something.”

  “They are best left alone, for now.”

  With Jenny’s hand still in his grasp, Duncan led her on a walk to nowhere in particular, just away from the house. “You will not blame yourself.”

  “I dinnae know what you mean.”

  “Yes, you do. You may lie to yourself, but do not lie to me.”

  Jenny walked on in silence.

  “This was not your fault.” He lifted her chin and searched her eyes. “Nor was it mine.”

  Jenny lifted rueful eyes. “And yet, here we are at the center of it.”

  Duncan stopped and pulled her into his arms. “I’ll hear no more talk like that. We may have been at the center, but we were not the cause. Your own father admitted it.”

  “That’s little comfort when your parents and now mine have had their lives torn apart. All the people we love have been hurt.”

  A fierce look burned in Duncan’s eyes. “Tavish MacLean has had his revenge.”

  Chapter 12

  Duncan helped Andrew stow the trunks on the carriage Rowena’s sister and husband had sent for them. Her sister had married a wealthy merchant. Andrew had always looked down upon him for being in trade, but now the merchant would be able to look down upon them. They had become the poor relations, and Rowena’s sister and husband were taking them in. They would live in his grand house in Glasgow until Andrew could put their lives back together.

  “Must you leave right away?” Jenny asked them.

  Rowena touched her palm to Jenny’s cheek. “We must put this life behind us. It will be better for your father.” Tears welled in her eyes.

  Andrew was not himself. Nor would he be, Jenny feared. She promised to visit as she held her mother close and bade her goodbye. She gave her father a kiss on the cheek. He could barely bring his red-rimmed eyes to meet hers. When he did, all she saw there was sadness.

  Duncan offered his hand as Rowena stepped into the carriage. She was grateful, and showed it. He had saved her husband’s life. There were no words for that, nor did Duncan expect them. The carriage drove off, but the unbidden weight of their sorrow remained.

  *

  Duncan and Jenny stayed with Callum and Mari for a time. They had a large house, which they were glad to share. Summer came, and its warmth and long days had a healing effect upon Jenny. In the mornings, Callum and Duncan practiced swordplay at the castle with Alex, Charlie and their clansmen. There were rumors of being called back into service, but none came to fruition. In the afternoons, Duncan and Jenny helped Callum with chores. While their house was grand, their income was not. There was always work to do, and Duncan and Jenny were glad for the chance to help out. Night fell late in the summer, so they had long evenings to walk and dream together of the future. Life was as they once hoped it would be after marriage, with days of contentment, and nights of passion.

  The time came to deliver more food and supplies to Duncan’s parents. They were producing enough kelp to pay for most of it. Soon the first barley crop would be harvested and they would begin to make whisky.

  On a cool summer evening, joined by Alex and Charlie, they all sat by the fire talking and laughing. When the conversation fell into a comfortable lull, Callum said, “We’ve not had enough evenings like this.”

  Mari said, “Aye, it’s true. This reminds me of our days together in Edinburgh.”

  While they ha
d shared many fine evenings together, they had shared tragedy, too. Duncan eyed them skeptically. “We have been here since spring. Are you not tired of us yet?”

  Mari smiled. “Never.” “We have not seen Alex and Charlie as much as we’d like.” Mari look to them both for agreement.

  Duncan glanced at the men with a smirk. “That lot is but minutes away, and we’ve trained together every day.”

  Mari met Alex’s eyes with a knowing expression.

  Taking her cue, Alex said, “Och, Duncan. In truth, do you not wish for those days?”

  “No,” Duncan said bluntly. “I do not.”

  Alex chuckled. “Of course you do. Don’t we all?”

  When no answer came forth, Alex gave Charlie a sharp elbow to the ribs.

  “Aye! More time together!” Charlie said as though waking up.

  Duncan glanced at Jenny. They both turned toward the others, whose eyes twinkled mischievously.

  Silence stretched awkwardly on until Mari said, “The truth is, we thought it a nice time to go spend by the sea. We were all hoping there might be some barley to harvest, and a croft to build.”

  Jenny grinned. “’Tis a fine idea! Would you really do that for us?”

  “Not for Duncan,” said Callum with a wink. But for you and his parents we will.” He leaned forward. “However, there is one condition.” He turned to Duncan, in earnest, but made him wait for the rest. “I would have a dram or two of your whiskey.”

  With a broad smile, Duncan said, “It will be yours. But if it doesnae taste good, blame the harvest workers.”

  “I will do just that.”

  Duncan leaned back, content to have such good friends.

  *

  A driving rain welcomed them back to the croft on the coast.

  “’Tis a good thing that I thought to bring a tent.” The corner of Callum’s mouth quirked up as he caught Mari’s eye. They both knew that she had reminded him of it.

  Duncan pointed out a suitable place to pitch the tent, and they set to work. The rain had blown over by morning, but they waited another day for the barley to dry enough to harvest. Duncan thought they should wait one more day, but Brodie disagreed. The best chance for a few days of sunshine was right after a rain. So they went to the fields when the dew had burned off and the sun was high in the sky. A strong sea breeze braced their spirits as they faced the task before them.