“Lots of pottage and bannocks,” Joanna agreed, with a similarly discouraging face.
“But we’ll plan ahead and be prepared?” Ada assumed.
Agnes and Joanna exchanged a funny look and simultaneously burst out laughing.
“Be prepared, she says!” Agnes chortled.
A long trill sound disrupted their merriness. Agnes grabbed Ada’s hand. “The alarm,” she breathed, her mouth forming a long and narrow O.
Ada rushed from the kitchen, knowing the two women weren’t far behind. She ran along the corridor and through the hall and out into the yard. The gate was pushed closed and secured, the portcullis slowly rattling down. The attack on Stonehaven was made disturbingly fresh in her mind as she noted the scrambling and scurrying in the bailey. She bounded for the gate house, and used the stairs to the battlements, hiking up her skirts to reach the roof. She ran around the perimeter, following the sentries as they all raced for the south side of the keep to see what came.
At the far side of the loch, well beyond the reach of even the most skilled archer, a huge army came, with wagons and banners and more soldiers than Ada had ever seen all in one place. They were too far to see yet who dared to cross onto MacKenna land without so much as a by-your-leave, and moving at only a fast crawl, but Ada still cried out with fright. Whoever they were, their numbers were easily ten times those of Aviemore.
Jamie! She panicked and raced around to the west side of the battlements, but not one MacKenna soldier was out on the training field.
She heard her husband before she saw him. Running again along the rooftop wall, she found the stairs once more to get back to the keep just as Jamie’s voice rose above the din and clamor of an army and keep readying for battle.
“Where is my wife?” And only seconds later, while she descended the stairs within the enclosed walls, she heard a more frantic, “God damn it! Where is your lady?”
Ada stepped into the yard again and saw Jamie at the other end, dismounting swiftly. “Ada!” he roared, which rose her brows. She stopped, her hand on the wooden jamb of the doorway. Mesmerized, she watched him sprint toward the keep, calling her name, his tone sounding almost frantic.
“Jamie!” She called across the bailey to him, bringing him up just short of the door to the hall. He turned and scanned the yard, his anxious gaze finding her near the gatehouse.
Confusion battled within. Why was he so panicked?
Jamie raced over to her, pulling her into his arms. The look on his face was eerily reminiscent of the exact look he’d worn as he’d raced to her rescue when the enemy had come to Stonehaven. “Jesus, lass. I was worried you weren’t within the walls.” He hugged her tight, pressed a kiss onto her forehead.
Ada was dumbstruck. And when Jamie loosened his hold and looked down at her, he mistook her stunned expression as fear. “Ada, I will no ever let harm come to you. Do you understand me?”
At this moment, with an invading army only minutes away, the proper response might have been a quick nod, maybe an “aye”. But Ada could not lose that image or the sound of her husband, the one who’d claim there would be no love, nearly fraught with terror when he feared for her.
Jamie gripped her arms, giving her a shake. “Ada, I will keep you safe. Do you understand me?”
Ada tilted her head back, saw all the worry reflected in the depths of his gorgeous blue eyes and said to him, with a serene smile, “I do understand...despite the proximity.”
His frown deepened, and then disappeared completely. He breathed a ragged breath into her face with a short and surprising chuckle. “Aye, proximity,” he said. All that was harsh and hardened melted into some new awareness, softening the whole of his handsome face, erasing the darkness in his eyes. And he kissed her, fiercely and hungrily, with his own new understanding of what such unbridled worry for her might mean. But there was precious little time to explore this. “I need to get on that wall, and I need to ken you are safe inside. I’d lock you in the chapel if I had time,” he said, pushing her away and kissing her again at the same time.
I’d lock you in the chapel if I had time, were possibly the most glorious words Ada had ever heard. Lock her in the chapel, as the extremely loved and valued Anice Kincaid had once been locked in Stonehaven’s chapel when danger had come.
Her husband, bless his soul, was in love with her. He must be!
Just as his fingers finally released her, a loud cheer came from the top of the wall.
Jamie and Ada exchanged glances. Cheering?
“MacGregors and Kincaids comin’!” Callum leaned over the wall toward the bailey and shouted down.
Ada had begun to smile, with this happy news, until Jamie said, “That is no a good sign, lass. No reason for them to come, save to bear sorry news.”
Now that the coming horde had been identified there was no reason to take to the wall to mark their progress. Jamie gave the call to open the gate and he and Ada waited just inside. Within five minutes, Gregor Kincaid and another man, whom Ada did not know but presumed was the MacGregor walked their massive steeds inside the walls of Aviemore. Ada spied Torren coming alongside one of the wagons, a covered conveyance drawn by a team of four. A similar wagon followed this one, this one strewn with the same colors as the plaid of the MacGregor laird.
Gregor dismounted and marched straight up to Jamie. The men clasped forearms. Jamie seemed to hold his breath, while Gregor shook his head, prepared to deliver bad news indeed, Ada guessed by his tortured expression.
“Wallace has been arrested.”
Ada gasped and covered her mouth with trembling hands. She looked at Jamie, saw his face go pale with acute shock. Indeed, his entire body seemed to go limp, shoulders dropping and hands falling. Ada’s heart broke for him.
The MacGregor reached the pair, stretching out his hand to Jamie, who recovered as necessary.
“Let’s get the lasses settled,” Gregor said, “and we’ll fill you in.”
These words made Ada consider those wagons again. Torren was at the back of the first one, just lifting a very pregnant Anice onto the ground. Unprecedented circumstances, indeed, if Anice had been allowed or made to travel at this time. Torren reached back in and brought forth another woman, Ada saw, this one about Anice’s height with long shiny hair in a most unusual shade, who lifted magnificent green eyes to the three lairds as she took Anice’s hand and came forward.
Ada ran to Anice, who cried out when she noticed her.
They embraced without words. What might they say now, with the fate of the magnificent William Wallace in such grave peril?
Oh, but she was so happy to see her friend!
Anice cried into her shoulder. “This was the only good thing, that coming here would allow me to see you.”
“I’ve missed you,” Ada said, wanting to squeeze her tighter, but for the belly between them.
When they parted, Anice took up her hand and turned her toward the other woman. “This is Tess MacGregor. Tess, meet my friend, Ada Moncriefe.”
“How do you do?” Ada said.
Tess stepped forward and embraced Ada. “I do just fine, and I’m so happy to meet you. Anice told me about you as we traveled.”
Tess MacGregor’s immediate warmth was a wonderful thing, that Ada minded not at all that Anice had shared her story, however much. With a small and wry smile aimed at Anice, Ada announced, “Actually, I am Ada MacKenna now.” She assumed this news would come as quite a shock.
But Anice only showed the loveliest smile, dimpled and all. “Welcome news, indeed.”
Behind Ada, a cracked and ancient voice said, “Aye, but it feels good to put me stilts to the ground.”
Ada turned, and saw a charming blonde lass leading a tall and gangly old man toward them. The young girl, maybe seven or eight years old, held the man’s gnarled hand and giggled at him, “Mine feel like Eagan’s custard.”
Ada noted immediately that the man was blind, though his slow and plodding step seemed more an affliction of age
and not his sightlessness.
Tess introduced the child as her daughter, Bethany, and the man as her friend, Angus.
Remembering her role as Lady of Aviemore, Ada invited them into the hall. “I’ll have Agnes prepare some barley tea.”
Ada met Jamie’s gaze as she led the group toward the keep, which prompted him to usher the growing circle of men in as well. His face was stricken still with disbelief and fear for the grim news they’d brought with them.
The gray and cool day compelled Ada to sit Anice and Tess near the hearth, while she begged of Henry, who hovered nearby, to stoke the fire.
Agnes, too, was nearby and after introductions to the party near the hearth, Agnes beckoned two serving girls to the kitchens with her, that they might begin preparations to feed so many weary travelers.
JAMIE STOOD AROUND the family’s table, with Kincaid and Conall MacGregor. Torren and Callum had exchanged greetings as old friends and Callum gave a hearty bear hug to the MacGregor captain, John Cardmore, a huge mountain of a man, with more years and experience than any man present. Malcolm had joined them, his frown heavy, his face pale.
The grim news of Wallace’s arrest had nearly floored Jamie, but only partly explained the presence of Conall and Gregor, and less so Tess and Anice and the rest of the retinue they’d traveled with.
Gregor provided some answers. “We thought to combine our armies—as we would have in another month to join Wallace—but now to London instead.”
Conall added, “We left half our forces down near Haddington. They’ll await us, or word from us, as we head south.”
Jamie did not question this. He’d be riding right now for London if not for the fact that they obviously had decisions to make regarding what they planned to do for Wallace and how they hoped to accomplish it.
“We considered Stonehaven for the lasses, with the sea as means of escape, but figured Aviemore was further, and so much less accessible,” Gregor was saying, and added grimly, “should things not go our way, and there come repercussions.”
Malcolm nodded, taking it all in. “You’re sure Wallace is in London now?”
“Aye, they moved him straightaway,” Torren provided.
John Cardmore added, “Trial to start forthwith.”
“Aye,” agreed Conall, “Will be no more than a farce, meant to appease Longshanks and give only the appearance of impartiality.”
“The whole God damn effort will fall apart, without Wallace,” growled Gregor.
“We ride into London, we’re riding straight to our own imprisonment,” cautioned John Cardmore. “Be no help to Wallace then.”
“I’ll no leave him—do you ken what they’ll do to him?” Jamie said with a great fierceness. “He’ll no receive a fair trial.”
Conall nodded and suggested, “We’d planned to leave skeleton crews at Stonehaven and Inesfree, and a quarter of the entire force here with the lasses.”
Gregor finished, “And march into London a thousand strong, bring him back.”
“Might be all we have,” Conall said pensively, mulling over the plan. “Bruce might’ve accepted Wallace’s invite to meet, but he’s no in a position to do much else just yet.”
But Jamie allowed, “They’ll suppose some plan to retrieve him. How many do you think Longshanks will have in London proper?”
“More than we’ll ever amass,” Gregor said. “We canna save him by numbers and brawn alone. There has to be a plan, and it likely will require more stealth than brute force.”
“We’ve no time to sit and strategize,” said Jamie.
Torren chimed in, “You can ride and plot.”
“Aye,” said Conall, “we need to go now.”
Jamie looked at Gregor. “I understand if you bow out. Anice needs you with her.”
Gregor was shaking his head even before Jamie had finished. “Anice and our child need to live free.” He looked to Torren, “She won’t stand for both of us to go.”
“I’ll no leave her,” Gregor’s captain vowed. Torren looked to John Cardmore. “That puts you in charge of these three,” he said with a humorless smirk, and then tossed his thumb over his shoulder at the lasses. “You answer to those three if you dinna bring ‘em all home.”
John harrumphed, but nodded, knowing it was true.
Conall ironed out a few more particulars. “Callum, you’re on logistics for the movement. You’ve got one hour to mobilize the MacKenna army. We’ll leave forty each, Kincaids and MacGregors. Figure out the rest to assure Aviemore can hold its own. Malcolm, if needs be, you send for the food stores at Stonehaven and Inesfree, if we’re gone too long, as you’ll have a full army to feed.”
Gregor asked Jamie about spare horses. “We’ve got a few lame just from the day’s journey to Aviemore. We’ll leave them to your stable master and swap out for fresh.”
“Aye,” Jamie allowed. And he motioned to Simon, who stood close with several other officers of the three armies, who then pivoted and left the hall to see to this matter. “How are we on food for travel?”
Conall shrugged. “We brought what we could. We’ll eat when Wallace is safe.”
“Aye,” came a chorus of agreement.
ADA AND TESS AND ANICE sat completely silent near the warm fire, listening intently to every word from the strategizing men. Angus, sitting with one long leg crossed over the other, chewed the inside of his cheek while he listened as well. The child, Bethany, seemed to sense the very air of solemnness within the hall and stayed still and mum at Angus’s side.
Ada excused herself quietly and went to the kitchens to find Agnes. Luckily, Moira and Mary were there as well.
“Quickly,” Ada instructed, “we need to prepare rooms, one for the Kincaid, and one for the MacGregor. The ladies will need space and rest, and they’ll want privacy for their farewells.”
Agnes nodded, her face pinched with her worry. “Moira and Mary will attend that now, aye, lasses? And I’m just bringing out the tea and cakes.”
“Thank you,” said Ada, and she returned quickly to her guests. The number of soldiers within the hall was diminishing one by one as men dashed off to see to any assigned tasks set by their lairds.
They’ve done this before, Ada thought, as she watched Anice and Tess. They sat, side by side, holding hands, their faces showing none of the anxiety or fear that Ada grappled with, looking all at once serene and stoic. Putting on brave faces, Ada decided, when she noticed how white were the knuckles of their clenched hands.
As the men still were gathered and plotting, Ada spoke softly still. “They are preparing rooms now. You’ll want a quiet place to bid your husbands Godspeed.”
Fifteen minutes later, and with Tess and Anice shown to their borrowed quarters, Ada stood inside the room she’d not shared with Jamie for almost a week. Jamie lifted the lid on the trunk at the end of the wide bed. She waited just inside the door, fearful and silent, watching him prepare to depart. Rifling through the contents of the trunk, he extracted an extra plaid and several tunics and breeches and several pairs of hose. Aviemore’s armorer would have at the ready Jamie’s chain mail and weaponry. Ada supposed she herself, as Jamie’s wife, was responsible for what he was about now.
Oh, but how she wished they had more time! Groaning inwardly, she chastised herself for being so selfish. His time and his attention were properly and proudly obligated in service to William Wallace now. Yet, she would not allow him to leave with so much unsettled between them. She would flaunt that bravery with which she was so often attributed, she would put her heart out there again on the slim bow of her sleeve, and she would make sure he understood that it belonged to him, if he wished it.
She stepped forward, then stopped, unsure how any attempt now to smooth their recent aloofness might be received. Her understanding of what had transpired in the bailey was rightly a precarious and delicate thing; while his fear for her had led her to believe there must be love, she had since considered a late-coming argument that it could, just as well, lead her t
o believe that the keen excitements of a looming calamity had predicated such intense concern for only the lady of the manor.
Jamie turned toward her while she continued to gather her courage. One look at his remarkable blue eyes, so heavy with undeniably tormented thoughts and suddenly, Ada did not care about anything else, not even any possible rejection. She moved again, this time walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his middle, while his hands were filled with his rolled belongings. For just a moment, before he left her, she wanted to know the warmth and security of being pressed against him. Tunics and hose and the plaid were pressed against her back as his arms closed around her. Ada closed her eyes, committing this to memory, hoping she did not need it for long.
She would say her peace; what he did with it was his business. But she’d not have regrets hanging over her while he was gone. With a fierceness she truly believed she’d only discovered after she met Jamie MacKenna, she lifted her head and took his face in her hands, waiting for him to meet her eyes. His jaw was clenched, she noticed, but could not know if this was because of Wallace’s predicament, or because she touched him.
“I do not want to send you off with so much unsettled between us,” she said.
“It’ll keep, lass, until I return.”
And that was what she feared. She remembered him once saying he wasn’t afraid to die, as he hadn’t much to live for.
“But please come back to me,” she begged, tears pooling. “I am in love with you and I want you to love me and you cannot do that if you do not return. I don’t want to be foolish or afraid or...without you. I want to be your wife.”
All the harshness evaporated instantly. His brow lost its crease and his eyes softened; he almost smiled, save that leave-takings were always sorrowful. He lifted his hand and smoothed his palm over her face, tracing his thumb along the scarring. “You are my wife, Ada MacKenna, with the silly other name.”
Ada grinned and cried at the same time.
The kiss that followed was greedy and devouring, and Ada returned it with reckless abandon, savoring every second of this moment. She didn’t know what became of the garments he’d bundled, but both his hands slid around her waist and onto her bottom, which he pulled enticingly against himself.
The Shadow 0f Her Smile (Highlander Heroes Book 3) Page 24