Celtic Peril (Celtic Storm Book 6)

by Ria Cantrell

  “This is very dire and dangerous. Go on, lad.”

  Even though they were closed in a room, Tom still lowered his voice. “There is a man who is close to the king. He sits with the king at every meal and pretends to be the king’s confidante. He is the one who seeks the demise of the monarch.”

  “Do ye’ know that from what ye’ heard today?”

  “Well, no; not completely. Part of it I knew from reading about it in a book, in my time. That is why I was watching him and looking for an opportunity to learn some part of his dastardly plan. That presented itself this afternoon when I unwittingly overheard two men whispering so I hid and listened. I figured whispering men usually meant they weren’t planning a surprise party.”

  “Surprise party?”

  “Oh, it’s a custom in my time where you plan a party for a guest, like for a birthday celebration and the person does not know about it. Then everyone jumps out and yells Surprise!”

  Caleb actually chuckled at the notion. “Sounds like a way to get a body killed.”

  Tom actually smiled, thinking what that might seem like to a man trained to live by the strength of his sword arm.

  “Yes, well, I suppose in this time, that would be a definite possibility. People rather enjoy it, in my time.”

  “Strange, indeed. Anyway, so they were nay planning a surprise party. Go on.”

  “No. It was as I suspected. They are planning to murder the king. I just did not know who to go to with this information. Yes, I had read it had happened when I was traveling to Scotland so I knew who was at the forefront of the plot, but there is a second man who is being hired to carry out the deed. Laird MacCollum, he wears the plaid of the clan, but he is not clan. He is an enemy to you and yours. He even said as much.”

  This information clearly did not sit well with the old Laird. Tom watched a muscle flex in the jaw of the man who stood before him.

  “Who has dared to dishonor MacCollum, Lad. Speak now.”

  “I heard de la Pole say his name was Jerome McManus.”

  “What,” thundered the laird. “Did you say Jerome McManus?”

  He had to be certain he heard correctly. That bloody bastard was the cause of terrible heartache and near tragedy for his family some twenty years ago. He had been responsible for the kidnapping of Rory’s precious wife Brielle while she was under Caleb’s protection. He beat and abused her before delivering her into the hands of her mad brother Roderick. Her rescue nearly cost the life of two of his sons, including Rory who would not rest until he had saved her. It had nearly also cost Brielle the life of her unborn child. But after Roderick had been killed, the likes of Jerome McManus was not heard from again. How could it be that after all this time had passed for him to now rear his ugly head again?

  Tom watched the laird stalk back and forth at the news, as he murmured every curse imaginable. Clearly, this was making a horrible situation worse. There was obviously bad blood between this man and the one set to do de la Pole’s dirty work.

  Finally, with his anger still simmering, the laird spoke, “And the other, de la Pole? What is his part in this?”

  “He seeks to vie for the position of King Regent upon the death of Richard. He wishes his hands to appear clean as he plays the part of the grieving friend. McManus will actually do the deed.”

  “Aye, dressed as a MacCollum to taint our clan for all eternity. Forever we shall bear the title of the ones who killed the English king.”

  “No, you see, that’s just it. In the history book I read, the attempt was thwarted.”

  Caleb rubbed the grey stubble on his firmly set chin. “I guess that’s where ye’ come in, isn’t it, my friend?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I guess so. I think that this is now my lot in this terrible turn of events.”

  Taking a big full breath, Caleb puffed his chest out, showing his might and strength. He said, “And how shall this all come about? The king is heavily guarded.”

  “De la Pole is his confidante. He wishes to lure the king from the hunt by playing upon his sense of competition. Not to be bested, the king will follow and leave his guards behind. When he does, McManus will ambush the king and paint the murder on the backs of the MacCollum Clan.”

  “I should have seen to the death of that man while I had the chance. T’is no matter. I will have my chance now.”

  Tom could see that there was deep hatred for Jerome McManus, so he refrained from telling the old laird about his vision of the terrible violent crimes that had come upon him in the stable stalls. Instead he said, “Laird MacCollum, with all due respect and believe me, I mean you no dishonor, so forgive me for what I am about to say.”

  Caleb raised his hand up and said, “I know. I know. Ye’ think me too old to aid the king. Ye’ think all I can do is get in the way.”

  “No, not that, but well, you live in a peaceful time now.”

  “So then it’s that ye’ think I am soft and old.”

  “No sir. I would wish I could have one tenth of your strength. I just think this is not supposed to be your fight.”

  “Then whose fight, Laddie. While I am still Laird, it is my duty to see to upholding the name of all I hold dear.”

  “Fine, then I will ride with you. De la Pole talked about an outcropping of rock as the place to lure the king from the hunting party.”

  “I know it well. It is a favorite place of your mother’s. T’is where she took all the lassies when they passed from childhood to womanhood in their ceremonial rites.”

  “Great,” Tom grumbled.

  “Laddie, there are forces at work that we canna’ deny.”

  “So it would seem.”

  Tom felt miserable. It wasn’t that he was afraid of what was to come. Sure, he was nervous about it, but he just had a sinking feeling that they did not even know the worst of it.

  Caleb patted the younger man on the arm and said, “I would be honored to have ye’ by my side.”

  “It seems, I must fight for my namesake now, too. And I fight for Jenna.”

  Despite the terrible task at hand, Caleb smiled and said, “Ah, yes, I had forgotten. Well it seems I can nay thrash ye’ now, lad, in light of things.”

  “Well, I am relieved about that, at least. For you would be quite a formidable opponent, Laird.”

  “Well, I canna’ promise the brother will nay wish to flay ye’, but it shall nay come from my hand.”

  At that, the laird offered his hand to Tom and the two men shook hands in the greeting of old, elbow to palm in their own private alliance. As these two men from two very different worlds forged their friendship, an unspoken understanding passed between them. They weren’t so very different after all. They also were alike in many ways; the least being the shared love they had for Jenna.

  “I’m glad ye’ chose me to guard yer’ secret, lad. I daresay ye’ would do yer’ own da’ proud.”

  At the mention of his father, Tom asked, “Did you know my father very well?”

  “Nay, lad, I did not. He died when I was a very young bairn.”

  Tom shook his head. That would mean that his mother was further on in years than he suspected.

  “How long ago?”

  “Nearly three score and twelve years ago.”

  Tom did not understand. Morag had to have been in her twenties when he was born, and this man was nearly eighty. His mother was much older than he had even imagined.

  “Three score, that means sixty plus twelve.”

  “Aye, lad. The Old one has seen many summers. I think perhaps she could nay rest until the one she lost was found. And now here ye’ are.”

  “I wish I could know more about all of this; in particular things about my father.”

  “I believe ye’ must resemble him a good deal, except for yer’ mother’s eyes. I can still see yer’ mum in my mind’s eye, when she was a bit older than ye’ are now, lad. Ye’ do nay bear her likeness. Yer’ da’ was a strong warrior for the clan. I remember my da’ tellin’ me how mu
ch he loved yer’ mum and so when she was left with no more of her family, he took her into our home, where she helped to raise me and my brothers and then my babes after my beloved Mairgred took her final rest. She has ever been tending the offspring of the clan. She even helped rear yer’ beautiful lassie.”

  “She did?”

  “She has so much love to give, lad. T’was like all that she kept in her heart after she lost so much, she gave to all of us. Dunna’ hold her in anger. We can nay know what is in a woman’s heart.”

  “Did she ever speak of me?”

  Caleb’s face fell. “Nay lad, she did not. It was like it was too painful for her to even speak yer’ name. But she carried the burden of the loss so deeply and we all knew not to open that wound that never seemed to heal.”

  Tom shook his head sadly. “I remember being left as a foundling. It used to invade my dreams even as a grown man.”

  “She did what she thought she had to do. She paid for her choices dearly.”

  “If she did not speak of me, how did you know about me?”

  Patting Tom on the shoulder again, Caleb said, “I had heard stories of a son, but no one knew what happened to ye’. We knew something dreadful must have taken place for her nay to be able to form yer’ name. We just did nay know what that was. We assumed that ye’ perished in some way, but when the lass told me she met a man with silver eyes, I had a strange feeling that somehow ye’ were the son lost to the Old One so long ago. I only knew one other person with eyes like that and that was yer’ mother.”

  “You must be psychic, too, then.”

  “What means ye’; psychic?”

  “Oh, it means intuitive, you know, like you can sense things before they happen.”

  With a widening grin, Caleb said, “Lad, we are all from a long line of Ancient ones. The Old Ways are in our blood, despite the following of the newer religion. Why, we even have ties to druidic lineage. Even our beloved Saint, who gave our clan our name landed on the sacred soil of Iona. He may have bowed to the Christian God, but he was of the Old Path, else he would nay have made it safely to the shores of Iona from the sands of Erin.”

  “Erin? Irish? We come from the Irish?”

  “Aye, lad. Long ago, St. Columba or St. Columbkille as he was known travelled the Irish Sea to our beloved Scotland and settled in these parts. His followers, young Christians came with him. We are MacCollum or followers of St. Columbkille. Yer’ name, given to ye’ by those who fostered ye’ Callum, t’is not unlike MacCollum. So ye’ see? Nothing is really left to chance.”

  “Thank you for telling me that.”

  “Wear yer’ name proudly. I see ye’ are already wearing our colors. It fills an old man’s heart with pride, it does.”

  Tom glanced down at the kilt he had forgotten he had put on in his haste to find better fitting garments and his eyes met Caleb’s.

  “It matters nay why ye’ have donned it. Wear it as ye’ bear our name proudly,” he repeated and winked. “Maybe I am a little psychic, as ye’ have claimed, after all.”

  ~

  Chapter Forty-Four ~

  Tom had fought well in the lists with Sir Erik. It was already dark when he left the field to have another wash and get a bite to eat before retiring for the night. So many thoughts had run wild through his mind. He wanted to tell Sir Erik what had transpired so he could aid in the protection of the king, but he could not. This pact was simply between Caleb and himself.

  God, he was tired. Every muscle ached, but even so, Tom was certain he had never felt so alive as he did when he gripped that sword and swung it with all his might. It was becoming easier each time he held the blade in his hands. Calluses had formed on his palms but it did not worry him. It was like his right of passage and he bore them proudly.

  Stretching his neck till he heard a gentle pop, Tom would have loved to take another hot bath and fall blissfully into bed. The latter, would be preferred with his beautiful Jenna, but he was not about to ask for someone to draw water and heat it again, so he would make do with the water left from his soak earlier in the day. Already, the people who milled about waiting for the evening meal were finding their places at the many tables set out in the great hall. Tom really had no interest in being there, so he decided to grab something from the side board and take his meal to his room.

  He wished he would be able to be with Jenna this night, but he was certain that it wasn’t going to happen. It was just that he wondered if he would survive tomorrow’s adventure and he would have liked to spend every possible minute holding and loving Jenna. Love was funny. He hadn’t given it too much thought most of his life, outside of wishing to find someone special. Now, he just really needed to see her and kiss her before setting out to try to save the king. He was not going to worry that it would all end badly. He would just hold on to the things he and Jenna had shared. He sighed. Suddenly, he did not seem to have enough time. He knew he should seek out Morag.

  If what Caleb had said was true, she had suffered greatly for her sacrifice so that he could have a better life. Tom imagined there was much she could teach him; like this gift or curse to walk through time. He would have liked to get her take on the images that were so clear when he had thought he had actually witnessed the heinous deeds done by Jerome McManus’ hand. Surely, she would know what that was about.

  Tom sighed. What will be will be. If it was meant that he should have time to talk to his mother, then it would be so. Still, he had to at least see Jenna one more time before he rode out on the morning’s first rays of dawn. He could not tell her about what he and Caleb hoped to do, but he could hold her and feel her vital life force, which would give him strength to do what must be done.

  With his head so filled with all these things, Tom nearly brushed passed Jenna without noticing her.

  “Tavish,” she called. She hoped he was not trying to avoid her after the unpleasant encounter with her brother that afternoon. He stopped completely and turned to face her. Relief spread across his face as his eyes beheld her like a vision. The smile reached his eyes as he said, “My love, I did not think I would see you again tonight. I am glad I was wrong about that.”

  “Oh,” she said, trying to hide the small smile on her own lips. “Well, here I am.”

  “So you are.”

  “I-I wanted to apologize fer this afternoon.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for.”

  “Yes, yes I do. First, I am sorry ye’ witnessed my brother’s wrath. I am sorry I acted so harshly to him, as well, in front of you.”

  Tom touched her face, and gently stroked a finger over her lips. “Ssh,” he said. “You were angry. You had a right to be angry with him. I would have punched him myself, if I thought it wouldn’t make things worse.”

  Jenna giggled at the thought. She looked up at Tavish and she said, “I could nay stop thinking about what happened today.”

  “Neither could I. It seemed like a long time until I could see you again. I missed you so much.”

  “Did ye’?”

  Tom stole a quick kiss and said, “So much.”

  Jenna touched him and said, “Ye’ are in mail. Why?”

  “Your Uncle Erik is training me.”

  “But ye’ have no need to be a soldier, Tavish.”

  “I do if I am to be with a woman in this place and time.”

  “I dunna’ want ye’ to get hurt. Please dunna’ do this.”

  Tom took a strand of her hair and twirled a thick lock of it around his finger. It reminded her of how he had pulled her hair while he was kissing down her neck and back and she felt a wash of heat pool inside her.

  “Don’t you think I can hold my own, Love? I am not a small man, by any means.”

  She knew he was teasing her and he may have even been referring to his male anatomy. She still blushed at the thought of it but she answered absently, while conjuring the image of him; strong and thick with desire. “Nay, ye’ are not small. There was nothing small about ye’, Tavish.”r />
  He leaned in and gently bit her tender earlobe and whispered, “Wicked girl.”

  “If I am wicked it is because ye’ have tainted me.”

  “No, not tainted, but I have loved you.”

  Jenna lowered her lashes and said, “T’is another thing I need to apologize for.”

  “What’s that?”

  “For blurtin’ out to Ian that I loved ye’. I had no wish to embarrass ye’.”

  “Well did you not mean it?”

  Looking back up into the flash of silver in his eyes, Jenna said, “I meant it.”

  “Then, there is nothing to be sorry for. It would only be a matter of time before many people knew how we felt about each other.”

  Tom did not want to leave her, but he needed to prepare himself as best he could for tomorrow’s events so he kissed her fully on her mouth and he said, “I am so happy that you love me. It is more than I really hoped for.”

  “I know I am brash and forward, but can I come and stay with ye’ tonight?”

  “My beautiful Jenna, I would love nothing more than to have you sleeping beside me. In fact, I really need you tonight above all nights, but I can’t. I can’t risk you being found in my bed. I could not bear it if you were punished or beaten because of it.”

  “No one will beat me.”

  “I can’t be sure of that. Tonight we must be apart, but I promise that after tomorrow, I will never turn you away.”

  Jenna looked confused and she said, “Why is tomorrow so important, then?”

  Tom placed a finger beneath her jaw and said, “There is so much I need to tell you, but for now, I cannot. I promise I will. You have my word, I just cannot right now.”

  Tom could see that Jenna was not going to be easily deterred, but he had no real choice in the matter. Things were now beyond his control and to involve Jenna in them was both unfair and dangerous. He would never endanger her life, not even by telling her all that weighed heavily upon his heart this night. He said instead, “Just trust me, if you can. Tomorrow, I will be able to tell you. And I will hold you and love you and fall to sleep with you in my arms.”