She started sobbing after Brodie left her side. Struan called to Firtha to take her lady to her chamber. The maid took hold of her mistress and led her away. Anice's weeping echoed through the hall.
"There wasna cause for that, Sandy."
"I but asked a simple question of her. 'Tis my right to expect a virgin as my bride, Faither. I do not want used goods in my bed or another man's leavings in her belly."
Everyone who heard the accusations gasped. They may not like everything the lass did, but no one wanted to hear her slandered in this manner. Sandy walked toward Alex again, but Iain and Braden had just regained their grip on him. One punch would do it, and he intended to get at least one good jab in before they stopped him. Alex knew an insult was coming.
"So, impostor, should I keep her? Did ye teach her anything worthwhile when ye turned her into your whore?"
Alex did the only thing he could in defense of Anice: He demonstrated his complete and utter disgust of this man. He leaned back and spit in Sandy's smug face. Cheers rippled through the assembled clan.
Then all hell broke loose.
The last thing he saw was Sandy charging at him. Iain and Braden both relaxed their hold and he got off one good swing with his bound hands before the whole group landed on the floor. After a few minutes and a few more men joined the fracas, a loud voice interrupted the fight.
"Good God, Struan, what goes here?"
Chapter 41
Amazingly, except for being at the bottom of the pile, he was uninjured. The fop Sandy fared far worse. He didn't remember being able to rip the fancy clothes or getting to Sandy's face other than the once. As he was pulled back to his feet, hands still tied, he saw the glances and expressions of satisfaction that were exchanged by Brodie, Iain, Braden, and a few others. They took their original positions as this newcomer entered the proceedings.
"Robbie, I didna expect to see ye so soon." Struan's voice boomed over the onlookers. Struan looked over at Alex and frowned. The other man, younger than Struan and with a full head of wild blond hair and a beard to match, limped through the hall to the dais. The MacNab! An entourage followed close at his heels, all of them glancing around the room as they walked.
"No' so soon, Struan? Come now, ye kenned I, er... we, were on our way here. What is this about? And where is my daughter?"
An attractive woman came to the MacNab's side and curtsied to Struan. Anice got her red hair and pretty features from her mother, Alex could see. The woman's face was a picture of worry.
Sandy recovered from his daze and Alex saw him straightening his clothes and searching in his cloak again. As he watched, Sandy walked down the steps and bowed in front of Anice's parents. He held out another parchment to the MacNab.
"I am Alesander, Laird MacNab. Since ye are so soon to be faither by marriage, ye may call me Sandy."
Everyone else saw the look of horror on the MacNab's face. Sandy continued, oblivious to all but himself, "I have just returned from the king's side in London and he bade me give this to you at our first meeting." He pointed to the parchment. "Ye may want to read that before we continue."
Alex watched the MacNab shake himself and open the parchment he held in his hand. The man's mouth dropped open wider with each sentence he read. Lady MacNab grabbed her husband's arm and tried to look at the contents, but he shook her off and finished reading it alone. Alex could just imagine what was in the letter.
"Struan, did ye read yer copy of David's message?"
"Aye, Robbie, I did."
"And what are ye planning to do about this mess?"
Alex saw the MacNab catch sight of him and start toward him. Sandy followed close behind. His guards tightened their grips again, expecting trouble.
"Is this the mon, the impostor?"
"Aye, Laird MacNab, this is the mon who despoiled yer daughter and tried to take my inheritance."
"Despoiled my Anice? Do ye speak truly?" The MacNab could shout even louder than Struan. Alex's ears rang from his words.
"Well, Robbie..." Sandy changed his address at the MacNab's glare. "I mean, Laird MacNab. He has been living my life here for many weeks..."
"And, because, 'tis yer habit to ruin the innocent, ye supposed 'tis his, too?"
Sandy sputtered and tried to make a response, but the MacNab turned his attention to Alex. He walked closer and stared hard at Alex squarely in the eye.
"Did ye? Did ye take my daughter's innocence when it didna belong to ye?" The MacNab's voice, low and full of malice, was meant only for his ears. Even the jerk, blocked by the MacNab's body, strained to listen.
He could have stayed silent, since that was the plan. But he'd never wanted to hurt Anice and letting this slander go on, letting her parents believe the worst, would devastate her and her reputation. If there was a way out of this for her, he had to protect her name.
"Nay, Laird MacNab, if yer daughter was an innocent when I came here, she was no' ruined by me."
He waited for a reaction. Alex saw a flash of surprise mixed with respect in the man's face. Anice's father turned his back on Alex and walked back to where Struan stood.
When Alex met Struan's eyes, he saw a jumble of anger, admiration, and confusion in the old man's eyes. He'd surprised Struan by answering this question when he had answered no others.
"Robbie," Struan said, "let Siusan go to Anice. The lass surely needs her maither's comfort. She waits in her chamber." Anice's mother followed a woman out of the hall. "Robbie, come to my chambers, we will have privacy for the rest of this." The MacNab nodded.
Struan wasn't done yet. He walked toward Alex and Sandy. He ordered another chamber prepared and told another servant to escort Sandy there.
"Sandy, stay in that room until I summon ye."
"Faither, why should I be punished when..."
"Ye heard me, stay in that room." Struan's voice made the rafters shake and the clan hold their breath. Alex waited for his next move.
"Brodie, put... this mon in the dungeon until I am ready for him."
Alex was not surprised at all; he expected it. Brodie stepped forward and took hold of the rope that tied his hands. He wrapped the length around his hand several times and then tugged hard until Alex moved with him. They moved through the rest of the hall in silence. Alex didn't resist.
As they walked through the doorway leading to the entrance of the dungeon, Alex heard Struan give one more order, one that filled him with terror.
"Find his woman, and bring her to me."
He prayed to God that Maggie had made it to the hiding place. He was glad he didn't know where that safe place was. If he didn't know, then he couldn't tell... no matter what they used against his resolve.
They walked down the narrow stairway, down into the lowest level of the castle. Alex felt the dampness grow with each step. The small group reached the bottom floor, and Brodie banged on the door in front of them. If the guard was surprised at the sight before him, his expression didn't show it. He swung the door open and stepped back out of their way. Brodie grabbed a torch from a sconce on the wall as they moved inside.
Brodie tugged on the rope, and they walked deeper into the dungeon, with only the small flame to light their way. Alex heard the scurrying noises made by mice and other scavengers in the darkness. He tried to see ahead of them but could not glimpse anything past Brodie's bulk. Looking to the sides, he saw small cells on each side of the corridor. Most were empty, but a few held prisoners. The light of an occasional torch showed them to be wet and cramped spaces with nothing to sit or lie on but the packed dirt floor. He choked on the horrible odors that escaped from each one.
So, this is where he would wait. He hoped again that Maggie was safe. He could not see her staying in one of these hellish places. They still walked on, past all of these open rooms to the end of the corridor. Iain then grabbed Brodie by the arm and pulled him to a stop.
"Brodie? He canna be put here." Iain was furious at whatever Brodie planned to do. "Struan didna give that order."<
br />
"Haud yer wheest, Iain. He will go where I put him. If ye disagree, go to Struan and ask him."
Where was Brodie putting him? Could it be worse than what they had already passed? Alex swallowed deeply. Oh, God, what was in store for him?
Brodie opened a door and pulled him inside. He remembered his resolve not to fight, not to instigate another beating or punishment. He had to be alive to get back home, and he would use his head and not his fists.
The room they entered was much bigger than the others on the corridor. And, it was dry! It was also private; the small opening on the door with iron bars across it was the only way to see into the room. A small cot stood by one wall, a table and chair on another. A bucket to be used as a necessary sat in one corner. This must be a place where the clan held important prisoners or hostages. He wheeled around and looked at Brodie. Brodie had brought him here?
"Why?" he asked.
"I ask the same of ye: why?" Brodie threw it back at Alex.
"I canna say," Alex answered. He regretted not being able to tell Brodie the truth. He just could not.
"So, be it. Ye will stay here until Struan calls for ye."
Iain interrupted. "Brodie, 'tis no' right, him staying in here. No' after what he haes done."
Alex had misread the situation—Brodie wanted him here, young Iain wanted him in a regular cell. Brodie untied Alex's hands wordlessly and then turned to face the younger soldier.
"Think on it, Iain. What haes he done? 'Twill be easy enough to move him to another cell for torture. I will inform Struan and await his orders on it."
Alex saw Iain swallow several times at the mention of torture. If he didn't know better, he would swear that Brodie was teasing Iain. The men left, and Alex heard the key turn in the lock. Without the torch, the room fell into complete darkness. Alex stumbled to the bed and collapsed on it. He needed to rest, to regain his strength before he was called to Struan.
He could not fight sleep when it came to claim him. It had been a helluva day. He laughed humorlessly as he drifted into oblivion.
* * *
It was late that night when Maggie heard the approach of footsteps outside the cave. She hadn't dared light a fire, so she sat in the dark waiting as the noise came closer and closer.
This was not the first time today that someone came near. Earlier, a crowd passed by, shouting and yelling, searching for the Sassenach whore. She still sat in the darkest corner of the cavern, next to the table and behind Moira's trunk, unable to move for fear of discovery. So far, she was safe.
This time, the person or people outside came nearer. And nearer still. Maggie forced herself to breathe slowly and quietly so she would not be detected by sounds. The branch and twig covering was pulled away, and someone entered. Maggie still waited.
"Maggie? Lass, are ye here?"
"Moira," she cried in relief, "you finally came."
Maggie crawled out of her corner, slowly, because her legs would not move. After hours of sitting curled up, she was stiff and her legs numb. She endured the stinging sensations as the circulation returned to her limbs.
"I canna light a fire for ye or stay long, Maggie. Struan still searches for ye. Others may pass close by here, looking for ye."
"Others have already, Moira, a number of times earlier today. What's happening out there?" Maggie felt her way to the table and sat on the bench. Moira joined her.
"Alex is in the dungeon awaiting Struan's judgment. The real Alex now calls himself Sandy." Moira snorted in disgust. "And he is confined to a chamber."
"Is Alex okay? I mean, is he hurt?" She worried that he would be beaten more once they took him to the castle.
"He fares weel enough. And, Anice's parents have arrived."
"Could things get any worse?" She really didn't want an answer, she feared what the answer would be.
"No' much more than this. I got yer belongings from Torra's house and brought them to ye." Moira placed the canvas sack on Maggie's lap. "No one saw me, so it will look as though ye fled the village."
"Thank you for all this. What's next?"
"The waiting."
"What are we waiting for? Will Alex be hanged?"
"We wait for the moon to reach its fullness in just over twa more days. I believe the arch's power will be strongest then."
"Do you think we can return home? Have we done what we were sent to do?"
Moira took her hand and patted it. "I believe that ye have, Maggie. The rest is up to Alex. Yer safe return is on his shoulders."
"And there's nothing I can do to help?"
"Ye have done what ye could do, lass. Ye have offered yer heart to Alex. If he does not accept yer love and return it, ye are lost."
"Love? You think this is about love?"
"'Tis for him."
"Moira, does he love me? Do you know?"
"It does not matter if I know, he must recognize that his love for ye is more important than anything else."
"But, Moira, we only just started to feel this way about each other, it isn't fair to expect him to be completely selfless about his own needs."
"Fair? This is no' about fair. This is about the fates teaching him a lesson. He learns or he dies."
"Will I... die?"
"I do not think so, no' if ye stay here until the full moon. If he learns by then, the fates may let ye pass through the arch and back to yer own time and place."
"And if he doesn't?"
Maggie's throat choked with tension as she forced out the words. What would happen to them? Would Alex be dead? Tears filled her eyes and her chest tightened. How could she go on if he were dead?
"Weel, lass, we will all learn what fate haes in store for us in the next few days." Moira rose and took Maggie with her by pulling her hand. "Get some rest and do not leave this place for anything, anyone. I will return tomorrow evening to ye."
"Wait, Moira. Before you go, I wanted to ask about Rachelle. Is she well yet?"
"She grows stronger wi' each day."
"Make sure she takes that medicine. If she stops too soon, it may not work." Maggie hoped that the antibiotics were more potent in her system because Rachelle had never used them before.
"I will. Now, I have to go."
Maggie listened in the darkness as Moira moved the camouflage and left the cave. A bit more rustling, and the entrance was covered again.
Feeling the way around the table, Maggie found the pallet, rolled up and tied, on the other side of the table. Untying the bindings, she spread out the thin mattress. She picked up one of the lengths of plaid and wrapped it around her body to keep out the chill.
Maggie laid down on the bedding and thought of Alex. Was he hurt? She had seen Brodie punch him before they tied him up and dragged him to the castle. He was in the dungeon. She had never seen the place itself. Just the entrance to it was scary enough to keep her away from it.
More importantly, would Struan really hang him? She thought that Struan genuinely liked the man he thought was his son. But he was probably furious at the deception. Struan had to uphold the clan's honor, and that meant taking harsh retribution against anyone who threatened the clan's safety, prosperity, or reputation. And that meant her and Alex.
Maggie rolled to her side and tried to settle her thoughts. She needed to rest for the coming days.
Oh, God, please keep him safe. Please. Please. Alex had to be safe.
Chapter 42
The commotion outside his room woke him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. The light of many torches invaded the darkness through the space below the door and the sound of many voices prepared him for company. He couldn't tell if it was day or night in the dungeon.
The door flung open and hit the wall behind it. Alex's eyes teared at the light after so long without it. Of all those he expected to come here, this one surprised him. Sandy, accompanied by two of his cronies, came into the room.
"This is where they hold ye? It looks too comfortable for a traitor and a spy. What do you think, Charles,
Garrick?"
"Oh, I must agree with you, Sandy."
"Absolutely right."
"I think that a spy and usurper should suffer for his crime."
Alex's gaze never left the face of his true adversary. Sandy was looking for a fight, but three on one did not seem quite fair. He stood and took a position opposite where they stood.
"And, as his intended victim, good friends, I think I should deliver justice."
Alex sized up his opponents and watched for a chance to get out of the room. Unfortunately, they read his intentions and blocked the door with their bodies. He waited for their attack. It was not long in coming.
The three pounced on him and fought him to the ground. While the two others held him down, Sandy pulled out a length of rope and tied Alex's hands behind his back. Then he tied his ankles together and connected the bindings so that Alex felt like a trussed animal.
They didn't stop there, and he was soon on the edge of consciousness from their beating. He blacked out, for how long he couldn't tell. When he came to awareness, he thought he saw Anice's face peek through the open door into the room. It couldn't be, he told himself. The doors were always locked in the dungeon, and Anice would never set foot in a place like this.
It could not be.
* * *
Anice could not believe what she saw in the dungeon. Sandy had tied Alex up and beaten him mercilessly until he lost consciousness. Her stomach lurched as she pictured the scene again in her mind. Alex's blood pouring from his nose and mouth. The two large brutes standing over him, kicking him in the ribs and stomach. She began to gag but fought the urge to retch.
She now stood before Struan's chamber and wondered how to tell him about Sandy's actions in the dungeon. What could she say?
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