One way or another, Brianna thought as she stared after the men, the hostage situation ended today.
Chapter 29
Brianna hurried down the corridor, chasing the men, barely noticing that Eliza had dropped back, clearly loath to leave Molly alone in the room. She could hear the sounds of shouting and threats ahead, at the staircase, and she accelerated, knowing she was running into a dangerous situation, knowing that it was stupid, that she should hang back… but desperately needing to see what happened, whether everything she’d done had been enough to ensure a decent outcome for these people she’d come to care about so much.
She stopped at the top of the staircase, eyes widening as she looked down at the wreckage of the foyer. The door was all but hanging off its hinges and it seemed that the men had torn through it like a pair of hurricanes, leaving torn tapestries and broken ornaments in their wake. As she hurried down the stairs, she heard the sound of shouting from the courtyard. Perry came bursting through from the dining room, his eyes wild, Robert right behind him – the two of them looked up at her, shocked, and she pointed toward the broken front door, as much at a loss to explain what was going on as they were.
The three of them ran outside to find Kellan and Malcolm circling one another, a confused but very interested circle of grooms, servants and guards already forming around them. Malcolm was purple in the face – he’d clearly given up on any semblance of trying to pretend to care about anything but money, and he took occasional breaks from stabbing at Kellan with his sword to shout at the gathered servants to bring him gold and a horse to ride away on. But the servants could see what was going on, and nobody seemed interested in following Malcolm’s instructions… which was only making him angrier.
And Kellan, for his part, seemed to be out for blood. His knuckles were white on his sword as he circled his brother, his eyes blazing with fury, none of the exhaustion she’d seen in him earlier evident – he moved lightly but confidently, and it was clear that he knew how to use the blade in his hand. Perry was behind Brianna, and she met his eyes as he moved past her. There was no conflict in his eyes – it was clear by looking at him that he’d been waiting for this very situation to unfold, and she felt a smile cross her face as he moved, quietly and with determination, to stand behind Kellan.
“Oh, of course you’d side with him, you pathetic little shite,” Malcolm snarled – but Perry ignored him.
Kellan glanced sideways at his cousin and gave him a grateful nod. Robert was beside Brianna, his own sword drawn and his eyes flicking between the three men as they faced off against each other. They’d definitely talked about turning the three men against each other… but she hadn’t been expecting anything quite this literal.
There was a crash and a commotion behind them, and Brianna automatically shifted out of the way as someone came lunging out of the door. It was Weatherby, his hair disheveled, a look of utter triumph on his face. In his fist he was clutching a long knife which she realized with amusement was the one that had been used to carve the roast they’d been planning to eat for lunch – there was still some meat dangling from its edge. Still, the man was armed. Baldric wasn’t far behind him – he, too, had a blade in his hand, though he wasn’t brandishing it with quite as much confidence as Weatherby, clearly aware that a knife from the dining table was hardly a formidable weapon.
“Get back inside, Weatherby,” Malcolm yelled. His face was purple – Brianna knew the look of a man who was losing control of the situation and getting angrier and angrier as a result. As he circled, she saw him moving closer and closer to her… and she tensed as he suddenly lunged, reaching for her and yanking her off balance as he pulled her close to him. Before she knew it, there was a blade at her throat, and she froze solid.
“Now I’ve a hostage all my own,” Malcolm snarled, glaring at the men who had surrounded them. She saw Kellan looking conflicted, knew that he felt a great debt of gratitude to her for helping save his daughter. Would this last desperate attempt persuade him? It was strange – she’d handled so many hostage situations, felt the anxiety and dread and panic of the situations rush through her. But now, in the absolute center of it, with a blade to her throat… she felt nothing but icy calm.
Maybe that was what made her glance over to Robert. Maybe that was what helped her read the look in his blue eyes… and what made her pull away at just the right time as Robert lunged, driving his fist into the side of Malcolm’s head. The man shouted in fury and lashed out with the blade at Robert, and she yelled in shock – but thankfully, the strike was turned aside by the leather jerkin he was wearing. Robert struck again, and again – and Malcolm staggered away, losing his balance as he stumbled, his face red with anger as he cursed and ranted. She felt Robert pull her into his arms, holding her close, checking if she was okay.
“I’m fine,” she breathed, feeling the adrenaline surge through her. He’d saved her life.
But the conflict wasn’t over yet. Kellan was roaring at Malcolm, darting forward with his sword, but Malcolm was doing a passable job of blocking the blows, working his way away from the circle of guards. He was still shouting demands for a horse to be brought for him, loaded with as many valuables as it could carry – but he hadn’t reckoned on how close he was getting to Weatherby. The pompous Lord had a look in his eye that was more savage than any she’d ever seen on his face, and her eyes widened as she saw that he was still holding the knife. Her breath froze in her throat as he raised it with one trembling hand, clearly not believing himself that this was about to happen.
And then Lord Weatherby buried the knife in his captor’s neck severing his jugular vein.
Malcolm looked shocked. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out – just a trickle of blood that ran between his lips and began to drip onto his tunic. One shaking hand came up to grasp the knife weakly, and then he dropped to his knees in the dust of the courtyard, the gathered group suddenly silent but for the man’s ragged breathing and the gurgling of his breath trying and failing to force its way through his ruined throat. Then he sagged over and lay prone in the dust, more blood welling out of the wound in his throat.
Brianna turned away, sick to her stomach at the sight. Though Malcolm had been a disgusting person who’d almost caused the death of an innocent child, a man’s death was never something to ogle at. Weatherby was staring around him, clearly shocked and impressed with his own courage – and after a long, eerie silence, a hesitant round of applause went up among the servants.
“Your Lord has returned,” Weatherby shouted.
Brianna saw Baldric wince, the knight stepped to his Lord’s side, clearly ready to take over as second in command and the real brains behind the Lord again. Brianna looked to Kellan, expecting to see the man readying himself to flee… but he and Perry were simply standing, exchanging tired glances with each other. Together, they approached Baldric and Weatherby and offered their hands in surrender.
Baldric saw to it that the men had their weapons taken. Brianna readied herself for Weatherby to order them locked up – but to her surprise, he hesitated, his eyes flicking over to her.
“What say you?” he asked – and she realized the question was directed to her and Robert.
“I say it’s time to negotiate,” she said simply.
Kellan looked at her, a dawning look of hope in his eyes, and Perry suppressed a smile, clapping his cousin on the shoulder.
The rest of the day flew by. Servants were dispatched to deal with Malcolm’s body – Kellan was still too angry and hurt to decide what to do with it just yet. Servants rushed into the house to advise the staff that the siege was over – Lord Weatherby was free again, and the Stuarts no longer in charge of the manor. Brianna worried that the refugees would be turned out of their rooms – but Weatherby surprised her again, insisting that the Stuarts be informed of what had happened – but allowed to remain in the quarters allocated to them, if they so choose.
“But I’d appreciate their help in returning m
y sitting room to its correct configuration,” he added stiffly.
Finally, they all sat down together at the great table in the dining hall – Weatherby and Baldric on one side, Kellan, Perry and a handful of representatives from the Stuarts on the other, and Brianna and Robert at the head of the table, mediating the discussion.
To her surprise, Lord Weatherby wasn’t full of wrath from his period of confinement. He even offered something like an apology – not in quite so many words, of course, but he did agree that he ought to have acted sooner regarding the refugee crisis, expressing his regret for the lives that had been lost and the damage that had already occurred. As a result, he was more than willing to offer a gracious gift in good faith – provided, of course, that his generosity be remembered and commemorated by the Stuarts.
They worked out terms as the afternoon wore on – quantities of aid to be supplied, how much the MacClarans would contribute and how much Weatherby would. It was surprisingly easy to reach an agreement without Malcolm’s pernicious influence, and she noticed with amusement that neither Perry nor Kellan raised the subject of ransom, or even of money at all. All they needed was enough food and supplies to start their lives over… and Weatherby even offered to speak to the English Lords from their county in the interests of brokering some kind of peace.
“We may have need of your services again, Lady Brianna,” he informed her – and she smiled as she recognized the closest words she was likely to get to a compliment from the stuffy old Lord.
Robert chuckled too, squeezing her hand under the table – then Weatherby cleared his throat, giving the two of them a pointed look. It seemed the fussy Lord was something of a traditionalist when it came to gestures of affection, she thought with some amusement, exchanging a glance with Robert. If only he’d known what kind of night they’d spent together under his roof…
The sun set, and a final handshake was made between Kellan and Weatherby. Baldric disappeared briefly into the courtyard, and when he returned he was accompanied by several grooms bearing barrels of ale – a delivery that had arrived after the kidnapping, it seemed, that Baldric had had hidden in the stables to keep it from Malcolm’s greedy fingers. They toasted the successful negotiation, and though there were still minor tensions between Weatherby and the Stuarts – especially the ones who’d wielded weapons against him and his staff – Brianna could tell that this evening was going to do a lot to mend the divide.
But she couldn’t stop yawning. She realized she was utterly exhausted… and though the crowds begged Robert to play more songs for them to dance to, he managed to tear himself away long enough to escort her up to bed, leaving her with a long, lingering kiss then apologizing as he headed back down to the party.
“Thanks for saving my life, by the way,” she said, smiling at him.
“Oh, well. You owe me one.” He winked at her roguishly.
“Come in, then,” she suggested, the ale she’d drunk making her bold.
He lingered, looking agonized… then shook his head.
“Lord Weatherby will be scandalized if he realizes we’ve disappeared together for any length of time. And when it comes to you, Lady Brianna Kendall, I want to take my time.”
That kept her up for a little while, she had to admit, with a few rather pleasant daydreams… but when she finally fell asleep, it was deep and restful, un-plagued by dreams or nightmares.
More days flew by. With word of the agreement with Weatherby spreading, the highwaymen were no longer a problem – many of them even downed their weapons and emerged from the trees to surrender and offer assistance in clearing the roads. So it was that a couple of days after the negotiations had concluded, Brianna found herself packing up her few belongings, ready to ride up to the Keep with Robert. Baldric had offered her a permanent place in the household if she wanted it – she had a suspicion that he could use all the help he could get with managing Weatherby’s moods, and the Lord seemed to like her – but she had to turn him down. Robert lived at the Keep – and in the last few days, she’d realized that her place was at his side.
“Please visit whenever you see fit,” Baldric said, smiling up at the two of them on the back of Robert’s horse. “You’re always an honored guest here, Lady Brianna. And you, Robert.”
“Thanks, Baldric. Look after yourselves. No more kitchen knife heroics, alright?”
The knight laughed, glancing over his shoulder to where Weatherby was standing imperiously on the steps to the manor. “I’ll pass the message on, but I think he’s got a taste for it now.”
They rode away, and Brianna couldn’t help but watch the manor recede behind them. She could barely remember what it had looked like when she’d first seen it, all those weeks ago, in the future… the cars in the courtyard, the signs up everywhere covered with historical information, the crowds of tourists… it all seemed like a distant dream. This was what was real – the here and now, the horses in the courtyard, the grooms and servants hurrying back and forth. She almost felt wistful as she watched it recede. It had become home to her, in a strange kind of way, and she felt melancholy the rest of the ride.
But nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Castle MacClaran. A real, honest-to-God medieval castle… her jaw dropped as she stared at it, her breath taken away by the sight of it standing proudly on the hilltop. Robert turned around to grin at her, clearly pleased by the effect he’d known it would have on her.
“Lady Brianna… may I welcome you to Castle MacClaran. Welcome home.”
And nothing but his kiss could have taken her eyes off the magnificent sight of the castle reaching into the sky.
Chapter 30
“Molly! Quick!”
Brianna chuckled as Robert hurled a ball across the courtyard of the castle, watching as the slight blonde girl scurried after it, her pigtails bouncing as she chased it.
“She’s not a dog, Robert, stop playing fetch with her.”
“My mother used to play this game with me and my brothers all the time,” Robert objected. “It’s not as much fun when you’re not racing, I suppose…”
She grinned, sitting back on the castle steps and letting the early summer sunlight warm her bones. Slowly but surely, the weather was getting nicer and nicer. It was clearly never going to get anywhere near as warm as it used to back home, but over the months she’d been here, she’d done her best to get used to the cold. Even gotten a little fond of it, in a way… though it was awful to have to get out of bed in the freezing mornings, that debt was more than recovered by the absolute bliss of curling up in bed at night with the warm bulk of Robert at her side.
“I can’t believe how much better she’s looking,” Robert said softly, leaning over to nudge her gently. She had to admit, he was right. Ever since the girl and her father had come to live at the Keep, she’d been improving in leaps and bounds. Sure, she was still sickly – she’d always be small for her age, it seemed, and her knobby knees and thin arms were still a little frightening to look at. But slowly but surely, she was gaining weight… and Kellan was adamant that she’d also grown maybe half an inch since they’d gotten to the Keep. She was healing… slowly but surely, she was healing. And the harvest of summer fruits would help too, Brianna knew. Especially with Audrina there to tell her exactly which ones to eat.
Audrina was every bit as warm and welcoming as she’d seemed in her letter. She’d been the first of the women that Brianna had met that first day, waiting on the steps for their arrival – Robert, it seemed, had sent a messenger ahead, letting them know when Brianna would be arriving. The others had wanted to throw some kind of welcome party, but Audrina explained that she’d talked them out of it, figuring Brianna might appreciate a more gentle welcome to her new home.
“It’s such a relief to hear another American accent,” Brianna said, shaking her head as she stared at Audrina. “I really thought I was going crazy.”
“Imagine how I felt.” Audrina laughed. “Until Cora got here it was just me. Part of me still
thinks I must be dreaming, even … oh, over twenty years later.”
“Oh, man. I was hoping that part would go away,” Brianna said faintly. “The first few days I honestly kept waiting to wake up. And now… well, I still think I might wake up from whatever dream this is. But I hope I don’t,” she added, glancing over her shoulder to where Robert was dealing with the horse.
Audrina smiled at her, her warm eyes twinkling. “You and he…?”
“Well, we were fated to, weren’t we?” Brianna said, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t act like it’s some big surprise. I read the letters.”
Audrina laughed, a beautiful, musical sound, and pulled her into an unexpected but very warm embrace. “Oh, I think the girls are going to like you.”
And sure enough, they had. That night, she sat at a table with all of the other time-lost women, sharing a hearty meal as they talked and laughed about their experiences, about what had brought them to the castle. It was so good to be among people who knew where she was from, who understood her background… she told them all the details of what had happened over the last week or so with Weatherby and the Stuarts, and they were an excellent audience, eyes widening and jaws dropping at the exciting parts of the story.
“I can see why she’s ended up with Robert,” Marianne said, her eyes twinkling. “You spin a very good story, Brianna.”
She laughed. “Guess it’s contagious.”
Two of the women had been in the military and law enforcement before they’d come back here – she spent a while talking with Bethany and Helen about their backgrounds, fascinated by how their own skills had come in handy here in medieval Scotland. “It’s almost like we were meant to be here,” Brianna said thoughtfully, and the sisters nodded almost in unison.
Highlander Returned: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (Highlander In Time Book 9) Page 21