Forbidden Highlander (Highlander Trilogy 2)

by Donna Fletcher

  “He was no warrior, begging for help to the very end,” Sloan said joining Cree and Elsa.

  “No, he was hired for a job that he failed to complete and in the end wanted nothing more than to be saved from death,” Cree said.

  Dawn braced her hand on the mantel and stared into the flames concentrating on the young man’s pleas for help. What was it about them that disturbed her so? She shut her eyes and heard them over and over and over in her head.

  “The question is who hired him and was he the one who beat Bree to death.” Sloan said.

  “And do the attempts on Dawn’s life end here with him?” Elsa asked.

  Cree shook his head. “Someone with too much to lose is behind this. The question is who.”

  The young man’s words resonated in Dawn’s head blocking out everything else. Over and over and over she heard, “Help me. Help Me. Help me.” Until suddenly it became, “Help Bree. Help Bree. Help Bree.”

  Could that have been what the young man meant? “Help Bree.” Had he been trying to protect her? Had he meant, “Bree good?” Had Bree been a pawn in this endless ruse? Had his dying breath been a plea to help save the innocent woman he loved? If so then who was it that had been using her?

  Her stomach gurgled, reminding her that she had yet to eat breakfast. Her hand went to rest at her stomach and no soon as she did then Cree was at her side, his arm going around her waist.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She turned around in his arms nodding, more concerned with what her thoughts had deduced than with her hunger pains. She began to gesture wanting to share what she thought the dying young man might have meant, and Sloan and Elsa drew nearer to listen.

  “Bree?” Sloan asked perplexed as she spoke with her hands. “You think he meant Bree, not me?”

  “He mentioned love, didn’t he?” Elsa asked. “Could he have been in love with Bree and was trying to protect her?”

  “From who?” Sloan asked.

  “From whoever wanted Dawn dead,” Cree said. “Bree could have been caught up in this mess by pure accident.”

  “Or on purpose,” Sloan said. “She could have used the poor sap to do her biding.”

  “Either way,” Cree said, “they were involved and someone was giving them orders.”

  Dawn spoke up, her hand tapping her chest before she threw both hands up, along with her shoulders, in a shrug.

  Cree nodded. “You’re right. With Bree and this young man dead, who is left to do you harm?”

  Sloan answered that one. “The person who wants her dead.”

  Dawn grew lightheaded and for a moment she thought she would faint. She should have eaten by now. As of late she realized she was more hungry than usual in the morning and always felt good after eating. She needed to get food and quickly or she feared the consequences.

  She went to take a step when a wave of dizziness attacked and she reached out frantically trying to grab something that would steady her. She was relieved when Cree scooped her up in his arms.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded with more concern than anger.

  Elsa answered for her. “You haven’t eaten yet this morning have you?”

  Cree turned to Sloan. “See that one of the men checks the cottage, if no food has been brought have him go to the kitchen and see that the morning meal is brought immediately. Then see that this body is stored with Bree’s. When you are done meet me in my solar. There are things that need to be discussed.”

  Cree wouldn’t put Dawn down so she could walk. No matter how much she insisted that she was all right, he wouldn’t listen. He continued carrying her through the village, once again drawing attention to them, but that seemed to be a given. They received attention wherever they went in the village. She should be used to it by now, but she wasn’t.

  Flanna and Dorrie arrived with two baskets a few minutes after Cree and Dawn arrived at the cottage. He had lowered her feet to the ground, though kept his arms around her. The two women hurriedly arranged the food on the table and Flanna filled two tankards with hot cider before Cree dismissed them.

  “I must go,” he said turning Dawn around in his arms.

  She gestured that he should eat.

  “I don’t have time. I must see to things.”

  She frowned, having hoped he was going to join her and they could make some sense of who wanted her dead.

  He ran his finger over her pouting lips. “I will return later and let you know if I uncover anything.”

  That made her feel somewhat better and so she nodded, though didn’t smile.

  He leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss that neither of them made any move to end and it might have gone further if a knock didn’t sound at the door.

  Cree mumbled and then shouted angrily, “Enter.”

  No one entered.

  Cree shouted again. “If I come to the door, you’ll regret it.”

  The door opened slowly and Lila poked her head in, her face pale and her eyes wide.

  Dawn was pleased to see her and urged her in with a wave of her hand.

  Lila hesitated, her head downcast and her eyes darting from Dawn to Cree. “I am sorry for interrupting, my lord, I thought to visit with Dawn for a while if she was free to do so.”

  Dawn nodded vigorously, eager to talk with her friend and see if anyone in the village had heard anything about the murder. But Lila remained where she was, just inside the door, waiting for Cree’s consent to enter.

  Dawn poked Cree with her elbow since the scowl on his face was frightening her half to death.

  He cocked a brow at Dawn and then looked to Lila. “It seems that Dawn favors a visit with you rather than me.”

  Lila’s eyes turned wide and she looked as if she didn’t know what to do or say.

  Dawn shook her finger at Cree, who grinned, and she hurried over to her friend, her hands gesturing rapidly.

  Lila leaned close to Dawn when she reached her side and said, “But he doesn’t look like he’s teasing.”

  Cree laughed and Lila appeared even more startled. Laughter was rarely if ever heard from Cree.

  Dawn shook her finger at Cree again and Lila finally smiled recognizing the banter for what it was, playful teasing, much like she and Paul would do with each other.

  Cree walked over to give Dawn a quick kiss and then turned to Lila. “I am glad you are here. Dawn needs to eat, the babe protests.”

  “I will see that she does, my lord,” Lila said with a bob of her head and a smile.

  “I am pleased that you are such a good friend to Dawn,” Cree said.

  More at ease, Lila said, “As she is to me, my lord, and I do have stories to tell about when we were young and reckless, if you would like to hear them sometime.”

  Dawn shook her head, though she appeared to laugh.

  Cree’s smile grew. “I very much do want to hear them.” He gave Dawn another quick kiss and was out the door.

  Lila immediately threw her arms around Dawn and hugged her. “I am so happy for you. It is so easy to see how much you both love each other.” She then stepped away and gently shoved Dawn to the table. “Sit and eat and we’ll talk.

  Dawn was only too eager to talk with her friend. She had missed their daily talks and there was so much to tell her.

  As usual Lila started talking and Dawn smiled, glad her friend was there.

  “Has he told you he loves you?” Lila asked.

  Dawn smiled and nodded.

  “There is talk,” Lila said lowering her voice, “that he is going to make you his wife. That once it is proven that you are Kirk McClusky’s daughter the King will grant him permission or at least the people are hoping the King will.” Her eyes suddenly turned wide. “Talk of love has made me forget why I came here in the first place.” She shivered. “Everyone is talking about the murder of that poor lass Bree. When I heard that she was found in the woods behind your cottage...” she shivered again.

  Dawn patted her arm to comfort her.


  “Did you really see the body?”

  Dawn nodded and explained what she had seen.

  Lila paled. “How horrible.”

  Dawn then explained about the young man who had just died in Elsa’s cottage and her thoughts on how he may have been connected to Bree.

  “You know Bree spent a lot of time in the woods. She told people that she wanted to learn all about the plants and be a healer like Elsa. But it’s winter and with the snow there aren’t many plants to be found. So what was she really doing in the woods?”

  Dawn asked if Lila knew anything else about Bree.

  “The villagers seemed to like her. She was a pleasant lass; no one had a bad word to say about her. And she must have been a good person or Old Mary would have never wanted her to stay in her cottage.”

  Dawn hadn’t thought about that. Old Mary certainly wouldn’t have wanted Bree around if she thought the young lass could prove harmful.

  “There was something I saw I had thought odd but dismissed it. Now though with everything that is going on perhaps there was something to it.”

  Dawn was anxious to hear it and let Lila know with a quick gesture.

  “I had forgotten something at the work cottage one night and was on my way back from there when I saw Lucerne’s other servant, the one who spends her days stitching Lucerne’s garments, leaving Old Mary’s cottage. And the odd thing was that the two women hugged in the doorway before Lucerne’s servant took her leave. What would she be doing visiting Old Mary? And why did it appear as if they knew each other?”

  Chapter Thirty-two

  After Lila left, Dawn paced in front of the hearth. Old Mary knew more than she was saying. What secret was she keeping and why? She wished she could talk with the old woman, though she wondered if Old Mary would be as evasive as she usually was.

  Dawn finally sat down, turning a chair to face the hearth. A cold crept into her even though she was warmed by the fire’s heat. Was it a portent of what was to come? She shivered at the thought and shivered again, the image of Bree lying dead in the woods suddenly invading her mind. Had she been an innocent or an accomplice? And if the latter, then who was her accomplice?

  Lucerne certainly painted a picture of a confused and troubled woman or was it a ruse? And what of Lady Ann, her true mother? Was she truly trying to protect the daughter she had given birth to and the one she raised or was she more concerned with her own interests? And what of Roland Gerwan? Was he oblivious to it all or was he the master pulling the strings?

  There was so much deceit involved that Old Mary had been right about warning her to ‘trust no one.’ But now with the two murders of possibly innocent people, something had to be done. The lies had to finally stop and the truth be told.

  A sudden thought had her jumping to her feet. Old Mary knew more than she was saying. Did someone else know that as well and did that mean that Old Mary’s life was in just as much danger as her own?”

  Dawn didn’t take time to think. She grabbed her cloak and swung the door open.

  ~~~

  Roland Gerwan entered the Great Hall in hurried strides, stopping a few feet away from where Cree stood speaking to Sloan. “Good Lord, Cree, my daughter’s servant murdered?” he said shocked, as if he didn’t believe what he was saying. “I thought you a more competent leader. I daresay the King needs to know of this turn of events. Perhaps you are not as capable and worthy of a title as you believe.”

  Cree turned away from Sloan, who was shaking his head at the stupidity of the man, and turned a murderous glare on Gerwan. “There are many things the King is going to be made aware of and one of them is the duplicity of those involved and,” —he grabbed the broom near the hearth and approached Gerwan—“how easily I snapped,” —he swung the broom up and in one quick jerk snapped it in two— “the necks of the persons responsible for this heinous crime.”

  Gerwan paled and took several steps back away from Cree.

  Cree threw the broom pieces to the floor. “Justice will be swift, though not painless.”

  Gerwan attempted to appear brave raising his chin a notch. “Titled men leave such dreadful tasks to lesser men.”

  “It is a lesser man who leaves a necessary, though often times repugnant task to others.”

  Gerwan tossed his chin up again. “I want to make certain that my daughter is in no danger.”

  “Is there a reason she should be?”

  Gerwan stared at Cree, as if at a loss for words until finally he said, “You have a murderer running about.”

  “The spineless fool runs about thinking he will avoid me. I will find him soon enough. But tell me, why would you think that this coward would be interested in your daughter?”

  Gerwan was once again at a loss for words and fumbled to find an answer. “Bree... was Lucerne’s servant.”

  “How did Bree get that position?”

  “I have no idea,” Gerwan said with a wave of his hand. “That matters not.”

  “We’ll see if it does,” Cree warned.

  “What do you mean?”

  Cree moved toward the man so fast that Gerwan stumbled trying to back away from him. “It means that I am going to be asking endless questions of you, your wife, and Lucerne.”

  “Why?”

  “You said it yourself... Bree was Lucerne’s servant.” Cree marched past the man and straight for his solar.

  Sloan followed shaking his head at Gerwan as he passed him.

  Kirk McClusky came around the corner just as Cree was about to enter his solar.

  “May I have a word with you?” he asked and Cree waved him in.

  Kirk McClusky didn’t wait to speak. “Ann is terribly upset. She feels that the decision she made all those years ago has now returned to haunt the innocent. She believed she was doing the right thing for all concerned. And now she just wants to make amends for a deed she regrets.”

  “And how does she intend to do that?” Cree asked.

  Kirk smiled. “She says that she will leave that to you, though she does request permission to talk with Dawn. She regrets the way they recently parted.”

  “Until I am certain that Lady Ann poses no threat to Dawn, I will grant no such permission.”

  Kirk appeared stunned. “Ann would never hurt our daughter.”

  “I don’t know that for sure.”

  “Ann is repentant.”

  “You’re certain of that?”

  “Ann is a good woman and I blame myself for the terrible choice she had to make years ago. But it was a necessary one and one made to protect our daughter,” Kirk said.

  “The wiser choice would have been to send Dawn to you, but instead Ann gave the child away and cared not a whit as to what happened to her.”

  “And suffered every day because of that unselfish decision,” Kirk said in defense of the woman he loved.

  “Suffered?” Cree snapped. “She orders her helpless newborn daughter, who cannot utter a sound, given away to God knows who and she suffered? She was lucky that a good woman took Dawn and loved her as only a mother—” Cree turned away a moment and then turned back. “I have no more time to discuss this. We’ll talk later and Lady Ann is not to visit with Dawn until I give permission. Is that clear, McClusky?”

  The sharp warning in Cree’s voice had Kirk drawing his head back, as if he’d been taken to task. “Perfectly clear.” He gave a respectful nod and left without saying another word.

  Sloan stepped forward. “What is it?”

  “The woman who raised Dawn was a loving mother. Dawn has nothing but praise for her and loves her more than I think she could ever possibly love Lady Ann. For a stranger to give such love and have such patience with a child who is not her own takes a damn good reason.”

  “She was a good, unselfish woman.”

  “That she was. She unselfishly gave up the daughter she just had so that she would have a better life and took the babe, who had no voice, and loved her as she would have loved her own daughter.”

  S
loan’s brow scrunched and he shook his head. “Are you saying that the woman who raised Dawn was Lucerne’s mother?”

  “I would wager a bet on it and I know someone who could confirm this.”

  “Old Mary,” Sloan said with a grin, though it faded fast.

  “You’re thinking what I should have realized long before,” Cree said heading for the door. “Old Mary’s life could be in just as much danger as Dawn’s.”

  ~~~

  Dawn almost collided with Torr if it wasn’t for his hand grabbing hold of her arm and steadying her.

  “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” he asked releasing her arm once her feet found firm footing.

  “She’ll not be going anywhere without Cree’s permission,” Elwin said stepping forward.

  Dawn rolled her eyes at Torr and held her hands up in prayer pleading with him for help.

  He smiled and winked at her, then turned to Elwin. “I’m sure Cree wouldn’t mind if I accompanied Dawn to her destination.”

  Dawn sent Elwin a hopeful look.

  “Send one of the guards to let Cree know where we’ll be,” Torr said and turned to Dawn.

  Dawn hunched over and gnarled her fingers to let them know she wanted to go see Old Mary.

  “Old Mary’s,” Torr confirmed with a nod. “That’s not far and I’m sure Cree would not object.”

  Elwin sent one of the guards off to the keep to notify Cree, and then ordered two guards to follow behind Dawn while he took the lead. Torr walked alongside Dawn.

  Torr lowered his voice. “My father had hoped to talk with you away from your cottage and prying eyes, but I see that may be impossible.”

  She nodded. She would not slip off and give Cree reason to worry, though she did wonder if he would be perturbed with her for not waiting for him to take her to Old Mary’s. He had wanted her to keep close to him, but this was so important. What if Old Mary was in danger at this minute and she had waited. She would never forgive herself. Besides, she intended to pay heed to the old woman’s words and ‘trust no one’ until all the secrets were brought to light and she could determine for herself who was friend or foe. Therefore, she would make certain not to go anywhere with guards she was unfamiliar with.