"We'll see about that." He limped away, heading toward the water's edge.
"Our brother does care about us, right?" Lily asked on a new wave of tears.
"Aye, he loves you," Elizabeth whispered near her ear. "I need to trick your uncle."
Lily's mouth formed a silent expression of surprise.
Suddenly the sound of men shouting filled the air. Lucius!
"Has our brother found us?" Camellia whispered.
The echo of hoofbeats sounded in the distance, mingling with the sound of the men's voices. "Aye," Elizabeth said, with a burst of fresh hope. She brought her hands up to her bodice and withdrew a small dirk from between her breasts. At Iris's gasp, Elizabeth brought her fingers to her lips, signaling silence.
Iris pressed her lips together.
"We need to keep stalling and give Lucius a chance to get to us."
Rose gasped, her gaze fixed on where her uncle stood at the bank of the loch. "That might be impossible."
Elizabeth followed her gaze. Limping, Horatio rolled the cask from where it had fallen from the wagon toward the water's edge. He retrieved his sword from where it had fallen and brought the blade down against the side of the cask over and over until a thick black liquid seeped out of the cask and across the surface of the loch. Removing his cape, Horatio dipped the fabric into the liquid then spread the thick tar on the nearby shrubs.
"What's he doing?" Camellia whispered as an acrid scent suddenly filled the air.
Horatio turned to the girls. He smiled crookedly as he drew a hunk of flint from the folds of his cloak and ran it across the edge of his sword. A spark flared. He struck the sword again and again, sending a flurry of sparks onto the loch. Suddenly, the sparks ignited the thick liquid with a whoosh of sound.
"Let us see if your theory is correct, Miss Huntingdon. Will my nephew come to rescue you girls or let you all burn to death?" Horatio said coldly. "My guess is, he'll try to rescue you. And when he does, I'll be waiting to stab him in the back."
Elizabeth palmed the dirk and worked it over her bonds. She had to set them all free before Horatio could execute his plan. Ruthlessly, she sawed at the rope. Beneath her assault, the twisted coils began severing one by one. Once she was free, she could stay and fight Horatio while the girls escaped.
A louder whoosh startled Elizabeth as red-gold flames rippled along the surface of the loch, gathering speed.
Elizabeth desperately sawed her bonds. She was almost there. Flames on the shrubs licked closer and closer, spreading quickly until they were surrounded by fire. Horatio turned back to them. He held a length of rope in his hands. His eyes glittered brightly in the glare of the fire as he limped toward them. He would tie them here and leave them to die.
With her heart in her throat, Elizabeth slashed once more against the rope. It severed with a snap. She moved to Rose and sawed at the older girl's bonds, until she too was free. Elizabeth passed the dirk to Rose. "Lead the girls out of here. Go. Now!"
Rose shot to her feet, encouraging the others to do the same. "What about you?"
"Go back toward the manor!" Elizabeth cried.
Rose swooped Lily in her arms and headed up the edge of the loch as Elizabeth had directed. The flames leaped from the water to the shrubs and brush along the water's edge. Elizabeth hesitated for a moment. As she watched in horror, the flames curled from the tar-doused shrubs to the branches of the trees until they formed an arc of flame over her head.
"Get back here!" Horatio threw down the rope and drew his sword. He changed direction to follow the girls.
"Nay." The muscles of Elizabeth's stomach knotted with panic. She surged forward. "Run, Rose, run!"
The smoke was thicker now. Elizabeth's eyes stung. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Regardless, she kept her gaze trained on Horatio, preparing for his next move.
He stopped and swung his sword.
Elizabeth stumbled backward as the blade whispered in front of her, nearly missing her middle. She searched the area around her for something with which to defend herself. A cry of despair escaped her when she found no sticks or rocks nearby. The branches overhead crackled and popped with the intensity of the flames.
The smoke grew thicker, blacker, making it harder to see anything. Perhaps that would help the girls escape. The dark figure before her turned back in the direction the girls had disappeared, and Elizabeth blindly leaped forward into Horatio's body. They crashed against the muddy shoreline of the loch. A few feet away the water glowed bright, and black, curling clouds of smoke coiled into the air.
"Get off me!" Horatio made a sound low in his throat.
Sheer terror rode Elizabeth's nerves as she clung to the man's back. He twisted and rolled with her still attached, until he slammed her against the ground. She gasped at the pain that radiated across her back, stealing her breath. Her grip loosened and Horatio sprang free.
The smoke stung her eyes, seared her lungs. She struggled to sit up, but found she could not.
"With all of you dead, there'll be no one to oppose me."
"How? You've left all of us no way to escape. Even yourself," Elizabeth cried.
The man startled as though he suddenly realized what he'd done, not just to the girls and to Lucius, but also himself.
Horatio gripped the sword that had fallen at his feet and charged, his blade pointed at her.
Panic screamed through Elizabeth. She drew a sharp breath. She brought her feet up. As the man lurched forward, intending to skewer her, she kicked out. Her feet connected with his gut.
He lurched sideways into the water. He fell below the surface; then as he came up, an agonized scream filled the air. "I can't swim!" He flailed against the water as flames rippled across his skin and hair.
The stench of burning flesh overwhelmed her senses. Elizabeth pressed a hand to her nose and mouth and clamped her eyes shut. She scooted on her back away from the water's edge. Over Horatio's cries of pain, she could hear men shouting, horses neighing, from somewhere on the opposite shore. For a heartbeat, she felt a pure white-hot flash of hope until the whoosh of the flames shot up next to her, behind her.
Elizabeth stood. Her legs wobbled. She nearly tumbled to the ground once more, but she forced herself to stay upright, to take a step away from the flames.
Fire was all around her, devouring the trees and shrubs like a hungry monster. Curls of black smoke encircled her, searing her lungs and stinging her eyes. Then, above the roar of the flames, Elizabeth heard the sound of splashing water.
She tensed, afraid it was Horatio come back to claim her, until she heard a familiar voice.
"Elizabeth!"
She staggered toward the sound. "Lucius!"
A dark figure surged through the smoke and grabbed her.
"The girls?" she asked.
Lucius's eyes were bright in his soot-stained face. "We found them."
Relief washed through Elizabeth with such force that her knees buckled. Lucius caught her in his arms. "Hold on to me," he said gently.
She clung desperately to Lucius as he half dragged, half carried her through the water.
"Take a deep breath and hold it." Lucius's hand tightened on hers.
The acrid breath she drew hurt her lungs, but she had no time to think of the pain. Heat pressed in around them. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks from her stinging eyes.
She couldn't hold her breath any longer. It whooshed out in a painful rush and she was forced to inhale. She was immediately punished by a fit of coughing. She couldn't catch her breath. Panic rushed through her as she began to gasp.
Lucius was coughing too. Dear God, they were going to die in this blackness just as Horatio had planned.
"Elizabeth?" It was Rose's voice.
Elizabeth opened her eyes to see nothing, but she could hear Rose's voice ahead. Was she caught in this hideous trap as well? Hadn't the girls made it to safety?
Elizabeth tried to tell Rose to keep going, but instead of words only gasps pul
led from her throat.
"It's all right," Lucius gasped. "We're through."
In that moment, she could see the muted blue-gray sky on the other side of the loch. "Thank…God," she wheezed.
Lucius dragged them ashore and doubled over, still coughing.
"Where are the girls?" Elizabeth asked, searching the lighter gray smoke that hung in the air. "I must see for myself that they are safe."
"I left them here with Lachlan."
At the same moment the smoke around them eased, the sound of the girls' voices came to her. Elizabeth turned. The girls threw themselves into her outstretched arms, weeping and chattering and praising Elizabeth for the fact they were still alive. Elizabeth stroked one blonde head after another and closed her eyes, gathering each girl as close as possible. "It's over," she promised them. "Your uncle is dead."
"Are you certain?" Lucius asked, his voice still roughened by smoke.
Elizabeth set the girls away from her, then stood. "Aye. He fell into his own trap and caught fire. His body, what's left of it, is in the loch." She shuddered.
A moment later she was in Lucius's arms. He gathered her close enough so that she could feel her heart beating against his own.
He stroked the side of her face with his hand. "Are you unharmed?"
She nodded and brushed her cheek against his palm, reassured by his words. "I was so frightened." Once again she paused. "I feared you wouldn't come for me."
"Wouldn't come?" He tipped her face to his. "I'll never leave you." His head dipped down and he pressed his lips to hers.
The girls began to laugh and tease, but Lucius wasn't deterred. He deepened the kiss until Elizabeth was breathless for reasons having nothing to do with the smoke and everything to do with the man who held her in his arms. And yet he still did not say the words she longed to hear. She forced the thought from her head. He would say the words when he was ready.
And if he doesn't?
She stepped out of the circle of his arms. "This is not the time or place."
He nodded and she was thrilled to see a hint of regret pass across his features before he turned away. "We must bury the dead as well—both our own men and the English who were left behind on Scottish soil. Elizabeth, will you take the girls back to the manor?"
"I'll see to them," she said. With a final nod he turned away. Beside her, Lily tugged on Elizabeth's shredded and burnt gown. "Lucius won't leave us, will he?"
"Not like Papa or Marcus?" Iris asked, coming to join Lily at Elizabeth's side.
"Nay," Elizabeth said as she encouraged them forward, toward the manor in the distance. "Not like them."
As she and the girls walked back along the loch, the fire, now out of fuel, died down to a smolder. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at Lucius. She expected to see sadness reflected in his eyes, but instead of pain, she saw renewal.
The smoke faded. The warmth of the afternoon sun chased the chill away. Elizabeth turned around, hiding the smile upon her lips, and raced for the manor. For the first time since she'd arrived, Elizabeth felt a glimmer of hope that she might find a home with Lucius and his sisters at Midwick Manor.
Chapter Eleven
It was late evening by the time the men had finished the burials. Lucius drifted toward the manor house along with the men. The mood in the air was sober. It had been a long, exhausting day. They'd buried nine men, including what was left of his uncle.
The MacKinleys and the Insleys had been a welcome blessing—as had the other MacKinley clansmen who'd come to help once word reached them about the conflict. Without them, the outcome might have been very different this day.
Lucius looked around him. He could tell by the looks on the men's faces they wanted nothing more than a warm hearth, a hearty meal, a mug of ale, and a good night's sleep as their reward. Yet as the men approached the manor, their tired mumbles became excited chatter at the sight that greeted them there.
Elizabeth and his sisters waited outside, dressed in brightly colored gowns, with greens woven in their hair. They looked fresh and alive and out of place against the graying sky. They greeted the men as they approached and directed them toward several large tubs of warmed water that had been set out for them to wash up.
Before Lucius could get anywhere near Elizabeth, she and the girls slipped inside the manor. Though a sense of disappointment rippled through Lucius at her absence, he had to admit that the water combined with the cool night air renewed his spirit.
Once they were finished, the men were invited into the hall, where they were greeted by the MacKinley clanswomen. While they waited for the men to join them, they'd prepared a feast of boar's head, mincemeat pies, salmon, herring, rabbit stew, roasted onions, bread and cheese, and ale, with frumenty for dessert. Tallow candles set in pairs about the chamber gave the hall a warm and magical air.
It was magical, as everyone was there: Lucius's servants, his crofters, Father Gillian, the Insley and the MacKinley women, Jayne and her children and the midwife, along with his sisters and Elizabeth. The men rushed into the chamber, greeting the others with good cheer and laughter.
A warm smile came to Lucius's lips. He'd had many Christmas Eve feasts in this hall, but none had ever affected him as this one did. Elizabeth had truly taken Midwick Manor and turned it into a place where those who entered felt welcome and loved.
He caught sight of Elizabeth across the chamber and moved toward her. She stopped talking to Silas MacKinley to watch his approach. Her face lit up as he drew near.
Lucius felt himself changing with each step he took across that hall. The shadows of pain and death fell away, and sunlight, pure and hot and white, flooded his body, lighting places that had been cold and dark for years. For the first time in his life he knew what he wanted, and more importantly, he felt as though he deserved it.
When he reached her, he took her hands in his and the rest of the room seemed to fade away, until there were only the two of them. "Elizabeth."
"Welcome home, Lucius."
He was home, and in a place he wanted to share with her for the rest of his days. A thousand things crowded his mind, things he wanted to say, needed to say, until finally the words came to him. "I wasted so many years running away from you, from everyone. I missed so many things, and I wish desperately I could have that time back. But I know that's not possible. So I want the next best thing."
"What's that?" she asked with a hint of worry in her wide brown eyes.
He smiled, wanting her to see what was in his heart. "To make every moment count." His gaze held hers. "I love you, Elizabeth. Will you give me a second chance?"
The words she'd longed to hear sank deep, warmed her heart, and brought tears to her eyes. "Aye, Lucius, I'd give you a million chances if you asked for them." They'd be a family—herself, Lucius, and the girls, along with the children they'd share together someday. She would have a place that was safe with a man who was no fool, who wouldn't gamble their lives or security away.
And suddenly it was too much to bear in silence. Her heart was too full. "I love you, Lucius. I always have."
He kissed her with a passion that made her tremble with need. When he finally released her, the world spun. But he held her close, as though refusing to let go of what they'd just realized they both needed more than food or water or air.
They needed each other.
"I shall never take your love for granted again, my sweet," he whispered against her ear. He pulled away from her then and dropped to his knee. "I know this is a little late, but I must ask you this question and you must promise to answer me truthfully."
"Very well." Her words felt thick in her throat as tears pooled in her eyes once more.
"Miss Elizabeth Huntingdon, will you marry me? Not because you have to, but because you want to?"
He looked at her with a seriousness that made her heart achingly full. "Aye, Lucius, I'll marry you this night. I won't wait another moment to be yours."
Suddenly the room swelled with applause an
d whoops of cheer. Elizabeth smiled up at her soon-to-be husband, who sealed their promise with a kiss. Laughter rose inside Elizabeth and spilled out in a light, airy sound of pure joy.
"To the altar then?" Lucius asked.
"Aye, please, my love, with all due haste."
Discover Other Books by Gerri Russell
The Stones of Destiny Series
The Warrior Trainer
Warrior's Bride
Warrior's Lady
Other books in Brotherhood of the Scottish Templars Series
To Tempt a Knight
Seducing the Knight
A Knight to Desire
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Border Lord's Bride Page 9