Seducing the Laird

by Marrero, Lauren

  "Verena! Who was the assassin? How did she get into the castle?

  Slowly her mind began to clear. Jon had left for England, Hadran was miles away, and Owen was plotting against their employer. Ivone’s assassin would return; she was certain of that. Only Cairn, the man she sought to destroy, could protect her until Hadran returned. Maybe if she told him the truth, Cairn would think she was worth saving.

  There was little hope of salvaging her mission at this point. Now she needed to focus on survival. There was a measure of safety as long as she carried Cairn’s child, but she would never allow him to take the baby from her. She would live until Hadran came, and pray the old man could make things right.

  "She works for your stepmother."

  "Lies!"

  "It’s true. Jon saw her in Ivone’s solar. That’s how she knew I worked for Gundy."

  "Ivone knew you were a spy and didn’t tell me?"

  "Aye." She rubbed her forehead to clear the raging headache that was forming. Not since she was a little girl had she felt so alone. No matter how dangerous the assignment, she could always rely on Hadran, Owen and Jon for help. Now she had nothing but her wits and a hairpin. "Gundy isn’t the only one to profit from your death."

  "Ivone has her faults, but she isn’t a murderer."

  "She murdered your father, though that wasn’t very wise."

  "Explain yourself."

  It felt good to tell Cairn the truth. She had been carrying her deception like an unwieldy burden for weeks. Though Cairn was incredulous, he was at least willing to listen to her story. Once she started, she wanted to tell him everything. Perhaps a part of her still trusted this man. Despite everything, she wanted to be close to him

  "Your father was ill for years while you were in France. That was perfect for Ivone as she could rule the clan with impunity. It was the arsenic she fed him in small doses over the years. The same arsenic Ivone keeps in a vial around her neck to protect her from the plague. His death was probably accidental, but he was sick for so long, no one suspected foul play.

  "She didn’t intend for your father to die. When you returned, Ivone had to relinquish her power to you. Now she wants it back."

  "This is too much. Why should I believe you now? You can’t prove anything and I have known Lady Ivone much longer than I have known you."

  "Ivone’s agent said she would come after me, and I believe her."

  "Why?"

  "Because she thinks I have information about your grandfather’s treasure. I believe your stepmother has a plan for the silver that does not include you or your clan."

  Cairn had to sit down. He lowered himself to the filthy dungeon floor on shaky legs. The stone wall at his back felt reassuringly solid. These age-blackened walls had survived centuries of war and plague, but he knew only too well that a castle was only as strong as its defenders. Faced with Jon’s, Ivone’s, and Verena’s betrayals, Cairn felt shaken and terribly alone. How could he protect his clan when he was so easily fooled by the people closest to his heart?

  He didn’t want to believe his stepmother was capable of such treachery, but Cairn had heard too many stories about how she led the clan before his arrival. While Angus was ill, she had squandered their funds and increased taxes to pay for vain projects. Not long ago this dungeon had been filled with people incarcerated on petty charges. The McPhersons were severely chastised for not showing the proper respect, or offending Ivone in a million different ways. He knew she was cold and selfish, but that didn’t make Ivone’s betrayal easier to bear.

  "Ivone left for France this morning."

  "Of course. With Gundy’s army coming, she probably thought it was no longer safe to stay in Scotland."

  "Tell me everything."

  Verena took a deep breath and began her story. The information wouldn’t save the McPhersons, but it would teach Cairn the depths of Gundy’s deviousness. Maybe if he knew a little about her history, Cairn would take more precautions to keep her safe.

  "For the past twelve years I have worked for Lord Gundy, with a small group of assassins and spies. We were hired by Gundy to find your grandfather’s treasure, but a few days ago the rules of the assignment changed—or perhaps I was finally told the entire plan. The treasure was not enough for him. You had to die in order to pave the way for Gundy’s invasion. Owen, the man you saw in the woods, was not my lover; he was my assistant."

  Cairn felt numb as her damning words washed over him. She was working with Gundy all this time, plotting against him and his people. She planned to murder Cairn and open his clan to an English massacre. Despite her guilt, she looked at him now with something akin to trust.

  "When will his men arrive?"

  "I do not know. Owen was keeping me informed, but he left a few days ago."

  The man in the woods was not her lover. Cairn felt his heart thaw a bit at that news. Could he believe her now that she was finally exposed? He was surprised by his desire to trust her. Even now Cairn cringed to see her locked in the dark, filthy dungeon. This woman had taken control of his heart with terrifying ease. Were her kisses lies; and the way she moaned in his embrace? Cairn wished he had never laid eyes on this viper.

  "That night I told him of the child and asked to be removed from this assignment. It was too dangerous for the babe. At first he was enraged. Then he ordered me to go back to the castle and find the treasure—not for Lord Gundy, but for us. I believe he plans to overthrow Gundy and take his place."

  "If he murders that English bastard, it will be a blessing."

  "Believe me, this is not good news. Owen is volatile and ruthless, but was always willing to follow Gundy’s orders. Not anymore. He hasn’t tried to contact me since that night and I am afraid of what he might do.

  "I know what kind of man Lord Gundy is, but I owe him my life. Without Gundy’s patronage, I would have starved long ago."

  "Patronage?" shouted Cairn. He looked like he wanted to throttle her "What type of man would force you into such labor? You gave your body for him, you would have murdered for him."

  Verena thought she had come to terms with her profession. As long as she had the support of Hadran and her family of spies, she could ignore her conscience. Now Cairn glared at her as if she was the vilest of creatures.

  "You were born into wealth and privilege. I had nothing. You can’t possibly understand what it means to have someone look at you, filthy and starving, and see potential. He turned me into a spy, and I thank God every day for that. He gave me my life."

  Forcing herself to look him in the eye, she squared her shoulders. Cairn didn’t love her like Hadran and the others; he had not been with her for years, fighting beside her. He couldn’t understand how perilous life could be for a peasant girl without a family.

  "And you would have taken mine. Why didn’t you let me drink the poison?"

  "I don’t know."

  Cairn’s features were still, but she could see the storm brewing in his eyes. Cairn wanted her before; he wanted their child. How much did her answer mean to him?

  "This is the knife your brother gave you," he said, pulling out the blade he confiscated the night before. "The one he taught you to use."

  "I don’t have a brother. Owen made it for me. Hadran, the leader of our group under Gundy, taught me how to use it."

  "How many of you are there?"

  Cairn’s voice was a low, deadly growl. Months ago he had sworn to never fall for Gundy’s tricks again, but suddenly found himself back in Gundy’s trap. The lovely woman before him, the woman that so neatly captured his heart, was accomplice to it all.

  "Four," she replied, watching him cautiously. She could see the rage within, but Cairn kept his emotions in check. She forced herself not to think of what Gundy had done to a spy he discovered in Langthorne.

  "I am the primary agent, Owen and Jon are my backups, and Hadran acts as our liaison to Gundy. Hadran put our group together at Gundy’s behest. He delivers our assignments and keeps Gundy informed of our progress."r />
  "Why didn’t he kill me in Langthorne? Why send you?"

  "Our mutual suffering made it easy for you to trust me," she replied. "I needed unrestricted access to search for your grandfather’s treasure—a servant wouldn’t have such freedom. Once I found it, I was to kill you before your brother returned with reinforcements and supplies."

  Cairn was so angry it was difficult to see. His fists clenched in fury, desperate to slam into Gundy’s face, to shake the woman in front of him and make her take back everything she said.

  "My men are dead because of you!" She could feel the emotions pouring off Cairn in waves. "You came here to destroy me. You gave your body to me for Gundy."

  "No," she replied softly, no longer able to look him in the eye. She had long tried to deny it, but the passion between them was real. It had nothing to do with Gundy or her mission. Verena genuinely cared for Cairn and was tormented by the thought of what would become of him. "That was not for Gundy."

  "Then why?"

  "You were kind to me," she explained, trying not to fidget under his uncompromising stare. "And … I wanted you."

  Cairn had been through so much. She could see the distrust in his eyes. He reached out to lightly grasp her arms. His fingers caressed her biceps as if he couldn’t believe she was real.

  Though his heart raged against it, and his mind didn’t want to accept it, Cairn believed her. He recognized the desperation that must have driven her to confess the truth.

  "Who are you? What are you?" His fingers pressed harder, but she didn’t cry out from the bruising pressure. "Why are you telling me this?"

  Verena tried to halt the tears that threatened to spill, but she couldn’t stop her traitorous body from swaying toward him. She needed to believe he still wanted her, and not just for the baby. She saw a raw hunger build in Cairn’s eyes, slowly replacing his simmering ire. Her body yearned for him. Though it had only been days since they had last come together, to Verena, it felt like an eternity. She wanted to touch him and taste him. She wanted to lick the salty sweat from his skin and stay with him forever.

  An instant later Cairn’s lips hungrily descended on hers. She could feel the desire in him that was for her alone.

  "Damn these clothes!"

  A cord snapped in Cairn’s impatient hand. She was so fixated on his wonderful kiss that she didn’t notice Cairn had nearly undressed her. Verena’s fingers were actually shaking with need. She frantically kissed his lips, his cheek, his ear—anywhere she could reach. Finally Cairn swore in frustration, grabbed her knife, and sliced through the stubborn knot in her bodice.

  He paused to look at the knife in his hand. Owen had made it for her; Hadran taught her how to use it. Verena’s shady past was represented in its crude handle and sharp blade.

  How could he have so quickly forgotten the deadly accuracy of Verena’s fight? Her very presence was intoxicating, making Cairn long to forget her past. He hated what Gundy made her become, but she was not innocent. She willingly chose the life she led. He could never trust her, but Cairn’s throbbing body didn’t care.

  "You are poison. You confessed your sins and yet I still hunger for you. I am throbbing with the need to take you again. Why it is so difficult to see you for the temptress you are?"

  Still caught in a haze of passion, it took her a few moments to understand his words. Cairn was leaving her. Slowly his arms released her naked, trembling flesh. She tried to collect her thoughts to call out to him.

  "Cairn please, the woman will kill our baby!"

  Those words made him pause as he reached the door. What was Cairn to do with this minx? He knew he should punish her, or at least banish her from his clan, but how could he reconcile his heart with reason? Could he give up his child because of its mother?

  "No one will touch my child," he called over his shoulder before the door slammed shut. "I promise."

  Chapter 41

  Roselyn came several times to bring food and change Verena’s bandages. She was always escorted by a guard and instructed not to speak. There was so much she wanted to ask the maid. Had Jon been captured? Did they find the female assassin? All she could infer from the sympathetic looks and sweets Roselyn snuck into the dungeon, was that she still had a friend.

  Roselyn’s visits gave her a schedule to orient her time. The days were spent exercising and practicing her knife skills for her next encounter with the assassin. The long, awkward hairpin was her only weapon and she was determined to be as comfortable with it as the knife Cairn confiscated.

  Despite Cairn’s precautions, she knew someone would come for her eventually. She was in the middle of this entire mess. She probably knew more about the Old Lord than anyone, thanks to her research. If she only had a few more days, she was confident she could find the treasure, but she couldn’t do anything inside the dungeon.

  Being confined gave her ample time to think and her mind invariably went back to the missing silver. She had searched every likely and unlikely hiding place in the castle and countryside. She had identified Thomas, Father Simon and Lady Ivone as the most likely caretakers of the treasure, but had long ago discarded Father Simon as a candidate. He was too kind to keep the treasure from the clan during these difficult times. Lady Ivone couldn’t know the location either; otherwise she wouldn’t have attempted to question Verena. That left one suspect.

  Thomas knew something. His obsessive care of the Old Lord’s tomb indicated he was closer to the old man than anyone. He had to be hiding the treasure.

  Should she tell Cairn her suspicions? If he was to repel Gundy’s attack, he would need the treasure to pay for supplies. If he was to protect her and their child, he needed the silver. But what if she was wrong? Would Cairn think it was another lie to shift the blame from herself? He certainly had not thanked her for airing her suspicions about Lady Ivone. When she found a way out of the dungeon, she would search Thomas’ cottage, but would say nothing until then.

  It was nearly a fortnight before someone came for her. She heard the soft scrape of someone trying to pick the dungeon lock, and prepared her defense. One of the heavy torture devices was laboriously moved beside the door to provide a space for her to hide behind. She intended to push it onto her would-be attacker as soon as they stepped through.

  "Verena?" called a low, familiar voice. A candle was briefly unshielded so that a single ray of light shone on her empty pallet. "Where are you?"

  "Hadran?" Verena stepped from behind her hiding place to greet the old man—who wisely refrained from entering the dungeon. He had taught her to be prepared, so he was doubtless expecting an ambush.

  "I taught you well," he said, studying her use of the torture device and hair pin. "Although in the future make sure you use two hair pins. You were always the best with double blades."

  "I’ll remember that," she replied, smiling her first genuine smile in weeks. To the old man, everything was an opportunity for instruction. She threw her arms around him, forgetting herself in the joy of reunion.

  For a moment Hadran allowed the embrace, holding her tightly as if he were the surrogate father she envisioned him to be. All too soon she felt him stiffen in her arms. He pulled back self-consciously, remembering his rule that no matter how close they became, a spy must never be coddled.

  "Are you alright?" he asked, peering closely at his ward. "I have heard the strangest tales."

  "What did Jon tell you? Why isn’t he here?"

  "Jon is guarding the entrance." Hadran shook his head at the foolishness of his other protégé. "At first I didn’t believe his story, but Owen confirmed it. Owen is determined to leave Gundy’s service and take us with him.

  "I knew he was not happy in Gundy’s employ, but I never thought Owen would turn against us like this. You were both so gifted. I think I was more indulgent that I should have been."

  "There was nothing wrong with your instruction. You taught us to be strong and loyal to each other. No matter the assignment, we would do it because of what it meant to the
group, our family."

  "And now Owen wants to tear our family apart."

  "I don’t understand him."

  "Owen wants you," replied Hadran with a slow shake of his head. "I taught both of you to be tenacious in pursuing your goals. We never failed in an assignment, nor let circumstances keep us from success. For him, this is no different. There is only one thing he needs that will make his plan a success —the very thing you were sent here to obtain."

  "The silver," she finished. Everything hinged on the cursed treasure. She thought she knew where it was hidden, but what if she was wrong? Gundy needed the money to finance his invasion, Cairn needed the money to defend his home, and Owen needed the silver to create his vision of their future. Everyone’s dreams depended on a treasure that might not exist.

  She had run out of time to search and was terrified of what would happen if she returned to Gundy without it. He certainly wasn’t the most forgiving master. Child or no child, she would be severely punished.

  Staying in Scotland was no longer possible. Hadran had proved how easily an assassin could reach her. She had always felt safest when Jon, Hadran and Owen were together. She had to trust they would protect her from Gundy’s displeasure.

  "I don’t agree with Owen’s plans," said Hadran thoughtfully. "But over the years I have learned to pick my battles. Give Owen the treasure, play along. We’ll think of a way out of this when the time is right. There is always a way to rectify a situation if you are patient."

  "There is something you need to know." She didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Cairn, but needed Hadran to understand her feelings before he started making plans. "I cannot kill Cairn McPherson. If it needs to be done … I cannot be responsible."