by Alisa Adams
"It will when everyone finds out you are a poisoner." He took the little bottle out of his pocket and showed it to her. For a split second, he saw panic in her eyes then it was replaced by a look of sheer derision.
"What is that thing? I have never seen it before in my life. If you repeat these scurrilous accusations you will be guilty of slander," she said dismissively. "Now, I have no time to trade any more insults with you. I will expect the first payment tonight. Have your most trusted servant bring it just before dark and wrap it in a silk scarf so that I may say it is a farewell present from Davina." She paused. "And in case you have any thoughts of reneging on our bargain, I have letters written and addressed not only to your wife and my husband but to others who may be interested to know that you have conceived a child with me and left me in the lurch. Goodbye, Athol."
* * *
Then she turned her horse around and cantered away until at last, she was out of sight. Athol was devastated with no idea what to do next. She had obviously been thinking about and planning this for months, but why him? There were other lairds out there far richer than he, and he lived so far away that getting the gold to her would be extremely difficult, but no doubt she had thought of that. It seemed that she had thought of everything. He was tired of worrying now, but he had no choice. His headache was coming back.
Should he tell Davina? If he did that he ran the risk of losing her. On the other hand, Maura would then lose her main bargaining chip. She could ruin his reputation, but as long as he had Davina and his land he cared little for that. And they knew she was a murderer but had no proof of it. If they let her go she would be free to do it again.
He made up his mind. He would tell Davina. God help me, he thought, I hope I am doing the right thing.
"That was quick!" As usual, Davina was there to jump into his arms as soon as he got home. She gave him a smacking kiss on the lips, then, seeing the expression on his face, stood down and took him by the hands. "Sweetheart! What's wrong?"
He looked at her long and hard for a moment. "Davina darling," he said sadly, "I have something to tell you."
"You're scaring me," she replied, her voice trembling.
"I am frightened too," he confessed, pouring himself a large glass of wine.
"Why?" She hugged herself, feeling a sudden chill come over her.
"Sit down." He waited until she had done so, then began to speak. "I am being blackmailed," he said quietly. He looked into the fire, then up at her.
"By whom?" Davina asked. "And why?"
He sighed heavily. "By Maura." He looked up at her. "The baby she's carrying… it may be mine."
Davina said nothing for a moment, but when she finally broke her silence her voice was flinty. "Go on."
"I lay with her once before you and I were together and she tells me I am the father of her baby. You told us that she had also lain with Grant, so it could be either one of us or even someone else, although that is just a suspicion of mine. I must pay her or she will tell you and I run the risk of losing you. She could even tell Grant and say that I raped her or something like that. She is devious enough for anything." He put his face in his hands. "I have put myself in this situation and I will not blame you if you throw me out. But Davina, I love you so much and I am sorry if I have hurt you. I will understand if you do not want me anymore."
Davina was frowning, trying to think. The situation seemed quite straightforward in some ways. He had been a single man and she had been a single woman, not yet betrothed. She wandered over to the window. There had been no romantic attachment between herself and Athol then so it was not unfaithfulness, but there was the baby to consider, and that could not be wished away.
"I can understand it happening. She is a very beautiful woman, but the baby…" She clenched her fists in annoyance. "You say that she lay with Grant too?"
He nodded. "Perhaps others too."
"Then I think she was already with child when you lay with her," Davina concluded, then smiled. "I will not deny that this has been a shock." Her voice was firm and steady. "But Athol, she is a wonderful manipulator. I don't blame you—you were in the hands of a master, so you have nothing to fear from me. I still love you."
He closed his eyes in relief. "Thank God. You have no idea how happy that makes me," he said breathily, "but Davina, what if it is mine?"
Davina shrugged and spread her hands, then came to wind her arms around his neck. She looked up into his troubled face. "There is no way to tell," she said gently, "we must forget that part, Athol, and go on as we are. If Grant brings him or her up he will have one good parent at least, but it is a concern."
"And the murder?" Athol asked.
Davina's face clouded. "I do not know what we can do," she said despondently, "we have no proof."
"And no way to keep them here." He paused for a moment, thinking, then suddenly he looked up at her. "Davina, get ready. We are going to Lyle's house for dinner."
29
The Storm
"What do you think Lyle can do?" Davina asked as they rode along.
"He may be able to think of some way of detaining them," Athol replied, "their ship leaves Dornoch with the tide in the early afternoon. It is a five-mile ride over rough terrain, so they will have to leave early in the morning. I just need to keep them here an extra hour or so and it will be too late for them to board. The next ship going to Inverness and Fort Augustus does not leave until this time next week. It will buy us time."
"Once she finds out that I know she will tell Grant," Davina said, biting her lip anxiously.
"I won't tell her I have told you," he replied, "I have brought along some of the money she asked me for, a fraction. I will tell her that my servant is bringing the rest at dawn tomorrow - I will think of an excuse - then he will be late. She will wait for him if I know her as I think I do. If not, I will trust Lyle to find a way of staying their departure. I think the best way is to get Grant very, very drunk tonight. He likes his whiskey too much, and I suspect that is what got him into this predicament to start with. Maura will be very sparing with her liquor tonight, I expect."
"But he loves her… He told me so," Davina answered.
"That is why I won't tell him what she is doing," he said grimly, "because he will not believe me. He would rather take the word of that-that bitch instead of ours. Even if he did, it would wreck their marriage and I don't want to be responsible for that even if his wife is a monster."
Davina sighed. "It is going to be wrecked anyway, but I agree," she said. "Grant is a lovely man but he is very easily led." She thought for a moment then smiled. "Mind you, so are most men."
Athol gave her a threatening look. "You will pay for that when we get home, Mistress Murray!" he growled.
"Ooh!" she squealed, laughing. "I hope so."
They got to Lyle's house in the late evening. In the Scottish Highlands, the summer night does not fall completely until just before midnight, with about three hours of full darkness until dawn, so they had hours of daylight left to ride home. Maura and Grant could have ridden back to Fort Augustus, but the journey was much longer by road and Maura wanted to take no chances in her 'delicate condition' as she put it. She had not announced her pregnancy far and wide yet, but the family all knew; Grant was overjoyed and bursting with pride.
The retainer who met them at the door was not at all the kind of servant most people would have employed, but Athol and Davina were not surprised. Callum Shaw was a slightly eccentric. He collected people of the upper classes who were down on their luck to come and work for him in the higher echelons of the staff hierarchy. He had a butler who was a former laird, a ladies' maid who was the penniless widow of a gentleman farmer, and an under-manager of the estate who had been a baron.
His house was full to bursting with down-at-heel noblemen and women who for various reasons had lost their estates and their fortunes. Although Callum was not a laird, the house was big enough, with eighty bedrooms, to be a de facto castle, so he thought of
himself as one, and acted as one.
Lyle was delighted to see them. "This is a very pleasant surprise," he said warmly, "come in. We have just finished dinner, but there is plenty more if you are hungry." They walked into the dining room where Mary, Grant and Maura were sitting with the remains of their meal, along with Lyle's parents.
Lyle was the masculine version of his mother. Finella Shaw had finer features, but there was no denying that with their white-blond hair and startling blue eyes, she and Lyle were mother and son. Callum had iron-gray hair with eyes to match and was tall and muscular. Despite his imposing appearance, he was one of the kindliest and most forgiving men anyone had ever met. Davina and Athol both loved him.
"Eat," Lyle ordered, as one of the staff put clean plates in front of them. "I know you, Athol. You have hollow legs."
"I am rapidly finding that out!" Davina said dryly, to the general amusement of everyone. Athol's appetite was the stuff of legend.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Finella asked, smiling.
"Well, I wanted to ask Lyle about the new breed of sheep Lyle is raising," Athol answered, "and Davina came with me to say goodbye."
"I'm so glad," Maura put her hand over Davina's on the table and smiled at her. Davina felt like snatching her hand away and slapping Maura's beautiful face with it, but she restrained herself and smiled back. "You were the one person I wish I'd had more time with. You must come and see us when the baby is born."
"I would love to." Davina pasted on a smile and tried to eat some of the delicious roast chicken, which tasted like sawdust in her mouth. She looked across at Athol who was eating as if he had not had a square meal for a year.
Presently, he leaned back, satisfied, and patted his lean stomach. Lyle poured him some whiskey and offered some to the other men since the ladies were all sitting with half-full glasses. Grant drank what was left of his in one draught and Lyle filled his glass to the brim, almost as if he had read Athol's mind.
"Come and I'll show you. I have three ewes and six lambs now," he said, with obvious pride, "all the ladies had twins."
As soon as they were out of earshot Lyle turned a puzzled face to Athol. "Tell me," he demanded.
Athol looked at his feet. "Maura is blackmailing me," he replied, frowning, "she says she will tell Davina that we lay together and that I am her baby's father."
Lyle digested this for a moment. "I sense you have a plan."
"I told Davina, explained all the circumstances, and she was completely understanding." He paused for a moment. "We were both single, and even though Maura was about to be betrothed, she was not at that time. Davina was shocked at the thought that another woman might be carrying my baby, of course, but she thinks the chances are very slim.”
'I think the chances are very good that she has another lover," Lyle stated, frowning. "Just another hunch. She flirts with every man she meets."
"We seem to be planning our strategy on hopes and hunches," Athol sighed.
"What do you want me to do?" Lyle asked, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I want you to keep them here," Athol replied, "we need to find out if she killed Ruaridh. And she is expecting me to give her money tonight since I pretended to give in to her blackmail."
"She truly is a devil in female form," Lyle stated angrily. He thought for a moment. "You would only need a little while. An hour?"
“The longer the better," Athol answered, "I want to be absolutely certain." They went back into the house again, where the butler bowed to them. Athol frowned in puzzlement, looking more closely at the man.
He was slim and tall, almost the same height as Athol, with straight grey hair and dark brown eyes. He looked to be around his mid-forties. Athol knew he had seen him before. He stared at the man, perplexed for a moment, before speaking to him.
"Excuse me," he began, "but I feel I have met you on another occasion. I am Athol Murray. What is your name?"
* * *
The man's gaze dropped to the floor in embarrassment, and when he met Athol's eyes again, Athol knew him at once. "The Laird of Doon!" he exclaimed in astonishment. "How good to see you." He thrust out his hand, but the butler refused to take it.
"Mr. Murray." He gave Athol the faintest of smiles. "I am no longer Laird Doon. That title now belongs to my friend Douglas McTavish."
Athol frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked, baffled. "Your estate was one of the wealthiest in Sutherland!"
Ewan Taggart, the former Laird of Doon, smiled sadly. "Entirely my own fault, young sir," he replied, "I was too fond of the dice. Night after night I would go drinking and gambling, despite the pleas of my family. They tried their best to stop me, but I simply could not stop myself. One night I happened to meet Douglas after a long absence. We talked and I drank too much, so did he, although I suspect he was much soberer than he looked. Anyway, I was in an expansive mood - I become very merry when I am in my cups - and I bet everything, castle, estate, money, on one throw of the dice. I lost.
“The fortune in property that had been in my family for generations was gone, and it had been taken by someone who called himself my friend. Now his wife and family live in comfort on my land while I am reduced to this."
"And what of your family?"
"My son married the daughter of the Baron of Mull, and my two daughters married young lairds. My wife lives with my younger daughter together with my two youngest sons. The entire family has forsaken me."
"I am sorry," Athol murmured. It was a tragic story, and he could not help feeling sorry for Ewan despite the stupidity of his actions.
"Do not be sorry for me, young sir," the man said in a stern voice, "for I do not deserve your pity. I brought this entire calamity upon myself. I care nothing about that. But my family…" He was almost in tears.
Athol looked around for Lyle, but he had already gone back into the dining room. He was bored with the conversation, but Athol was fascinated.
"But I landed on my feet here, young sir," Ewan went on, "when he heard of my difficulties Mr. Shaw employed me, first as a footman, then as a butler. I have clothes, food, accommodation, and money to spend. Not as much as before of course, but I am content. Even though I am a servant I still enjoy the finer things in life: a bottle of wine on occasion, even a little whiskey. I have a better life now than I deserve."
"I am so glad to hear it," Athol said and smiled. "Do you see your family?"
Ewan shook his head, then changed the subject. "Your food will be cold, Mr. Murray," he said, "and your lovely bride will be missing you."
"My food is eaten, Mr. Taggart," Athol answered, patting his stomach. "And my wife will not pine away in ten minutes. Thank you for telling me your story and rest assured it will stay between the two of us."
"Thank you, young sir." Ewan smiled.
The two of us, Davina, and I, Athol thought as he walked away, we will never have secrets from each other.
30
Dealing with Maura
When Athol went back into the dining room Davina was doing her best to talk to everyone else except Maura. She looked up gratefully as he came in and smiled at him, relieved to see him. "I thought you had disappeared," she said, her hand on her heart to show her fright. "Left me for another woman."
"I am a one-woman man, sweetheart." He smiled at her tenderly and kissed her, then began to whisper in her ear so softly that no-one else could hear him. "Smile as though I'm saying sweet things," he said, then laughed in a whisper, "I am going to meet Maura. I will go with Lyle so as not to arouse suspicion, she will join us then Lyle will leave. Don't worry."
Davina pushed him away playfully, pretending to look shocked. "Husband! You are an animal!" She giggled. "Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for Athol. He forgets that there is a time and a place for everything."
"Can I help it if I love my wife?" he asked, looking comically aggrieved.
"Don't worry, my dear," Finella said, smiling, "it is wonderful to see two young people enjoying each o
ther so much."
They looked at each other with such love that even Maura felt moved for a split second before her heart hardened again. It was wonderful to be in love, she was sure. Everyone else seemed to think so, but since Maura had never loved anyone but herself, the feeling was unknown to her.
Grant was not speaking to, embracing, kissing or looking with love at his wife. He was so drunk he was almost asleep, and Davina felt embarrassed for him, and for herself. He was a member of her family, after all.
"I think we had better put him to bed, Maura," Lyle observed, "he will not get up the stairs on his own."
Grant had quite unwittingly played into their hands. It would now be much easier for them to talk. She nodded as Athol lifted the almost unconscious figure from his chair, and her face was like thunder.
"I am so sorry about this," she said, her voice trembling with fury.
Athol and Lyle had been about to drag Grant up the stairs, but it was apparent that he could not even stay upright, so Athol, with Lyle's help, heaved Grant onto his shoulder and carried him upstairs. Maura followed behind, pretending to be a solicitous wife. However, when they got to the top of the stairs and went into the bedroom Maura showed her true colors.
With all the strength she could muster she gave Grant a vicious slap on his face, delivered with so much force that it left a perfect red handprint on his cheek. He moaned but did not come out of his stupor. "That is what you get for embarrassing me," she hissed, before flinging herself out of the room.
Lyle and Athol looked at each other, stunned by the amount of rage in Maura's attack, then Lyle summoned a manservant to take care of Grant. They left the bedroom and walked along to the end of the corridor where they could not be heard or seen by anyone, then Maura held out her hand.
"I do not have it all with me," he said. His voice was as steady and calm as he could make it. He saw her opening her mouth to cry out but clamped a hand over it before she could make a sound.