It was evident that, like him, Keithen struggled to do as Esme asked. Ruari gritted his teeth and finally lowered his sword. “If ye even look at my wife, I will not hesitate to run ye through.”
“Get up!” Keithen ordered and prodded him with the tip of his sword. “Mount. We are returning to the keep immediately.”
The farmer and his wife knew better than to intervene. “Thank ye for sparing his life,” the woman said to Esme when Ruari neared to fetch her. “Ye are merciful.”
“She may be, but I am not,” Ruari told the couple who nodded in understanding.
Ruari lifted Esme into his arms and carried her to the horse.
“I can ride,” Esme said, but he shook his head, quieting her. “Ye remain pale and unstable on yer feet.”
He lifted her to his horse and mounted.
Esme relaxed against him. “I am also at fault, for not paying closer attention to my instincts. I felt something was wrong when they spoke to me and I ignored it.”
“It will be best for ye to rest and not think of it,” Ruari replied, unsure of what to say in that moment. His voice wavered at the last two words and Esme turned her head and laid it upon his shoulder.
“I knew ye would come for me and I was prepared to fight until ye came.”
He chuckled. “Ye hit me pretty hard.”
A shiver went through her and he knew she was considering the possible outcome. The two men meant to kill her and he knew that although they would think to have the light punishment of lashes, it was not to be.
Upon arriving back at the keep, with both guards in tow, they were allowed through the gates. Keithen instructed for the prisoners to be kept in the courtyard, while Ruari carried Esme inside.
She looked over his shoulder to the courtyard. “I do not wish to witness their punishment. I know it is customary, but I will not do it.”
“I insist ye remain in our chamber. Ye should bathe, have something to eat and rest. I will come to be with ye once this is all done.”
Her mother rushed to them upon their entrance. The poor woman looked about to faint as tears streaked down her face. “Thank the heavens ye are alive,” the woman wailed, hurrying to keep up with him as he climbed the stairs and up to their bedchamber.
He kissed her gently on the lips and lowered his wife onto the bed. She was immediately surrounded by her mother and other women who began to pepper her with questions.
“Allow her time to rest. She was taken by guards who are now facing punishment,” he informed the women.
He rushed back down to the great room just as Laird Fraser rushed out to the courtyard and Ruari followed.
In the center of the courtyard, both men were on their knees, hands bound behind their backs.
Ruari stood beside the laird who’d stopped and looked down at the men, both hung their heads, not daring to look up.
“Ye’re cowards and there is no place for ye in my clan.” The laird looked to the rest of the guards who were lined up and silent. “If any of ye ever dare to do anything against my family let this be a warning to ye.”
He drew a jeweled dirk and stalked to the already bleeding man whom Keithen had shot with an arrow. Grabbing the guard’s hair, he yanked the man’s head back. “Ye are a coward and meant to kill my daughter.” The cut across the man’s throat was clean and swift. There was a shocked expression upon the man’s face just as he fell face first onto the ground.
“Ye promised to let me l-live,” the other blubbered. Ruari didn’t wish to hear the squalling of a grown man. He went to the man and did as the laird had done, pulling the man’s head back by the hair. “I never did. However, ye did take an oath to protect the laird and his family.”
Seconds later, the man joined the first, their blood seeping into the dirt. A cart was brought, and the bodies quickly loaded onto it.
Several men neared with buckets of water, pouring it over where they’d bled. Soon after, it was as if nothing had occurred.
Keithen, Ruari and the laird went into the great room. They settled at a table and immediately were served ale.
Laird Fraser met Ruari’s gaze. “Ye are a good husband to my daughter.”
Unsure about what to say, Ruari remained silent, considering what to say if the man once again repeated that he and Esme should go live on Ross lands. He mentally prepared to argue against it.
“Perhaps it was a good idea that ye remain. Although I hate what Esme went through, I am glad to know the truth of what happened to her in the forest.”
“They were wrong to be hunting without permission, and that is probably why they made such a horrible decision to leave her there to die,” Keithen said.
“Fools,” Ruari added.
The laird drank deeply from the cup and refilled it from a pitcher left on the table. “Ye are welcome to remain here if that is what ye wish.” The man met Ruari’s gaze. “I fear that my wife cannot withstand another blow at the moment. She is fragile from all that has happened and Esme leaving could kill her.”
For the first time in his life, Ruari felt the fullness of his responsibility to a wife. He was to care for her and ensure that she would always be well and provide for her security and safety.
Glancing to the stairwell, he wished nothing more than to be with Esme. But first, he would go to the nearby creek and wash away the dirt and blood.
As they finished the ale, only he and Keithen at the table, Ruari met Keithen’s gaze. “Why did ye not kill him at the farm?”
“I did not want his mother and my sister to see it.”
Ruari nodded and stood. “Ye are a good man.”
When Keithen’s gaze met his, there was pride. “I am honored to have ye as part of my family.”
Chapter Eighteen
It had been several days since her harrowing experience and Esme was back to her routine. Putting down her sewing, she stood and stretched. Catriona sat in a chair by the window, but her gaze remained fixed downward. Shoulders rounded, her hair pulled back, she looked to have aged ten years.
The normally vibrant woman seemed to have lost all caring for life, her outlook as bruised and ugly as the bruising marring her face.
“Would ye like to go out for a walk?” Esme asked, forcing a bright tone. “It is a beautiful day. We can have a picnic.”
“No. I would rather remain here.” The reply was as lifeless as her friend. “Ye do not have to stay here so long. Go, please.”
Esme settled into a chair and lifted up a basket. “I have been avoiding sewing and mending. It’s best I do it while there is plenty of light. Would ye like to help?”
When Catriona looked to the basket, a spark of hope showed. But it was quelled when she turned to look back toward the window without reply.
The woman was broken, both physically and emotionally and there was little Esme could do. No matter what she tried, it felt like Catriona had died inside. Whoever this was that returned from being held captive was not the same vibrant and always happy person that had been there before.
“We have both been through much in the last weeks. Although I suspect yer injuries are much greater than mine,” Esme said.
A single tear trickled down Catriona’s cheek but, like usual, she remained silent.
The door opened and a maid entered with a tray. Upon it were glasses of honeyed mead, cheese and bread. Esme knew how much Catriona loved freshly baked bread, heat from it softening the cheese.
“Yer favorites,” Esme exclaimed, instantly feeling foolish. “I am famished. How about ye?”
Catriona sighed heavily and accepted the small plate that Esme offered. “I told cook to send bread up as soon as it came out of the oven.”
When Catriona took a bite of the bread without the cheese upon it, Esme wanted to scream in frustration. Instead, she ate from her plate and sipped the mead.
“I think walking outside may be good for me actually. I believe Keithen plans to go to the village today. I may go along. Or perhaps ask to take his place. Ruari an
d I can go. Although I am still quite sore and riding may be a bit too jarring.”
As she talked, Catriona listened and ate the rest of the food on the plate. Being she’d barely eaten in days, Esme was glad to see it.
She continued talking after placing more bread and cheese on Catriona’s plate. “I have decided it’s best not to free Dot but to allow her free roam within the keep. I was going to release her and the little darling seems to realize it and has stayed in the corral for days. She spends so much time with the horses that she seems to think she’s one of them.”
Catriona didn’t smile as she usually did when discussing Dot. Instead, she placed the plate on the nearby surface with food still on it. “Can ye call a maid to help? I need to lay down for a bit.”
“I can help ye.” Esme reached for her arm.
Upon touching her, Catriona recoiled. “Ye are hurt and sore. I prefer it if ye call someone else.”
Frustrated and wanting to groan in desperation, Esme stalked to the door instead. She peered out and waved a maid who was sweeping the corridor to come. “Can ye help her? Remain here until someone else comes. Do not leave her alone no matter what she says.”
Esme couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her face. She went up the stairs and into the sitting room where Catriona’s mother and hers sat. “We must appoint someone to remain with Catriona at all times.”
Catriona’s mother’s eyes widened. “Did something happen? Why are ye crying?”
“She is the same,” Esme replied, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. “It hurts to see her so broken. I am worried. Her countenance is like that of someone who’s given up on living.”
“I feel the same,” the woman replied with a sniff. “Her father returned home, but I asked to stay. I cannot bear to see her this way and will not leave her alone.”
Lady Fraser patted Catriona’s mother’s hand. “We will find someone to remain with her. A cot will be set up in the room so that she is watched at all times.”
“I will go see about it myself. There are several women from the village in the great room for hearings. I am sure one of them will know someone perfect for it,” Esme told them.
Esme went back down the stairs. Her side ached a bit. She flinched at recalling the arrows piercing her body. On instinct, her hand shot out to the wall so that she could steady herself. If she reacted to injuries in that manner, how much harder would it be for Catriona, who Esme was sure had been beaten and raped by the guards at Mackenzie Keep.
The horrible man had released her to the guards without regard for her life. Why hadn’t he kept both her mother and Catriona together? Although her mother remained shaken, it was obvious she’d been treated with a lot more care.
With careful steps, she descended to the ground floor and into the great room. Her father and brother sat at the high board and oversaw requests and issues brought to them by the clanspeople. There was a larger gathering than normal, most seeming to be there to observe. It was expected since they’d just been attacked. People were anxious to know if they were safe, to then return to the village or farms and spread the word.
At a table near the back was a table of all women. Leaving whatever issues brought them there to their husbands, fathers or brothers, they sat together and talked.
Esme neared and immediately everyone looked to her. One woman smiled widely, showcasing several missing teeth. “Ye are a hero. Bless ye, Lady Esme.”
Another nodded with enthusiasm. “Truly a blessing from God. Ye save my husband’s life. I am sure of it.” The rest of the women nodded enthusiastically.
“I did what the rest of the guards and archers did,” Esme insisted, not used to so many compliments.
“My Fergus says ye have the eye of an eagle and struck men down as soon as they stepped foot inside the gates,” another woman said, looking toward a man who watched from a few feet away. “He says ye never stopped even after yer fingers bled.”
It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Esme let it go, deciding it was best to let them speak and then changed the topic. “Thank ye for all the compliments. I am grateful for the brave Fraser men.” She waited while the woman agreed.
“I am looking to hire someone as a lady’s companion. Not for me, but for Catriona. Is there someone, one of ye know, who needs work?”
Later that day, Ruari guided her past the kitchens and to the garden. Esme wondered what he wished to speak about, deciding to remain silent until they finally came to a bench.
“Ye should sit,” he more ordered than asked. “I have seen ye going here and there for hours. Ye are not fully recovered as yet.”
It would be easy to agree as it had only been three or four days, she wasn’t sure which since her harrowing experience at the hands of the men who meant to kill her. Later, she’d found out they’d been executed in the courtyard. She was still angry at her brother for that. He’d seemed to have agreed with her request they’d be lashed and bound.
Esme glared at her husband. “I would like to go to the village. I need to see about the people. I must speak to several women about coming to work. Catriona requires a companion. This is not a time to be idle.”
Instead of a reply, he sat on the bench and pulled her down to sit on his lap. When he wrapped his arms around her, it became impossible to move despite the loose hold.
“Can someone else not be sent to the village?” His indifferent tone grated on her already fragile nerves. “There are plenty of guards and others about. One can be sent.”
She turned in his arms and, despite her annoyance, could not resist admiring the bright hazel eyes. “I wish to do it myself. They will not be able to know if the woman’s temperament is what Catriona needs.”
His hair had grown considerably since his arrival, now resting on his shoulders. She wondered if he preferred it long. Upon meeting him, it had been sheered, the brown waves tamed. Now they were wild, framing his handsome face without apology.
“Do ye prefer yer hair long?” she asked. By the lowering of his brows, the off-topic question had surprised him.
He shrugged. “I do not think about it.”
“I see.” Esme studied him. “I do not wish to be angry with ye. There are things we must discuss. Can ye take me to the village so that we can have time alone to talk?”
He glanced around. “We are alone now. If we go to the village, I will insist on an escort.”
It was understandable. The air still smelled of blood and battle. The threat of attack was still fresh and within the realm of possibility that it could happen at any moment.
“My friend needs help,” Esme said, laying her head on his shoulder. “Why do I feel as if ye are unhappy right now?”
Ruari tightened his hold on her. “I am not unhappy with ye. I am frustrated at all that has happened. Despite the truce, we are all aware that a threat remains. I am angered that I was not able to protect ye from being taken. Ye could have died.” His voice grew hoarse and he let out a long breath.
When she lifted her head and looked at him, her chest constricted. Ruari felt that he’d failed her, and it made her mad. The men who’d tried to kill her had caused damage to not just her physically, but her husband as well.
“I am glad they are dead then. Because ye are very important to me.” Her breath caught at the words escaping.
The expression on Ruari’s face was a combination of surprise and confusion. “Do ye mean that?”
“Aye,” Esme said with a nod. “I care for ye, Husband.”
He cupped her face and kissed her hard, his mouth hot and demanding. When he stopped and met her gaze, there was a softness to him she’d never seen. “Ye mean so much to me as well. When they took ye, I felt as if my world would end if anything happened to ye. I am thankful that ye are my wife, Esme.”
Esme leaned forward, kissing him with the fierceness of claiming him. This strong, brave man was hers. He belonged to her, body and soul. And her entire being was his for life.
The fe
el of his body against hers was comforting and, at the same time, alluring. She pushed back and smiled at him. “Ye must come to bed early tonight. I do not wish to fall asleep without ye next to me.”
Ruari nodded. “I am anxious to join ye, minx.”
“Take me to the village, please.” Esme slid off his lap and stood. “If we go now, we shall return in time for last meal.”
“There is no talking ye out of it, so then we go. Allow me time to get a guard escort.” Ruari pressed his lips to hers. “Go and fetch whatever ye need. We will take a wagon.”
Satisfied, Esme rushed back inside to inform her mother and Catriona’s mother. Since her father and brother remained engrossed in clanspeople business, she continued past the great room and up the stairs to find her mother.
After informing them, she stopped by Catriona’s room once again. Her friend would never be the same. Of that, she was sure. But Catriona was strong and would recover. A part of Esme wished for a way to enact revenge, but this one time she feared her mother was correct. A woman had to know her place.
The ride to the village was uneventful. The perfect weather helped her spirits lift. Esme took a deep breath and looked to Ruari. “This is how our life should always be. Peaceful. Why is that horrible man so intent on destroying it?”
“I do not know. Men like him need no reason other than their need to be powerful.”
Hatred raged inside her and Esme shook her head. “If he were to win, what would happen to my clan?”
Ruari’s expression was grim. “I imagine he’d expect yer people to pledge allegiance or go. I suppose yer parents and brother would have to go live on Fraser lands across the river.”
The fact that it was a possibility infuriated her but Esme decided to enjoy the moment.
When the village came into view, it was a pretty sight. Shops and homes lined up, people meandering about, some with baskets or carrying bundles of purchased goods, while others stood empty-handed, chatting in groups.
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