Border Lord (10 page)

"No, she isn't."

"She's most likely cornered the real swineherd and talked poor Ian into baring his soul and damning mine to perdition."

"She ain't in Sweeper's Heath."

"I should have sneaked into the corridor this morning and listened to her plans. Er—what's that you said, Angus?"

"I said, she ain't in Sweeper's Heath."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she can't be in two places at once."

His nerves jangled, Duncan said, "Then where, for the love of Scotland, is she?"

Blithely, Angus said, "At the weaver's. I saw her on my way here."

Duncan went weak with relief. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door, the sporran slapping against his groin and thighs. "Go to Sweeper's Heath. Tell the real swineherd that if a conniving, dangerous redhead asks him about the Border Lord, he's to…"

"To what, my lord?"

Duncan took a deep breath and prayed to the patron saint of Scotland. "He's to tell her the truth about the Border Lord."

The helmet hit the floor. "What?"

"Just do it," said Duncan before he changed his mind.

Angus scooped up his battle gear. "Oh, aye, my lord. Straightaway. I'd love to be a midge on the wall when she hears the tale."

Duncan threw open the door. "Thank you, Angus. I'll be certain to buzz right back and tell you how she reacts."

"My lord," said Angus, grinning like a Turk. "You forgot your spectacles."

The weaver's shop smelled of dank wool, but the sharp odor was offset by the earthy aroma of the lichens and plants used in the making of dye. To Duncan, the place inspired pride in himself and fondness for the proprietor. At the age of five Duncan had stood stiff as a soldier while Mr. Murdoch draped him in the Kerr family tartan and spent the better part of a morning showing an eager lad how to pleat and tuck and secure his first kilt.

The pleasant memory took the edge off his anger. The sight of Miriam MacDonald alone in the room and bending over a box of tartans gave him a start. From behind a curtained doorway drifted the sound of voices and the clickety clack of the looms, but Duncan couldn't take his eyes off the woman.

She wore a full-skirted gown of ocean blue velvet over a mountain of lace-trimmed petticoats, all visible thanks to both her diligence in rummaging through the box and his vantage point just inside the door. By lifting his chin and peering through the spectacles, he could see in minute detail the weave of her white silk stockings and the blush of skin beneath.

Engrossed, he tipped back his head and through the magnifying lenses followed the flare of the skirt up to the base of her spine where the lacings of the dress began. He had touched her there. He'd caressed a particular vertebra in the small of her back. Her knees had wobbled. From that moment on she'd participated in the kiss and become a damn fine explorer herself. What would she do if the earl peeled off her clothing and tasted her sensitive spots?

"Good morning, my lord. How was your trip?"

Startled, Duncan turned to see Alexis Southward standing inside the curtained doorway, a knowing smile on her lips and a Royal Stewart plaid draped over her forearm.

Damn! She'd caught him ogling Miriam, who was still immersed in her task.

He wiped what he suspected to be a leer off his face and said, "Good morning to you. That's a lovely plaid."

"As is yours," she replied, eyeing him from head to toe.

For some reason Duncan became aware of the soft wool against his bare buttocks. Now he wished he'd worn trews beneath his kilt, for he felt exposed. But that was silly. Only in the dead of winter did he defy tradition. He willed his blush away. She'd simply surprised him. Once he regained his composure, he could get on with the business of escorting Miriam to the swineherd.

He bowed from the waist. "You're very kind, Your Grace."

"Please," she said, stroking the most revered plaid in Scotland, "call me Lexie. I severed my ties long ago with the duke of Challenbroke. I consider myself an ordinary citizen."

Over her shoulder, Miriam said, "Ha! How many ordinary citizens have the blood of kings in their veins?"

"Thanks to my father…" said Alexis, "many."

Miriam whirled to face her friend, a tartan in her hands. Gray eyes glared with disapproval. "
Honte a toi
," she said. "You should not say such a thing."

Alexis lifted an eyebrow. "
Touché, mon amie
. Now practice the good manners I taught you and greet our host."

Miriam opened her mouth, then closed it. Looking at Duncan's bonnet, she said, "Good morning, my lord. You're up early today."

When her eyes didn't meet his, Duncan grew wary. What if she recognized him? Suddenly he felt naked again. He had to slip back into the role of bumbling earl. He pulled a petulant frown and waved a slip of paper. "I had no choice but to rise early. I must get supplies for my most alluring fishing lure, the flippity-flop. I'm going salmon fishing next week."

Alexis sniffed, then coughed.

"What's that in your hand?" asked Miriam.

"Malcolm's
nom du jour
. I've written my shopping list on the back."

Miriam glanced at the plaid, then returned it to the box. "How is little Llewelyn?"

"My son is quite busy, actually," Duncan said. "Off somewhere practicing being a Welsh king." And testing his father's patience.

As casually as an old friend asking after his health, she said, "What an interesting way to learn history, my lord. Was that clever idea yours?"

An unsuspecting man would wallow in Miriam's cordiality. But Duncan was growing wise to her flattery. "Just so, my lady. But I fear I've failed with the lad. He can't tell a salmon from a trout. Did you find the cloth you were looking for?"

She started, then wiped her hands. "Lexie wanted a new plaid. I just happened to accompany her."

And Duncan Kerr just happened to live in a pigsty. She'd been looking for something in that box. He walked to it and peeked inside. Dozens of tartans lay in a pile in the waist-high box. He picked up the one on top. The soft wool still held the warmth of her touch.

Watching her expression closely, he told her a truth. "I can't tell one tartan from the other. Give me a box of fishing lures and I'm right at home. These look like so many swatches of cloth to me."

"Not to Miriam," trilled Alexis, still blocking the door to the workroom. "Why, she's a veritable expert. Aren't you?"

A self-conscious smile blossomed on Miriam's face. "Please, Lexie. I'm sure he's not in the least interested."

"Oh, but I am." Duncan sheepishly shuffled his feet. "It's been a long time since we've had a lady as bonnie as you, Miriam, in our castle. I'm interested in whatever you're doing."

"How nice of you to say."

To Duncan, Alexis said, "One look at those and she can name the clan it belongs to. In her mind she can conjure a detailed map of Scotland and match the clan to its territory. She's always been fascinated by puzzles. 'Twas near impossible to pull the wool over her eyes, so to speak, even when she was a child."

Duncan sensed a double meaning in her words, or perhaps a warning. "How enormously clever of you, Lady Miriam."

"'Twas nothing."

An eerie thought crept into Duncan's mind.
She's too smart for me. She'll serve up my head on a platter to the Lord Chancellor
. Manly pride balked. "I don't usually examine the plaids so closely."

She reached up and touched his hand. "My lord, your voice sounds odd. Are you ill?"

He was so captivated, he'd forgotten to speak in the high, clipped voice of the bumbling earl. "Nay," he said. "'Twas the haggis I had for breakfast." Then he looked her in the eye and added, "I hope it doesn't give me the wind, too."

Alexis coughed. "Down wind, I hope."

Miriam frowned. "Why do you eat it if it makes you ill?"

"Because…" He snatched at an absurdity. "It was what the cook served me. Kippers would have been ever so tasty, but I haven't been fishing lately."

She stared at the badger pelt on his sporran. "Oh. I thought that was where you were going today."

The beast beneath his tartan roared to life. Knowing he had to find out what she was up to, Duncan dropped the tartan in the box and picked up a different one. "Tell me about this plaid."

Glancing from the cloth to his spectacles, she said, "'Tis the Murrays of Atholl."

And very much like the cape the Border Lord wore, now that he considered it. So
that's
what she'd been investigating. A waste of time, Duncan decided. "I always thought the Murray plaid dull and drab."

"You do? I rather like it," she said in a dreamy whisper.

Drawing his bottom lip between his teeth, Duncan said, "This tartan reminds me of another I've seen. Last year when I went to the fishing tournament at Loch Ness. I saw a fellow wearing— No. I must have been mistaken."

Interest sparkled in her eyes. "What's the fellow's family name?"

"She knows them all," said Alexis.

With the aid of the glasses, he could see perfectly the sweep of Miriam's eyelashes and their golden tips. She still wanted to know the Border Lord's family name. He'd evaded the question before. He'd evade it now. He just wished he could see all of her thoughts so well. "I believe I've forgotten the name of that clan. But I have so much on my mind. Being out of my flippity-flops just puts me in a dither."

Miriam leaned closer. "Does the family live around here?"

"I can't remember but can almost picture the cloth."

"Of course you can. Could they live in a place like Armstrong Moor or Sweeper's Heath?"

Hallelujah! She'd walked into his trap. He snapped his fingers. "Sweeper's Heath. What a coincidence that you should mention it. I'm going there this morning."

"Why?"

He grasped an absurdity. "Pig's hair."

Her hands fumbled with the twine, turning it into a mass of knots. "Pig's hair?"

"Aye." He made to consult his list, but watched her from the corner of his eye. " 'Tis a very important element in the flippity-flop, but only when plucked from behind the left ear of a nursing sow. Well, the blue seal fur is equally important, of course. But I haven't any of that. The weaver, though, assured me that he has some dyed wool that I can substitute for the seal fur. Do you think the fish will know the difference?"

Alexis said, "The wool might give them wind."

Duncan coughed to keep from laughing. "I'm sure I couldn't say if the fish…"

Miriam shot Alexis a withering glare, then threaded her arm through his. "I'd love to come along on your outing. May I?"

Her guileless smile didn't fool Duncan. Neither did the coy gesture of pressing her breast against his elbow. Sweat popped out on his skin. The spectacles began a slow slide down his nose. He righted them and turned to Alexis. "Will you join us? We could make an excursion of it. Maybe we could stop and view one of my favorite fishing holes."

Her eyes crinkled with suppressed laughter. "Thank you, no. I promised to give the twins a fencing lesson."

"Fencing?" Duncan raised his voice. "With a real sword?"

"A foil, my lord." She smiled, held up one arm and made to lunge with the other. "You know. Long and slender, very sharp, and very deadly."

Like Miriam MacDonald's tongue, thought Duncan. Feigning fright, he stepped back, pulling her with him. "Please, my lady," he whined. "Practice if you will, but I beg you, do it in the old tilt yard or the walled garden. If you bloody up the keeping rooms, Mrs. Elliott will fuss and take to her bed. Supper will be late. She does go on about rowdiness."

"Lexie doesn't mean it, Lord Duncan," said Miriam. " 'Tis another of her silly jests. We haven't drawn blood for years. Tell him so, Lexie."

The bastard daughter of the late and last Stewart king sheathed the imaginary weapon. "Forgive me, my lord," she said, heading for the front door. "I'm never at my best in the morning. You two go along and enjoy your excursion to meet the lord of the pigs. Just beware of Baron Sin."

The door closed. Miriam fell still at his side. "Will we be safe in Sweeper's Heath?"

"Of course," Duncan said expansively. "I'll bring along a guard."

"But you didn't when we visited Hadrian's Wall. Why not?"

"Please, Lady Miriam." He patted her hand. "That burly soldier lectured me for hours for being so careless. Don't you too remind me of my folly."

"You mean Angus MacDodd."

"Aye. I haven't your gift for recall."

She flushed with pride. "When shall we leave?"

Duncan considered how much time Angus would need to prepare the swineherd. "An hour from now. Meet me in the walled garden. You'll need to change your clothes."

"What's wrong with my dress?"

Everything, he thought. The neckline, the cinched waist, the enchanting color that turned her eyes to storm-cloud blue. "'Tis too fine for tramping through pig muck."

"Very well. I'll find something suitable."

He felt jubilant. She'd played right into his hands.

Forty-five minutes later, Miriam stood between two of the giant urns in the walled garden. At her feet sat Malcolm, dressed in a too large tunic, his bare legs and face painted in Celtic symbols. As Llewelyn he wore gloves with the fingers snipped off, and in a white-knuckled grip he held a Welsh longbow like a pike. His eyes, as big and bright as summer daisies, followed the activity going on near the fountain.

The slice of steel sliding against steel and the huffing breath of exertion filled the air. Alexis, in leather breeches, jackboots, and a padded leather vest, fended off a fierce attack by Saladin, who was similarly dressed, and crowned by his pale blue turban.

The walls of the garden played host to a score of curious onlookers. Even some of the earl's soldiers had come to watch the unusual participants in a fascinating display of swordsmanship.

Studying the men, Miriam counted five Kerr tartans, three Armstrongs, two Elliotts, and a lone flashy MacMillan, but not the muted black and green plaid of the Border Lord. Frustration made her edgy. She'd molded her hands to his face, and could feel the shape of his features, picture the bow of his lips, but in the light of day she wouldn't know him from Louis XIV.

To search for him among the castlefolk was fruitless, for if he spoke the truth he lived on a pig farm. Still, she couldn't help herself; the man and the mystery about him intrigued her.

The crowd gasped. Alexis had pinned Saladin against the wall, the rebated tip of her foil pressing his leather vest. A pained grin exposed the space between his front teeth. Miriam could almost hear the hissing of his breath.

"Yield, stripling," said Alexis, leaning close.

Saladin damped his lips shut.

Admiration shone in the eyes of the spectators.

Grimacing, Saladin shoved Alexis back. Startled cheers erupted. The contest was hot again.

Salvador, who stood with Verbatim near the garden door, yelled, "Brother mine! Show her the kind of stripling you are."

"Aye, show her!" shouted Malcolm, losing his grip on the bow, which was half again as tall as he.

With everyone's attention focused on the contest, Miriam eased behind the urns. If she found the door open, she could see how the Border Lord had gotten into the earl's room.

She stepped back until her hand touched the hidden door in the castle. She found the place where wood met stone. Cool air seeped through the opening.

Keeping her eyes fixed on the back of Malcolm's head, she made a wish on her lucky star and wedged her fingernails into the narrow space. Her nails bowed. One snapped to the quick. She ignored the stinging pain and tugged gently.

The door moved on silent hinges. Hooray! She had fifteen minutes to explore. Jubilant, she slipped inside. Into an inky blackness. She tottered like an overspun top, and had to spread her feet to keep her balance. Over the pounding of her heart, she heard the muffled cheers of the crowd.

Curiosity and the need for haste pushed her onward. If she could learn the layout of the tunnel, she could follow the Border Lord on his next visit.

Flattening her palms against the cold, scratchy surface of the wall, she felt her way along the corridor. Her hand touched a sharp piece of metal. A nail? Then her fingers closed over a key. Not stopping to question her good fortune, she put the key in her pocket. As blind as a Frenchman to English reason, she continued her exploration.

Time and again, she squeezed her eyes closed, but when she opened them, the world remained a mass of black pitch. When she'd traveled about twenty small steps, the wall played out. In an alcove, she found a door. Locked. She tried the key, but the door didn't open. She moved onward, following the downward slant of the passage. She found another door, then another. Each locked as tight as a spinster's hope chest and impervious to the key.

Damn. How could she discover what the Border Lord had been doing here if she couldn't find an exit to the tunnel?

Bracing one hand on the wall, she stepped to the left and reached out for the opposite wall. Just when she found it, just when she stood spread-eagled and in a place where she didn't belong, light flooded the corridor.

She froze, her eyes fixed on a door some thirty paces ahead and the man who held it open.

The earl of Kildalton.

Blast him for being early.

He stood in the tunnel, the grouse feather in his Highland bonnet touching the ceiling, his head turned toward the light. In profile he didn't seem so bookish or awkward. A serious expression added intelligence and strength to his features.

He pulled the door to close it.

Quick as a spooked squirrel, she dashed into one of the alcoves and melted against a door she'd explored just moments before. The corridor went dark again.

Not daring to breathe, she listened with eerie expectation, as he started toward her. Each footfall brought him closer. The sound of her own heartbeat thrummed in her ear and settled in the tips of her injured finger.

He passed her, a smooth black shadow against an even blacker backdrop. His footsteps were sure, his stride smooth, as if he'd walked this corridor a hundred times.

"Where's the bletherin' key?" he cursed.

Light and the noise of the crowd poured into the passageway.

Hopelessness pressed in on her. If he returned and searched, he'd find her. He'd know she'd been snooping. She couldn't go back the way she'd come. She knew not what lay ahead. But she had to find out. One exit awaited her. She had to take it.

Before she could change her mind, Miriam hurried down the corridor to the place where the earl had emerged. Once there she took a deep breath and plunged again into the unknown.

Relief drenched her, for she found herself in the corridor outside the lesser hall. She slipped the key in the lock, but it didn't work.

Stifling the urge to run, she strolled to the main staircase and out the front door. As she walked the path that led her back to the garden door, she hummed a lively tune.

She was still humming the refrain hours later when the earl helped her from his carriage and brought her face to face with the swineherd named Ian. The song died on her lips.

Stoop-shouldered and shorter than Miriam, the man doffed a cap to reveal a pate as slick and shiny as polished ivory.

"How do you do, Ian?" she said, straining to keep from stammering.

"Fair as the heather in God's sweet July, my lady," he replied, with a toothless grin.

He must be the father of the Border Lord. Disappointed, she busied herself with smiling and examining his farm. It consisted of a round straw and wattle house with a thatched roof that almost met the ground. A wellhouse and tiny dovecote stood nearby. Both were dwarfed by a new barn and pigsty. The swine appeared as great brown lumps in a fenced and noxious quagmire.

The earl touched her shoulder. "Are you ill, my lady?"

His solicitous tone and worried frown brought her to her senses. "Absolutely not, my lord. I'm having a bracing good time."

He sniffed the tainted air. "Bracing is hardly the word. What an idiot I was to bring you here. Mrs. Elliott tells me I never think of aught but my fish. Do you forgive me?"

His honesty warmed her. "I'm fine, truly."

Raising his eyebrows, he said, "You wouldn't lie to me, would you? You look distressed."

She wanted to ease his concern. "Please don't give it another thought. I love the country."

Touching a finger to his cheek, he said, "You didn't have haggis for breakfast, did you?"

Breakfast seemed eons ago. "Nay, my lord. I had the ham, and thank you for your concern."

"Haggis has a way of staying with you, you ken?"

Embarrassment threatened her control. "Speaking of which, I'd best be sure Verbatim isn't chasing a pig. Excuse me, won't you?" She moved out of his reach.

"Is it this wee beastie yer lookin' for?" said the swineherd, pointing at the earl's heel.

More regal than a queen on parade, the traitorous Verbatim sat, soulful eyes fixed on Duncan Kerr.

"Will you feast your eyes on this?" he said, patting her head. "I do believe I've made a new friend. Just yesterday I thought she'd gobble me up for scraps."

He had a fine, capable hand. Verbatim squirmed with delight under his ministrations. Miriam wondered how his hand would feel against her skin. The wayward thought shocked her. "She must realize you mean no harm, my lord." She clapped her hands. Verbatim jumped up and bolted to Miriam's side.

"Come for a tuft o' hair from my Quickenin' Sally, have ye, my lord?" the farmer said.

"That I have, Ian. Can't make a flippity-flop without it."

A cackle emerged from the swineherd. "Ye named it well, my lord. Flip 'em on the bank and flop 'em into the fire. Um hum." He rubbed his belly. "Ain't no finer eatin' outside the taste of roasted pig, ye ken."

"I certainly do, Ian. As a matter of fact, just this morning my guest was expressing to Mrs. Elliott her fondness for fresh pork."

"Were ye now? Got me a barren sow ready to put to the stick anytime. How'd that suit yer palate, my lady?"

Miriam sifted through his words and sorted out their meaning. "I can't think of anything I'd like better. Does your son help you stick the pigs?"

"Son?" He looked in confusion to the earl.

The earl swallowed noisily. "Uh, Ian doesn't have a son. His wife ran off years ago with the driver of a peat wagon. He's been alone ever since."

Shocked and dismayed, Miriam wondered where the elusive Border Lord was. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sure the rest of your family has been a comfort to you. Your nieces and nephews—the other pig farmers."

"Ain't no other pigmen in Kildalton, 'ceptin' myself."

So the dark stranger had lied. She felt gullible, used and tricked like an inexperienced maiden.

"Your color's coming back, my lady," said the earl. "Must be the country air."

"Would ye be carin' fer a drink of water, my lady?"

Seizing the chance to speak alone with the swineherd, she said to the earl, "Will you be so kind, my lord? I'm fair parched."

He hesitated, watching her. Oddly enough, he seemed reluctant. Could the earl be taking seriously his role of escort? Was he protective of her?