Highland Solution (24 page)

As realization dawned on her, he saw tears fill her eyes. She tried to blink them back and said, “I don’t know.”

“I didn’t think so. I know ye are scared, and I know ye want to go home, but running away from me would put ye in danger and I can’t allow that.”

“And I’m not in danger with you?” she challenged.

“Nay, ye are not,” he said firmly. “But I warn ye, if ye try to escape, I will find ye. This is my land and tracking ye through snow will not be difficult. Furthermore, if I have to traipse through these frigid, snowy woods tonight searching, when I do find ye, I will bind ye until we reach Cnocreidh. I will not let ye put yourself at risk. Do I make myself clear?”

Still fighting tears, she nodded before looking away. He hated threatening her but knew it was necessary. He added more gently, “Ye will get through this and I will get ye back to your husband unharmed.” He dismounted and lifted her to the ground, motioning for her to go into the woods. As she walked away he added, “One more thing, lass.” She looked back at him and he said with a wink, “He won’t kill me.”

~ * ~

They did arrive at Cnocreidh within the hour, and Katherine felt utter despair set in. The massive fortress appeared to be as impenetrable as Duncurra. It stood on the top of a hill with a huge swath around it cleared of trees, making it impossible to approach or leave without being seen. Not only that, but two thick, fortified walls surrounded it, an inner curtain wall enclosing the keep, and a second wall encircling the village around it. They entered through a manned barbican set in the outer wall, the heavy portcullis opened as they approached. The inner curtain wall appeared to be higher and thicker than the outer wall and she could see sentries on the top. They crossed through another manned barbican and portcullis to reach the enormous keep. It looked as if all of Duncurra would have fit within the central section of Cnocreidh, between its four massive towers. Katherine thought dismally that finding her way out of the keep alone would be a challenge. Escaping the walls appeared to be nearly impossible.

“Welcome to Cnocreidh,” Tadhg said as they entered the courtyard. He dismounted, lifted her to the ground, and handed his horse to a stable hand. Taking Katherine’s elbow, he led her to his keep and through the doors into the great hall. Fires roared in two hearths and the flurry of activity suggested the evening meal was nearly ready. As they walked in, he called to an older woman, saying, “Elspet, our visitor, Lady Katherine MacIan, has arrived. Turning to Katherine, he said, “Elspet manages the staff here.”

He spoke quietly to Elspet for a moment. Although Katherine had ridden in his lap for hours, she hadn’t actually gotten a good look at him until now. He had dark hair and green eyes, and while he stood as tall as Niall, she thought he was perhaps less broad through the shoulders. However, he had crushed her against him long enough for her to know he had the same powerful muscles. He hadn’t been unkind to her, and he swore to her she was in no danger, but her heart ached for home.

~ * ~

When he finished speaking with Elspet, Tadhg turned back to Katherine and said, “I will show ye to your chamber. I have arranged for ye to have a hot bath, and dinner will be brought up. I suspect ye could use some rest.”

She nodded, following him up the stairs to a well-appointed fourth floor chamber. A fire crackled in the hearth and the room was warm and inviting. She walked in, standing there for a moment with her back to him. Tadhg thought she looked very small and fragile compared to the virago he had pulled off her horse earlier. Even though he had warned her about the danger of escaping, he suspected she had still hoped to try until they had ridden into view of Cnocreidh. At that moment he had felt her shoulders droop. Now she looked very alone and afraid. Even though he was the cause of her current consternation, he wanted to comfort her.

“Lady Katherine, I know none of this is your doing. The difficulties between the Mathesons and MacIans go back many years, and I’m sorry ye have become a pawn. I want ye to be comfortable here. “I would rather not lock ye in this room.” She turned sharply to look at him and the fear he saw in her eyes disturbed him. “If ye will agree not to take one step out of this keep unless I give ye leave and someone accompanies ye, I will let ye have your freedom within it. Will ye promise?”

She looked down, it was clear she didn’t want him to lock her in. He watched as she seemed to wage an internal battle. Finally, barely above a whisper, she said, “Nay. I will not promise to stay. If an opportunity arises to escape, I will take it.”

“Damnation, lass, there is no way for ye to escape Cnocreidh, surely ye realize that? Even if ye did manage to escape to the woods without someone seeing you, it is winter and ye have no idea how to get back to Duncurra. Ye would be in terrible danger alone. This will be over soon, don’t make me treat ye like a prisoner.”

She looked him squarely in the eye, and once again he saw the spirit and determination he had originally encountered. She said, “I am a prisoner and I won’t make that promise. If I have the chance, I will return to my husband.”

Elspet arrived, followed by servants carrying a tub and buckets of hot water.

Tadhg shook his head in frustration. “As ye wish, my lady.” Before leaving he turned to Elspet, saying coldly, “Lock her in. She is not to leave this room without my permission and an escort,” and he left.

~ * ~

Katherine’s bag of belongings had been tied to her saddle, and Elspet brought it to her while she bathed. “The laird thought it would be better if ye didn’t have a weapon,” said Elspet, “He asked me to tell ye he will return it to ye when ye leave.”

“Of course he did,” replied Katherine in frustration, remembering she had packed her father’s jeweled dagger. She rose from the tub and wrapped herself in the soft linen towel Elspet held for her. She dried, changed into a clean
léine,
and sat by the fire combing her wet hair.

Servants removed the tub while Elspet tidied up before laying the meal on a small table. Katherine thanked her, but didn’t make any attempt to eat it. “My lady, please eat something,” Elspet said gently.

“I will,” replied Katherine, “in a bit.”

“Is there anything else ye need?” Elspet asked.

Katherine looked around, really taking in the room for the first time. It was small, but comfortably furnished. She shook her head and said, “Nay, thank you.”

Elspet opened the chamber door to leave and said, “I’m sorry, my lady, I have to lock the door.”

“I understand,” said Katherine sadly before asking, “Would you answer a question before you go?”

“If I can.”

“When we entered the hall this evening, Laird Matheson said to you, ‘our visitor has arrived.’ When he left today, how did he know he would be coming back with me?”

“I’m sorry, my lady, that is something ye will have to ask the laird. Is there anything else?”

“Nay, thank ye.”

Elspet left, locking the door behind her. Katherine made a half-hearted attempt at eating the food Elspet set out for her, but she was exhausted, her head ached, and she felt ill. She finally blew out the candles before curling up in bed. It was warm and comfortable, but she would rather be sleeping on the cold ground in Niall’s arms than without him anywhere else. As she lay there, unable to sleep in spite of her fatigue, she once again tried to put the pieces together.

She became more and more certain Malcolm had abandoned her. Laird Matheson had said, “Our visitor has arrived.”
He knew I would be traveling to Brathanead and intended to capture me
. That’s where things fell apart for her. Malcolm had only arrived at Duncurra two nights ago. Niall had made the decision to send her to Brathanead yesterday afternoon. How could Matheson have known?

Based on the conversation Tomas overheard, there had been at least two people at Duncurra who conspired against Niall, one of whom expected to gain Duncurra for himself. Niall was right, that would appear to point to Fingal. Fingal was also one of the first to know she would be traveling to Brathanead, but she would not believe he had betrayed Niall in this manner.

This puzzle had too many missing pieces. Her head ached worse the longer she thought about it, but she was more firmly convinced than ever Laird Matheson could fill in some of the blanks. She resolved to try to speak with him in the morning, finally giving in to her exhaustion.

~ * ~

When Elspet knocked gently on the chamber door, Katherine was dressed and sitting in a chair by the hearth. Elspet bustled happily into the chamber saying, “Good morning, my lady, are ye well? It is good to see ye are already up and dressed.”

“Good morning, Elspet. I am quite well, thank you,” answered Katherine automatically.

“I’ve brought ye a nice hearty breakfast, my lady.” Her beaming smile dimmed when she saw the uneaten dinner from last night still on the table. “What was he thinking?” she grumbled under her breath.

Choosing to ignore the comment, Katherine said, “Elspet, I need to speak to Laird Matheson as soon as possible. Please, can you ask if he will see me?”

She looked at Katherine and observed bluntly, “My lady, ye don’t look ‘quite well.” Ye didn’t eat a thing and I’m guessing ye haven’t eaten since sometime yesterday afternoon. What’s more, ye look even more pallid and drawn than ye did last night.”

“Please, I need to speak with your laird.”

“Laird Matheson will be livid if he sees ye looking as ye do, and finds out ye haven’t eaten. I think it would be a very good idea for ye to break your fast before I tell him ye wish to see him.”

Katherine sighed and shook her head with an air of defeat. “You are right, I don’t feel well and I cannot eat right now. I will eat something later, I promise. However, I must speak with Laird Matheson. Please, will you ask if he’ll see me?”

Elspet stared at her for a moment. Shaking her head in frustration, she responded, “I will give your message to my laird, but please, lass, ye need to eat something. I’ll check back in on ye soon. Is there anything else ye need before I go?”

“Nay, thank you, Elspet.” Elspet left, taking Katherine’s uneaten dinner, and once again locked her in.

Twenty Three

Niall spent the day preparing for the siege after Katherine left with Malcolm and Eithne. He sent messages to outlying farms so as many people and as much livestock as possible could be moved to Duncurra for safety. He did everything possible to fortify his stronghold, driving himself well into the night until Diarmad finally convinced him to rest briefly. When he lay down, he fell into an exhausted sleep, but the image of Katherine’s face as she begged him to let her stay haunted his dreams. When he woke after only a few hours, he rose and continued preparing for the imminent seige. Even though he believed sending Katherine to Brathanead was the right thing to do, after his few restless hours of sleep, he couldn’t shake the feeling he had failed her.

That evening one of his men-at-arms approached, saying “Laird, the watch reports there is a MacLennan messenger riding hard toward Duncurra.”

This could not be good news.
Perhaps Malcolm had learned additional information about Matheson’s movements. He called for Diarmad, Alan, and Cairbre to join him in the great hall, where preparations were well underway for the evening meal. When the messenger arrived, Niall received him immediately. The messenger’s news stunned everyone.

“My wife was kidnapped by Matheson?” Niall roared. “Tell me now the men guarding her were killed, because I swear they will die at my hand if they weren’t.”

“Laird MacLennan said Matheson attacked with an overwhelming force. Most of the MacLennan soldiers fell under the sword or were gravely injured. Laird MacLennan himself was seriously injured. He begs your forgiveness and swears he will help ye seek vengeance. MacLennan soldiers will be arriving to support ye tomorrow.”

“Did Matheson also take Lady Eithne?” Diarmad asked.

“My laird said Laird Matheson only took Lady Katherine. Apparently she was bound, gagged, and thrown across Matheson’s lap.” The messenger began to look very uncomfortable.

“Does he intend to ransom her?” Niall asked, his panic over Katherine rising.

“The laird said Matheson didn’t mention a ransom, but—”

“But what? What else is there?”

“I’m sorry, Laird. Apparently, Laird Matheson said to tell ye—if ye still wanted your wife when he was done with her—ye could come to Cnocreidh and beg for her.”

The message had its desired effect. Niall exploded in rage. “I will raze Cnocreidh!” he roared. “We leave at first light.” Turning back to the messenger, he said, “Matheson has never attacked the MacLennans, he must have known Katherine was with them.”

“Aye, he did. He told Laird MacLennan he had ‘received an invitation’ from Duncurra.”

This statement confirmed Niall’s suspicions. Consumed with fury, in a deadly calm voice he said to Cairbre, “Bring Fingal to me now.”

“Aye, Laird,” answered Cairbre, but before he left, he said, “Laird, I cannot believe Fingal would betray ye.”

“I don’t care what ye believe. It can only be him. He would not only need to see me dead, he would need to eliminate Katherine and the bairn as well to inherit Duncurra. Get him now!” Cairbre nodded and left.

Niall had never felt this kind of rage. He saw the concerned glances passed between Alan and Diarmad. “What?” he demanded.

Just as Cairbre had, Alan tried to reason with him, pleading for caution, “Laird, he is your brother, at least hear him.”

“Have no fear, Alan, I will hear his confession before I kill him.”

“Laird, I’m sending Caolin to fetch Father Colm,” said Diarmad, motioning the woman out of the hall.

Niall snorted in disgust. “If ye think anyone will stop me from seeking justice, ye are wrong, Diarmad.”

Father Colm arrived at the great hall just as Cairbre returned with Fingal. Fingal stopped short, looking wary and cautious. “What has happened?” he asked.