Highland Solution (25 page)

“I think ye know,” answered Niall, barely able to contain his wrath.

“Niall, I don’t understand. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“Ye will address me as laird, for ye don’t have the right to call me brother anymore,” snarled Niall. “Who did ye send to Matheson?”

“Laird, I sent no one to Matheson, I’ve had no contact with him.”

“Stop lying! Ye’re the only one who could have told him Katherine was on her way to Brathanead—the only one with a motive for wanting both of us dead!”

Clearly alarmed, Fingal took a step back. “I am not lying to ye, Laird. For the love of God, tell me what’s happened.”

Through clenched teeth, Niall said, “Matheson attacked with an overwhelming force as Malcolm was escorting Katherine to Brathanead.”

Fingal blanched at his words. “Is Katherine all right?”

Niall continued as if he hadn’t heard Fingal. “Most of Malcolm’s men were killed or injured. Even Malcolm himself was seriously injured. Matheson kidnapped Katherine and apparently does not intend to ransom her.” Niall grabbed Fingal by the shoulders and bellowed, “Tell me what ye know, now, or I will tear ye limb from limb!”

“I swear to ye, on our father’s soul, I had nothing to do with this. I would never harm either of ye, Niall, I swear it.”

Niall threw him to the floor. Fingal was back on his feet in an instant, but Father Colm stepped between them. “Get out of my way, Father,” demanded Niall.

Without flinching, Father Colm looked Niall squarely in the eye and said, “Laird, I will not let ye do something in anger ye will regret. Ye do not have proof your brother betrayed ye, and ye know as well as I do ye are angrier with yourself for not escorting her than ye are with anyone else. Ye need to focus on getting Lady Katherine back. Vengeance will wait.”

Father Colm looked every inch a warrior in that moment, so Niall had no doubt he would have to battle the old priest before laying a hand on Fingal. Furthermore, what the priest said was true. “Ye are right, Father,” Niall said, glaring at Fingal. “I have no proof, and nothing can interfere with getting Katherine back. However, I will find proof of your perfidy, brother, then I
will
kill ye.”

Addressing Diarmad and his two captains, Niall said, “We will leave only a few men here to secure Duncurra, everyone else should prepare to ride to Cnocreidh at first light.” To the MacLennan messenger, Niall said, “Eat, rest, and return to your laird. Tell him I will gladly accept the support he offers, and I will have vengeance on Matheson.” Finally, turning back to Fingal, Niall said with rancor, “Ye will stay here. I don’t trust ye to protect your inheritance, so ye are relieved of all duties and confined to the keep.” With that, he strode out of the hall, followed by Diarmad, Alan, and Cairbre.

~ * ~

Fingal felt angry and hurt, but more than anything else, he was confused. How could this have happened? He agreed with Niall, Matheson had to have known Katherine travelled with Malcolm in order to have ambushed him, defeating him so soundly. He looked at Father Colm and said sincerely, “Father, nothing that’s happened makes sense. If something happens to Katherine, I am the only person who stands to inherit Duncurra, but I swear, I did not betray my brother.” Fingal walked dejectedly to sit in a chair by the hearth.

Father Colm considered him for a moment before joining him. “I believe ye. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify anyone else with a strong motive. If it isn’t ye, the only thing that makes sense is that whoever is behind this expects to conquer Duncurra, not inherit it.”

“That is the only answer I can see, as well,” said Fingal, “but the conspirator was here on the Epiphany and Matheson certainly was not. I didn’t want to, but I can’t help but think Malcolm is involved. I worried about Niall’s decision to send Katherine with him, but Malcolm was our father’s dearest friend. He has truly always been like an uncle to us. My distrust has more to do with my mother’s involvement with Malcolm than anything else.”

“Ye seem to have very little affection for your mother,” observed Father Colm.

“Truthfully, Father, she wasn’t really a mother to either of us. She went to court for the first time when I was five. Eventually she chose to live there permanently.”

“Without your father?”

“Our father loved the Highlands, but my mother didn’t, and after I was born, she was never able to carry another bairn to term. I think the fact that she lost so many other pregnancies trying to give him more children made him want to do whatever it took to make her happy, so he let her stay there.” Fingal shook his head at the memories. “He turned a blind eye to everything she did, and while she was there, she practically destroyed this clan single-handedly.”

“How did she manage that?” asked Father Colm.

“She acquired a massive debt, the true magnitude of which was only discovered after my father’s death. The clan was on the brink of ruin. Niall was forced to seek help from King David, who provided a solution, in the form of marriage to a Lowland heiress.”

“The Lady Katherine?”

“Aye.”

The old priest smiled and said, “I would hardly call that a sacrifice.”

Fingal smiled too, and said, “There would be many who would agree with ye, Father, however, for Niall, at the time, it was. Years ago the woman he intended to marry betrayed him. The entire clan witnessed her deception and his heartache. He vowed never to marry. However, for the sake of the clan, he did marry Katherine, paid off all the debts, and is trying to help the clan not only survive, but prosper.”

“That sounds an awful lot like admiration from someone who is supposedly seeking his brother’s downfall.”

Fingal smiled, but he felt profoundly sad. He had just lost the only thing that ever mattered to him. They both sat silently in contemplation for several minutes. Then Father Colm said, “Based on what Tomas overheard, the conspirator expects he will gain Duncurra for himself, but someone else will kill Niall. Could Laird Matheson be an accomplice?”

“I admit it has been a number of years since I have had any close association with him, but this is completely out of character. He is one of the wealthiest lairds in the Highlands and has never been covetous of others,” said Fingal.

“Men do change,” offered Father Colm.

“Perhaps, but I can’t see what Tadhg could hope to gain by helping someone bring Niall down.”

“Then, other than ye, who would have a reason to destroy Laird MacIan? Does he have any enemies?”

“Father, Niall has a temper, but with one notable exception,” Fingal said dryly, motioning to himself, “he usually does not release his anger without serious cause. He is a force to be reckoned with, but he is also generally considered to be fair—much more so than our father was.”

“Perhaps someone from Katherine’s past? A family member or a disappointed suitor?”

Fingal snorted. “Her only family was a merciless uncle who damn near beat her to death, and he made sure she had no suitors.” Father Colm looked askance. “Tis true. Nay, her uncle benefitted by her marriage to Niall, he was happy enough. Frankly, Katherine lost the most, but there was no one to champion her.”

Father Colm nodded, saying, “Fingal, lad, I can understand why the laird thinks ye are behind this. Ye have argued against it being anyone else but ye.”

Fingal answered wryly, “Aye, Father, even I am beginning to suspect me. The fact is my brother is a good man, and well respected. The only person I know who neither likes nor respects Niall is my mother.”

“If there is so little fondness between them, why did she leave court and return to Duncurra?”

“After Niall resolved all the debt she accrued, he made it clear she was no longer to be extended credit. He gave her an annual stipend on which to live, but she arrived here after spending the lot in a few months.”

“Could she be the one behind this?”

“Not alone. She has become very close to Malcolm, and in recent months he has not only stirred discord between us, he has done the same between Niall and Katherine.”

“He was here at the Epiphany. It could have been Malcolm who Tomas overheard.”

Fingal thought for a moment before saying, “Tomas said one of the people he overheard said something about ‘pretending to be something for too long’ and he was ‘sorry he wouldn’t be the one to kill Niall.’ That could certainly be Malcolm, if the loving uncle role was just an act. Malcolm could have been behind the raids and the kidnapping. It was his idea to take Katherine to Brathanead in the first place. Instigating a war with Matheson would weaken us sufficiently to allow Malcolm to successfully lay siege to Duncurra, and could certainly get Niall killed.”

Fingal rose to his feet, saying, “Holy Mother of God, Niall told the MacLennan messenger he would ‘gladly accept the support’ Malcolm will send. Niall is only leaving a handful of men here. Malcolm could ride in with an army and be welcomed. I have to find Niall and tell him.”

“Wait,” cautioned Father Colm, putting a hand on Fingal’s shoulder. “Your brother is furious with ye and is not likely to graciously hear accusations against an old and trusted friend.”

“Father, I can’t let Niall ride off and leave Duncurra vulnerable to a siege.”

“Lad, if ye go to him now with these suspicions, he is likely to separate your head from your shoulders before ye can tell him anything. Can ye close Duncurra after he leaves, and defend a siege until he returns?”

“Duncurra can be defended for a short time with a small number of men. Now that Niall doesn’t trust me, it is unlikely the men left behind will follow my orders, particularly if they think the arriving army is Niall’s ally.”

“Is there someone else who ye trust from whom ye can seek help?”

“Laird Chisholm. I could reach his keep in a few hours, but if Niall finds out I’ve left, he will believe the worst.”

“If ye don’t, ye risk losing everything ye hold dear.”

Fingal knew the old priest was right. In the bustle of activity surrounding the preparations to leave the next morning, as well as the continued effort to bring as many of the clan as possible behind the walls at Duncurra, Fingal slipped out without notice. He rode as fast as was safe in the dark and reached Currancreag, the Chisholm stronghold, shortly after midnight.

Twenty Four

Laird Matheson returned from the hunt in the early evening. They had been successful and he was in a particularly good mood. Looking extremely anxious, Elspet approached him as he entered the courtyard.

“How is our stubborn visitor today?” he asked.

“Laird, I think ye have an unexpected problem on your hands. I tried to find ye so I could tell ye early this morning, but ye had already left.”

Tadhg raised an eyebrow at her. “Care to enlighten me now?”

“Why don’t men ever stop to think about the consequences of their actions? She is scared and has eaten almost nothing. This kind of upset could be disastrous,” she said, wringing her hands.

“Elspet, what are ye talking about?”

“Laird, I suspect your visitor is with child.”

Laird Matheson swore loudly and, rubbing his forehead, asked, “What makes ye think that?”

“I helped her bathe last night, and although she is very slender, her belly is rounding. I thought it possible, but this morning she seemed ill and unable to eat, which isn’t unusual if she is expecting.”

“Damnation. MacIan might kill me. Hell, I’d kill me, if I were him.”

“Laird, an upset the likes of this one could cause a lass to miscarry.”

“God’s mercy, Elspet, I know that.”

“Good. I’m glad to see ye are sufficiently worried, because I’ve done something ye may not like.”

“What have ye done?” he asked warily.

“Laird, I know ye ordered me to keep her locked in her chamber unless ye gave permission for her to leave, and I have never defied an order, but I reasoned that when ye gave that order, ye didn’t know about her condition. Laird, I was worried about her, and no matter how good your intentions were, if something happens to that lass or her bairn, well, there is no telling what Laird MacIan would do.”

“Ye didn’t keep her locked up?” Tadhg asked, but the relief was evident in his voice.

“Nay, Laird, I didn’t,” said Elspet, trying to appear contrite. “But I followed half the order. I told Hamish ye ordered that Lady MacIan should have an escort ere she left her chamber, and he has been by her side all day, as ye required.”

“Where is she now?” he asked wearily.

“I thought it best to keep her distracted. She had needlework packed in her bag. I gave her a few things she needed, so she spent most of the day in the great hall working on it. She is clearly uneasy still, but much less so than last night. Laird, she asked to speak with ye as soon as ye returned.”

“I will see her now,” he said, walking past Elspet to enter the keep. Then stopped and turned back to her. “Elspet, does Hamish know Lady Katherine did not have my permission to leave her chamber?”

“Nay, Laird, I didn’t mention that bit. I—ah—only told him ye wished her to be escorted.”

Tadhg chuckled, “And so I did.”

He continued walking towards the keep but Elspet stopped him again, saying, “Laird, there is one more thing ye should know.” At his expectant look, she went on, “It’s a terrible thing, really. I feel sorry for the wee lass, but while she was bathing last night, I noticed Lady Katherine’s back is covered with scars from a whip.”

“He beats her?” Tadhg asked, sickened by the thought.

“I couldn’t say, Laird. While I don’t think anyone has beaten her recently, some of her scars aren’t terribly old. I just thought ye should know.”

He nodded and continued on into the great hall in search of Lady Katherine. He found her as Elspet had said, sitting by the hearth, her needlework in her hands.

~ * ~

As Laird Matheson approached, Katherine clearly saw the concern in his expression. “My lady, I understand ye wished to speak with me, but I need ask ye something first. Elspet tells me ye have scars on your back. Does MacIan beat ye?”

“Oh, by all the saints, of course not. Niall would never hurt me. My Uncle Ambrose gave me those scars.”