Ann Carr (21 page)

Chapter Forty-Four

“I see the coward Scott has sent his woman out to protect him. Again!” Henry guffawed at his own joke and the men on either side of him were quick to join in. Elizabeth felt the nausea rise to her throat as she looked at this man before her, as she stared at her brother. She had always feared him on one level but had never really known the true capacity of his vindictive jealousy. Now she couldn’t take her eyes off this monster who shared her blood. She spared barely a glance at the two big brutes of men beside him; she didn’t know them, which was probably why he had chosen them, because they would have no misplaced loyalty towards her.

“Duncan didn’t send me!” she declared with a steady voice, “he’ll be here himself very soon. I came out here with some misplaced loyalty towards my brother,” she paused, waiting for a reaction to her statement, when none came she shook her head, angry with him for not caring, angry with herself for caring too much! She knew what she was risking by being here but had felt that she had no choice but to try, so she pushed a little harder. “Go now Henry! Turn your men around and take them home and I’ll make sure Duncan and his men don’t follow you! You can leave safely with your lives” she entreated, but already knew that he wouldn’t listen, wouldn’t take her advice. His laughter confirmed her suspicions; there was nothing else she could do! Defeated, she decided to walk away.

Elizabeth’s heart jumped in her chest when she turned towards the castle, for there in the distance riding towards her was Duncan, she couldn’t help but stare in ore at the magnificent picture horse and rider, man and beast painted as they sped across the countryside, the wind pulling at them with no success. As he neared panic took hold of her, she had to try and avoid a confrontation between these two men, she didn’t doubt Duncan’s ability only Henry’s sense of a fair fight!

“You think we would run like cowardly dogs?” Henry’s laughter gave way to anger, “before this day is through you and your precious Scotsman will be begging for my mercy” he too had noticed Duncan’s approach and anticipation now gleamed in his cold eyes, “you will pay dear sister for giving your loyalty to these barbarians! I’ll make damn sure you share the same fate as all of the other barbarian whores that you so eagerly side with!”

“Barbarians!” she shouted, “the only barbarian here is you Henry! You are the one seeking blood here today, it’s not them! Now I’ll give you one last chance to leave before Duncan gets here!”

“Ha! Why would we retreat? We have you surrounded! We have enough supplies to sit here for months Elizabeth, how long will yours last?” he taunted, sure of his position on the field.

“That’s where yer wrong Henry!” Elizabeth spun around at Duncan’s words, there were directed at Henry but his eyes burned into her own. She knew she’d be in trouble for this latest stunt! “We have ye surrounded!” he stopped his horse beside her own.

Laughing again Henry shook his head, he wasn’t such a fool as to believe the defensive bluffs of his enemy, the two men
beside him weren’t so sure and cast nervous glances between each other and the big Scotsman before them.

“What,
dinnae ye believe me?” Duncan questioned with feigned calm, trying valiantly to bring the rage he felt under control. Leaning back in his saddle he took the reins in one hand and raised the other above his head in a signal to Malcolm.

Slowly, Malcolm stepped out from the protection of the forest, deep behind the enemy lines; a handful of men followed to stand at his side, Richard
was one of them. The laughter came again, Henry couldn’t contain himself, “you think that handful of men are a match for the hundreds I have at my disposal?” he didn’t wait for an answer, instead turned his back on Duncan to look out at the impressive army he had gathered on the cleared field before him.

Just as calmly as before, Duncan raised his arm for the second time, then he sat back and waited. He didn’t have to wait very long before Henry’s laughter subsided. All around him Scotsmen stepped out from their hiding places in the forest, as he scanned the surroundings their numbers multiplied until his own army appeared inconsequential beside them. He could see that they were indeed surrounded, that there was no route for escape left open to him, there was no choice now but to stand and fight. On a bitter laugh, he turned to face Duncan, weapon raised he was prepared to use it.

Outwardly calm, Duncan didn’t bother to reach for his sword; the only move he made was to position himself in front of Elizabeth. He had been in many battles throughout his life and didn’t fear them, never had, what he did fear was having Elizabeth stuck in the middle of a full scale fight. He didn’t want her to whiteness it, didn’t want her to be hurt by it. It was only for her sake that he uttered the next words out of his mouth. “My wife gave ye the option to retreat that I had no intention of offering. Now I am giving ye one last chance to leave here with yer life intact. Retreat now and there will be no consequence. Choose to fight and ye will not be so lucky!” Even as he uttered the words Duncan was not sure what option Henry would decide to take.

“You think I would run like a mongrel dog?” Henry shouted, obviously not liking his options.

“If ye were wise ye would!” the cold, hard glare coming from Duncan put the two men at Henry’s side on edge, their horses shifted beneath them as though they could sense their riders desire to flee!       

Duncan didn’t say anymore, couldn’t trust himself not to issue a challenge to the man in front of him. Instead he sat back and waited. It didn’t take long before the English army noticed that they were surrounded, none looked too happy about a confrontation for they all knew what formidable warriors the
scots were and that was when numbers were on their side.

“Henry…?” one of the men worked up enough courage to address him, “shouldn’t we leave? Shouldn’t we take this chance and go? We’re outnumbered and unprepared to fight in a battle of this scale!”

“What do you think?” Henry turned cold eyes to the other man at his side.

“I agree! I think we should retreat!”

“Am I surrounded by cowards” Henry roared. “Go then!” he screamed, “retreat back to England, but I promise you you’ll not be safe there!” before he could do any more ranting the men spun around giving the command to retreat. The soldiers didn’t wait to be told twice, immediately they spun into action, eager to escape imminent death.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” he raged at Duncan, “Well, I think you’ve turned soft! She has made you weak!” he pointed an unsteady finger towards Elizabeth. “Call yourself a warrior?” Henry derided, “
there was a time when you wouldn’t have even thought about giving us the option to retreat!”

“I can always change my mind! Is that what ye want?” Duncan asked in an irritatingly calm tone.

“I’ll give you some advice Duncan. Rid yourself of her!” he spat at his sister, “and I’ll give you some more. Be prepared because we will be back, we will finish what we started here today!” and with those words he spun his horse around and followed his men in their retreat.

“Duncan?” Elizabeth reached out to him.

“Not now!” Duncan replied harshly, he couldn’t be with her right now, not when his emotions were raging so fiercely within him. “Colin, take her back to the castle and tell everyone the outcome, they can relax but I dinnae want them to leave the castle walls until I give the word. I still dinnae trust Henry!” Not waiting for a reply he took off across the clearing, with John at his side.

“He’s very angry, isn’t he?” Elizabeth whispered to Colin as they walked their horses back to the safety of the castle.

“Aye” Colin nodded, “but dinnae worry yerself, he’ll work through it and then come back when he’s calmed down”, he winced as his horse stumbled on a loose rock, causing his body to jolt painfully.       

“Are you alright?” Elizabeth reached out a soothing had to him, “I think when we get back you should rest” when no protest came from him Elizabeth knew he must be in a bad way, “you shouldn’t have come out here today Colin” she admonished gently.

"Neither should ye!" he replied just as gently. Elizabeth couldn't help the colour that sprung to her cheeks at his words, nor could she deny the truth behind them.

Chapter Forty-Five

It didn’t take long for the news to spread and Elizabeth ordered a feast to be prepared in celebration. All around her people were singing and dancing and laughing in good spirits, happy that their leader had managed to avoid a confrontation and no one had been hurt or injured.

Elizabeth wished that she could share in their good mood, she really did, but she had never felt less like celebrating than she did right now. Most of the men had returned from the battlefield, Malcolm’s men included, but not Duncan. She had seen no sign of him since this morning and now the evening shadows were setting in and he still had not returned.

“Elizabeth!” Ewan sang from where he was dancing with some of the village children; he was enjoying himself as much as everyone else. Elizabeth waved back, smiling; he evidently wasn’t worried about his father’s absence today.

Deciding to walk another circuit around the hall Elizabeth turned and bumped into the solid chest of... John. “
oh!” she exclaimed, “did Duncan return with you?” she quickly asked before he had a chance to speak.

“No” he shook his head, “he and Malcolm are still patrolling outside, but they sent the rest of us back here though”.

“Oh? Do you really think Henry would come back tonight?”

“Probably not.
No!”

“So really he just doesn’t want to come back inside himself?”

Coughing, John was taken off guard by this question, “I really couldnae say Elizabeth!” he declared.

"I'm sorry John. I shouldn't have asked you that" she
apologised, "enjoy your night, the cooks have cooked up a veritable feast!" and on that she hastily retreated from the room, a plan of action already forming in her mind.

Chapter Forty-Six

“So friend! Are ye ready to tell me what’s troubling ye?” Malcolm asked as he and Duncan patrolled the forest for the umpteenth time that day.

“I
dinnae know what ye mean Malcolm, there’s nothing wrong!” Duncan evaded.

“No? Then why are we pacing around out here instead of joining in the celebrations in there” he nodded in the direction of the castle. In the still of the gathering darkness they could clearly hear the sounds of the party taking place within the walls.

“Ye go then!” Duncan stated defensively, “I want to make sure that the English dinnae return”

“Wait!” Malcolm reached across the distance between them to steady Duncan’s horse, “we both know that Henry won’t be coming back here anytime soon. So what’s the real reason?”

After a long pause Duncan finally blurted, “Do ye have any idea how scared I was this morning when I saw her riding out to meet Henry?”

“About as terrified as I would have been if my Mary had done the same thing!”
Malcolm smiled.

“I wanted to shout at her for what she’d done!”

“But ye dinnae! Because ye love her!” Malcolm explained as though he was talking to a child.

“Do ye think we’re weaker men because of it?” Duncan looked out into the distance, “Henry was right ye know? Before Elizabeth I
wouldnae have let them walk away so easily” he turned back to his friend.

“But ye still would have let them walk away Duncan. Never doubt that.
Yer a fine warrior, one of the best, but ye’ve never been ruthless! If we hadnae let them walk away it would have been a massacre. Whether Elizabeth was here or not ye wouldnae have slaughtered those men today!”

“No. But I would have called Henry out!”

“Aye, but he’ll be back someday! Ye’ll have another chance to face that bastard with a sword in yer hand!”

“Duncan?” both men turned at Elizabeth’s question, neither had heard her approach.

"I think I'll head inside" Malcolm stated before he left.

Duncan and Elizabeth stared at each other across the darkness, drinking in each other’s presence, neither saying a word. Finally Duncan dismounted his horse, “come” he held out his hand in invitation for her to follow suite. Without any thought, Elizabeth jumped off Dancer’s back and threw herself into Duncan’s surprised arms.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she murmured into the hard wall of his chest.

“Ye’ll never know how scared I was when I saw ye riding out this morning” his arms tightened around her, but it was the tremor in his voice which highlighted his emotional state.

“Oh my darling!
I’m so sorry to have put you through that” she hugged him back fiercely, “but the thought of you riding out there positively terrified me! I know my brother; I know what he is capable of!”

“Which is precisely why ye should have gone nowhere near him!” he cut her off, anger creeping into his voice.

“I was only trying to protect you! And him I guess, after all he is my brother and I was prepared to give him one last chance!” she admitted.

“Well, the next time ye feel like protecting me” he lifted her chin so that he could stare directly into her eyes, “
dinnae!” Duncan watched as her lips began to kick up at the corners and rushed on before he lost himself completely, “I am more than capable of protecting myself dinnae ye think?”

“Yes!” she called out on a laugh, “but everyone could use some help now and again” her eyes twinkled in devilry. The little minx, he thought.

“Aye! But when I decide I need some help I’ll let ye know alright? From now on when I tell ye to stay somewhere ye stay! Got that?”

“I’ll see what I can do!” she teased.

On a groan he gathered her close, “promise me Elizabeth! Promise me that ye willnae put yerself in danger like that again!”

“How can I promise you that?” she exclaimed, “I love you Duncan, I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe!”

“And I you Elizabeth! I guess this means I’ll have to keep myself out of danger lest my bonnie wife will come riding to my aid!” he laughed, he loved this woman, she would never change, and for better or worse he didn’t want her to!

“Come on!” he took her hand.

“Where are we going?” she asked on a giggle as he hoisted her onto Shadow’s back.

“To a party!” he exclaimed climbing up behind her.

“Duncan! I’ve got my own horse!” she shrieked.

“I know! But it’s so much more enjoyable riding with two” he whispered into her ear as his strong, possessive arms wrapped around her waist.

Elizabeth shivered with pleasure as he caressed the sensitive skin beneath her ear lobe with his lips. Oh! Those lips were magic, how he managed to evoke such powerful emotions with only the softest caress was still a mystery to her. When his hand caressed her already tender breasts she let out an agonized moan of pure need. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was startled to realise that his hand was caressing her skin directly, gone were the constraints of her bodice. She moaned again arching her breasts more firmly into his hot hand, the long length of his penis pressed hard against her bottom. Lost in the sensations he was creating, Elizabeth reached behind her to gently caressing the bare skin of his thigh. This time the moan that she heard wasn’t her own, but his. Spurred on by his enjoyment, she caressed higher, her hand now sliding up underneath his heavy kilt. When it finally found what she was looking for a guttural groan left Duncan’s lips and his body involuntary bucked more firmly into her hand. Her own groan quickly followed as his own hand found the moist centre between her legs, she slumped back against him, working her hand up and down his hard length at the same speed he was stroking her own intimate centre.

When neither of them could take any more, Duncan lifted her and spun her around so that they were now face to face. "I love you!" Elizabeth whispered, kissing him deeply before he impaled her body on his hard shaft and then there was no time for talking as he took her hips in his big hands to help her ride his body until they were both beyond sense, wrapped up in a sensual world that only contained them. As they reached the peak of their pleasure they both let out cries as their bodies climaxed around each other, the events of the day momentarily forgotten.

It was a long time later before they walked back across the drawbridge and into the castle. Duncan gave the command to raise the bridge behind them and secure the castle for the night.

“You know he meant what he said?” Elizabeth blurted out of the blue.

“Who?”

“Henry!”

“Let’s not talk about him tonight!” Duncan could feel the anger begin to tug at him.

“Just so long as you know he will come back!” she wanted to make sure that he knew this.

“I know he will sweetheart, and when he does we will be ready for him!”

“I’m so sorry!”

“What for?” He brought Shadow to a halt in the stable.

“I brought him here. If it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t be harassing you like this!” she said forlornly.

“Let’s get one thing clear here Elizabeth, he would try to attack us whether ye were here or not! Dinnae blame yerself for this! Got that?” upon her nod Duncan dismounted and reached up to pull her down into his arms, where he hugged her to him fiercely.

“What’s that for?” Elizabeth asked, gazing up into his eyes.

“Because I love ye!” he whispered full of emotion.

“Me too!” the love was in her eyes for him to see.

“Even if ye were the reason Henry came then I still wouldnae change anything! Just to have ye by my side I would fight a thousand battles!” he willed her to believe him.

“You shouldn’t say things like that Duncan!”

“Why?” he frowned.

“Because you make me feel too special!” she laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes. His laughter joined hers and together they walked Shadow into his stall before Duncan called for one of the stableman to come and tend to his horse.

“Where do you think William is now?” she questioned as they strolled out of the stables hand in hand.

“Probably as far inside of the English border as possible” he gave her hand a tight squeeze.

“Are you going to go after him?” she was curious as to what his answer would be.

“No!” he shook his head; there was no anger in his expression, only sadness.

“Good!” she squeezed back, “because I actually feel really sorry for the man, even after all he has done I think he deserves to live out his life a free man in his own country!”

“
Dinnae tell anyone this, but I agree with ye! I hope he manages to put his feelings of revenge behind him and find some sort of contentment for the rest of his years”. They both lapsed into silence, both thinking about the old man who had touched their lives to varying degrees and yet betrayed them so profoundly.

It was the sound of revelry which forced them to leave their maudlin thoughts behind, as soon as they entered the castle they were swept up in the festivities taking place all around them.

“I guess this means no early night then!” Duncan whispered into Elizabeth’s ear before she was whisked away to join in the dancing, a becoming blush staining her cheeks from her husband’s words.

“I’ll not ask what ye said to put that colour on her face!” Malcolm boomed out at Duncan’s side.

“I
wouldnae tell ye even if ye did ask!” Duncan re-joined, good humour restored, never taking his eyes off his wife.

“It’s good to see the two of ye sorted out
yer differences” Malcolm became more serious, “the two of ye are good for each other Duncan. Dinnae let her slip away!”

“No!” and Duncan laughed, “I think I’d better go and rescue her before Colin tramples on her feet some more”

“I’ll say farewell to ye now in case I dinnae see ye again tonight” Malcolm laughed and cast his friend a knowing wink.

“
Yer leaving early in the morning?”

“Aye!
To get back to my wife!” Malcolm slapped his friend on the back, hard, “now get back to yers!”

Duncan walked onto the makeshift dance floor and spun his wife into his arms and twirled her through the crowd before they reached the stairs which they raced up together, hands joined, laughing as they went. Eventually they made the sanctuary of their bedroom, where they slammed the door closed behind them, drowning out the noise of the revelry taking place all around and created a private celebration all of their own.