Ann Carr (7 page)

Hearing her cry of pain as he took her shoulders he demanded, “What’s wrong?” But before she was able to answer he found it himself. As he looked down at her he could see the tip of an arrow poking out from below her collar bone, surrounded by a seeping stream of blood running over her now very pale skin, soaking into the neck of her dress. By God! This woman had just saved his life!

Raising his eyes he saw the man standing in the trees, incriminating bow still clutched in his hand. He had momentarily paused in shock at having hit the woman, who until a few hours ago he had been sworn to protect! As his eyes met those of Duncan’s panic filled him, he reached behind him for another arrow. Before his hand made contact with it, Duncan had lowered Elizabeth to the ground and raised his sword above his head. The man in the trees pulled the arrow up over his shoulder and loaded it into the bow, but before he could release it he was propelled backwards into the shrubs from the force of the sword now lodged in his chest, he toppled back and was engulfed by the waiting shrubs.

Duncan’s men, showing no fear, advanced and began their attack now with a sense of urgency and a consuming rage. Amidst the clash of swords and fighting going on around him, Duncan bent down and lifted Elizabeth into his arms. Thinking only of taking her away from all of this, he stumbled with the dead weight in his arms towards his horse. Before he got there he could hear Henry giving the orders to retreat.

Not pausing, Duncan lifted Elizabeth up onto Shadows’ back so that she was lying across his saddle, then mounted behind her, lifting her drooping body to hold in his arms. It had been many years since he had talked to God, but Duncan was now praying wildly for the life of this woman who he held in his arms.

“Duncan!” he turned to see his friend swiftly approaching him.

“Malcolm! She’s still alive! I need to get her back to the castle as quickly as possible, follow with the men when ye’ve finished here!”

“Ye should take someone with
ye!” Malcolm cautioned.

“Henry won’t do anything now, he’s running with his tail between his legs, probably won’t stop until he’s back in England!”

“Maybe! But do ye want to risk that lassies life on it? Ye cannae afford any hold ups!”

“John! Colin!” he yelled, “
Yer coming with me. Now!” With that he kicked the flanks of his horse and raced off with a hundred prayers in his heart, leaving Colin and John to catch him.

Chapter Ten

The drawbridge dropped down with a deafening crash in the darkness, it was still echoing in Duncan’s ears as he raced his horse across it with increasing urgency. He didn’t slow his pace until he approached the entrance of the castle, where a handful of people had gathered, some holding candles up high to offer him light.

“My Lord?”
Mrs MacTavish, his trusted housekeeper, stepped forward questioningly. Only moments before she had been woken up by shouts from his men, telling of his return and that his new bride was very gravely injured. She hadn’t hesitated in waking the household staff and had hastily sent young Jimmy to fetch the doctor before readying a room for the young lady and ordering food to be prepared for the master. After more than eight years spent here as the head housekeeper, Mrs MacTavish was very efficient in her job. She’d been woken in a similar fashion countless times before so had lost no time in making the necessary arrangements.

Duncan jumped from his horse, carrying Elizabeth in his arms and pushed past the small crowd. “
Mrs MacTavish! Call the doctor immediately!” he barked.

“The doctor has already been called Duncan, he
shouldnae be much longer. I’ve prepared yer room for the young lassie”.

She took a step forward to get a better look at the young lady lying in her master’s arms, she’d been praying that John and Colin had exaggerated the seriousness of her wounds; she already
had a great compassion for the woman she had yet to meet. Having been told of the circumstances surrounding the wedding she couldn’t help sympathizing with this girl, she knew exactly what she must be going through having been forced into an unhappy marriage of convenience herself when she was younger.

“We need to get the arrow out of her and stop the bleeding quickly!” he called over his shoulder as he began taking the steps two at a time, no longer feeling the weight in his arms, leaving
Mrs MacTavish to follow behind as best she could.

As he turned the corner into the long hallway which was his wing of the castle, his footsteps echoed distantly off the stone walls, but before he reached the door of his room a small excited figure popped out of a room halfway down the hallway.
“Father!! Yer back!” Ewan shouted in joy as he raced towards him.

Wanting only to shield his son from the sight of the woman slumped in his arms he ordered harshly, “go back to bed Ewan. I’ll talk to ye in the morning!” before entering the bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him with his foot so that Ewan would not be tempted to follow. Pushing aside his pang of guilt, Duncan laid Elizabeth down on the soft bed, not caring about the blood now soaking down through the bed sheets.

The door burst open and Duncan turned prepared to scold his son for disobeying him, only to watch Mrs MacTavish bustle into the room carrying a pot of water, closely followed by the doctor. Feeling himself relax somewhat at the doctor’s presence, Duncan offered up a faint smile in his direction.

“What do we have here Duncan?” the doctor bent over his patient.

“Elizabeth. Her name’s Elizabeth. She’s been hit in her chest by an arrow and has lost a lot of blood. Can ye help her man?”

Nodding the doctor gave orders to
Mrs MacTavish to wash the blood away from the wound. “We need to get the arrow out, stop the bleeding and then it’s just a case of wait and see, and pray to God that she doesn’t succumb to an infection!”

Moving around the bed the doctor rolled Elizabeth onto her side and snapped off the arrow head sticking out of her back. “
yer gonna have to hold her for me when I pull this arrow out!”

Reaching into his bag the doctor pulled out a well-used pair of pliers. Duncan braced his knee on the bed as he took hold of Elizabeth’s shoulders. Now very thankful that she was unconscious and would not have the added pain of being awake for the removal of the arrow.

“Ready?” the doctor questioned, Duncan nodded his response as he increased the weight of his hold on Elizabeth’s small body. “Now doc!” he ordered wanting it over with as quickly as possible.

Taking the tip of the arrow in his pliers the doctor pulled and struggled to dislodge it. By the time it came out Duncan was saturated in a cold sweat. He had seen some truly brutal scenes in his lifetime but none that had affected him as terribly as this was now doing. He felt impatience rise inside him at his inability to do anything useful.

“No dinnae get up. Ye’ll have to hold her while I stop the bleeding!” Duncan resumed his hold as the doctor again approached the bed, this time with a strip of glowing metal, orange from the fire where it had just sat.

As he lay the glowing metal against her flesh the pain revived Elizabeth. She let out an ear piercing scream and began struggling.

“Hold her!” yelled the doctor.

“Hurry up man! Or so help me I’ll kill
ye!” Duncan shouted back over the screams. Trembling inside as he watched her pain.

“Turn her Duncan! We have to seal the wound on her back”

Acting fast, to try and get it over with as quickly as possible, Duncan rolled her. As he watched the steel burn her skin like a ghastly stain on something so pure and soft, he silently promised her that he would seek her revenge! Henry would pay for this! There was nothing he could do at this moment, but when the opportunity presented itself Duncan would strike, and there would be no mercy!

Elizabeth quickly passed out again and Duncan gave orders to
Mrs MacTavish to clean her up and change her clothes. He walked to the door, needing to get out of there, sending one last glance over his shoulder before he left.

When Duncan entered the large dining hall, he was met by Malcolm and the rest of his men.

“
Dinnae stop talking for me boys!” Duncan waved away their respectful silence as he walked through them towards the tables, which the servants were beginning to lay with food. “Sit and eat. We’re all hungry”, he suggested as the silence continued. He took his seat at the head of the table and lifted the goblet before him, which had already been filled with wine.

Malcolm followed suit and sat down next to him and lifting his own drink he leaned forward, elbows on the table, “how’s she doing?”

Taking some bread, Duncan looked at his friend, “the doctor is hopeful, we removed the arrow and stopped the bleeding; he thinks if she makes it through the night then she’s got a fighting chance”.

Chuckling, Malcolm patted his friends arm, trying to lighten the mood, “and we all know she’s a little fighter, I imagine
ye’ve got nothing to worry about! Or maybe ye have“, he paused for effect before continuing, ”trying to control her when she’s awake again!”

Shaking his head, Duncan agreed in a bewildered voice, “
have ye ever seen such a thing Malcolm? Had you or Colin done the same thing it wouldnae have surprised me so, but ....” Duncan broke off, at a loss for words.

“I know Duncan. All in all I think she is turning out to be a better bargain than ye thought! I also know she’ll have a good friend in my wife for saving
yer sorry hide. For some totally unknown reason my wife thinks the world of ye!”

Laughing they looked up to see Colin and John approaching their table, followed by a cloak shrouded figure.

“I see ye two have patched up yer differences then?” Duncan called jovially; clinging onto the light heartiness that he knew would not last for much longer.

Both men stepped aside and the woman in the cloak jumped forward and into Malcolm’s arms. “Malcolm! I’m so glad
yer back! I was worried ye might’ve been gone for another day or two!”

Malcolm’s arms tightened in surprise around his wife, “what are ye doing here?
Yer supposed to be at home! How did ye get here?”

“I came on horseback
Malcolm, luckily ye left a couple of good horses in the stables for me!”

“Ye came alone?” Malcolm bellowed, standing, “what have I told
ye about the dangers of ...”

Shrugging, unaffected by her husband’s anger Mary took his arm, “It was important! This morning a messenger arrived from my father, his land is under attack! He needs
yer help and Duncan’s too, if it can be spared” She focused on him now. He was looking a bit disheveled! “Is yer new bride causing ye trouble already Duncan?” she asked with humour.

“Aye.
But not in the way that yer imagining!” he forced a smile.

“Duncan’s new bride just saved his life today!” Malcolm inserted, he couldn’t have sounded more proud if it had been him who had saved his friends sorry hide.

“What?”

“And now she’s lying half dead upstairs, so look where it got her” Duncan muttered bitterly.

“She saved ye from lying under the dirt man, so be grateful for that!” Malcolm defended, and went on to fill his wife in on the day’s events.

“We can head out first light tomorrow!” Duncan injected, now sick to the stomach from going over everything again, his feelings were confusing enough without everyone constantly talking about her. Hell, the very fact that he was feeling something towards her was confusing him.

“Sorry to drag ye away at such a time Duncan”, Mary remarked regretfully. “But if it’ll ease yer mind a little, I can stay here with her until the end of the week, but then I’ll have to go home to meet the children!”

Nodding, Duncan silently took her up on her offer.

Chapter Eleven

The next morning Ewan went in search of his father. It wasn’t difficult to figure out where he’d be, so he tiptoed carefully to the door of his father’s room, where his new wife was resting. He wasn’t ready yet to think of this strange figure as his own new mother and he hadn’t got a look at her last night in the hallway because he’d been too anxious to see his father.

On the ride back home Ewan had decided to tell his father all about his adventure, he’d figured if he didn’t tell, then one of the stable hands would even now be racing up to inform Duncan of the new arrival in the stables. Yes Ewan had concluded, it would be much better talking to his father himself,
then he would honestly be able to promise never to do anything like that again. At least for another year or two, until he was a little older! He would never admit it to anyone, but he still carried the fear he had felt with him and had no wish to repeat the experience. Not yet anyway!

So, last night he had run down the hallway hoping to talk to his father man to man, but his trepidation had quickly turned to annoyance at the way Duncan had spoken to him. Still, this morning he was resolved to tell all he had done, it was only as he had snuck into the kitchen at dawn that he had overheard the servants talking about the lady’s injuries. On hearing the news Ewan had hastily run up the stairs to his father’s bedroom, forgetting his food in the process.

He now edged closer to the door, reaching forward to gently push it inwards, trying not to make a noise. As the door slowly opened he peered in through the crack he’d created. The room was bright with the morning light streaming in through the windows. In between the windows on the far wall was a huge four poster bed, which had once belonged to his grandfather and great-grandfather too he supposed.

Duncan had pulled a chair up beside the bed and was bent over it, looking at the figure lying there, still, beneath the covers. Ewan couldn’t see his father’s face, only his hunched back, so had no idea what mood possessed him; however, he couldn’t miss the
somber atmosphere in the room.

Even at eight years old, Ewan
recognised that now was not the time to confront his father. Deciding to leave him as he was, Ewan began to take a step back, but curiosity made him pause momentarily giving Duncan enough time to sense that someone was sharing the room with him. “Come in Ewan”, he quietly said, holding out his arm in invitation, “come here”.

Ewan’s curiosity was now piqued so much that he didn’t even think to hesitate. He had never heard his father talk so quietly before. Usually they ended up communicating through shouts not gentle words.

Not knowing what to make of this change, Ewan stepped tentatively beside him, leaning against his shoulder. Forgetting about his father for a moment, Ewan leaned down, trying to get a better look at the woman lying in the bed.

At that moment her lips parted and a moan escaped as she moved her head slightly so that her face was now clearly visible to both man and child. It took a couple of heartbeats before Ewan could place the face. When recognition finally hit him he jumped back, an unconscious exclamation leaving his own lips.

Duncan reached out to stop Ewan from fleeing, he hadn’t been sure whether or not his son would recognise her, and if so whether he would explain it. Duncan exhaled a tired breath, he was so tired, tired of trying to figure out his feelings for this woman lying before him. At some point before dawn he had concluded that what he was feeling could be nothing more than gratitude. What else could it be? He had known her for barely twenty-four hours, of which she had spent half of that time unconscious. So he had finally decided to leave it at gratitude for now, and explore it some more when she woke up. No, when he returned, Mary couldn’t have picked a worse time to call him away. The pull to stay and make sure Elizabeth recovered was so strong that already he had put back the departure time until mid-day.

Ewan shuffled, making Duncan conscious of the other thing that was causing him problems. Looking back along his memories Duncan couldn’t make out the path which had brought his relationship with his son to the point it was today. Where had he gone so wrong? What he did know was that things would have to change, and quickly, if he wanted to keep his son. Maybe they needed to start again and a part of him couldn’t help hoping that this woman, now a part of both their lives, could help them.

Knowing that his temper was a major part of the problem, Duncan decided that now was a good time to begin their fresh start.

“I know all about what
happened Ewan”, he stated gently, soothingly.

Ewan’s instinct was to run, he pulled against the hand still holding him and when it wouldn’t budge, he muttered, “really?” under his breath. This wasn’t how he’d wanted to confess.

“We were in the forest and saw everything, yer meeting with Elizabeth, the men chasing ye”.

Knowing there was nothing to say, no way to explain, Ewan waited silently for his father’s anger which he knew was sure to come soon. “I’m sorry father!” he whispered, “that’s what I wanted to talk to ye about last night; I was going to tell ye everything. I promise!”

“I believe ye Ewan”, Duncan pulled the boy in front of him, “and something tells me you willnae be doing anything like that for a while”.

Startled by the gentle tone Ewan raised his head, only to see a smile on his father’s face. A smile! He wondered at it. Ewan couldn’t remember the last time his father had smiled at him. Maybe the marriage had been a good idea after all, he mused. Now that the shock that Elizabeth was his new mother was wearing off, he decided maybe he wouldn’t mind having a woman around the place after all!

His thoughts left him feeling happy so Ewan grinned up at his father, “definitely not! I’ll not be doing that again for at least another two years. Maybe when I’m ten I’ll be able to come with ye?” he asked eagerly, pushing his luck.

“More likely not!”
Duncan re-joined, “Ewan I’m not happy with what ye did, but I’m gonna cut ye a little slack because I think ye’ve thoroughly learned yer lesson without me having to tell ye!”

Nodding eagerly, Ewan injected, “I did! I swear to
ye! I dinnae go looking for trouble, I just wanted an adventure!”

“Well, make sure ye keep
yer adventures closer to home, like inside this castle!” Duncan declared with finality.

About to disagree, Ewan stopped himself, not wanting to break this small bond developing.

“Now Ewan, there’s something I need to say to ye. I’ve just been called away again with Malcolm, to help Mary’s family”.

The nice feelings inside of Ewan began to fade at this all too familiar speech.

“But Ewan, I’m leaving ye a very important job while I’m gone”, he reached out, wanting to erase the frown and bring back the smile to his sons face, “while I’m gone, I need ye to look after Elizabeth for me. Help her to recover, be nice to her, and make her feel at home here”.

Bending forward, Duncan looked his son directly in the eyes, “while I am gone, ye will be the man of the house!”

Eagerly nodding now Ewan took his father’s hands, “I willnae let ye down father, I’ll take care of her for ye. Ye dinnae have to worry!” he vowed.

“Come here!” Duncan encouraged, holding open his arms, he watched through tear washed eyes as his son walked towards him and then threw himself into his waiting arms which he wrapped tightly around his son. Feeling Ewan’s own small arms clinging to him brought him so much joy.

Maybe this was it, Duncan thought, perhaps this was the turning point in their relationship, and hopefully this was the first step towards reclaiming their closeness. He was sure that the woman lying in the bed had somehow played a major part in this change, he wasn’t yet sure how, but he had a feeling that this was something else he would have to thank her for.

Thinking about Elizabeth caused his eyes to involuntary move over his sons head to gaze upon her. He was startled to find himself staring into the curious gaze of a pair of magnificent violet blue eyes. Excitement coursed through him, she was awake! Surely she would be OK now! He rose to walk over to her and watched a weak smile play on her lips. She
recognised him. That was a good sign. But before he reached her side her eyes had once again drifted closed. Gently he reached out his hand, cupping her cheek, mesmerised by the contrast of his sun-warmed flesh lying against her pale, delicate skin. It only reinforced the differences between them, but he couldn’t help but like those differences.

“Father, is she ok?” Ewan peered from around his arm.

Turning to smile he placed his hand on Ewan’s shoulder, “I think she’s gonna be, very soon now. Remember what I said now, yer responsible for looking out for her while I’m gone” there was excitement in his voice.

Nodding solemnly, they both turned at the knock on the door and watched as Malcolm stepped into the room.

“I’m sorry Duncan, but we really need to move now if we’re gonna make it there before nightfall” he turned and left after his speech, not wanting to intrude into the new family circle that had formed around his friend.

“I must be off now Ewan” Duncan gave the boy one last squeeze, “I’ll see ye when I return, which hopefully won’t be too long away”.

Duncan strode to the door, and just before walking through it he cast one last gaze over the two most important people in his life, and for the first time hoped that he wouldn’t be away for too long.

Ewan watched as the door closed
; the same hopes in his own heart. He too had felt something change in their relationship. His father seemed different somehow, nicer, more approachable. Turning, Ewan decided that it must have been Elizabeth who had caused such a change in him, he wasn’t sure how she had done it, but he was going to look out for her as his father had asked, make sure that she didn’t decide to leave, because he liked his father so much better now that she was here and he planned on keeping her.