Forgiving Hearts: Duncurra 1-3 (21 page)

~ * ~

Malcolm was surprised to see Duncan leave the forest with Katherine.

“Well, what have we here, Duncan?”

“We waited, as ye said, for Niall’s army to arrive, but they never did. Finally we saw Lady Katherine arrive under heavy guard. I knew something must have gone wrong, and I suspected ye might need her as a hostage.”

Malcolm listened but his eyes didn’t leave Katherine. She appeared calm and composed and she didn’t look at him. The mask she assumed didn’t fool him. She was afraid, and fear was an excellent motivator for cooperation. Pain was as well, and he would use it if he needed to.

“Indeed I do,” Malcolm sneered. He moved his mount until he was within reach, grabbed her chin, and turned her head to face him. He laughed malevolently. “With Niall’s bonny little wife in residence at Brathanead, we will have a delightful morsel with which to bargain. Well done, cousin.”

She knocked his hand away and spat on him. He backhanded her. “Ye will pay for that, wench, and I can assure ye that ye will remember your uncle as gentle before I am through with ye.”

To Duncan he said, “Bind and gag her, we need to keep moving.”

Duncan did as Malcolm instructed, but said, “Laird MacLennan—I did not expect to find ye returning to Brathanead. Riders followed us from Cnocreidh, but I don’t know how many. Some may have been my own men, but I suspect they were not alone. I turned north hoping to elude them all, but if we proceed southwards, we will put ourselves within their reach.”

Malcolm looked irritated. “We can’t stop here. I have no doubt vengeance is on our heels as well. We will ride up the mountain and hide in the caves until it is safe to proceed to Brathanead. Make sure that gag is secure, I don’t want a sound out of her.” Malcolm decided to take another precaution as well. “Eithne, dismount and give me your mantle.” He switched Katherine’s mantle for Eithne’s and hoisted Katherine onto Eithne’s palfrey.

“What are ye doing?” demanded Eithne. “Why are ye giving her my mount?”

“Ye’ll ride with Duncan.” Eithne protested, but Malcolm pacified her by explaining, “From a distance, anyone will assume ye are Katherine, and they will not risk harming ye.” Besides, he might need a diversion, and as long as he secured his own safety, the consequences mattered little to him.

~ * ~

With her hands bound in front of her, Katherine knew once they began to move again, she would be unable to do anything but stay in the saddle. The wind sharpened and the clouds thickened in the late afternoon sky. It looked as if a snowstorm were brewing and, if it broke soon, the fresh snow would obliterate any trace of their trail. With her bound hands concealed by the mantle around her shoulders, Katherine unpinned the jeweled brooch that had been Niall’s present to her on Epiphany. She hid it between her palms, and just before they left the trail to head up the mountain, she let it slip out of her hands to land in the track. She prayed no one noticed it, and, in their rush to escape, no one did.

As the day wore on, Niall’s frustration rose. Malcolm seemed to remain just out of reach. Late in the afternoon, dread filled him when they met Muir and Turcuil with a contingent of Matheson soldiers riding north.

Muir filled him in as quickly as possible. “As soon as the MacLennans poured from the woods, I knew we were badly outnumbered, but we thought we could hold them back long enough for Hamish to get Katherine inside the walls. Matheson reinforcements joined us immediately and we routed them.”

“And Katherine is safe?”

“Nay, Laird. Hamish was unhorsed and she slowed to help him. He slapped Eachann back into a run, but it was too late. Duncan reached her and escaped.”

“Dear God.”

“Laird, I’m sorry. Rab was gravely injured as well. We left him at Cnocreidh, but Hamish, Keavy, Turcuil, and I pursued them with Matheson warriors. We reached the mountain pass leading to Brathanead less than an hour ago. Not knowing for sure which direction he would go, we split up. Hamish and Keavy led some of the Matheson warriors south, while Turcuil and I led the rest north.”

“And ye met no one?”

“Nay, Laird.”

Niall swore. How could he have underestimated the true depths of Malcolm’s deception? He hadn’t simply relied on drawing Niall away from Duncurra, he had men in place to assure his defeat at Cnocreidh as well. With every ounce of control he had, he tamped down his rage and focused on finding Katherine.

The leaders agreed it was unlikely Malcolm’s party had been far enough ahead to have made it through the pass before the warriors riding from Cnocreidh had reached it. Muir and his men should have met Malcolm and his guard on the track. Since they didn’t, it was likely that Duncan had indeed ridden north and met Malcolm’s party. Once alerted, Malcolm had probably left the trail to hide in either the woods or the mountains.

They searched along the track for signs of Malcolm’s trail, but because his army had ridden north the previous day, horses had trampled the snow on the track, making it impossible to distinguish a new trail from an older one. To make matters worse, the clouds thickened and before long, a light snow began to fall. If they didn’t find some indication of where Malcolm had left the track soon, fresh snow would cover any evidence. They had nearly given up hope when one of the Chisholm warriors saw the jewels from Katherine’s brooch glinting in the snow.

It appeared that Malcolm’s party had headed for caves in the mountains, and once again Niall was in pursuit. It wasn’t long before the fresh snow changed from a curse to a blessing. They found Malcolm’s tracks.

~ * ~

Katherine tried to work her hands free, but only succeeded in causing the rope to chafe her wrists until they were raw, bloody, and burning. The gag Duncan had stuffed in her mouth tickled the back of her throat, requiring her to constantly fight the need to retch. On top of everything else, she was freezing.

While riding with Duncan, she had at least been warm. Now she had very little to protect her from the cold. Having removed the brooch holding it around her shoulders, Katherine’s plaid slid down her back underneath the mantle and bunched around her waist. Furthermore, knowing why Malcolm had forced her to trade places with Eithne, she had shaken the mantle’s hood off, exposing her kertch. Even from a distance, in the gathering darkness, Niall would know she was not Eithne. While she thought the plan was clever and no one seemed to notice or care that her hood had slipped off, her linen kertch provided no protection from the cold and snow.

~ * ~

Malcolm held up his hand, halting his men for a moment. In spite of the wind that whipped and moaned around him, he heard the unmistakable sound of horses approaching. If he could buy himself just a little time, he could disappear into the caves with Katherine.

“Duncan, stay here with Eithne and the rest of the guard. They will think it is Katherine with ye, and that will give me time to escape to the caves. When they approach, surrender.”

“Aye, Laird,” answered Duncan.

“Surrender? They’ll kill us all when they realize ye still have the Niall’s little heiress,” screeched Eithne.

“Nay, they won’t. Niall is nothing if not noble. He will accept your surrender and not harm ye. I will pay the ransom to get ye and my men released.

~ * ~

Niall and the men with him saw the small party stopped ahead of them and charged. As they drew closer, Niall noticed the pair riding away. Even in the heat of battle, Niall’s brain registered the white covering on the woman’s head and knew that Malcolm still had Katherine. He pulled back and skirted around the battle, riding hard to reach Katherine. As he did, he heard Eithne’s blood curdling scream and Tadhg’s anguished battle cry. Ignoring it, he continued to chase Malcolm and Katherine.

Niall saw Malcolm look over his shoulder, panicked. In horror, Niall watched as Malcolm drew his sword and raised it toward Katherine, but it wasn’t Katherine for whom Malcolm aimed. He slashed at the flank of Katherine’s mount. The mare screamed and reared. Unbridled fear gripped Niall’s heart as he helplessly watched Katherine struggle to stay on her mount with bound wrists.

He tried to reach her as she clutched desperately at the edge of the saddle. The ground had become slippery with snow and the horse was sliding and stumbling. All thoughts of vengeance for Malcolm fled as Niall saw Katherine lose her struggle to stay in the saddle. She was thrown to the ground, but with her bound hands, she couldn’t break her fall.

When he finally reached her side, he removed her gag. Relief flooded him when he found her unconscious but still alive. He cut her bonds and felt her limbs for signs of breaks. It looked as if her only injuries were the lump on her head, a bruise on her face, and abrasions on her wrists caused by her bonds. Vengeance would have to wait; he couldn’t leave his wife.

Tadhg arrived at Niall’s side just as Niall gathered Katherine’s small limp body into his arms.

Enraged, Niall said, “The bastard caused the horse to throw her to save his own worthless skin.”

“I’ll take a few men and go after him. Get her to safety.”

By this time, Laird Chisholm had joined them and said to Tadhg, “I’ll go with ye.”

“Nay, Fearghas,” Tadhg said. “Malcolm has laid so many traps in the bid to win Duncurra, there is no telling what might await on the way back there. Niall needs as many men as possible riding escort.”

“Aye, Fearghas. I have to get her home,” Niall said as he wrapped his plaid around his unconscious wife and rose from the ground with her. “I cannot lose her,” he said, his voice raw with emotion.

Vaguely aware she finally felt warm, Katherine had trouble remembering why she had been so cold in the first place. As she struggled to emerge from oblivion, she also realized she had a terrible headache. She fought to open her eyes, but the light only intensified her pain, causing her to moan and retch. Gentle hands rolled her to her side, yet her retching brought nothing up.

She heard her husband’s anxious voice say, “Effie, she is waking.”

She tried again to open her eyes. For a moment, the light sent another wave of searing pain through her head, but she kept them open this time, and saw her husband’s worried face. He was kneeling by her bed. Effie moved into view behind him. “Ye’ve come back to us, have ye? Do ye know where ye are?”

Katherine blinked and tried to look around. The movement caused her head to swim and she wanted to retch again, but she said, “Home.”

“Aye, lass, ye’re home,” Niall said, his voice husky.

Katherine closed her eyes for a moment.
Why was the midwife here
? She opened her eyes again and managed to ask, “The baby?”

“Is fine,” answered Effie. “But ye have a nasty bump on your head from the fall.”

“I fell?” asked Katherine. She closed her eyes again, trying to remember. Images began to flood her mind as her memory returned. She moaned again. “Malcolm slashed my mount’s side and the poor thing threw me.”

“That’s right, sweetling, but ye will be fine now,” said Niall, with a hint of desperation in his voice.

Effie brought her a bowl with some broth in it. “Try to drink some of this, my lady.”

Katherine swallowed a few sips before, overcome with exhaustion, she slipped back into oblivion.

~ * ~

When she awoke later, the room was dark save for the light from the fire. Niall held her in his arms, but he was not asleep. “Back again?” he asked, his voice still thick with concern.

“Aye,” Katherine answered. Her head hurt less than it had earlier and she felt hungry. “Is there any more broth?”

Visibly relieved, Niall answered, “Aye, sweetling, there is.” He helped her drink a little more, and she ate a few bites of bread as well before giving in once again to the powerful urge to sleep.

~ * ~

The next time she woke, sunlight streamed in through the window, and she felt considerably better. Niall slept beside her, but woke instantly as she stirred. “Good morning, love,” he said, and kissed her gently.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Ye were thrown from a horse.”

“I remember that. What happened here? What happened with Malcolm and Eithne? And how did I get back here?”

“Whoa, sweetling, there is plenty of time to tell ye everything. For now, I will tell ye Fingal arrived at the same conclusions ye and Matheson did. He brought Laird Chisholm here to defend Duncurra, and was holding Malcolm off when we arrived. Malcolm fled, as ye are aware, because he managed to get his clutches on ye. After ye were thrown from the horse, I brought ye back here. Ye slept for almost a full day, waking for the first time yesterday afternoon.”

“But what about —”

“That is enough for now,” he said firmly.

For the next couple of days, Niall refused to let Katherine leave their chamber and made certain she did little more than rest and eat. He gave her very sketchy details of events prior to her capture and none of what had happened since. Finally, on the third evening, she insisted on dining in the great hall. She wanted to hear the full story before she did, and, grudgingly, Niall agreed. He told her what Fingal had learned from Eithne and Malcolm.

“Sweet Mary,” she said, “What a shock for Fingal.”

“Aye. Apparently many MacLennans either knew or suspected Malcolm was his father. It is easy to see the similarities now we know, but no one here ever suspected.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, because he is so much like ye.”

“Katherine, my sweet, other than our height, Fingal looks nothing like me. Everyone always assumed his looks came from Eithne.”

“I didn’t say he looked like ye, I said he
is
like ye. He is a strong, competent warrior, but he is also gentle and tolerant. He is fair and kind, and protects those who need him. He is proud, unfailingly loyal, and he would sacrifice his life for this clan. He is so much like ye that no one who truly knows ye both would ever deny he is your brother.”

Her pronouncement took Niall aback. Everything she said about Fingal was true. He found it endearing that she also applied those traits to him. However, the fact that she believed others drew the same comparisons was, quite frankly, humbling. Furthermore, she had referred to Fingal as his brother in the present tense. He certainly still considered Fingal his brother, and was glad she did as well.

“How is he handling all of this?” Katherine asked after a moment.

“He is upset, as ye can imagine, but worse, he feels guilty.”

“Over what?” Katherine demanded.

“Over the fact that Malcolm and Eithne told him they did all of this for him.”

“What a load of nonsense. Malcolm and Eithne are the two most self-serving people I have ever met, even surpassing my Uncle Ambrose. Having Fingal as a son was a convenient excuse, but that is all.”

“I’m sure ye are right, but Fingal is determined to return to Chisholm. It is one of the reasons I have kept ye secreted away up here. He will not leave until he has apologized to ye, and I keep telling him ye are too weak to have visitors.” Niall added sheepishly, “I had hoped after a few days he would change his mind about leaving.”

“What’s the matter with ye? He has sworn fealty to ye, hasn’t he?”

“Aye, he has, but—”

“But nothing, ye must simply refuse to release him. Ye have no problem commanding other people and expecting your commands to be followed without question.”

By “other people,” Niall assumed she referred not so subtly to herself, and he laughed for what felt like the first time in weeks. “As ye wish, my lady,” he said, bowing to her. “Ye still haven’t forgiven me for sending ye away—twice?”

“Well, I forgive ye for the first time. Had ye not done that, we never would have learned Tadhg wasn’t behind the raids.”

“True,” Niall agreed.

“So have ye forgiven him for abducting me?”

He realized she had cornered him and glared at her. “I suppose I have,” he acknowledged grudgingly.

“Good. Then, I will consider forgiving both of ye for sending me back to Cnocreidh.”

“My lady, ye will do more than consider forgiving us. I command it,” he said, capturing her in his arms and kissing all thoughts from her head.

Before either of them was ready to leave this haven, a knock sounded at the door. Diarmad called, “Laird, I am sorry to bother ye, but I have just received word from the watch that Laird Matheson approaches.”

Niall called, “I will be down shortly.” Reluctantly he rose from bed and dressed. Katherine did as well.

“Ye didn’t finish telling me all that happened,” she said. “Where has Tadhg been?”

Niall sighed. “Ye remember Malcolm put ye on Eithne’s palfrey wearing her mantle?”

“Aye, he was trying to buy time for his escape. He believed ye would not harm Eithne when ye discovered it was her.”

“Aye, I wouldn’t have, but evidently Eithne didn’t believe that. As Malcolm’s men surrendered, she stabbed Duncan in the gut and tried to push him off his horse. I think she intended to run, but as Duncan fell, she was pulled off the horse with him. In the confusion, they were both trampled.”

“Poor Duncan, what a terrible way to die.”

“Katherine, he was Malcolm’s commander and clearly a big part of this whole plan.”

“I know,” she said sadly. “It is hard to feel much pity for Eithne—her death was the direct result of her own cowardice—but he had a wife and daughters who will have to go on without him.”

“Tadhg suffered a moment of panic trying to save her, thinking it was ye. I knew ye were with Malcolm as soon as I saw him riding away; I saw your kertch.”

“Well then, I guess it was worth freezing over,” Katherine said, and confessed she had shaken her hood off on purpose. “So Eithne caused her own death, but what happened to Malcolm?”

“Malcolm’s little trick worked. By causing your mount to throw ye, he bought enough time to elude us. Tadhg and his men followed him that night, but I am not sure what happened after that. Perhaps we’ll learn more when he arrives.”

“Then I suppose we should join our guests,” said Katherine as she pulled a plaid around her shoulders.

“Ye might need this,” Niall said, producing the brooch she had dropped in the snow.

“Ye did find it,” she said, giving him the brilliant smile that made his knees weak.

“Aye,” he said, pinning her plaid together at her neck. “I am going to have to keep ye firmly rooted by my side to make sure ye don’t lose it again.” He kissed her, and reluctantly breaking the kiss, he said, “Ye really need to stop distracting me.”

~ * ~

When they reached the great hall, Tomas barreled toward her, throwing his arms around her waist yelling, “Mama, ye are all right!”

Everyone there greeted Katherine with nearly as much enthusiasm. It filled Niall with pride to see the firm place Katherine held in the hearts of his clan. Looking up at the front doors, he saw Tadhg and his men enter the hall just as Fingal approached Katherine and bowed. “My lady, please accept my apologies for everything that has happened.”

Katherine looked him squarely in the eyes. “I will not.”

Fingal appeared stunned and the room fell silent.

“Fingal, there is nothing to forgive. Ye are Niall’s brother, and nothing that has happened is your fault. Well, nothing other than ye saving Duncurra by bringing Laird Chisholm here.”

Fingal glanced at Niall, “Didn’t ye tell her?”

“Aye, I told her.”

“Then, my lady, ye know I am not Niall’s brother.”

“Fingal, I would have thought by now ye would know blood ties mean very little to me. Given enough time, my father’s brother would probably have beaten me to death.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it? Do ye think I could possibly love Tomas any more if I had given birth to him?”

Fingal didn’t answer.

“Regardless of who your parents were, ye have been a better brother to Niall and to me than anyone could hope for. Ye are Fingal MacIan because Alastair MacIan was your father in the truest sense of the word.” Then taking his hands in hers, she said earnestly, “Ye will always be my brother, and ye have my eternal gratitude for saving my home.”

With that she kissed him on the cheek. Then breaking the silence in the room, clearly trying to imitate Niall’s commanding voice, she said, “This discussion is over. I will hear no more of this nonsense.”

Niall laughed until tears ran down his face to see his little wife render his brother speechless. “No more arguments, brother, I couldn’t allow ye to return to Laird Chisholm now if I wanted to, and I don’t.”

Fingal grinned.

Tadhg also appeared to have trouble containing his amusement. He crossed the room to greet Niall and said with a smirk, “Ye deserve her, Niall. I, for one, intend on having a quiet life married to a sweet, biddable lass.”

“Don’t tempt fate, my friend,” responded Niall, gripping his forearm. “I swore never to marry at all, but I will be eternally grateful to our king for this match. Join us for our evening meal. I will hear of your travels later.” As much as Niall wanted to know what had happened with Malcolm, he did not want to risk upsetting Katherine before the meal.

Tadhg took the hint.

There was a festive feel to dinner that evening and Niall did not want to spoil it. However, after the meal was finished and they moved to sit by the hearth, he could delay no longer and finally asked, “What did ye find when ye searched for Malcolm?”

“Initially we found nothing. It was snowing heavily by then and we thought it must have covered his tracks completely. We took shelter in the caves until the storm blew out, assuming he’d done the same thing. Then we searched for several days but found no sign of him. We finally found him after we turned back. It looked as if his horse lost its footing and stumbled where the track skirted the edge of a deep gulley, not far beyond the place where we thought we lost his trail in the heavy snow. Both he and the horse were dead at the bottom of the gulley.”

All was quiet for a moment, and finally Father Colm said, “Malcolm was responsible for his own destruction. I hope the poor horse didn’t suffer.”