Grant Clan 06 - My Desperate Highlander (12 page)

When Micheil arrived back at the home, Logan and Gwyneth were already there with a young dark-haired lass around ten or eleven summers. He stopped as soon as he stepped inside the door, frozen in place by the sight of the bruises on the young girl’s face.

Micheil stared at Logan with his eyebrows raised in question. Gwyneth sat in the corner feeding Sorcha.

Logan placed his hands on the lassie’s shoulders. “This is Molly. Molly worked for the English family that brought Randall Baines and his betrothed here to town.”

“But no longer?” Micheil asked.

“Nay. Molly dropped a trencher on the floor, and the grandmother of Clarice, the girl to be married, slapped her and ordered for her to be beaten with a switch. Gwynie found her outside sobbing after her beating. Ena, the grandmother, thought if they sent her out into the cold without any protection, she would learn her lesson better. She was tethered to a tree.”

Molly hung her head, tears rolling down her cheeks in humiliation.

Aunt Elspeth said, “Molly, please do not cry,” she said softly. “I promise we will never beat you.”

Micheil said, “Nay, we will not beat you. Where are your parents?”

“In England,” Logan answered. “Tell Micheil why they sent you away,” he added, his voice gentle.

Her gaze remained staring at the floor. “My sire said there were too many mouths to feed, so my younger sister and I were sent out. He wouldn’t part with his sons.”

“Where is your sister?” Micheil was almost afraid to ask.

“Maggie is still inside.” Her eyes turned hopeful eyes at the mention of her sister.

“Do you have information about Diana, a lady with red hair?”

Logan smiled. “Why, aye, she does. Molly can lead us to Diana. She knows exactly where she is being kept. Diana was kidnapped to be taken back to England as Randall Baines’s mistress.” He tipped his head at his brother.

Micheil’s eyes widened. Lord, he could hardly believe it, but judging from the expression on Logan’s face, it was true. “His mistress?”

Molly nodded, her eyes still cast down. “His new wife agreed.”

Micheil knelt in front of the lass and placed his finger under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “My thanks, Molly, for helping us. Is Lady Diana alive and well?”

“Aye, they have her guarded until Randall returns from the wedding ceremony.”

Gwyneth announced, “We also have another job to do.”

“And that is?” Micheil asked.

“We’re going to find Maggie and bring her with us. I have need of a couple of helpers with my bairn, especially since my husband has made me with child again.” She glared at Logan. “Molly said she would prefer to go with us instead of back to England with that family. Logan and I thought it was a wonderful idea.”

Molly spoke up. “I can clean clothes, too, my lord.” She stood stiff as a board, not moving a muscle, probably sore from her beating.

Micheil stared into space, envisioning wrapping his hands around Baines’s neck so he could choke him slowly. “That sounds wonderful, Gwyneth. I think Molly and Maggie will like the Ramsay keep, and I’m sure mama would love to have them.”

“Come eat more, lassie,” Aunt Elspeth said, grabbing Molly by the hand. “You are too thin.” She sat her down at the table, but Molly jumped back out of the chair.

“Must I sit, my lady?” Her hands protected her backside.

Elspeth found a soft plaid and set it atop the chair. “Try this, lass.”

Micheil spun around to Gwyneth. “Are you two ready? ‘Tis time to prepare ourselves and do this.” He wrung his hands as he stood in the middle of the small hall.

He just couldn’t wait any longer. How the hell could someone take a switch to such a wee lass? “And Molly? Do not forget to show us which one is the grandmother who ordered your punishment.”

***

Diana was in a panic, but there was still a most crushing ache in her head. The old biddy sat down in her chair again—she clearly had no intention of leaving—so Diana turned to the other side and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She needed time to think. Micheil would come for her, wouldn’t he? And she desperately hoped Aunt Elspeth was all right.

A short time later, the door opened and quietly closed. “Is she behaving, Grandmama?”

Diana turned toward the door. Clarice moved over to her side of the bed and sat on the edge.

“I’m sorry we had to hurt you, my dear. If you had only given in to Randall, we wouldn’t have needed to kidnap you.” Clarice ran her finger down the side of Diana’s cheek. “I tried to get you to be agreeable.”

Diana pulled away from her, cringing from her touch, but Clarice grabbed her hair. Pain shot through Diana’s head since it was so close to her lump. “You will learn not to look down your nose at me, but for now I will forgive you since you are probably a bit…bewildered…by the changes in your circumstances. Just remember there are many who would be grateful to take your place.”

“Then please pick one of them. I want naught to do with you or Randall. You lied to me and now you are holding me against my will. I will never give in to you.”

Clarice smiled and released her hair, then rubbed her cheek with the back of her hand, following the caress with a brisk slap. “We’ll see. Randall will have his way with you, don’t you doubt it.”

She stood and walked over to her grandmother. “Keep her quiet for another hour or two. We must participate in the feast. If you need the guards to tie her up, do it. There must be no chance of her breaking free while the castle is still full of Scots.”

As soon as she left, Diana took stock of her surroundings. It would not be difficult to overpower the old biddy, and she did have her dagger. She needed to distract the woman.

“Would it be possible to have something to eat, my lady?”

“Here’s some cheese. That’s all I have. Foolish serving girl spilled the porridge.”

“But my head hurts so much and it will be painful to chew. Porridge would be better.” She had to get out of here. The crony groaned, but she got up to speak to the guards and sent one to the great hall for food.

Diana needed a distraction. She needed to get out of this nightmare and back to Micheil. Why had she not appreciated Micheil for all he had done for her? She’d been blinded by stories and her own imagination. Now she realized
he
was the true knight, always protecting and taking care of her. To hell with foolish English knights. She wanted a Scot, and Micheil Ramsay was the man for her. Bringing her to Edinburgh, saving her from the lout Randall, holding her while she cried, standing up against the cheat at the jousting tournament, he had helped her so much. Why hadn’t she seen him for what he was?

She finally realized Micheil Ramsay was her knight, and that she fell in love with him in Edinburgh, just as her dear mother had predicted. If only she had a way to tell him.

***

Gwyneth helped Molly get dressed in a bed chamber in Aunt Elspeth’s house. The men were still in the dining hall, planning a strategy based on the detailed description Molly had given them of the layout of the castle.

Gwyneth sat on her heels in front of the lass, fitting her hair into a lad’s cap. They had decided the only way to get in was disguised as kitchen lads. A huge feast, to which King Alexander had invited most of the town, offered the perfect cover for them. There would be many in and out of the bailey, so no one would suspect them. Their only problem was ensuring that Molly was not recognized by any of the inside helpers.

“My lady?” Molly whispered.

“What, sweeting?” Gwyneth asked her, smiling in the hopes of soothing some of the girl’s fear.

“Promise not to leave us behind, my sister and me?” Her voice trembled as she stared at her feet. “We’ll go anywhere with you if you won’t beat us. Or I can take Maggie’s beatings. As long as you do not beat my sister, I’ll do whatever you ask. She’s too young.”

Gwyneth set her finger under Molly’s chin and lifted the girl’s gaze to hers. “I promise not to leave you two behind, and I promise not to beat either of you. If we are separated, I will come back for you. Do you believe me?”

“I’ll try my best,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Tell me, who are you most afraid of—Randall, Clarice, or her grandmother?”

Molly averted her gaze. “Lord Baines. I did not know the other two before coming to Edinburgh.”

“But was it not the grandmother who had you beaten?” Gwyneth had a bad feeling in her gut all of a sudden.

“Aye, but I understand that kind of beating. I had them back in England, too.” She stared at the ceiling as her toe began tapping on the floor.

Gwyneth stopped fussing with the lass’s disguise and brought Molly’s gaze back to hers. “And what kind of beating do you not understand?”

Molly did not answer, but tears slid down her cheek as her lower lip trembled.

“Molly, I was once forced aboard a ship where a man tried to touch me in a place that is my private area alone. He made me feel verra uncomfortable and dirty. Was that what happened?”

The lass nodded, her hands wringing behind her slim body. “Lord Baines made me undress, and he felt my chest. He said I was not quite ready yet, but soon. I did not like it. I fear for Maggie.”

Gwyneth’s belly was suddenly squeezed in a familiar grip—one she hadn’t felt in a long time. It would serve her well for the task that lay ahead of her. She hugged Molly tight even though she stood as stiff as a board. “Don’t you worry, lassie. Randall Baines will never touch you again, I’ll see to it. And neither will the old woman.”

Molly relaxed and laid her head on Gwyneth’s shoulders, her soft cries echoing in Gwyneth’s ear. “I’m sorry we must take you when you are so sore,” she said, “but we need your guidance. Come, lass, we’ve work to do. Let’s go get your sis, aye?”

Molly nodded and stood erect so Gwyneth could finish perfecting her disguise. “I don’t mind hurting as long as we find Maggie.” Once they were ready, Gwyneth strode out into the dining hall, Molly’s hand in hers. They stopped in front of the others, and Gwyneth stared at her husband and tugged Molly in close so she could wrap an arm around her shoulders.

Everyone quieted and waited for her to speak.

Her gaze never leaving Logan’s, she said, “Husband, we have work to do.”

Logan froze. “Och, I’ve seen that look before.” He glanced at Molly and gave his wife a pointed look.

Gwyneth nodded.

“Bastard will pay.” Logan turned to his brother. “This will be sheer pleasure, I promise you.”

*

Micheil stared at Gwyneth and Molly, hoping he had misinterpreted the silent conversation between husband and wife, but something told him he hadn’t. “Baines is a liar and a cheat. He proved that in front of a crowd of English and Scots on the jousting field.”

Gwyneth closed her eyes. “Och, but the man is so, so much more than that.”

Her eyes flew open again, a fury in them Micheil had only seen there once before, the night many moons ago when Gwyneth had hunted down the man who had murdered her father and brother. His brother’s wife was a master archer, and she always carried her bow and arrows. He had seen the proof of her ability that night.

Before they stepped out, Gwyneth turned to her husband. “Logan, place this mantle so it appears I have a hunched back. I need to hide my quiver.”

Molly watched her carefully as Logan assisted her. “You use a bow and arrow, my lady?”

Gwyneth nodded as she ran her hand down her back. “Aye. I promised to get your sister back, and I will.” Once she was suitably arranged, Gwyneth moved over to Aunt Elspeth, who held Sorcha in her arms, and kissed her sleeping daughter on the cheek, then strode to the door. “Come, we must rescue the two lassies.”

Aunt Elspeth smiled, nodding in satisfaction. “Bless you, my dear.”

The old lady had another serving girl bring in the porridge. As the woman walked over to the window, Diana made her move, managing to reach into her pocket and remove the cover from her dagger. She hoped not to cut her leg, but she needed it ready.

“Well, the nobility are moving into the great hall. Wonderful. Randall and Clarice should be able to find their way here soon. I would like to go down to the festivities for a while.” She turned from the window to stare at Diana. “And I do not care to be here whence your lessons begin. They’ll have a time with you.” She shook her bent finger at her. “They should have heeded my words and chosen someone willing in exchange for the coin. But that Randall has some unique views. Perhaps it is best you are here so he can use you instead of my beautiful granddaughter.”

The door to the chamber swung open and Randall marched in. “Well, Ena, I see you have my pretty one.” He stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. “My, my, I believe I am grateful I decided to wait until my wedding night to take you. It will make me feel like I have a true bride instead of the cold one I wed.”

Diana glared at him and he chuckled. “We will definitely have fun tonight. You will not be the only one screaming, so no one will heed your cries.” He spun on his heel and called in the guards. “Bring the woman to the room off my chamber within the next few moments. Be discreet and gag her if you must. Though with all the revelry in the hall and the courtyard, no one will pay her any mind.”

He walked over and tipped her head back to kiss her. Diana sealed her lips together, refusing to return the kiss until he bit her and she yelped. He chucked her under the chin and said, “If I need to have someone tie you to the bed, I will, you can count on that.” He grinned and sauntered out the door.

Diana spit on the floor after he left, glaring at the old crone who laughed in the corner, wondering how she could ever have been attracted to the vile lout. She had considered stabbing the man with her dagger, but she would have to use it on two people since the old bitch was still present. She would only have one chance, and she was not ready to gamble it yet. The guards were still outside the room. She thought her best opportunity would arise while she was being moved or when she was in the other chamber.

Where was Micheil?

***

Gwyneth gave Logan a fast kiss behind the castle.

Micheil said, “Plan in place. Are you solid with it, Gwyneth?”

“Aye, Molly and I will do our part, don’t you worry. We’ll be looking for you, either outside or inside.” Gwyneth, dressed in her favored tunic and leggings, had her bow across her back and her quiver within easy reach, hidden by her mantle. Since it was a cool night, she hoped it would escape notice by the cook.

Logan said, “Micheil, you wait out here for Gwyneth’s call.”

The group split and Gwyneth trudged around to the back of the kitchens with Molly. She found two platters and they wove their way out to the roasted pig outside and stood in line. As soon as the cook loaded their platters, they moved into the kitchens.

“Hurry with the pork, lads. They are eating everything inside the hall. There is not enough to hold them,” one cook shouted. “Remove your mantle, lad.”

“Aye, Cook.” She mumbled over her shoulder but hurried along, counting on the chaos to cover her.

Gwyneth moved out of the kitchens and into the corridor leading to the great hall. Molly stayed right beside her. Just before they entered the great hall, Molly stopped and pointed. “There, that way.”

They made their way through a large maze of passageways littered with scraps of food, lovers kissing, and an occasional drunken soul passed out on the floor. The torches were scattered so their faces stayed quite hidden. Molly pointed to a doorway, and Gwyneth stole inside. It was a small deserted chamber that would serve their purposes perfectly. Molly was definitely an asset.

“Here, lass,” she said, pulling a small bottle out of her satchel. “Put some of this powder over the meat you have there. Be careful not to get any on your skin or we must wash it off.” Finished with their task, they sneaked back out of the door and down the dark passageway, then up the stairs at the end of the corridor.

They stole up two flights without encountering anyone. Once they reached the door at the top of the steps, Gwyneth glanced back down the damp staircase. Seeing no one, she stuck her head out of the doorway and noticed the two guards outside a chamber, just as Molly had said they would be.

Molly whispered, “Are they close or way down the passageway?”

Gwyneth answered, “They are not close.”

“Then they must have her in the wedding chamber. That is the largest one at the end of the passageway. There are two connected rooms inside, and a small one with a large tub for bathing and dressing.”

“Then off we go. Are you ready?”

Molly nodded, a serious expression on her face, and began carrying her platter toward the guards. Satisfied, Gwyneth walked beside her.

The guard on the left stopped them. “Lord Baines is in his room, and he has decreed no one is allowed inside either chamber.”

Gwyneth glared at him. “Lord Baines himself caught us on his way up and told us to bring meat platters with us. We brought two, one for you and one for him.”

One guard stared at the food, his mouth drooling. “Glen, I have not eaten in a while. Let them in so we can eat. What harm could two such slight lads be?”

The other guard nodded, his eyes on the huge chunks of steaming meat in front of him.

“Aye. Let them in. Here, give us ours first.”

Gwyneth handed over the platter and reached for the door. As soon as they stepped inside, she closed the door behind them. A woman who met the description of Diana was on a bed on the far wall set between two windows. Both windows had fur coverings, and the farther one had a heavy chest under it. An old woman sat on a chair near the bed, a chest of drawers not far from her. She held her fingers to her lips as the old woman had not noticed them yet. To the far side of the room sat another door. She smiled as she gripped Molly’s hand. This would be easy.

***

Diana stared at the two lads who had just entered. Randall had gone into his chamber, promising to change, but presently singing in a deep voice and creating all kinds of noise inside his chamber. Then who were these two?

One of the lads, who appeared to be built like a lass, set down a platter of meat and stepped over to the old woman. Then he yanked her up and held a dagger to her throat.

“Do not say a word or you’re a dead woman.”

Ena started to yell, but the lad squeezed her throat with his hand until she wheezed, finally falling silent.

The lad whispered over his shoulder to her. “I’m married to Micheil’s brother, and my name is Gwyneth. Diana, can you handle tying this bitch up?”

Diana wanted to shout for joy, but instead she chose to hop off the bed, nodding her head. “Aye, with pleasure.” She smiled at Ena.

“Good, here’s rope. Tie her up and I’ll take care of Baines.”

Diana’s eyes misted but she did as Gwyneth bade her to do. Micheil had come through for her. Hellfire, she loved the man! They dropped Ena onto the bed, and the smaller lad helped by holding the crone’s legs. While Diana was busy tying the old woman’s hands, Gwyneth went to the window at the far end of the chamber, tied a rope to a hunk of metal on the chest, then pulled the furs back and dropped the rope outside.

Ena stared at the smaller lad and said, “You’re no lad. You’re the daft servant I had whipped for being lazy and dropping the trencher. I’ll have you….

The speed with which Gwyneth moved from the window made Diana jump. Grasping Ena by the hair, the fierce woman pulled out her dagger and held it at Ena’s throat. “Say another word to that lass and I’ll cut your tongue out. I’m going to let her whip you in return for what you did to her.”

The old woman’s eyes bugged out, and her mouth snapped shut.

“Better. If I see or hear that tongue again, it’ll be gone. Don’t doubt it. Naught would give me more pleasure after what you did to this defenseless lassie.” She jerked her head toward the lass, who was staring at the floor now. “Take a good look at her, because now your life is in her hands.” Gwyneth glared at the woman before she finally dropped her head back on the mattress and stepped away.

Diana peered from Gwyneth to the lad, only then realizing she was indeed a young lass close to tears. Retrieving her own dagger from where she’d hidden it, Diana said, “I’ll take care of this. Do what you need to do to get us out of here. Randall is in the next chamber and may emerge at any moment.”

Gwyneth nodded and rushed over to peek through the corridor door just as Micheil dropped over the sash at the window. Diana wished to shout to the heavens when his gaze caught hers. He grinned and her heart fluttered, but she forced herself to complete her task. She blinked several times to eliminate the misting in her eyes.

“I will take care of the guards, Gwyneth. Don’t you touch them in your condition. Logan would have my arse.” He no doubt tried his best to whisper, but fortunately, Baines continued to sing and was oblivious to them.

Micheil leaned over to kiss Diana’s cheek as he passed her on his way to the door, and she wanted to swoon. She had never expected to have such strong feelings for a man, and to have it happen so fast, boggled her mind. How she wished she could tell her papa.

She had finished gagging the old woman when Micheil said to the lass. “Molly, hold open the door.” The lass ran over and did as she was told. Micheil dragged the two motionless guards into the room and tied one up.

“Are they dead?” the lass whispered as he continued working.

Gwyneth shook her head. “Nay, just asleep. Diana, are you all right with her?”

Diana nodded. “Aye, she’s not going anywhere.”

As Gwyneth moved toward the door to the next chamber, Micheil said, “Let me. These fools are not going anywhere.” He gestured to the guards, who were already trussed up.

Gwyneth shook her head slowly and deliberately. “Not a chance. This bastard is all mine.” She strode back and kissed Molly’s cheek, then pivoted back toward the door, a large grin on her face.