One & Only (21 page)

CHAPTER eighteen

Grey wished with all his heart he
knew what was happening to Bree.

For hours he paced the old chamber
beneath the keep envisioning the worst. He waited for someone to come, but no
one had. If it took the rest of his life, he would repay Alexander for this
atrocity. He couldn’t believe his king’s backstabbing deceit. Grey seethed and
wanted retribution. He wanted to kill someone and that someone was Alexander.

A clank sounded on the door of the
steps to the lower level. He instantly became alert and waited to see who had
come. The dismal aura of the lower level lent darkness and he couldn’t see very
far. A figure, dark and gray emanated from the stairs.

“Grey, ‘tis me, Donal.” As he strode
forward, he cleared the murkiness of the dungeon and hesitated to move forward.

“What is happening? Did he really
send Bree to MacHeth?”

Donal stood next to the bars of the
cell Grey had been placed in. “Aye, she’s been gone for several hours. This is
the first I’ve been able to get away unnoticed. I’m sorry, Grey. I didn’t know
what Alexander intended. For I wouldn’t have asked him to come, nor insist she
answer his questions if I had. We could have handled MacHeth on our own without
his interference.” Donal cured a few times and then spit on the ground.

“’Tis too late for that, Donal. The
lass is in dire trouble. Tell me what happened after I was taken away.”

“He called forth your guard and bid
them to stay on my land until he gave them permission to leave it. Alexander
chose Gordy to go with her. He bade her to return with proof of MacHeth’s
guilt.”

“Damnation! Gordy’s but a lad and
can’t protect her. What in hell is he thinking? Does he not care she could be
killed?”

“I know not what’s in Alexander’s
mind, but I would calm down were I you.”

“Calm down? He just sent my
betrothed into the lair of that daemon banshee and you expect me to be calm? I am
planning my revenge, aye sweet vengeance. Aye, a good killing is in order. I
vow, Donal, if I get close to Alexander, I’ll strangle him with my bare hands.”

Donal shook his head. “Ye speak
treasonous. Cease your anger, Grey. If you want to be released and able to
convince Alexander to save your lass, you best rethink vengeance. Mayhap he’ll
change his mind and let ye go to her.”

Grey scoffed and continued to pace
inside the cell. “I am worried for her.”

“I know you are.”

“She’s a delicate lass and can’t protect
herself, and he sends a lad with her? It’s inconceivable. How can he put her
safety above his crown?” Grey couldn’t imagine what she was going through. It
killed him to be so helpless. He’d lost her once and but he vowed never to
again. With his hands tied so to speak, there was nothing he could do.

“He doesn’t love Bree as you do. Now
his crown, aye, he loves his crown.”

Someone was coming, and the sound of
footsteps came. Grey hoped it was his guard, so he could at least assure
himself they were well. If he could get word to his guard, he would give them
instruction and have them ready.

“I knew I would find you here. The
minute my back is turned … Damn, ye, Donal.”

“Sire, release me.” Grey gripped the
iron bars and rattled them, though they barely moved. He was securely
imprisoned. It was a good thing, because if he was freed at that moment, his
hands would have fastened around Alexander’s neck and the king would be no
more.

“I will, Grey, but not yet. When I
hear word from the lady, I will set you free. Only after I have secured my
crown. If what she says is true and there is a revolt, I will call arms. I
expect ye both to lend support.”

Grey scowled his dislike for his
king, and didn’t give a good damn if he knew it. “Lend you support? Are ye
fucking maddened? After you sent my betrothed to that insufferable swine? If
you want to secure your crown, you will do it without my aid. I will never
support you again, Alexander.”

“Grey,” Donal called. “Mayhap this
will all turn out well. Don’t be so surly.”

“Surly, are ye jesting, Donal? I am
more than surly.”

“I know you are upset about the
lass, Gunn, which is why I’ll forgive such treasonous statements. We shall see
if and when I receive word from the lass if war is to be.”

Alexander turned his back and
started to walk away.

Grey tried to grasp him through the
bars, but he’d stepped away too hastily. “Come back here. Let me go to her,
damn it. Alexander! Alexander!”

Both Alexander and Donal left him.
Grey continued to pace and if it were possible, he was more angry now than he’d
been before Alexander came. His rage consumed him and he fisted his hands,
wishing he could get a hold of Alexander’s neck or a finely sharpened sword.

“Psst, laird.”

Grey looked toward the stairs and
saw someone lurking. “Come.”

Greer hastened to the cell. “I
waited until Donal and the king left.”

“Tell me, did you see Bree before
she left?”

“Aye, laird. She held herself like a
queen, she did. I don’t deem you should be concerned for it appeared she had a
plan.”

“I have a plan too. Have one of the
men find a messenger. I want the Gunn soldiers ready. They will await me by
MacHeth land. Have them come immediately. I don’t intend to be here long.”

“All ready done, Laird. I had one of
Donal’s soldiers deliver the news to Duff because they won’t let us leave Ross
land.”

“Once I’m freed, I will retrieve
Bree and then …”

“War, Laird. We will kill all those
churlish dogs. We will be ready.”

“I can’t stop thinking I failed her
again.” Grey leaned his head in woe against the iron bars. “If anything happens
to her, Greer … She didn’t want to face the king and I forced her to.”

“Laird, she will return, and if she
cannot then Gordy will bring back word and then we can go and get milady. She
told me to tell ye not to worry for her.”

“She’s a brave lass.”

“Aye, that she is.”

CHAPTER nineteen

She was a coward. Bree was so afraid
to leave the chamber. MacHeth had never answered her question the previous
night. She’d waited to hear what he’d do with her, but he ignored her question
and continued to dine without a word to her.

He and his cohort jested, saying
foul blasphemies which sickened her. They in all gruesomeness described how
they would kill their enemies. She listened intently hoping to hear King
Alexander’s name mentioned, but all they referenced was a dog.

After an hour, she returned to her
chamber where she’d spent a sleepless night. Sounds through the night terrified
her. Screams and sounds of torment filled the night air. If the castle didn’t
look gloomy to begin with, the noises within would certainly scare the bravest
knight.

Gordy looked as frightened as she,
considering he slept sitting with his back to the door, leaning his head on his
raised knees. Seeing him reminded her of home. Home.

Why she thought of the Gunn keep as
home, she didn’t know. She missed her dear friend Cait and now wished she
hadn’t asked Grey to go to Maurice’s wedding. Sunny’s beautiful face came to
her and she saddened. If she ever got out of this predicament, she would hug
that child and never leave Gunn land again.

Light shown through the window
casement as the morn broke through the dim sky. Day had finally come after a
long and dismal night. Bree hadn’t slept a single wink, yet she wasn’t tired.
Keeping her guard up lent a rush of adrenaline to her. She hesitantly moved off
the bed and nudged Gordy with her foot.

“Gordy, awaken. I have an idea.”
Thinking of Sunny gave her the inspiration.

Gordy rubbed the sleep from his eyes
and stood. “Milady, what idea?”

“None have spoken to you yet. I want
you to pretend that you cannot hear. I will use my hands to gesture to you and
will tell them you are deaf.”

Gordy smiled. “What?” he asked,
cupping his hear.

“I said—”

“I know what you said, milady, I was
but jesting. Couldn’t hear ye.”

“Oh,” she said and then laughed. The
boy needed to take this seriously. “This is no time to jest, Gordy. In this way
if anyone should speak around you, they will not guard what they say. Now shall
we go and see what Laird MacHeth is up to?”

Gordy followed her out of the
chamber. Bree didn’t see a soul on her way to the great hall. When she made it
to the lower floor, she heard men’s gruff voices.

She bid Gordy to await her by the
stairs, and she went to MacHeth, hoping he was in a better mood this day than
last. The man didn’t seem to let his guard down and would likely not reveal
anything. Somehow she had to come up with a plan to get him to reveal something
and soon.

“My lord, good morn.”

“So ye awakened? Come, sit. This is
my good comrade, Domnall MacWilliams. This is Albrey MacKay, Dom, the lass I
told you about.”

Bree eyed the two curiously, first
MacHeth and then MacWilliams. They were not pleasant to look upon, nor did they
have a good disposition. Something in their eyes told her to be wary, their
eyes, one’s blacker than hell, the other’s as muted at horse manure.

There was a look of evilness to them
and Bree was sure it wasn’t her imagination. She curtseyed and took a seat at
the table. There was no way she could stomach eating and so she toyed with the
trencher of food set before her by a servant who showed herself from nowhere.

The old servant woman’s back was
hunched over and she grinned slightly when she set a cup beside her trencher.
Bree thanked her and then set her attention on the men.

“I will have her,” MacWilliams said,
before lifting a bowl and spilling half of its contents down his shirt.

With a frown, she rose. “My lords? I
know not what you speak of. If you deem to use me in such a way then I shall
leave.” Bree wanted to flee in that moment. MacWilliams scared her beyond
anyone, he was far more dangerous than MacHeth. If what he said was true, she
was surely going to be harmed.

“Sit ye down,” MacHeth said. And
when she didn’t, he hastened to her seat and forced her to sit by pushing her
into it. “Domnall is your intended. You were told, were you not, that you would
wed? He is your betrothed.”

“Aye, Baron Thomas did say something
about a betrothal …” Bree wanted to retch. The man was repulsive, let alone
foul and crass. She couldn’t marry him and wouldn’t.

“She is a shy maiden, MacHeth?”
MacWilliams asked, belching. “Suites me well. Me likes a woman who has a
sweetness about her.”

Bree wanted to abscond to her
chamber, but she also needed to find out who the cohort was, if any, in the
supposedly revolt. She wondered if Domnall MacWilliams was involved.
MacWilliams wore a cross look and his disposition matched the surliness.

The only thing that kept her from
running was the thought of Grey being held prisoner by the king. Until her task
was completed, Grey would not gain freedom. That gave her courage. With that
thought, Bree got another idea.

“I saw King Alexander at the Gunn
keep a few days ago. He was visiting Laird Gunn. I understand you both served
his father. What think you of his son?” She waited for their answer as both
stared at her. Though he didn’t wish to speak of politics, she hoped to stoke
MacHeth’s curiosity enough to loosen his tongue.

“Alexander was at the Gunn keep?”

She nodded, but didn’t elaborate.
The less she said the better when it came to being deceitful.

“I deem the wily king isn’t fit to
rule, that’s what I think,” MacWilliams said with a sneer.

“I cannot agree with you more. He
did not impress me. Why my King John, now there is a king.” Bree kept her tone
serious. She was getting really good at fabrication.

“You have met King John?” MacHeth
asked.

“Aye, he often came to Baron Thomas’
residence. He and I are acquainted.”

They both laughed, and MacWilliams
wiped at his eyes.

“What is so comical, my lords?”

“You just secured your fate, lass.”

“How did I do that, my lord? What
fate?”

MacHeth grinned. “If ye won’t wed
MacWilliams. Well now, we’ll have something for which to barter with King John.
I would wager he would pay a lot of coin for you. He has much to repay us for,
doesn’t he, Dom?”

“Oh aye, he does. Too bad he doesn’t
know we do not intend to further the relations with him once I repossess the
crown.”

A chill came to Bree with
MacWilliams’ words. He wanted Alexander’s crown. Obviously he was in league
with MacHeth. Now all she had to do was find out if there were others.

“You plan to ransom me? I doubt King
John would pay a farthing for me. I was naught but a servant in his nobleman’s
household.” Bree watched the two men give odd looks to each other.

MacHeth laughed derisively. “He’d
pay a good amount for you, lady. Indeed, a good amount to get his hands on
Scotland’s kin.”

Bree wasn’t sure what he meant by
that remark. The two men began eating again; their vile table manners unsettled
her stomach. She couldn’t take much longer in their presence. “May I return to
my chamber?”

“Aye, go,” MacHeth said. “Ye are to
return for supper this eve.”

As Bree left the hall, she motioned
to Gordy to stay where he was by gesturing to him and making sure the men saw
her hand movements. He had taken a position near the entrance, by the buttery
where he was unnoticed.

She hurried to the chamber she’d
been given and latched the door when she stepped inside. If only she could
write a message, she would send it now. There was no parchment or ink to be had
in the entire chamber. The desk which sat by the window had not a single item
on it. She gazed out the window and wished Grey were with her. She needed him.

Throughout the rest of the day, Bree
paced the chamber wearing away any shine left on the flooring, thoughts madly
skittering her mind. She’d been told this was where the Mackay clan had lived
before MacHeth overtook them.

If that was so, then she had been
raised there and lived a handful of years with a loving family. Though she
could not remember ever being there, she imagined the keep was far more
appealing when the Mackays resided there.

As the day turned to dusk, she
waited impatiently for Gordy and hoped he would soon return to her chamber. The
lad hadn’t come and she worried for him, hoping she hadn’t put him in danger.
Bree heard a knock at the door and looked at it. Something told her not to open
it, and so she did not until she heard Gordy’s voice call out.

“Milady, ‘tis me, Gordy.”

Bree rushed to open it and let him
in. She couldn’t help hugging him. “Are you well? They didn’t harm you did
they? I worried for ye.”

Gordy spoke in a low voice, and
motioned for her to move near the window. “Nay, milady, they didn’t hurt me. I
pretended not to be able to hear. They believe me deaf. I waited until they
left the hall before I came to you. Most of the men left the keep. There be
nary a soul left.”

“Did you overhear anything?” she
asked apprehend-sively.

“MacHeth is not the leader.”

Bree sucked in a breath and rubbed
her forehead. “If he is not, then who is?”

“MacWilliams. He means to take the
crown from Alexander and has a large army preparing. I heard them speak of
forces moving even now to confront the king and his forces at Kinloss. I must
go, milady, right now, and let King Alexander know what is to come.”

Bree’s chest tightened. “Go then. Be
safe, Gordy, God be with you. If they release Grey, please tell him I …”
Emotions came bursting forth and she wept at the thought of never seeing him
again.

“Milady, he knows you love him. Do
not worry so. My laird will come for you.”

“I hope so, Gordy. I hope so.”

“We Gunns always keep what is ours.”

“Be careful. How will you leave the
walls?” She opened the door and he stepped into the hallway.

Gordy grinned and then picked up a
bucket before holding it up. “I’ll pretend to be getting water.”

She waved at him and then smiled to
herself, for the Gunns were definitely a boastful bunch.

Gordy reached the steps and turned
to look at her before quietly descending, leaving Bree alone. What she would
face by herself at this dilapidated castle, she wasn’t sure, but she knew it
wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Soon after Gordy left, another knock
came at her door. She thought he had returned, but when she opened the door,
the old lady stood glaring at her.

“Ye be wanted in the hall by the
laird. Make haste, lass.” The woman limped away.

Bree had been startled by her. As
aged as she was, she couldn’t be younger than sixty. The poor woman looked
unhealthy too, mayhap it was hunger she’d seen in her eyes.

She had no choice but to go to the
hall. Once there, she noticed there was no company as there had been on the
first night. All those who had lingered in the great hall that night were
absent, save for MacHeth and MacWilliams.

“My lords,” she said and curtseyed.

“Be seated,” MacHeth said.

Bree did as she was bid and looked
around, hoping to take her attention from the two formidable, disgusting men.
She spotted a window unadorned by any covering and noticed how late it had
grown. Darkness set the window casement.

Again, the unseen servant came forth
and set a trencher before her. Bree looked at the fare and couldn’t make out
what it was. It smelled rank. She hadn’t an appetite anyway, and so she didn’t
eat it. How she wished she was back at the Gunn kitchens. How she missed Gell
and his surly manner. If she ever made it back to the Gunn keep, she would make
a feast so delicious, everyone within the clan would want to dine with her.

When she looked up from her
trencher, she noticed MacWilliams had risen. He made his way from the end of
the table to stand next to her. With a bone in his hand, he tore off the meat,
chewed it and then threw the bone at a door nearby. Bree was disgusted by him.
He was foulness and ill-mannered. She’d throw herself off the nearest tower
before she’d wed a vile man such as he.

The man rubbed her face with his
greasy hand, and Bree had to swallow the bile that arose from her throat. She
leaned away from him, but he grasped her hair and jerked her face back to make
her look at him. He leered at her.

“I think this lass needs to learn
her place, MacHeth. Put her in the room. Aye, a good fright will make her learn
her place. She has much spunk for my liking.”

Now she knew Gordy was speaking the
truth, because MacHeth rose to do his bidding. He grabbed Bree’s arm and jerked
her forward until she stood by the door MacWilliams had thrown his bone at. As
the door opened, a horrible odor came forth and Bree thought she would vomit.
MacHeth pushed her through the door and shut it.