One & Only (26 page)

CHAPTER twenty-six

A fortnight had passed and still
Grey had no luck in finding the woman or locating MacHeth’s whereabouts. He’d
sent several of his men to search for Nell, knowing she couldn’t have gotten
far. But they’d reported that she wasn’t to be found within miles of Gunn land.

Knowing Bree was safe at home, being
protected by Greer, he knew the woman couldn’t harm her further. Still, he bid
his men to keep searching until she was found. Greer had sent a messenger than
Bree was recovering well and for him not to worry.

With much concern over MacHeth on
the loose, Grey concentrated on finding him. He wouldn’t rest until he did so.
MacHeth’s holding was vacant and only a few poor starving serfs remained. Grey
caught up to Alexander’s army and refused to pay homage to him.

He only wanted to find out if
Alexander had killed MacHeth and if the reports that MacHeth evaded him were
truth. The answer was aye, Alexander’s army had allowed MacHeth to escape
during the fray.

Grey had not found the wayward laird
either. His patience wore thin. He wanted to return home to assure his wife was
well, and see for himself that she was recovering. Yet until he dispatched
MacHeth there was no retuning home.

He and his guard, and many of his
warriors left Alexander’s camp. They would make their own camp some miles away
– away from the loud bawdiness of Alexander’s men. Though they had not achieved
a victory to be so jovial, it was the camp followers who gained the cheers. He
and his men were on serious business and had no time for such revelry with
women.

Grey sat before a large fire and
warmed himself. MacHeth was a sneaky clootie who would hide in the Highlands.
It could take him years to ferret him out. With his wealth gone, the Mackay
soldiers now freed from his rule, he had no followers or army with which to
attack him. Still, he would be wary. Someone like Kenneth MacHeth found a way
to rise from the depths of hell.

“Grey,” someone called.

He looked up to find Donal standing
beside his fire.

“What do you want?” he asked in a
clipped tone.

“I need to make peace with you. I
saw you at Alexander’s camp and came to speak with ye.”

“I have nothing to say to you,
Donal. You chose your side. You should go back to Alexander and kiss his arse.”

Donal disregarded him and took a
seat next to him. “Grey, you know my hands were tied. I could not refute the
King’s order.”

“Aye, ye could have. If you had
refuted him Bree would not have been attacked at MacHeth’s holding. She was
almost killed on our wedding day by someone within my own clan. Christ
Almighty. My lady was attacked in my own keep, on my own land.”

“Is the lass all right? I’m sorry to
hear that.”

Grey scoffed. “Verily, Donal? If not
for you, I would have gone to her, saved her from the atrocities of MacHeth’s
keep. She would not have been attacked by MacWilliams. For Christ’s sake,
Donal, Bree thought they were going to eat her. She was scared to death.”

Donal flinched as Grey continued.

“Then she comes home and recovers
from that ill-fated journey and on our wedding day is cut down by three arrows.
And now she lays unconscious with grievous wounds.”

“Glory be. Is she all right?”

“I don’t know. Damn it, Donal, I’ve
been out here searching for MacHeth. Bree shouldn’t have been hurt at all. The
fucker has caused her more pain than any lass should ever have to endure in her
entire life.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, Grey. I
should have let you out of the dungeon regardless of what Alexander bid. I had
hoped all would work out. I see that I should have just disregarded Alexander
even if the punishment would have been severe.”

“Aye ye should have. Now get the
fuck out of here. I have nothing more to say to you.”

Donal didn’t like hearing that. He
jumped on Grey and wrestled him to the ground holding his arms firmly by his
side. “Cease moving, Grey.”

Grey tried to get his arms loose so
he could grab his sword. “Get the hell off me, Donal. I vow if I get my hands
free, I’m going to kill you.”

“Nay, not until you hear me out. I
couldn’t refute the damned king and well you know it. I am your ally, have
sworn to be until the day I die. I promised your father I would guide ye and
always stand by ye. Don’t shut me out, Grey. I won’t have ye hating me.”

“Get off me,” Grey shouted.

His guard all stood watching. None
would intervene or dare to interfere.

Grey was able to get a hand lose and
struck Donal in the eye. Donal fell back with the force of Grey’s fist. Donal
gave equal measure by splitting Grey’s lip with his own forceful fist. Grey
grunted at the strike and then struck Donal in the jaw, causing him to fall
sideways and off his chest. Grey could breathe again. Before he could roll
away, Donal punched his nose and blood came rushing out.

“Damn you, Donal. I think you broke
my nose.”

“Serves ye right, lad. I want forgiveness
and I want it now.”

They shared a laugh over their
fracas and he nodded, giving in. Grey’s guard moved back and left them
unattended. He wanted to kill Donal, but at the same time, he couldn’t. Donal
was like an uncle to him. He was Grey’s champion since he’d been cut from his
mamma’s apron. Aye, as much as he’d like to kill him, he couldn’t. Forgiveness
wasn’t easy for a Gunn to offer. And so he wouldn’t offer such a sentiment.
Donal would know he was forgiven without the words.

“I can’t find MacHeth.”

“Aye, we can’t neither, Grey. Tell
me of the happenings. You finally wedded your lass? I am a mite pissed that ye
didn’t invite me to the wedding.”

Grey chuckled. “Aye? Well we weren’t
about to await ye. As soon as I left your dungeon, I went and found Bree at
MacHeth’s holding. MacWilliams tried to force himself on her. Bree killed him.
I sent his head to Alexander.”

“Aye, Alexander was pleased by your
gift, Grey. He gave a resounding speech about how the Gunns were able to best
their enemies and he expected no less from his men. Did MacWilliams harm her?”

“Hell, she used the dagger you gave
me to kill him. She’s a brave lass. During the scuffle, she hit her head.
That’s how I found her. But she was well enough a few days later.”

“Who harmed her at your wedding? Did
you know you had a traitor amongst ye?” Donal scowled and set his arms across
his chest. “Who would want to hurt a harmless lass akin to Bree?”

“I thought Anna, my cousin, did and
I banished her, Donal. A fire was set to Bree’s cottage. Thankfully Bree wasn’t
it in at the time. Nell, a woman in my clan came forward and claimed she’s seen
Anna with a torch that night. Anna didn’t like being ousted of my kitchens and
I thought she had a vendetta against Bree.”

“Glory be, did she do it.”

Grey felt a stab of pain in his
chest. “Nay, I don’t believe she did, Donal. Nell’s words had to be a
falsehood.”

“Then ye must unbanish the lass if
Anna weren’t the traitor.”

“Aye, I will. The woman, Nell,
struck Bree with three arrows on the night of our wedding. If you could have
seen the injuries, the severity …” Grey blanched at the vision himself before
continuing, “There is no reasoning why Nell would want to harm Bree. My men are
searching for her. She escaped our walls before we could locate her.”

Donal frowned. “What know you of
this woman? Is she married?”

Grey shook his head. “I don’t know
much about her. Joseph, one of my seasoned warriors, found Nell on a raid. They
married soon after. When he died, she remained with us.”

“Will Bree fare well?” he asked in a
soft voice.

“I received word she’s mending.
Greer is protecting her bedchamber door. I left posthaste to find MacHeth to
kill him. The man is hiding, mayhap under a crag, the swine shit.”

Donal threw a stick at the fire and
bounded to his feet. “What if she is in league with MacHeth? This woman, if she
had no reason to harm Bree … Mayhap she was paid or threatened. MacHeth would
use a woman to do his foul deeds. What if she finds a way inside your walls?”

Grey uncrossed his legs and leaned
forward. “I don’t believe Nell knows MacHeth, Donal. And even if she does, how
would he have gotten word to her?”

Donal spat into the fire. “The woman
is resourceful. Mayhap she got word to him. They are both missing. What if they
are hiding out together? I wouldn’t trust that she couldn’t find a way back
inside.”

Grey bounded to his feet. “My wife
is in danger.”

* * *

Bree
couldn’t keep her eyes open. She felt hazy and no pain considering what had
happened to her. The cloaked woman shot her with an arrow, mayhap more than
one. Her shoulder hurt when she moved her arm and her leg felt pinned to the
bed.

A
sting in her cheek kept her from opening her mouth. A low moan came from her
lips. No pain, but soreness caused her to remain still. Forcing herself to open
her eyes, she looked around the chamber. She was resting in Grey’s bed and no
one was within. All that happened started to come back to her and she
remembered seeing the woman with the brown hair. Nell.

She
heard noises in the hall and screams from the floor below. Bree couldn’t move.

There
was a scuffle outside the door and she heard a man’s grunt. A shout below
sounded and then she heard people running.

Then
someone opened her door.

CHAPTER twenty-seven

Grey
rode hard for Gunn land. He berated himself for not considering the MacHeth had
a spy within his clan and on his land, and within his own keep. For the love of
God, Bree was indeed in trouble if that woman had found a way inside the walls.
But he didn’t worry much knowing Greer stood outside Bree’s door.

Greer
wouldn’t let anyone get past him. Yet, Grey couldn’t help worrying about her.
Until he saw for himself that Bree was safe, he wouldn’t cease the swift pace
of his horse.

As
they neared the outer wall, Grey saw several fires lit several of the
buildings. Counting the stable, there were seven buildings aflame. It had to be
Nell’s diversionary tactic. Aye, all to get to Bree. His gut coiled with that
thought. He hoped like hell that Greer stayed the course.

He
rode past his men who attempted to put out the fires. Buckets came from the
stream in a line of people so long, his eyes couldn’t follow it. Thankfully the
weather warmed and the water remained unfroze. As much as he wanted to assist,
Grey couldn’t stop. He kept riding and when he reached the keep, he left his
horse untether and ran inside.

Several
women were running for the exit when he entered. Cait held Sunny in her arms.
Fear darkened her eyes and she screamed something. He couldn’t understand her
words.

Grey
motioned for his men to follow and took the steps. When he reached the top he
saw a form lying in the hallway. Greer. He knelt next to his guardsman and
realized he was dead. A sword had been thrust into him, darkening his tunic
with blood, and sending him to a grim end. Grey was fearful to open his
bedchamber door. He didn’t hear noise from inside.

Taking
his sword in hand, he cracked the door open and tried to see within. He spotted
the bed, but Bree was not in it. With a slam to the door, it opened completely.
No one was inside the bedchamber.

Grey
turned and shouted. “Outside. He’s taken her.” He suspected MacHeth was inside,
because Nell could not carry Bree, even if she was a small woman. With her
injuries, Bree would have been too dead-weighted for the woman to carry her.

They
ran down the steps and made it outside. Donal shouted at them and commanded
Sean and Kenneth search the rest of the keep. Grey glanced around trying to
note anything out of the ordinary, but there was such havoc around him. Many
had gathered in the courtyard and he couldn’t see if MacHeth was there among
them.

The
clan hadn’t made headway in putting out the fires. Flames rose high into the
sky. He could see many buildings had been engulfed.

Donal
glanced around him shaking his head. “I don’t like all this dissension. He has
to be here somewhere.”

“Where
the hell is he?” Grey strode through the crowd and bade his men to spread out.
“Find him.” He ran hell-bent to the battlement so he could have a better view.
Once he reached the landing and threw his leg over the small wall, he stood and
searched the ground. Nothing. He had vanished.

Grey
walked along the battlement and tried to see as far as he could. He could see
Donal standing on the ground, some twenty feet below, looking up at him. When
he turned back to the battlement, he noticed someone at the far end of the
walkway. There stood MacHeth. He drug Bree with an arm around her torso. Bree
didn’t appear to be awake. Thank God for small favors.

He
ran to catch up with the monster and when he reached him, MacHeth shouted for
him to stand back.

“Release
her and I might let ye live.”

“She
will not live either way.”

Grey
tried not to look at her. He knew if he really looked, his attention would
wane. All his focus needed to be on MacHeth. He stepped forward.

“Why
would you hurt her? She’s done nothing to you, never caused you troubles. You
brought all this upon yourself. She was just a wee lass when ye took her and
now …” Grey took another step closer.

MacHeth
maddened then and swung Bree’s body, jerking her. Grey could hear Bree’s moan,
but he kept his eyes trained on the madman.

“She
is the reason we could not attain our goal. Even if ye kill me, MacWilliams
will still gain the crown.” MacHeth had spat some of the words.

“MacWilliams
is dead. Killed for trying to harm Bree. Give in, MacHeth. Your MacWilliams is
now wearing a crown of fire in hell, where he belongs.”

“No!
I won’t believe it. She was to be our pawn, aye, so Alexander would know he was
defeated, as we defeated his father.”

Grey
stepped forward when MacHeth stepped backward. Only a few more steps and he
would be on him. But Grey knew he had to be careful. They were too close to the
ledge.

“You
did not defeat William. Is that why you took a child, so you could use her
against him?”

“Aye,
aye. I was there when he delivered her to Ian Mackay. He loved the child and
would have been defeated, if he had lived. And now his son will also be
defeated. MacWilliams will wear the crown as his due. I will be Laird of Ross
as is my right.”

Grey
took another step. “She will bring you nothing now and is no use to you. Look
at her, Kenneth. Look. She is in no condition to aid you.”

MacHeth’s
eyes glanced down for a brief second. Suddenly an arrow flew past Grey’s chest
hitting the wall.

“Cease!
You will hit Bree. Cease,” he shouted, hoping whoever had shot the arrow heard
him. But they continued sending arrows up toward the battlement.

Grey
had no way to protect himself or Bree. As he stepped backward an arrow flew
past him and hit its mark. Bree fell to the stone and didn’t make a sound.
Taking her in his arms, he looked at MacHeth, an arrow sticking out of his eye.
Blood flowed down his face and turned his tunic crimson. His body shook
fiercely before becoming still. The madman expelled his last breath.

Finally
the devil’s banshee was dead. Grey held Bree and tried to see if she had been
harmed, but for all her injuries he couldn’t tell.

“Bree,
Bree. I am here, love.”

She
stirred and moaned. “Grey.”

Grey
reached the ladder and handed Bree to Donal who waited for him.

“Good
shot wasn’t it?”

“You?”

Donal
grinned. “Aye, I’ve been meaning to strike that fucker down. Did I get him
good?”

“Aye,
right in the eye, straight through his demented brain. You could have killed
us, Donal.”

“I
kept my aim. Damn. It were a good shot. I wish it were my sword though.”

Grey
nodded solemnly. “Aye, I wish it were my sword too.” He reached the bottom and
took Bree from him. He hastened to the keep and took the stairs two at a time
until he reached the upper floor. When he entered the chamber, he set her on
the bedding.

“Laird,
is she all right?”

Duff
entered the chamber and stood at the end of the bed looking foreboding.
“Laird?”

“Duff,
Greer?”

He
shook his head.

“By
God.” Grey knelt next to the bed and hung his head so that it rested against
the frame. Greer had been a trusted friend since his birth. His loss deeply
saddened him. Grey let the tears gather in his eyes and felt his nose dripping
from trying to hold back his torment. Greer would be placed with honor and
every single Gunn would pay their respects.

When
he was able to compose himself, he looked up at Duff and bid him to bring the
healer. Bree needed to be checked over to assess if she had more injuries.

Catherine
came a few minutes later, and behind her, Cait followed with Sunny still in her
arms.

“Laird,
ye got things to see to. Let me look after her.”

“Laird
Gunn, I’ll make sure to come and get you the minute she opens her eyes.” Cait
set Sunny in a chair next to the bed. She handed the child a plaid. Sunny
curled up and looked sadly at Bree.

“Momma.”

If
Grey wasn’t ready to fall to his knees before, with all that happened, he
surely was now. The child’s small voice called to Bree and rent his heart. Cait
went to sit with her.

“Aye,
your mama will be well.”

Grey
left the chamber and when he reached the great room, he saw his guard standing
around Greer’s body. He bade Kenneth to go and have a box prepared. It was only
right, being Kenneth was his brother.

“Donal,
what did ye do with MacHeth’s body?”

“I
had men bring it to the courtyard. It is lying in a cart, atop as much manure
as we could put in it. Aye, your clan said if he were to rest on anything it
should be shit.”

“Come,
we will go and finish it.” Grey touched Greer’s shoulder as he passed by,
unable to really comprehend his good friend had been killed. As he reached the
outside, an old man came and stood before him.

“McInnish,
sir. Ye have come for your son?”

The
old man grunted. “Kenneth told me what happened.”

“We
are preparing for his burial. All shall come and pay respects. Greer was a good
friend and a great guardsman. I would not have survived all these years without
him at my back.”

McInnish
bowed his head. “Aye, since he was a wee lad, all he wanted to do was serve ye.
He loved ye like a brother. How fares the lass he was protecting?”

“She
is being tended by the healer. I am honored by your words, sir. He served me
and our clan well. I will have someone come and let you know when we will bury
Greer. Go and console your wife, McInnish. Tell her I am mourning her son as
she is.”

Grey
motioned to Donal and his guard. They hurried to the cart where MacHeth’s body
lay. His clans people stood around, some throwing more manure into the cart. He
hated to interrupt their show of disrespect, but he needed to complete his task
so he could return to Bree.

With
a yank to MacHeth’s leg, he pulled his body from the cart and let him fall to
the ground. He then pulled his sword from his scabbard and hacked at his head.
Aye, the only thing he’d wished at that moment was that MacHeth had been breathing
when the first strike hit him.

After
two forceful arcs of his sword, MacHeth’s head rolled away from his body. Grey
again stripped his plaid from his chest and bid Sean to wrap the MacHeth’s head
in it. Revenge didn’t appease him or come sweetly, but with a resigned heart.

His
men then tossed the remains of MacHeth into the cart. Duff retrieved an arrow
wrapped with cloth and lit it. He set it in his bow and pulled back, allowing
its release. It struck the center of MacHeth’s back and flame soon set the
fabric of his garments. Fire engulfed the cart.

“Donal,
take this to King Alexander. Tell him it is a gift from me in return for his
father’s blessing and betrothal arrangement to Bree.”

Donal
nodded and held the baggage. He went to his horse and left the courtyard,
riding hard through the gatehouse.

Grey
looked at the buildings, all blackened, and dilapidated from the fires. Most of
the fires were now under control but some still smoldered. Not much remained of
the buildings. There was a lot of work to be done in the coming weeks if he was
to right the wrongs done this day.