Underground Captive (53 page)

    
             
"Like it? Lassie, ye shouldna keep it a secret fer sae long.  Ye must tell Master Jared.  'E willa like it also." Mary took two generous swallows and emptied the cup.  "I guess I willa fix meself one more.  I dinna wan' tae gi' the dizzies.  This new drink is verra relaxin', wee Nicki, lass." Her eyes drooped then opened wide and rolled back in her head as she gulped down the third cup.

    
             
Nicollette began to worry. 
Maybe the tea is going to have ill effects.
  She didn't know how much whisky was too much to drink.  Mary Douglas was obviously intoxicated and showed no indication of stopping what Nicollette had so in
nocently started.

    
             
"Mary Douglas, I think three cups of tea is enough for now," Nicollette said sternly.  "There will be time for some more this afternoon."

    
             
"Aye, Nicollette Dup...Dup...Dee...Depacier...wee lassie.  Wee lassie, ye 'ave stolen milord's 'eart.  'E may be at this mo
ment frolickin' wi' Miss Judith, 'is special 'arlot, but 'is 'eart belong tae ye.  I can see 'ow milord looks at ye.  'E yearns fer ye."

    
             
Nicki's eyes darkened and blazed with fury.  "I think I'll go in now, Mary Douglas.  You may stay out if you wish," she said angrily, getting up and stalking inside.

    
             
Mary Douglas got up unsteadily, her head swimming.  Standing in the doorway, she suddenly felt herself falling forward.  She had the presence of mind to shield her head and face as she went crashing to the floor face down.  Though her head was partially cushioned on her stout upper arms, her forehead still struck the floor of the foyer.

             
The racket brought Elizabeth rushing from the kitchen and Nicollette from

the study.

             
"Mary Douglas!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

             
"
Mon dieu
!" Nicollette said, quickly kneeling beside Mary Douglas. 

"Elizabeth!  Bring a wet towel.  Her head is bruised."

    
             
"Mother of God!" Elizabeth said, hurrying to the kitchen.  "What 'ave ye done, lass?"

             
"Mary Douglas, are you all right?" Nicollette asked.

             
"Ohhh me 'ead," Mary Douglas moaned.  "Me 'ead 'urts, lassie."

    
             
"Oh, Mary, I've done it again.  Please forgive me.  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

    
             
"'Ere, lass, put this on 'er 'ead," Elizabeth said, coming back with the cool towel and Hugh and Malcolm in tow.

    
             
Nicollette patted the towel to Mary Douglas's face and helped her to a sitting position.  "I think she should lie down," she said, looking up at the others.

    
             
"Aye," Hugh said.  "Malcolm, we willa carra 'er tae 'er quarters.  Ye take the feet end.  I willa take the 'ead end."

    
             
They handled Mary Douglas as though they were carrying a piece of furniture.  When they got to her small sleeping quarters, they unceremoniously dumped her on the bed, of which Mary Douglas knew nothing.  Because even as they carried her, she had felt the effects of the whisky in a different way and had fallen asleep.

    
             
"'Twas a mean thing tae do tae poor, simple, Mary Douglas, lass," Elizabeth scolded when they had returned to the kitchen.  "And Master Jared willa noot like it atall."

    
             
"I'm sick and tired of hearing about the master's likes and dislikes, Elizabeth.  I'm truly sorry that Mary Douglas passed out and hurt her head, but I didn't force her to drink as much as she did.  I didn't force her to drink at all.  She did it all on her own!"  Nicollette bristled with resentment and stormed out of the house.  Seething with anger and bitterness, she reached the landing and sat on the edge.  Discarding her shoes, she dangled her bare feet in the water.  She was sorry that Mary was hurt but she wouldn't sit in there and let Elizabeth put the blame entirely on her.  Mary Douglas should take responsibility for her own actions.

    
             
Nicki looked around and saw Angus and Robert on horseback in
side the corral, giving the horses a workout.  Angus was on Astriede.  She didn't recognize the horse Robert rode.

             
"Lassie?" Malcolm said quietly.

    
             
Nicollette turned with a start.  Malcolm had come upon her without a sound.  "Yes?" she asked coldly.

    
             
"Elizabeth willa be fixing the noontime meal if ye care tae eat, she says."

    
             
"Yes, thank you, Malcolm.  I do care," Nicollette answered, knowing that the meal would not be pleasant.  The often stoic Elizabeth had already voiced her disapproval of Nicollette's in
volvement in Mary Douglas's accident.   It didn't matter that Nicki was not wholly responsible.

    
             
The meal was worse than she imagined.  Not only did Elizabeth give her the cold shoulder but so did the men.  They sat around the kitchen table talking to Elizabeth and one another, pretending Nicki didn't exist.

    
             
Eating hurriedly, she left the table without excuses before anyone else finished their meal.  She was devastated.  Angus had always been kind to her.  To think he allowed the others to sway him away from her cut deeply.

    
             
Going to Jared's study to read, she stayed there until late evening.  Bored almost to tears, and just as angry, she decided to sit on the landing to watch the boats go by.  As she started out, she was surprised to see Malcolm following her.  Damning her luck, she realized she had exchanged one shadow for another.

             
It was more than she intended to take.  She would get away from Highland

Acres even if she had to die trying.

    
             
Nicki walked to the end of the landing, took off her shoes, and once again dangled her feet in the cold, muddy water.  She felt Malcolm close by.  Turning, she looked at him, giving him a big smile.  "Malcolm, Master Jared put a water glass in the cooler for me.  Would you be kind enough to get some cool milk and bring to me?  I don't feel like eating supper but milk would surely satisfy my appetite and thirst."

    
             
"Aye, lass.  'Twould be me pleasure."  He went the few feet to the cooler and opened the heavy door.  Reaching for the lantern on the hook, retrieving and lighting it, he walked down the steps.

    
             
When light came from the cooler, Nicki sprang to her feet with the grace of a leaping tiger.  She slammed the door shut and, almost without pause, continued running away from the landing in her bare feet.  She thought she heard a faint "'elp, 'elp" when she slammed the door, but couldn't stop to listen.

    
             
Nicki ran rapidly across the fields, displaying a good portion of her legs to the surprised men.  Unfortunately, she didn't get far.  Hugh was upon her almost immediately.  Riding Astriede he saw Nicollette slam the door on Malcolm.  He started right after her, calling for someone to free Malcolm.  Watching Nicki with admiration before guilt filled him for surveying the lass, he moved Astriede forward to overtake her.

    
             
By the time Hugh reined Astriede in a few yards ahead of her, she was near the corral where some of the stablehands still worked.  Nicki's acceleration was such that she couldn't stop even if she'd wanted to.  When Hugh dismounted she ran right into his outstretched arms. 

             
"You bastard!  You rodent!" she snarled, his firm grip turning her into an

enraged wildcat.

             
"Mum'zelle, please be still," Hugh admonished.

    
             
She pounded him in the face with both her fists as he tried to lift her.  "Lout!"

    
             
Hugh tried to shield his head with one hand while holding Nicki in a death grip with the other.  His second mistake!

    
             
"You churlish, brutish slug!" She pulled his arm down with her two hands and brought it to her mouth.  Clamping down, she deeply sunk her teeth into his lower arm with all the fury in her.

    
             
Hugh's agonizing scream pierced the air.  He pushed Nicki with such force she fell backwards on the ground.  However, as she fell, she balled her right fist and swung her arm viciously, catching Hugh in the left eye.

    
             
"Be still, lassie!" he shouted, holding his right hand to the bite on his left arm as his left hand held onto his bruising eye.  "I canna defend meself fer the master willa kill me.  But I canna let ye kill me.  Sae be still!"

    
             
Lifting herself off the ground, Nicki let out a string of curses that rivaled the language of the men on Jared's farm, maybe even the riverboat men.  And no sooner had Hugh finished speaking than she was on her feet, raking her nails across his face.  "You cloddish, mangy cur!"

    
             
Once again Hugh howled in pain, but this time Angus lent a hand, grabbing Nicki's arms.

             
"Unhand me, you traitor!"  Her anger lent to her strength.  Livid with

rage, she yanked herself out of Angus's grasp, turning her blazing fury on him with a well placed punch to his jaw that sent Angus teetering off balance.

        
             
Ignoring the punch and regaining his balance, Angus ran behind Nicki.  He imprisoned her arms in a viselike hold.  "Ge' some rope!" he said to Hugh, fighting desperately to keep hold on the struggling conniption fit in his arms.

    
             
"Nay!  Nay, Angus.  The master willa be angry fer sure!" Hugh said fearfully.
             
"Hugh," Angus puffed.  "'Twould be betta...uumph!"  He gasped as Nicki elbowed him in the ribs.

             
"Miscreants!"

    
             
Angus kept her in his grip, grabbing her around her waist and imprisoning her flailing arms again.  "'Twould be betta tae take a chance wi' the master's anger later than tae take the chance o' the lassie kil
lin' us right now! 
Ge' the rope
!" he insisted.

    
             
Hugh went to Astriede and took the rope off the horse's sad
dlehorn.  And while Angus held Nicollette pinned to him, Hugh tied the rope around her arms and had to tie her legs because she wouldn't stop kicking.  When the task was finally completed, Hugh had gotten kicked at least twice--once in the nose and once in his chest.

             
Both men apologized profusely as they tied her, begging her to reconsider

and cooperate with them.

    
             
"I hope Jared kills you for this," she spat.  "Because if he doesn't, I certainly will!  The first chance I get!  And then I'll kill your precious lord and master!" she sneered through clenched teeth.

    
             
Angus and Hugh looked at one another with an anxious, perplexed look.  It was rather a damned if we do and damned if we don't look.

    
             
"I willa carra the lassie tae 'er bedchamber, Hugh.  Ye 'elp brin' Malcolm tae 'is quarters.  The lassie pu' such a fright in 'im 'e passed out fer dead," Angus said wearily, lifting Nicol
lette up and carrying her to the house.

    
             
As Angus carried Nicki inside, Elizabeth started to say something, but Nicollette's murderous glare stopped her cold.  She simply watched as Angus disappeared from the kitchen. 

    
             
Angus brought Nicki to her bedchamber and gently sat her down on the chair.  With the extra rope he had brought with him, he tied her to the chair.

    
             
'Twas the stress of her captivity that had finally brought her to this end, he

thought.  Nay, 'twas more than that, Angus knew.  'Twas the master himself that brought the young lass to consider murder.

    
             
"'Tis most sorry I am, lass.  I wouldna 'urt ye fer the world.  Nor would Hugh.  Bu' ye leave us nae betta choice.  I willa be jus' ootside yer door if ye be needin' anythin'."