Highland Sparks (Clan Grant #5) (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

The four of them made their way back to the entrance to the fair, even though they were frequently interrupted by well-wishers and congratulations. Gwyneth had to admit she enjoyed every minute.

A feminine voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Logan, my sweet. Here you are. I have been searching for you everywhere.” A buxom redhead wrapped her arms around Logan and whispered into his ear, taking care to speak loud enough for all to hear.

Gwyneth hid her surprise. Rab glanced at her to see her reaction, but she didn’t speak. Still uncertain about where their relationship was headed, she wanted to see what this woman had to say.

“My bed is as warm for you as ever it was,” the woman stage whispered. She then turned to face Gwyneth and smiled at her, a wicked grin that made Gwyneth look away. As a young lass, she had never understood the friendships between girls. What was this woman implying? Had Logan turned to another because she had rejected him? Her heart pounded at even the slim possibility of losing Logan to another woman, a telling sign of her true feelings.

Logan reached behind his neck to loosen the woman’s hold. “Iona, please stop spreading lies about me. Can you not see there is a priest at your side?”

“Och, Logan, my love. You are so shy. Anyone can read your feelings for me.” She gave him a coy look before glancing at Gwyneth again.

Iona was a voluptuous woman with long, flowing red curls. At one time, she may have possessed the kind of figure most men dreamed about, but to Gwyneth, she appeared too thick around the middle. Logan pushed her away, but not before Gwyneth caught the fury in his eyes. But why was he angry? Was it because he had been caught with another, or because the woman was lying?”

“Iona, I don’t know what your game is, but you know there is naught between us. There was never anything between you and Quade either. You tried to destroy my brother’s relationship with his new wife and you failed. Don’t come to me next because your lies were discovered. Had it been up to me, you would have been banned from our clan long ago. Or is that what brings you to Glasgow? Have you finally been sent away?”

Tears formed in Iona’s eyes as she grasped his shoulders. “Please, Logan. Don’t be angry. You know how good we would be together. Come to me tonight.”

She leaned over to kiss his cheek, but Logan shoved her away. “Stop your games, Iona. I don’t want you and never have.”

Molten fury flashed across her features, and her gaze caught his. “You fool. You would rather have this whore next to you, the one who dresses like a lad? She can never be half the woman I am.” She turned her head sideways for another glance at Gwyneth, her haughty expression asking for a challenge.

Logan grabbed her arm and turned her away, marching her across the field, his stern voice streaming behind him, though his words were lost to the wind. Micheil stayed behind with Father Rab and Gwyneth. “Your pardon,” he said, “she used to be a member of our clan. She is a little daft, I fear. There is no relationship between Logan and Iona.”

Clearly uncomfortable, Rab cleared his throat and grabbed her elbow. “Gwyneth, shall we take our leave now?”

She didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded her head. Hoping that Logan would return so she could hear his explanation, she hesitated and smiled at Micheil. “It would probably be best for us to move on.” But before they could take more than a few steps away from him, Logan rushed back. He grasped Gwyneth’s hand, but she pulled it away. “Gwyneth, don’t believe a word she says. I have never had a relationship with the lass, though she has ever wished to be a Ramsay. She was always infatuated with my brother, but now that he is married and quite happy, I presume she has moved on to me. I have never been with her.” He cast a sheepish look at Rab. “Your pardon, Father.”

Gwyneth just listened quietly, then said, “Thank you for your guidance tonight. Rab and I will head back to the Kirk.” She ducked her head and turned away, afraid she would betray her feelings.

As soon as they left, her brother said, “I believe Logan. The lass is not telling the truth.”

“There is naught settled between Logan and me, Rab, so it doesn’t matter. If he chooses her, ‘tis his right. I have only one goal presently, and I have room for nae others.”

The crowd thinned as they strolled down the path toward home, and finally they were alone. “Gwyneth, please,” Rab said. “I know you feel something for the lad. I can see it in you when he is near. Please do not deny your feelings. ‘Tis natural for you to take an interest in such an honorable man. And I do believe he is honorable, regardless of what that lass said.”

“Rab, I am tired from the match. Can we go home now, please?”

Nodding, he led her on, but she noticed the slump in his shoulders. Apparently, Rab liked Logan as much as she did. But if Iona was the sort of woman who usually attracted him, what hope did she have of keeping his attention?

***

“God’s teeth, Micheil. Could you not have warned me Iona is in town? What is she doing here in Glasgow anyway?”

“Och, I forgot to tell you. Mother sent her away. She caused so much trouble with some of the clan wives that mother told her it was time for her to move on.”

“Hellfire, she has definitely lost her mind. And to say all that in front of Father Rab and Gwyneth? He’ll never let me inside the Kirk again.”

“Have no fear. Father Rab is a true man of the cloth. He’ll forgive you whether he believes her or not. Admit it, you are more worried about what Gwyneth thinks.”

“Aye, I am. I want to marry her, but I would like the time to pursue her first, get to know her better. I fear Iona did enough damage to cause her to distrust me. Gwyneth is naïve when it comes to men and nasty women. I don’t know what she will think of this encounter.”

“Iona lost a bit of her mind when Brenna stole Quade’s heart. She never got over it. It seems she’s still eager to take the name of Ramsay.” Micheil grinned at his brother.

“If we weren’t in the middle of a fair, I’d wipe that grin clear off your face. And I will as soon as I can get you in the lists again.”

“I look forward to it, brother.” Micheil slapped him on the back and walked over to the food booth to buy something to eat, winking at each fair lass he passed on the way.

“Hurry with your food, Micheil. I want to check on Erskine again.”

***

Gwyneth couldn’t sleep. Rain was forecast so Logan had postponed the mission until the next evening. It was well into the night, and she had tossed and turned for most of it. As soon as she shut her eyes, Duff Erskine’s voice taunted her during the contest instead of the heckler’s. She could not get it to stop. She threw the covers off her and sat up on her pallet. Enough. She didn’t care what Logan thought—she was ready. It was time for Duff Erskine to die.

She dressed with purpose, carefully arranging her leggings, her wool socks and boots, even her tunic. Her weapons were sorted and arranged for quick retrieval, including the new dagger Logan had given her. Her lucky stone from Lily was still in her pocket. Glancing around the room, she wondered if she was forgetting anything, because she couldn’t. This mission was too important for her to fail again.

This wasn’t just her mission, but an assignment she’d been tasked with by the crown. Dougal Hamilton wanted Erskine’s life to end. He still wanted to know if he had a partner, but the ending was always the same. Erskine needed to die, for the women and for the Crown.

She crept out through the main room and grabbed her bow and quiver. A soft sound interrupted her and she turned around. Rab. He stood behind her in his regular clothes instead of his priest’s robes. “You’re going after him, aren’t you?”

“Aye, Rab, I have to. ‘Tis time. I’m ready,” she whispered.

“I know.” He turned his head to the side, nodding while deep in thought. “Will you allow your foolish brother one small favor?”

“Of course, Rab. You know I love you.” Her gaze caught his and she noticed the fear in his eyes. She couldn’t blame him. How would she feel if their roles were reversed?

“Please allow me to say a blessing over you.”

She nodded and bowed her head while he placed his hands on her crown and said the words that lived so strongly in his heart. When he finished, she peered at him through tear-stained lashes. “I’m sorry I have to put you through this.”

Rab nodded. “Perhaps this time it will truly be finished. I wish there was another way. I am so afraid you will regret killing him with your own hands. The guilt, Gwynie, won’t it get to you?” He paused for a moment, but then held his arms out to give her a hug. “Please come back to me, sister. I would be lost without you.”

She gave her brother a kiss on his cheek and headed out the door.

The town was relatively quiet. She had thought it would be busy with the fair in town, but apparently the townspeople had tired easily and gone home. Deciding not to hurry, she thought over everything Logan had taught her with painstaking care. Tonight she could not fail. A slight breeze blew the strands of loose hair back from her face. A pack of dogs down the pathway fought over a piece of meat until someone threw a shoe at them. As she strolled toward the firth, the wind picked up with a howl and swept through the autumn night, rustling the leaves around her feet. Gwyneth tried to soak in all the details, certain she would wish to remember every detail of this night.

She made her way down to the water and was surprised to see a flurry of activity there. Hiding in the bushes again, she was able to make out Duff Erskine giving orders to three other men who were busy loading sacks into two wagons.

Perfect timing. She found her hiding place and waited.

Chapter Twenty-Three

This was it. This would be her night. Revenge would be hers and Erskine would know his death came at her hands. Finally, he would pay for all he had done. Thanks to Logan, she had the confidence she had never had before.

The men by the water continued to work without speaking to each other. Once their cargo was loaded into the carts, they mounted their horses and moved down the firth away from the town, several packhorses pulling their load.

Gwyneth stayed in her hiding spot until the men moved out of hearing distance. The path down to the river was bordered with plenty of trees and foliage that would keep her hidden. She wouldn’t kill him until she found out his destination. Aye, he was within her range at the moment, but she hoped to discover his contact. This had all the markings of one of his larger operations, and there was a good chance that his protector would be here. Who covered for him?

Who were the men ahead of him, and what was inside the sacks on those carts? More women?

***

God’s teeth, he knew it. Logan crept near the river and sure enough, there she was in her hiding spot in the bushes. The foolish lass was here on her own again, and after she had promised to take him with her.

Hellfire, Gwyneth was stubborn. He’d make sure to tell Hamilton that his best scout was overbearing, stubborn, and prone to taking unnecessary risks.

Unfortunately, daft Iona had shown up at the wrong time. He’d never had anything to do with the lass, but Iona seemed to enjoy setting her sights on the lads she couldn’t have.

He hid in a tree and waited to see what Gwyneth’s next move would be. Each time he saw the lass, memories of her sweet moans echoed through his mind, causing his usual discomfort in his breeks. The few times they’d made love had only fueled his hunger for her. He had been hopeful for another opportunity earlier tonight, but then Iona had found them. He could see the distrust in Gwyneth’s eyes when Iona threw her arms around him.

Time would prove Iona wrong. Tonight, he needed to focus on Gwyneth and keep her out of harm’s way. It was his duty and his desire.

***

An hour passed before they reached their final destination. Gwyneth had kept a good distance away, but stayed close enough to listen to what little conversation she could overhear. She thought she heard a moan or two coming from the carts, but she couldn’t be sure.

Sure enough, when the men dismounted, she could see a longboat bobbing next to a dock. This far down the firth, the water had deepened enough for them to keep a boat. As she sat in her spot, she glanced up at the crescent moon, which was covered by fast-moving clouds. Slud, she hoped it wouldn’t rain again tonight, though she could almost smell it in the air.

The men moved the sacks into the boat. An owl hooted in the distance, causing a slow ripple of fear to creep up her spine, the tendrils spreading into her belly. She pulled strength from her core to dismiss her fear, sharpening her focus on the men in front of her. It was too late to regret her choice not to seek Ramsay’s assistance. She had decided to come alone because she feared images of Iona with her arms around Logan would interfere with her concentration if he were with her. Tonight there could be no distractions.

“This is a good load, Clyde. You should bring me quite a bit of coin and some weapons in exchange.” Erskine spoke to the man on the boat.

“How many this time?”

“Eight.”

Clyde surveyed the area. “I only count seven sacks.” The man peered over the carts as Duff’s men unloaded the cargo and moved the sacks to the boat. “Take them out of the sacks once they’re loaded on the boat. They’ll have to eat eventually.”

Women. Another cargo full of women was about to leave for the East. She would stop this one just as her father had tried to do years ago. But with one difference—she would be successful.

“There are only seven. I have one more coming.”

“What? How could that be? One alone?”

“Doesn’t matter, does it? Get the sacks of food and jugs of water on the boat. You need to leave soon.”

“What’s your hurry?”

“I have a bad feeling about tonight.” Duff scanned the area, as if he were waiting for something. He wiped his face with his shirt sleeve, then strode away from the dock, turning to face his men before he left. “Just keep loading. I have one more thing to do.”

Gwyneth made a mental note—there were two men by the carts, one on the boat. She wondered how many men would travel with the women. She had not one ounce of compassion for his crew, including the ones who had been thrown overboard be the Norse. Every last one of them deserved to be punished for their part in this travesty.

She followed Duff as he moved back toward town. A lone man headed straight at him. Logan? But nay. The men conversed and she tried to determine who it was, but she was too far away.

Their conversation ended and Duff thanked the man before walking away. The man could be his boss, but she wasn’t sure. Once Erskine came back toward the boat, he wandered aimlessly as if searching for something. Then it dawned on her. He was searching for
her
.

Her time was up. She needed to take action now or it could be too late. Raising herself up, she took aim at the men near the boat, knowing she had enough time before Erskine got closer. She fired her first arrow and struck the captain of the boat in his belly. Not a death blow, but it would certainly stop him. She fired the next arrow at the man who leaned over the cart and caught him square in his arse. He fell to the ground, cursing as he clutched his behind. Her third arrow struck the other man and he went down, too. When she turned to aim at Duff, he ran to his horse, she guessed for his bow.

“Stop or I’ll shoot you through just as I did the others.”

Gwyneth stepped out of her hiding spot, her arrow aimed for Erskine even though he was still a good distance away. Somehow, she was still hesitant to shoot him in the back. She wanted to look him in the eyes when she killed him.

“Turn around, Erskine. ‘Tis time for you to pay for your crimes.”

Duff turned around slowly, a sly grin on his face as he stared at her. “Och, and who is going to make me pay? You, Gwyneth?” He took a step toward her. “Do you think you can hit me today any better than you did the other day?”

Gwyneth held her breath and gathered all her strength and let her arrow fly.

She missed.

“No different than the last time is it? Well, it isn’t raining yet, so you don’t have that excuse.” He turned away from her and headed back toward his horse. “Go ahead, you can’t hit me. How many times have you tried?” His laughter echoed through the cold night air.

This couldn’t be happening. She nocked another arrow and aimed right between his shoulder blades. Her stomach clenched in fear, so afraid she would fail again. The old familiar feeling of powerlessness crept up from her tailbone. She was useless against this man.

Nay, he would not beat her again. She thought of Logan and how he had taught her to ignore Duff’s taunts and focus. She fired another arrow at him. His laughter told her all she needed to know. Tears flooded her eyes.

Nay, nay.
This couldn’t be happening again. She was a failure, an utter and complete failure. Her vision became so blurry with tears she decided to give up. One more bolt. She would shoot one more, and if she missed him, she would concede.

Blinking her tears away, she nocked her arrow, her left arm shaking, drew, and released it.