Seducing the Laird (22 page)

Though his heart raged against it, and his mind didn’t want to accept it, Cairn believed her. He recognized the desperation that must have driven her to confess the truth.

"Who are you? What are you?" His fingers pressed harder, but she didn’t cry out from the bruising pressure. "Why are you telling me this?"

Verena tried to halt the tears that threatened to spill, but she couldn’t stop her traitorous body from swaying toward him. She needed to believe he still wanted her, and not just for the baby. She saw a raw hunger build in Cairn’s eyes, slowly replacing his simmering ire. Her body yearned for him. Though it had only been days since they had last come together, to Verena, it felt like an eternity. She wanted to touch him and taste him. She wanted to lick the salty sweat from his skin and stay with him forever.

An instant later Cairn’s lips hungrily descended on hers. She could feel the desire in him that was for her alone.

"Damn these clothes!"

A cord snapped in Cairn’s impatient hand. She was so fixated on his wonderful kiss that she didn’t notice Cairn had nearly undressed her. Verena’s fingers were actually shaking with need. She frantically kissed his lips, his cheek, his ear—anywhere she could reach. Finally Cairn swore in frustration, grabbed her knife, and sliced through the stubborn knot in her bodice.

He paused to look at the knife in his hand. Owen had made it for her; Hadran taught her how to use it. Verena’s shady past was represented in its crude handle and sharp blade.

How could he have so quickly forgotten the deadly accuracy of Verena’s fight? Her very presence was intoxicating, making Cairn long to forget her past. He hated what Gundy made her become, but she was not innocent. She willingly chose the life she led. He could never trust her, but Cairn’s throbbing body didn’t care.

"You are poison. You confessed your sins and yet I still hunger for you. I am throbbing with the need to take you again. Why it is so difficult to see you for the temptress you are?"

Still caught in a haze of passion, it took her a few moments to understand his words. Cairn was leaving her. Slowly his arms released her naked, trembling flesh. She tried to collect her thoughts to call out to him.

"Cairn please, the woman will kill our baby!"

Those words made him pause as he reached the door. What was Cairn to do with this minx? He knew he should punish her, or at least banish her from his clan, but how could he reconcile his heart with reason? Could he give up his child because of its mother?

"No one will touch my child," he called over his shoulder before the door slammed shut. "I promise."

Chapter 41

Roselyn came several times to bring food and change Verena’s bandages. She was always escorted by a guard and instructed not to speak. There was so much she wanted to ask the maid. Had Jon been captured? Did they find the female assassin? All she could infer from the sympathetic looks and sweets Roselyn snuck into the dungeon, was that she still had a friend.

Roselyn’s visits gave her a schedule to orient her time. The days were spent exercising and practicing her knife skills for her next encounter with the assassin. The long, awkward hairpin was her only weapon and she was determined to be as comfortable with it as the knife Cairn confiscated.

Despite Cairn’s precautions, she knew someone would come for her eventually. She was in the middle of this entire mess. She probably knew more about the Old Lord than anyone, thanks to her research. If she only had a few more days, she was confident she could find the treasure, but she couldn’t do anything inside the dungeon.

Being confined gave her ample time to think and her mind invariably went back to the missing silver. She had searched every likely and unlikely hiding place in the castle and countryside. She had identified Thomas, Father Simon and Lady Ivone as the most likely caretakers of the treasure, but had long ago discarded Father Simon as a candidate. He was too kind to keep the treasure from the clan during these difficult times. Lady Ivone couldn’t know the location either; otherwise she wouldn’t have attempted to question Verena. That left one suspect.

Thomas knew something. His obsessive care of the Old Lord’s tomb indicated he was closer to the old man than anyone. He had to be hiding the treasure.

Should she tell Cairn her suspicions? If he was to repel Gundy’s attack, he would need the treasure to pay for supplies. If he was to protect her and their child, he needed the silver. But what if she was wrong? Would Cairn think it was another lie to shift the blame from
herself
? He certainly had not thanked her for airing her suspicions about Lady Ivone. When she found a way out of the dungeon, she would search Thomas’ cottage, but would say nothing until then.

It was nearly a fortnight before someone came for her. She heard the soft scrape of someone trying to pick the dungeon lock, and prepared her defense. One of the heavy torture devices was laboriously moved beside the door to provide a space for her to hide behind. She intended to push it onto her would-be attacker as soon as they stepped through.

"Verena?" called a low, familiar voice. A candle was briefly unshielded so that a single ray of light shone on her empty pallet. "Where are you?"

"Hadran?"
Verena stepped from behind her hiding place to greet the old man—who wisely refrained from entering the dungeon. He had taught her to be prepared, so he was doubtless expecting an ambush.

"I taught you well," he said, studying her use of the torture device and hair pin. "Although in the future make sure you use two hair pins. You were always the best with double blades."

"I’ll remember that," she replied, smiling her first genuine smile in weeks. To the old man, everything was an opportunity for instruction. She threw her arms around him, forgetting herself in the joy of reunion.

For a moment Hadran allowed the embrace, holding her tightly as if he were the surrogate father she envisioned him to be. All too soon she felt him stiffen in her arms. He pulled back self-consciously, remembering his rule that no matter how close they became, a spy must never be coddled.

"Are you alright?" he asked, peering closely at his ward. "I have heard the strangest tales."

"What did Jon tell you? Why isn’t he here?"

"Jon is guarding the entrance." Hadran shook his head at the foolishness of his other protégé. "At first I didn’t believe his story, but Owen confirmed it. Owen is determined to leave Gundy’s service and take us with him.

"I knew he was not happy in Gundy’s employ, but I never thought Owen would turn against us like this. You were both so gifted. I think I was more indulgent that I should have been."

"There was nothing wrong with your instruction. You taught us to be strong and loyal to each other. No matter the assignment, we would do it because of what it meant to the group, our family."

"And now Owen wants to tear our family apart."

"I don’t understand him."

"Owen wants you," replied Hadran with a slow shake of his head. "I taught both of you to be tenacious in pursuing your goals. We never failed in an assignment, nor let circumstances keep us from success. For him, this is no different. There is only one thing he needs that will make his plan a success —the very thing you were sent here to obtain."

"The silver," she finished. Everything hinged on the cursed treasure. She thought she knew where it was hidden, but what if she was wrong? Gundy needed the money to finance his invasion, Cairn needed the money to defend his home, and Owen needed the silver to create his vision of their future. Everyone’s dreams depended on a treasure that might not exist.

She had run out of time to search and was terrified of what would happen if she returned to Gundy without it. He certainly wasn’t the most forgiving master. Child or no child, she would be severely punished.

Staying in Scotland was no longer possible. Hadran had proved how easily an assassin could reach her. She had always felt safest when Jon, Hadran and Owen were together. She had to trust they would protect her from Gundy’s displeasure.

"I don’t agree with Owen’s plans," said Hadran thoughtfully. "But over the years I have learned to pick my battles. Give Owen the treasure, play along. We’ll think of a way out of this when the time is right. There is always a way to rectify a situation if you are patient."

"There is something you need to know." She didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Cairn, but needed Hadran to understand her feelings before he started making plans. "I cannot kill Cairn McPherson. If it needs to be done … I cannot be responsible."

"I don’t understand."

"Throughout this assignment, we have become close. I believe he cares for me despite everything that happened. He knows the truth. He knows I work for Gundy, yet he didn’t harm me. He promised to protect me and our unborn child, and I believe him."

Hadran was silent for a long moment. He stared at her as if she were a stranger. Hadran taught her to never fall victim to her emotions. He schooled her repeatedly on the dangers of getting attached to an assignment, yet that was exactly what she had done. She couldn’t murder Cairn because she had fallen in love with him.

"This Scot has turned your head."

"Aye."

"This is madness! I taught you better than this."

"I love him."

"Love him?" Hadran spat the hated words. "How could you love a rich, spoiled noble? He is not like us. He is another Gundy!"

"You are wrong. Cairn is not shackled to this land. He could have left any time and returned to France with his brother. He chose to stay here and take on the responsibility of his clan, for no other reason than they need him. There is no glory in what he does,
no
wealth or prestige. He has emptied his coffers to stretch the clan’s finances. He is the bravest, most compassionate man I have ever known and I would never do anything to hurt him."

"I cannot believe my ward. You are like Owen, turning against family."

"Any punishment shall be mine to bear," Verena said. "The failure is mine."

"If you think I will let you face Gundy’s wrath alone, you are mistaken." Hadran tugged on his thinning hair as he paced the confines of the dungeon. He was shocked and disappointed, but
She
hoped some part of him would understand her feelings. They had been through so much. Surely Hadran would be sympathetic. "Foolish girl, he locked you in a dungeon."

"Gundy would have done much worse. Cairn knows the truth. He knows I betrayed him. He knows I work for Gundy, yet he didn’t hurt me. I don’t think he could ever harm me."

"Does he love you?"

She paused, glancing guiltily to the side. She wanted to say yes. Verena knew he cared for her, but was it love? So much had changed since he discovered the truth.

"I believe so."

"We don’t have time for this. Owen is not far away. We’ll meet him and then devise a new plan."

"Thank you, Hadran."

"Don’t thank me yet. We’ll speak again when this is over."

The sound of footsteps on the stone stairs made the two spies spin around. Their conversation had been so animated, they lost track of time. There was so much to discuss, she forgot Roselyn would be returning soon with her meal.

The terrified maid stepped through the open doorway, followed by a grim-faced guard and Jon. The young lad was holding a crossbow in his arms, trained on the back of the guard’s head.

"Roselyn?" she asked with a sinking heart. She had not wanted to involve her in this nasty business, but it seemed she had no choice. "Are you alright?"

"Who are these people?" asked Roselyn in wide-eyed terror. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No one will touch you."

"If you do what we say," broke in Hadran. He pulled out another crossbow and aimed it at Roselyn. "Turn around and
march
back up those stairs. Good work, Jon."

As he led their small group out of the dungeon and to the Old Lord’s secret passage, Jon spared Verena a curious look. What did he think of these developments? Roselyn had taken a special interest in Jon before he was forced to flee Scotland. It must be terrifying to find out the sweet lad was in the employ of her hated enemy.