The Knight's Temptress (Lairds of the Loch) (17 page)

“Gorry sent word to me, too, sir, when the messenger brought James Mòr’s invitation to you. The reason I resisted speaking before now in front of Lizzie and Lady Lachina was that Gorry had heard that Dougal MacPharlain meant to abduct Lina and leave Lizzie alone there. Just as Dougal had decided that Lizzie would be valuable to James Mòr because he could use her to pressure Galbraith, I believed—”

“—that Dougal wanted Lina for a similar purpose,”
Colquhoun said. “But if you
or
Dougal thinks Andrew Dubh would give Pharlain the last piece of Arrochar that Andrew holds in exchange for Lina’s return, ye’re both daft.”

“Do you think he would
not
?” Ian asked, stunned.

“I think Andrew would raise an army against Pharlain instead. And, by God, I’d help him. In troth, though, lad, I doubt that Pharlain is stupid enough to keep any young woman hostage. It is one thing to seize a man’s land, another to seize his daughter. What fool decided to capture those two lassies in the first place?”

“Dougal,” Ian said.

“Neither of us has ever thought much of him,” Colquhoun said.

Dismissing Dougal, Ian said, “I
am
sorry for any trouble I may have stirred for you or Dunglass, sir. I knew that you were fain to leave for Dumbarton, though, and would not brook delay or debate. So I decided to ride in your tail. Sithee, today’s rain may have provided the only such opportunity. I dared not miss the chance.”

“You had no business doing it, even so,” Colquhoun retorted. “What if James Mòr’s men had caught you in that rig? Sakes, I cannot imagine how you got inside, let alone how you smuggled those two out again
without
being caught.”

“I had help, sir, not least of which came from the downpour and James Mòr himself, by insisting that your men and those others stay in the yard. None of the men watching ours could do so closely enough in such weather. But I entered that tower
after
Gorry informed me that James Mòr had said you would be coming on a fool’s errand if you expected him to release their ladyships.”

“I see. Do you mean to say that you would
not
have made the attempt had Gorry not told you that?”

Ian decided it would be wiser for once not to reply.

“I thought as much,” Colquhoun said. “Well, ye ken what I think of what ye did, and I’ll not belabor ye with my reasons. I’ll also not deny that I’m thankful that Lina and Lizzie are free. ’Tis a wonder we’ve not had Galbraith and Andrew Dubh both down on us, clamoring to hear news of them.”

“If they must go to Inch Galbraith, sir, I’ll take them.”

“A good notion, that, and one that Arthur will appreciate.”

“Likely, he’ll feel much as you do, my lord.”

Colquhoun nodded. “I do still have more to say to ye that ye’ll liefer not hear. But first, I’ll let ye change out of those wet clothes and get ready to leave.”

“With this weather, it might be better—”

“Nay, do not fling the weather at me now, lad. As it is, we’ll take supper here and ye’ll send Hak on to warn Arthur that ye’re coming. It’s ten miles from here to Balloch, and ye’ll not get away for an hour or more. Although ’tis summer, this rain does mean it will be night-dark long before usual. It may take three hours to reach Balloch if ye have to skirt the Vale of Leven, then another to Inch Galbraith. And James Mòr may already have men out in force, searching for those lassies.”

“I did cast a rub in his way, though,” Ian said. He went on to explain about the message he had left, and the missing keys to the tower chamber.

“What did the message say?”

“ ‘Prepare to leave as soon as I return.’ I signed it with a scrawled ‘D.’ ”

“D’ye ken for a fact that Dougal could have written such a thing?”

“Aye, sure, he can read and write. Pharlain did not stint his education.”

“Nor I yours, my lad,” Colquhoun retorted. He went sternly on from there.

Since Ian had never expected him to postpone a word of what he had to say, he decided when at last he escaped that he had been fortunate.

Considering his father’s options…

When Lizzie insisted that Lina bathe first, she accepted with alacrity.

Lady Colquhoun left the room when the tub was full, but her attire woman, Carsey, stayed to help. Carsey greeted their attire with a sniff of disapproval but said only that they would be glad to use her ladyship’s French soap.

“I’ve brought fresh clothing for you, my dears,” Lady Colquhoun said when she bustled back into the room shortly after Lina had stepped out of the tub.

Carsey had bundled her into a big warm towel and wrapped another around her wet hair. Lina sat now with her feet on hot bricks wrapped in layers of cloth, and Lizzie was in the tub, scrubbing away with the rose-scented soap.

“We regret putting you to so much trouble, my lady,” Lina said.

“Blethers,” her ladyship replied with a smile, handing her a clean linen shift.

Lina choked back a gurgle of laughter and glanced at Lizzie, whose lips had pressed tightly together. As their eyes met, Lizzie burst out laughing.

Unfazed by their amusement, Lady Colquhoun said,
“That is one of Adam’s favorite words, and I must say it does a body good to say it now and now. You have put me to no trouble at all, my dears. I confess, though, that I am curious beyond measure. I do hope your captivity was not utterly horrifying. That is to say…”

“When she paused expectantly, Lina sobered at once and shook her head. “We were together the whole time, madam. Dougal MacPharlain did try to frighten us with threats. But he only threatened. I do think, though, that Sir Ian would liefer we not talk yet about our captivity and that his lordship would agree with him. His lordship is worried that word of our being here at Dunglass might spread.”

“Well, I am not going to tell anyone, nor will Carsey. She does not repeat anything that happens when she is with me. Come to that, she does not talk much more than a rabbit does unless I
want
to discuss something with her. A gey comforting companion, Carsey is.”

“She is gey kind, too, my lady,” Lizzie said, smiling at the attire woman.

Carsey was holding a towel for her. So Lizzie stepped out of the tub and quickly began drying herself.

With her ladyship’s assistance, and Carsey’s, Lina and Lizzie dressed in clothing that had belonged to Ian’s sisters. To Lina’s surprise, her ladyship also provided two pairs of soft, well-tanned breeks.

“You will be warmer tonight if you wear these,” she said. “You need not don them now. But since Colquhoun is sending you to Inch Galbraith, you will be glad to have them, because in this weather, heaven knows how long that will take. ’Tis a pity you cannot stay at Balloch Castle. The keeper there is a friend of ours.”

Lizzie said, “Then perhaps—”

“Nay, for they say that Isabella is on her way to Inchmurrin, and she might take it into her head to stop at Balloch. It would not do for her to find you there, because she would view it as her motherly duty to return you to James Mòr. Even if she did not, she would tell him that you had been there.”

Lina said, “The weather
will
slow us. But I cannot believe that even in a downpour like this afternoon’s, the journey could take longer than it did for us to ride from Loch Lomond to Dumbarton after Dougal captured us.”

“Aye,” Lizzie agreed. “Lina said he was making a show of force to frighten the people we saw in villages and clachans.”

“Some men do think that ordinary folk are thus easily frightened,” Lady Colquhoun said. “In troth, though, I think it is often the ordinary people who gain most of the wisdom the Fates hand out.”

“Dougal is a villain,” Lizzie said. “But he’s a devilish handsome one.”

Lady Colquhoun looked at Lina and raised her eyebrows.

Lina shook her head and turned around so her ladyship could do up the buttons on the back of the pale pink wool kirtle that she had helped her don.

“You’ll want this shawl, too, dear,” Lady Colquhoun said, draping a soft one of gray and pink wool over her shoulders. “If Colquhoun means for as few people as possible to learn of your presence here, he will order our supper served in the inner chamber. In troth, I believe we can trust our people. But Ian and Colquhoun both fear that James Mòr may have slipped a supporter or two in, even here.”

Chapter 8
 

S
upper in the inner chamber passed fast enough to suit even Ian’s impatience. Since Rob and Alex knew about the afternoon’s activities, Colquhoun had invited the two men to join them but had asked them to enter from the privy stair.

“I don’t want to stir dissension amongst our other guests,” he had explained to Ian. “I’ll tell them I wanted to talk with ye, lad, because ye’ll be away for a time on another matter. Sithee, Adam will sit in for me at the high table, and I’ve agreed to meet them all after supper to discuss my meeting with James Mòr and how we might proceed with him. I ken fine that ye dinna trust the man, and with good reason. But if we can settle the matter peaceably…”

“That would suit us all, aye,” Ian said when he paused. He had no faith in such negotiating because he knew they could not trust James Mòr’s word. But since the last word would be Ian’s, he was content to let his father test his well-honed skills and let James Mòr think that Colquhoun alone was handling the matter.

At the table, the three ladies sat at one end with the four men at the other. They chatted casually while the gillies were there, trusted or not.

When the gillies left, the ladies continued talking to
each other, so Ian said quietly to his father, “Do you mean to tell anyone else here about their ladyships, sir? A few may learn that they were captives, if only because men at Dumbarton will talk.”

“My hope is that folks will learn only that one of James Mòr’s men stupidly seized two female hostages and that he released them without a stir,” Colquhoun said. His gaze moved from Ian across the table to Rob and then to Alex. “I trust that all three of ye have given orders that your men are not to talk about today’s events.”

“My lads know little about them,” Alex said. “Only that you met with someone at Dumbarton, sir, and that we were to guard your back.”

Colquhoun’s gaze shifted to Rob.

“ ’Tis much the same with mine, sir. Some recognized Ian and wondered why he rode in our tail. I made it plain to them that I’d take a dim view of loose talk.”

“Good enough,” Colquhoun said, and Ian agreed. Rob was not a man to cross, and anyone who served under him knew it.

“I would like Rob and Alex to ride with me tonight, sir,” Ian said quietly. “If James Mòr has men out searching, I’d liefer—”

“Aye, sure,” Colquhoun said. “But take care that your party is not so large that its size alone causes talk. Fifteen or so should be enough, although you must take young Peter Wylie with you, as he is still here.”

“I’ll take my men,” Alex said. “Then Rob need take none. We’ll likely return tomorrow, and it might raise questions if we both go and take all of our men with us. Most of the lads here know that I take mine wherever I go.”

Ian agreed, and they soon finished their meal. Less than a half-hour later, they were on their way. The rain had eased in strength but remained steady.

Ian eyed his charges, wondering how they’d weather another journey. He had sent Dobb Colquhoun, captain of his fighting tail, and three others on with orders to see that the hilltop path east of the vale was safe. Two others rode just ahead with oil torches that even in the rain should burn long enough to see them safely to the path.

Lina rode beside Ian, and Lizzie rode next to Rob, behind them. Alex, the captain of his tail, and the rest of the men, including Peter Wylie, followed.

The wind had died, and Ian prayed that it would not revive, since any wind would lower the temperature and help the rain soak them all through again.

In the flickering torchlight, he thought that Lina looked as calm, wide awake, and dignified as usual. Lizzie looked tired and unhappily thoughtful. Recalling his earlier suspicion that she had been at fault in their capture, he signed to Rob to slow down, giving himself more room to speak privately with Lina.