The Knight's Temptress (Lairds of the Loch) (37 page)

“That is thoughtful of you, Lina,” her mother said, holding her gaze in such a way that Lina could not look away.

To her surprise and relief, however, she was able to meet that piercing gaze without faltering. She felt as if something deep within her were guarding her from revealing the guilt that her small deception had stirred.

Lady Aubrey added, “Much as we would enjoy your company, I fear that Andrena will need you here. Not only are Muriella and Lizzie little company for her, but she may also require your skill with potions.”

“I make poor company for anyone just now, Mam,” Andrena said quietly. “Forbye, Lina’s remedies have already done their part. If she thinks she should go with you, I agree that she should. If Father will permit it, I’d like to walk a short way with you myself. What vexes me sorely is having to stay inside our wall.”

“Ladies do not walk about by themselves,” Lady Margaret said austerely.

Smiling at her, Lady Aubrey said lightly, “Dree has
done so without incident since she was a bairn, Margaret. I see no reason not to enjoy your usual walks, Dree. You are sensible enough to stay nearby, and I know you will take the dogs.”

“May I go now, Mam? I’m yearning to walk on the cliffs.”

Lady Aubrey hesitated. “Your father has gone out with his men, dearling. I cannot discuss the matter with him until he returns.”

“Devilish dangerous to walk on a cliff, if you ask me,” Margaret said.

Sensing Dree’s growing frustration, Lina said, “I could go with her, Mam.”

“That would just compound the difficulty.” Lady Aubrey paused. Then she said, “If you take Peter and Tibby with you, and the dogs, Andrena, I doubt that your father will object. I will talk with him as soon as he returns, but despite what you may think, he does not always bow to my persuasion.”

Sensing that Andrena was satisfied, Lina said, “I’ll go and sort clothing that Tibby can pack later for me, Mam. How long should I expect us to stay?”

Seeing Lady Margaret stiffen, she held her breath.

The older woman pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Lady Aubrey said, “Just two or three days. I shall want time enough to rest and to see Margaret settled in comfortably. But I will be eager then to return.”

Lina nearly asked if her mother was ailing in some way. She could not recall Lady Aubrey ever anticipating a need to rest, even after traveling long distances.

Recalling other signs, including a kind of uneasiness that was distinctly unusual for her mother, Lina held her
tongue. But later that day, when memory of her strange reveries assailed her again, she recalled those other signs and told Tibby to pack her old green wool cloak. The woods might be chilly.

Doubt arose again that night when she went to bed, and just as she was drifting off to sleep and was thinking lazily, amorously of Ian, his image loomed large in her mind, frowning. His eyes looked unnaturally dark and menacing, his jaw clenched tight. The color in his cheeks was high.

It occurred to her then that she had never seen him angry. She had no idea how he would react if he should learn that she had followed her mother into danger without saying a word to anyone else about her concerns.

Aware as she was of Andrena’s feelings, they seemed to exacerbate hers. By the time she slept, she had persuaded herself that no matter how angry Ian might be with her, if he should actually
be
angry, she wanted him home and in bed with her.

Thursday morning, Colquhoun received a message from James Mòr expressing his willingness to meet one more time, without mentioning a date. He had added the caveat that Colquhoun would have to forgo his tail and come alone.

Ian, his brother Adam, Mag, Sir Alex, Rob MacAulay, and Galbraith were all in the inner chamber when a gillie brought him the message.

Adam reacted fiercely. “You must not do any such daft thing, sir! Sakes, James Mòr will likely take
you
hostage if you agree to that.”

“The lad is right, Humphrey,” Galbraith said.

Ian looked from one laird to the other. “It does not
matter, since I doubt he will want to meet before Saturday, when we’ll have our hunt. Recall that I invited the local lairds and declared the hunt open to all. I suggest we invite James Mòr, the garrison, and the burghers to join us. Perhaps you, sir, might point out to him that since he and the rebels control Dumbarton, we can legally claim any deer we kill.”

Colquhoun chuckled. “If that doesn’t stir him at least to respond, I shall own myself amazed. He cannot claim to own the deer, though.”

“Aye, sure, he can,” Mag said with a grin. “Anyone would, in his place.”

“I might do that myself,” Galbraith agreed. “The difference here is that Jamie is unlikely to hang Ian for making the statement. He would hang James Mòr for claiming the deer. But he’ll hang that gallous villain anyway if we can catch him.”

“I agree,” Ian said. “Moreover, James Mòr lacks the local lairds’ support. He may be canny enough, though, to try to curry favor with them by joining us.”

The trip to Bannachra took Lina, her mother, and the Lady Margaret all day Thursday. But the sky was clear, and it was such a fine day that Lina soon noted her mother’s distraction. The three women rode garrons—the surefooted Highland ponies so well suited to the rocky terrain of the peaks—and her ladyship’s nerves seemed to be affecting her mount. The normally even-tempered garron shied twice while they were in the woods. Her ladyship easily controlled it, but Lina wondered.

When they were halfway up the ridge to the southeast
pass, Lady Aubrey glanced over her shoulder as if she thought someone might be following them.

Lina, riding behind her, said, “What is it that troubles you, Mam?”

“Naught, dearling,” Lady Aubrey said, glancing back again with a smile. “I love the scenery hereabouts and do not want to miss anything.”

Lady Margaret, ahead of them, following Peter and Pluff, made a noise like a snort. But Lina knew better than to ask if she had heard that correctly.

Behind Lina rode four armed men, and Peter carried his sword and dirk, as well. Moreover, before their departure, Pluff had informed her that he had his bow and a quiverful of arrows with him and had been practicing regularly.

“I can hit whatever I aim at now,” the boy assured her confidently.

Lina smiled at the memory. But she also wondered if their escort would prove in the end to be sufficient protection.

Recalling how many men had been with Dougal the day he had captured her and Lizzie was not reassuring. But she had heard Lady Aubrey assure Andrew that naught would harm them on their journey or at Bannachra. Surely her mother would not have said such a thing if she did not
know
that they’d be safe.

Lina realized that she was
not
so sure of that, though.

Reminding herself that Lady Aubrey was a truthful person, not to mention a woman gifted with uncanny foresight, Lina tried to persuade herself that no danger existed. But the images of her mother that she had seen at Tùr Meiloach rose again in her mind’s eye then, as clear as they had been before.

Their little party stopped long enough on the ridge crest to enjoy the view of Ben Lomond in the distance and Loch Lomond below. They could see the end of the loch and the woodland where Lina and Lizzie had fallen captive.

When Lady Aubrey reached out and squeezed Lina’s shoulder, she knew that her mother was thinking about that day just as she was. “It was such an awful thing, love,” Lady Aubrey said. “I nearly fainted when I heard what had happened.”

“How did you find out?” Lina asked, realizing that from one cause or another it had not occurred to her to ask that question before.

“A rider brought a message the next day, saying that you and Lizzie were safe at Dumbarton but would remain hostages to ensure your fathers’ cooperation.”

Lady Aubrey changed the subject then and asked about Lady Colquhoun. Not until after they had arrived at Bannachra and had their supper did Lina give more thought to that brief exchange and wonder who had sent the message. Had it come from James Mòr or from Dougal MacPharlain?

Lady Aubrey was helping Lady Margaret see to chores that Margaret had insisted must be done before she could sleep. Lina offered to help, hoping to find time to talk more with her mother. But the two older women shooed her off to bed.

She was ascending the stairway when a wave of dizziness struck her.

Steadying herself against the cold, curved stone wall, she drew a breath and shut her eyes to make the stairwell stop spinning…

The woods were darker than before and chilly, as if
clouds hid the sun. She was hurrying, although she had felt just seconds before as if she were standing still and fighting dizziness.

Now, speed was important, nay, urgent.

The misshapen tree appeared beyond the small clearing. Under the tree, in shadow, the feminine figure lay stretched on its side, unmoving.

Rushing to kneel beside it, she put her hand on the woman’s shoulder and, terrified, drew it toward her.

Lady Aubrey’s face was bruised, her eyes shut, her body unresponsive.

A noise from below startled the vision away. Disoriented, dizzy again, Lina welcomed the feeling of the cold stone stairway wall still beneath her hand.

Hearing Lady Aubrey’s voice below in the distance, she drew another steadying breath and tried to think, to decide what to do.

Her thoughts refused to sort themselves. But surely her mother would understand what was happening if it
was
some sort of peek into the future. The best thing, clearly, would be to talk to her in the morning.

However, the two older women seemed determined to keep her working. By Friday afternoon, Lina was sure that her mother wanted to avoid the very talk that Lina wanted to have with her.

Chapter 16
 

F
illed with preparations for the hunt, Friday passed quickly at Dunglass, especially after word arrived from James Mòr that he and his guests would join it.

On Saturday, Colquhoun, Galbraith, and other invited noble guests left at dawn with their men and Colquhoun’s greyhounds and rode off through the woods. They would cross the plain in view of the castle and head north to meet other hunters and stalkers at a gathering place at the south end of Loch Lomond.

Stalkers were already combing hills and glens in that area for signs of deer.

Shortly after the riders left, minions followed, leading garrons to carry back any deer that the hunters killed early enough to roast for their celebratory feast.

Meantime, waiting only until they heard from their own watchers that the environs of Dunglass were free of intruders or anyone else who might carry tales of their interest in Dumbarton, Ian, Mag, Rob, Alex, and their men rode into the woods to a place where they could safely tether their mounts. There they waited until men watching the steep path down from the castle reported signs of activity there.

At the woodland site, Ian twitched impatiently, then
paced until Rob growled, “Enough, man. Ye’ll drive me daft.”

Grinning and primed for action, Ian said, “I want to know what our lads ahead of us can see. I must learn for myself what is happening.”