A Highlander’s Homecoming (18 page)

A hush fell over the room and Isa felt as if every pair of eyes in the room bore into her. Under the table, she laid her hand on Robbie’s thigh, not caring whether or not it was appropriate behavior. When his big fingers closed around hers she felt for a moment as if she might weep with relief at having him there with her.

After what felt like an eternity, a scattering of applause broke out across the room until, at last, all joined in.

The MacGahan laird held up his hand once more, quieting the crowd. “Now, my kinsmen and friends, let us drink and eat and enjoy the celebration of my wedding feast. Let the music begin!”

From the corner of the hall, notes from a pipe and a harp floated into the air, all but drowned out as conversation in the hall resumed.

Robbie gave her hand another squeeze and then stood, leaning down to whisper into her ear.

“Yer no to leave this table until I return. Stay at yer grandfather’s side. Give me yer word you’ll do as I say.”

She started to refuse, to demand he take her along with him or at the very least tell her where he was
going, but, in all honesty, she simply didn’t have the energy left for it. The day had been too long and she’d dealt with too much. Her mind was awash in the complexity of all she didn’t understand. From Robbie’s claims about Jamie to her grandfather’s inexplicable announcement, she needed time to process it all. The last thing she wanted right now was to argue with Robbie.

“You have my word.”

With one irritated look back at the table on the dais, Robert hurried through the door and out toward the kitchens.

Damn the laird for his thoughtless need to name an heir tonight! Surely the old man must realize he’d all but signed Isa’s death warrant with that public declaration. If he hadn’t known before he spoke, the black anger on Lardiner’s face afterward should have clearly shown him his error.

This would likely be Robert’s only opportunity to speak to Auld Annie—now, while Isa was surrounded by her grandfather and his guards. He wanted to learn as much as the old woman would tell him about Isa’s childhood. Perhaps somewhere in that knowledge he could find the key to persuading her she must leave this place and journey to his family’s home, where she would be safe.

Because if anything, this day had convinced him that they would find safety neither inside this castle nor at her cottage. Her grandfather’s performance minutes earlier had assured that Isa was a marked woman.

To make matters worse, they would be staying overnight here at the castle. He’d rather have faced traveling in darkness than risking the night within these walls, but the laird had insisted and Isa had given in to his pleas.

Robert was thankful to find the hallway to Annie’s room empty. The fewer people who knew he spoke to her, the better for all of them. Though he was anxious for whatever she could tell him, he certainly didn’t like the idea of endangering her life. Or worse, Jamie’s life.

Damn, but he missed the simple things he’d become accustomed to using. He’d give a small fortune for ten minutes’ use of a flashlight. At least he’d been here earlier this day, or he’d likely not find the entryway to Annie’s room in the darkened hallway. Trailing his fingers along the wall, he kept count of the doors he passed, knowing hers would be the fourth.

He gave only small thought to the lack of guards posted, suspecting the possibility that the door would be locked when he reached it. But the handle gave way easily and he slipped noiselessly into the dark, stifling space.

The room was strangely silent and pitch-black. He held his position, back to the door, waiting to see if his eyes would adjust.

“Annie?” He kept his voice to a whisper, knowing only that something felt wrong in this room.

Across from him, tiny dots of orange floated in the inky black. Embers in the fireplace.

He searched his memory for the layout he’d seen during his visit earlier today. Once he crossed to the
fireplace, he should find a chair angled to the right and a bed off to the left. There should also be a small candle on the shelf by the fireplace.

Holding his arms out in front of him, he made his way slowly across the room toward the miniature orange fireflies. There’d been a stack of wood by the fireplace this afternoon, so why the old woman would allow her fire to burn down so low was beyond him.

When he reached the fireplace, he ran his hand over the wall until his fingers bumped into the candleholder. The acrid smell of the tallow hit his nose the instant he bent down and stuck the candle into the embers.

The light wasn’t strong, but at least it was light. Shadows jumped around him when he turned to survey the room.

Across from him, a lump in the covers of Annie’s bed drew his attention. Even before he drew the covers back, he knew what he’d find. He should have recognized the odd feel to the room when he’d first entered.

He held the candle closer, using caution not to allow the tallow to drip on the bed. No sense in letting anyone know he’d been here.

He wouldn’t be learning anything from Annie this night. Or any other, for that matter.

Her head jutted out askew on her body like a misshapen doll, her neck obviously broken. From the looks of it, she’d been strangled. With extreme prejudice, to borrow a term from the movies back home. And though he was no expert, he’d guess from the feel of her skin she’d met her demise shortly after he and Isa had spoken to her this afternoon.

Robert pulled the covers back over the old woman’s head and made his way to the fireplace. He stared at the candle, fighting his own private battle. The internal debate raging in his head at the moment was not a pleasant one.

The idea of what someone had done to that old lady made his palms itch to crack skulls. But he had Isa’s safety to consider. And Isa was not going to take this well. Not at all.

If he told her what he’d found, that is.

“Yer no supposed to be in here.”

Robert whirled around to face the woman who’d spoken, deciding as he did, the less he admitted to knowing, the better off he’d be. A quick scan of the room assured him she was alone.

“I came to visit Annie,” he responded, keeping his voice to a hoarse whisper. “But I think she’s sleeping.”

“Ha!” the woman scoffed. “There’s no a need to mind yer voice for her benefit. The illness took her peacefully, in her sleep, this very night. I’m here to clean her body and ready her for burial.”

Robert doubted Annie’s death had been peaceful in the least. The old woman had struck him as a fighter.

“Well, then—” he edged closer to the woman, holding out the candle as he did so—“I suppose you’ll have more need of this than I will.”

He backed into the dark hallway and pulled the door shut just as the first fist landed in his gut.

Chapter 15
 

Catching him unaware, that first blow knocked the air from him, ramming his back into the door he’d just closed.

Prepared or not, he’d been a warrior too long, had trained too hard to be taken out of any fight so quickly, and this one would be no exception.

In the dark, he paused only a second, listening, before he struck out with his left forearm, driving up and into what felt like someone’s chin. At the same time, his right hand flew up to his shoulder, finding only empty air.

Dammit! His sword still hung on the back of his chair, where he’d placed it when he sat down for the feast.

On his other side a blow glanced off his shoulder. When he concentrated, he could hear them breathing.
There were at least three, perhaps four, of them, and while he gave blows as good as he got when they moved in on him, he wasn’t about to step away from the solid door and leave his back unprotected.

He was ready for the next hit, grabbing the hand that connected with his shoulder. He twisted, bending it back until he heard the bone snap. He ignored the scream and the footsteps of someone running away as he took another well-calculated swing. His fist connected, hard. He heard the crack of bone and felt the solid hit vibrate through his arm, satisfied with the scream of pain that followed.

Two down, though he thought he’d heard perhaps two more.

What he hadn’t heard was the door behind him open. He realized it had only when something heavy struck him between the shoulders. His reflex to the blow, throwing his arms in the air, left him open to the next hit. Something, perhaps a foot, landed a solid blow to his ribs, sending a shot of unbearable pain lancing through his side. Unable to catch his breath, his legs buckled and his knees hit the floor while he gasped for air.

A moment later, something hit the back of his head, and he pitched forward into darkness.

“Master Robbie?”

He heard the words, as if they came from very far away. He even thought he recognized the voice and honestly did want to answer, but the pounding in his head drowned out any sounds he might try to make.

“Oh, do wake up, Robbie. I dinna ken what to do to help you.”

It was a little voice. Young. Helpless. Frightened.

Robert fought the haze blanketing his head and blinked his eyes, pushing himself up from the floor to sit.

Small hands caressed his cheeks and Jamie’s face swam before his eyes.

“Are you hurt? Should I go get Mistress Isa for you?”

“No,” he groaned. “Wait. Let me just sit here for a moment.” Isa. The memory of what had happened to him flooded back. How long had he been out? “Is she still at the feast? With yer laird?”

“Aye.” The boy nodded his head. “They are all still there. But Mistress Isa grew worried when you dinna return and summoned me to go find you.”

Robert ran a hand over the back of his head, fingering a walnut-sized knot that had formed. He sat against the wall, tucked back in a corner and, from the smell of it, not far from a garderobe.

This certainly wasn’t where he’d been when he’d lost consciousness. Whoever had managed to get the best of him must have dragged him here. For what reason he couldn’t guess, any more than he could say the identity of who he’d fought, which made it all the worse. There were too many unknowns for comfort.

One thing he was sure of. Although he might not have any idea
who
had attacked him, he had a damned good idea of
why
.

“Well, lad, what say we see if you can help me haul myself to my feet?”

Sliding his back up against the wall, Robert pushed to stand, pausing to let a wave of dizziness pass.

Slowly, with Jamie at his side, he made his way back to the hall, where music and the joyous noise of people filled with spirits poured from the doors.

His head was clear now. The danger to Isa was too great for him to take any more chances. Not until he had her in her room, behind a bolted door, could he allow himself to relax his guard.

“Yer not going in there like that, are you?”

Robert froze, considering Jamie’s words. He was likely a sight, if he looked at all like he felt, and drawing attention to what had happened was the last thing he wanted.

“Yer absolutely correct, lad. Would you mind going to fetch my sword and Mistress Isa? Bring them both here to me?”

“Aye, Master Robbie.”

The boy’s serious expression prodded Robert to stop him.

“Hey, Jamie. I just want to say, you’d make someone a fine squire.”

The boy turned to look at him. “Do you mean that? Honestly?”

When he nodded, Jamie’s look of disbelief cracked into a smile that all but broke Robert’s heart. One side of the boy’s face lit with joy while the other didn’t move at all, frozen as it was in a mask of scar tissue.

If only he could get Jamie back to his time. Maybe something could be done to save his sight or ease his suffering in some way. But those were considerations for another time. For now he had to focus on getting Isa upstairs and behind bolted doors.

In moments she was at his side, her shock at his appearance evident in her expression.

“What in the name of all that’s holy has happened to you? Who did this?” She whirled around as if to return to the hall, but he grabbed her elbow to keep her there.

“No. We dinna want any attention to this now.”

“Someone’s done this and they need punishing for it.” Her eyes flashed with her conviction.

“No now, Isa. Please listen to me.” He needed something, anything, to convince her to do as he wanted. “Just help me upstairs.”

“Oh!” Her mouth rounded in a little circle, her eyes opening wide. “What a fool I am. Of course. Yer injuries want tending. Come along.” She draped his arm over her shoulders as she sidled up close to him.

He should have remembered sooner. All he needed to do was let her think he couldn’t take care of himself. His ego wasn’t so large it prevented him from playing along.

“Here’s yer sword.” Jamie’s arms shook as he held the weapon out. “I have to go now. The stable master will be angry if I dinna finish my evening chores.”

Robert slipped the strap of the sword’s sheath over his arm and allowed Isa to assist him up the stairs. When they reached her bedchamber, he entered first, searching the room to make sure no one waited inside.

“The chamber is clear. When I leave, yer to bolt the door and allow no one entrance, no matter what they say.” He intended to find a spot in the hallway from which he could watch her door. Losing one night’s rest would be a small price to pay for knowing she was safe.