A Witch's Tale (38 page)

“What
is your plan or do we go with our usual flair in matters like these?” he said
with a chuckle.

Gavin
smiled and shook his head. “I haven’t one plan, my friend. We follow and when
we reach the keep; we try to reason with Rohan.”

“I
don’t see him handing his wife over to the church’s justice come tomorrow,
Gavin.”

“No,
but how he plans to outrun thirty guardsmen should prove interesting.”

“Mayhap
he plans better than us?” Alastair asked hopefully.

Gavin
grinned as he watched the men camp below. “We can help matters along, delay
them a bit.”

Alastair
smiled as he saw the mischievous light in his lord’s eyes. “Aye, there be many
strange things that can go afoul once night falls. Do I go get the MacMillan?
The man would enjoy helping us scare some Englishmen, mayhap enough to leave
Campbell alone a day or so.”

“Send
Henry and Jasper and tell the man to leave his bells and whistles at home,” Gavin
said with a smile. “A ruse as a highland ghost only works once. He’s used that
already this year. We need more originality tonight.”

Gavin
watched Alastair slide back from behind the rock they hid behind to retreat to
their camp. Archie MacMillan was the old Laird of clan MacMillan. He’d been
fighting the Campbell’s for so long, he forgot the pleasure in tormenting the
English. It would be too much fun for the old man to pass up. He prayed his men
found his neighbor and his sons at home this night.

****

Rohan
looked out the high tower window and his expression was guarded. Madeline slid
to his side and shivered as the chill from the open window pane made her
tighten her wrapper around her.

“The
men have all left,” she asked softly and frown marred her brow. “How long
before we follow?”

“Sir
Markham said the ship leaves at midnight,” he told her and closed the pane and
drew her away from the window. “We have two days to get there.”

“You
are worried, my love?” she asked softly, her eyes filled with fear.

“I
worry more about what waits in those hills than the city, Madeline,” he told
her and his dark eyes were grim. “Strathmore is coming with a large force and
de Mortaine is no doubt not far behind. This keep can’t withstand such a
horde.”

“Perhaps
I could help?” she offered and he chuckled and regarded her with a glow of love
in his gaze.

“And
offend your Goddess further? I think not. She might cut off my comforts and
where would we be then?”

She
giggled and stared up at him with a delighted expression. “She would be lenient
given the nature of your list of ailments, husband. She would think me the most
set-upon of witches.”

Rohan
smiled down at her and his hand went to her cheek. “We have three days until we
leave to follow the others. We ride hard, my love. There will be no stopping
until we get there. The road between here and there has its own perils. I will
not breathe easy until you’re aboard that ship.”

“What
if Gavin arrives before then?”

“I have
no doubt he comes as surely as Strathmore.”

“How
do we get out of here?” she asked in alarm and shook her head at his unworried
face. “You realize he brings the king’s men with him?”

“I
have a fair idea de Mortaine is on our side in this, Madeline. He should have
been here by now. His dragging his feet is most telling. He allowed us time to
get away before Strathmore spoiled our escape.”

“I
hope you have some plan, Rohan,” she whispered, her blue eyes filled with
urgency. “There is a matter I failed to discuss before you found me.”

“What
matter might that be?” he asked as he pulled her into his arms. He held her in
a chair before the fire.

Madeline’s
lips trembled with a suddenly shy smile. Tears brightened her gaze. “I’m having
your child. I know this is the worst time to tell you of it.”

Rohan’s
eyed widened and he smiled in obvious pleasure. “It is the best time. I’m
pleased you told me before we run for our lives, woman. You give me added
incentive.”

“I
love you so, Rohan. Do you never think of anyone else? Does nothing scare you?”
she asked as her smile faded.

Rohan
stared into her somber features and his own smile brightened. “The thought of
them getting their hands on you terrifies me, my love.”

“Why
do we not leave now?”

“You
must trust me, sweet witch,” he replied and his hand slid into her hair,
drawing her lips to his. “I would enjoy these comforts a while longer yet.”

****

Madeline
awoke before dawn and saw Rohan standing watch at the tower window. She sat up
in the bed and her gaze grew sultry to recall how much comfort she gave her
husband the night before. She hoped the Goddess had a sense of humor. Her
husband acted like a spoiled child at a wishing well with a fist full of coins.

“Have
you seen any sign of Lord Strathmore yet?”

Rohan
turned a smiled. “I saw his archers take position in the trees. He is not alone
and quite ready to storm the keep.”

Madeline
paled at his words and grew perplexed at his unworried demeanor. “You have a
plan to get us out of here by tomorrow eve?”

“Not
a one. I was hoping de Mortaine had one.”

She
glared at him and stomped from the bed, yanking on her wool wrapper. “You make
a joke of this?”

Rohan
chuckled at her signs of temper. “The man will not give us up to them,
Madeline. I know enough of de Mortaine now to know that much.”

“And
how did you come to this conclusion?”

“His
sister assured me he comes here to rid her of her intended husband, not capture
us,” Rohan said and shrugged. “He has to appear as though he does the king’s
will in this. Your brother rides with Strathmore.”

“You
know this for certain?”

“My
men got close enough last night to overhear the guards laughing over Lunley’s
constant whining during the journey here.”

Knowing
Robert wasn’t far away made her tense, an old habit from childhood. He
tormented her worse than the girls did then. He delighted in inflicting pain,
she recalled, with a grimace of disgust.

“He
doesn’t usually handle such matters himself,” she said, wondering where his
hireling was. She already knew the man waited for them in Edinburgh. The
thought didn’t scare her. Knowing ahead of time was half the battle to control
her fear and panic.

“They
plan to lay siege to this keep at anytime and you seem unconcerned,” Madeline
said and rolled her eyes. “How many knights do you see here, my lord? Old men
and little boys is all I saw when we rode in.”

Rohan’s
dark eyes twinkled as they met hers. “Shall we go down for the morning meal, my
love? Such talk of battle makes me hungry.”

Madeline
bit back words of anger and worry, knowing Rohan must have some sort of plan.
He got up from their bed in the wee hours, staring out over the misty fields
and beyond, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Margery
arrived to help her dress and her husband went below to see his horse was now
dry. The color was a dark, drab brown stain. The golden Destrier was too
well-known not to draw notice in Edinburgh. They had one chance to get to the
docks while pursued by dozens of the king’s guards. The fact her husband didn’t
appear to panic right about now should have allayed her fears.

She
enjoyed a game of backgammon with Lady Vivienne by the fire while Rohan
disappeared to the stable to oversea his mount’s transformation. It was
nerve-wracking to know dozens of guards camped beyond the woods, their archers
poised in the trees. What they waited for unnerved her.

They
had to know the keep was undermanned in Lord Rivenhahl’s absence. She realized
they had no way of knowing Rohan’s men left two days before under the cover of
darkness, blending into the mists on their way to Edinburgh. For that reason,
they remained watchful.

“My
brother will make short work of the Englishman,” Lady Vivienne said as she
trounced her soundly once more, declaring her awful at the game. The lady shook
her head at her forlorn expression. “You have to know my brother and his men
are out there, Madeline. The five of them are fiercer than thirty of the king’s
best.”

“We
have no way of knowing Gavin means to let us go.”

Vivienne
glared at her. “My brother would not see an innocent woman burn, no matter what
you think of him. He means you no harm, Madeline.”

She
no longer knew Gavin. Her Gavin was lost to her when the spell ran its course.
This man who arrived on Strathmore’s heels was a stranger, a man who put
loyalty and honor ahead of all. His border baron rebelled against him and his
king. A part of her questioned whether he would allow them to leave.

“I
pray you’re right,” she said and her gaze went to the heavy doors, bolted and
barred, and barricaded for an imminent attack.

Vivienne
smirked as she set up for another game. “You must take your mind off the games
of men and learn to trust in what I say, Madeline. There is no more honorable
man than my brother. He will see you out of this.”

Madeline
might have added her husband had more than his fair share of honor, but the
lady was biased. She idolized Gavin, it was obvious. She prayed he meant them
no ill-will, knowing Rohan abandoned his post at the border for her, and for no
other reason.

Would
that be enough for Gavin to look the other way and let them flee?

****

Rohan
hardly recognized Goldwyn now. The horse was fully painted and dry. He would
pull a cart with an old crone driving, he and Madeline buried under a mound of
hay while it made its way out of the keep. The true test was getting the cart
past the guards outside the gates.

“Ye
better hope it dinna rain, Milord,” Fergus said and chuckled as he joined him
at the horses stall. “One good dousin’ and our golden boy here be known by
all.”

“We
need only get through the city,” Rohan remarked and patted his horse’s nose
before closing his stall.

“The
MacMillan and his sons were up to mischief in the night,” Fergus said with a
chuckle. “They scared the puny Englishmen near to death thinkin’ ghouls and
beasties were runnin’ through the mists after them.”

“My
thanks to them,” Rohan said with a pleased grin. “Let us hope they are rattled
enough to not notice an old crone on her way to the market come morning.”

“Ye
need ta be gone then, Milord,” Fergus replied and the old man’s gaze met his
directly. “We canna fight them off should they bust inside.”

Rohan
nodded and said nothing as the old man returned to the keep. He felt a presence
behind him. The hair at his nape prickled. He unsheathed his sword and swung
around to meet Gavin’s own sword tip, dark eyes clashing with green.

“I
wondered if you skulked about these hills in wait, de Mortaine,” he said pleasantly,
his dark eyes narrowing, his sword never wavering. “I mean to take my wife from
here. You’ll not stop me.”

“Why
did you linger here, Rohan?” Gavin asked harshly, his handsome face filled with
anger. “I gave you enough of a damned head start!”

“There
is a matter of Lord Strathmore and Lord Lunley to be dealt with,” Rohan replied
as he backed away, sword still advanced. “I would see we aren’t pursued where
we go.”

“I
will deal with Strathmore on the way home,” Gavin snapped. “Lunley is
harmless.”

“The
man won’t stop until Madeline is dead. He’s hunted her for years. I’ll not
worry he extends his reach for her when we are gone.”

Gavin
reflected his words grimly. “You’ve put me in an awkward position, Rohan.”

“Yes,
I’d say I’ve put you exactly where you are right now, my lord,” Rohan boasted
with a cocky grin. “The title of Lord Rivenhahl suited you far better than me.”

Gavin
showed little surprise to know Rohan threw the match. He more than suspected it
before the man admitted it to him now. He also knew why and bristled to know
the man did it to have Madeline, and for no other reason.

“I
can’t let you just walk out of here, Rohan,” Gavin said harshly. “The words
treason come to mind.”

“We
will not walk out of here, my lord,” Rohan said quietly. “The old crone in the
keep will drive a cart to market tomorrow at dawn. See to it we are allowed to
pass by unmolested.”

“And
just how am I to do that?” Gavin asked sourly. “Strathmore and I are hardly
allies. The man is here to force marriage upon my sister.”

“You
will think of something,” Rohan said and shrugged as he withdrew his sword.
“Madeline is expecting my child, de Mortaine. Do you think the church will care
to wait until it’s born to condemn my wife to the fires for cleansing?”

Gavin
flinched at his words and shook his head. “No, they would see the child guilty
as well. You are right to get her out of the country. I could do nothing for
her. The king would not relent.”