Highland Savage (15 page)

“Just how do ye think ye made him pay, Freda?” she asked.

“First I took his wife.”

Katerina just stared at the woman. She hoped she looked no more than curious, perhaps a little disbelieving. Inside she wanted to scream, knowing the woman was telling the truth. Freda believed she would win this game and that Katerina would take these confessions to the grave with her.

“She wasnae having an easy time with the bairn she carried and the right mixture of herbs was all that was needed to rid her of it. Then one just had to be sure she kept getting the potion that would keep her bleeding her life away.”

“So ye feel all clever and strong because ye killed a bairn in the womb and a woman on her childbed, neither of whom had ever done ye any harm?”

“It was because of your mother that I wasnae made the lady of Dunlochan as was my right.” Freda took a deep breath as if to calm herself and continued. “I allowed the old fool one more chance to live. He could have married me once his mourning was done but he didnae. He hardly e’er looked at me and was cold and cutting whene’er I tried to approach him.”

“So ye killed him, too.”

“Aye.” She frowned. “He took a lot longer to die than I had felt he should.”

“How inconsiderate of him.”

Freda gave her a look of disgust and then took Agnes by the hand to lead her over to the table. When the woman ordered some food and drink brought for her, Agnes, and the returning Ranald, Katerina nearly screamed. Freda had murdered her family and after confessing her horrible, cold-blooded crime, she sat down to dine. Katerina found that it both frightened and enraged her.

“Here, lass, I have brought ye something to drink and a wee bit of broth.”

Katerina looked up into Old Hilda’s kindly face and suddenly wanted to weep. It seemed strange to her that simply learning that her parents had been murdered should make her grieve for them all over again. She supposed it was because she now knew it had not had to happen. That it had not been some illness or the all-too-common risk of childbearing, things one could not fight against, but the act of a bitter woman. If someone had known, if someone had really looked at Freda, it may all have been avoided.

“What are ye doing?” demanded Freda in a shrill voice although she did not make
any move to stop Hilda.

“I thought that when ye called for food and drink ye meant me to see to the lass,” Hilda said.

“Oh, do as ye wish. It matters little either way.”

Katerina watched Hilda breathe a sigh of relief and then whispered, “She killed them.”

“Aye, lass, I heard.” Hilda helped Katerina drink some of the cider. “She will pay for her crimes.”

“Are ye sure? She hasnae yet and it has been years.”

“Your mother was too sweet to sense danger or see a threat from another woman and your da was too arrogant to see any woman as a threat. Ye are neither.” She carefully spooned the well-spiced broth into Katerina’s mouth. “Ye have the strength your dear mother ne’er had and the wit your da often didnae. Ye also have Sir Lucas Murray and a lot of good men on your side.”

“Da had good men.”

“But he wasnae so verra good at winning the sort of loyalty ye can. He commanded it yet he gave the men no real reason to care, if ye see what I mean.”

“I think I do. Da expected things just because he was the laird, but he ne’er actually did much to earn such things as loyalty and respect. He just was the laird.”

“Exactly. His people love Dunlochan, but didnae really love him, if ye will forgive me for saying so.”

“Of course. Still, he didnae deserve to die that way.”

“Nay, he didnae.” After glancing toward Freda and the others, Hilda gently patted Katerina’s cheek. “Dinnae ye worry, lass. Ye willnae be losing this battle.”

Keeping a close watch on Freda and the others, Katerina said, “Dinnae do anything that will put ye at risk, Hilda.”

“I willnae, lass. Ye just worry about yourself.”

The moment Hilda finished feeding Katerina she gave her a wink and hurried back to the kitchen. Katerina had the feeling that the woman was going to do something to try to help her and Lucas. Although she was grateful, and would be even more so if Hilda did successfully help them, she did not like the thought that yet another one of her people was about to be in danger.

For a moment she felt as if she was drowning in guilt. She had never seen the threat Freda posed to her parents, had never questioned the cause of their deaths. She had not really seen the threat to herself until she and Lucas had been nearly killed. Now she had all her most loyal people risking their lives to try and keep her alive. And they had all been brought to this point because she had never looked too closely at Freda. It had to be her own blindness that had brought all this tragedy down on Dunlochan.

It was a while before Katerina began to pull herself out of the deep well of self-recrimination and self-pity she had sunk into. A soft voice of common sense began to grow louder and louder, drowning out the voice that wanted to blame herself for everything that had ever gone wrong at Dunlochan. It was foolish because many of the things that had gone wrong had occurred when she was still a child. The first step on the path to the tragedy that had struck down her parents had been taken when she was not yet born.

Katerina sighed and realized that some of her desire to blame herself was born of
not wanting to blame her parents. Her father had bedded Freda. He was the one who had treated the woman so shamefully. And it was Freda who had turned her anger into something vicious and deadly. The only one of the adults involved in the tragedy who could be said to have been completely innocent was her mother. Katerina hated to blame her father for her mother’s death and that of the child she had carried but he was partly responsible. If nothing else, his arrogance and his belief that women were neither strong nor clever, that they could never be a threat to any man, had allowed Freda the freedom to take her deadly revenge. Even when he had been so ill, even when he realized he was dying of a disease none of the healers could understand or cure, her father had not once looked at his scorned lover with suspicion.

“Weel, we will soon see an end to all of this,” said Freda as she walked up to stand next to Katerina. “We just got word that the missive is on its way to Sir Murray.”

“Do ye have any idea of who he is?” Katerina asked, even as she struggled to recall all the tales Lucas had told her of his clan during the time he had been recovering from the wounds Ranald had given him.

“He is your lover and your champion. It makes him vulnerable. What else must I ken about the mon?”

“His clan is verra important. After he, er, died, I fully expected them to show up here in force to find him and then make us all pay for his death.”

They didnae e’en show up to make us pay for his injuries and they were verra bad from all I hear. Why should I worry about them now?”

“Lucas was the reason they didnae come here to raze Dunlochan to the ground. He wouldnae allow it. But they will do it if they wish to. If ye kill him this time, ye willnae be able to enjoy your victory for long.”

“They willnae be able to prove we were at fault”

“Are ye certain of that? Mayhap Lucas told them about all of us, about Ranald’s part in his beating and the attempt to murder him. Mayhap they ken exactly where Lucas is now and are simply allowing him the honor of exacting his own revenge. If that is so, then the moment he doesnae come home when he should or they hear he is dead, they will ken exactly where to come and who to look for.”

Agnes stepped up to glare at Katerina. “If they are so powerful and important why havenae we heard of them?”

“Because ye dinnae trouble yourself to leave the little kingdom ye have made for yourself here. If ye had e’er gone to court ye would have heard all about them. Many of their kin have gone there and they are weel respected and trusted. Few wish to challenge them.”

“Ranald, have ye heard of these Murrays?” demanded Freda.

“Some. They dinnae like to fight.”

Katerina almost laughed, but she forced herself to just keep staring at Freda. Ranald’s opinion of the Murrays was clear to hear in the few words he had uttered. The Murrays preferred to talk, to try to make peace and alliances, a fight being their last resort. To a man like Ranald that made them cowards and no one to fear. Freda looked a little doubtful, but Katerina expected she was of much the same opinion. Katerina saw power and intelligence in the way the Murrays made alliances instead of enemies. Freda and Ranald saw weakness. She prayed that would make them underestimate Lucas.

“I think Sir Lucas was probably a good fighter, but he is crippled now,” added
Ranald.

“Then we have nothing to worry about.” Freda looked at Agnes. “Ye want to bed a cripple?”

Agnes shrugged. “I dinnae intend to ask him to dance, do I. If he can still walk, he can give me what I want.”

Freda sighed. “And just why do ye want him? Because Katerina has had him?”

Agnes shrugged. “As good a reason as any.” Agnes then smiled at Katerina. “At least he will ken what it means to have a real woman ere he dies.”

“Too late. He already has.” She bit back a cry of pain when Agnes slapped her.

“Let us see just how much he appreciates ye after he watches Ranald have ye.”

“Agnes, he willnae be appreciating or nay appreciating anything after that as ye mean to kill him.” She spoke as if she was trying to explain something to a very small child and could see that it enraged Agnes, but Freda stopped her daughter from delivering another slap.

“Dinnae say ye are now protecting her?” Agnes asked her mother.

“I am protecting us,” Freda said. “I always consider the possibility that something will go wrong. If it does, I would rather not have to explain why she is bruised and bleeding.”

“Ye told her all ye have done, Freda,” said Ranald as he strolled up with a tankard of ale in his hand. “If this goes wrong, I think a few bruises on Katerina will be the verra least of your troubles. This one will see ye hang for her family’s deaths.”

“Then ye had best be verra wary and ready to kill the mon.”

“If ye dinnae mind, I believe I will bring a few men in here to help ensure our victory.”

“Are ye afraid of Sir Murray? The cripple? The mon ye have thrice had at your mercy and yet failed to kill?”

“As ye say, thrice I have failed to kill him. Mayhap this time I just wish to be sure his cursed luck doesnae save him a fourth time.”

Katerina watched Ranald walk away and tried not to let his words frighten her. She would not believe that it was only luck that had saved Lucas each time Ranald had tried to kill him. She had seen Lucas fight before he had been injured and after. He was a little slower than he had been, but if Ranald faced him squarely, one on one, she had no doubt that Lucas would slaughter him. Lucas could deal with even more than one man, of that she had no doubt. She did not like the thought of him walking alone and unarmed into this nest of vipers but, if anyone could walk away the victor, Lucas could. He had one advantage they did not. He had the passages he could use and Katerina was sure that, even at that moment, Lucas was making his plans to use them to their fullest advantage.

She relaxed a little, her fear nearly gone. Lucas would come for her. He would seem to do as ordered but he would have a plan that would finally sweep these villains out of her life. These people were not clever enough or strong enough to defeat Lucas. He would come and he would be calm, cold justice, one that was long overdue.

“We can use the hidden passages in Dunlochan to reach her.”

Lucas started into the passageway only to be grabbed by William and Patrick and dragged right out. For a moment he was prepared to fight their hold, to roar out his fury and race into Dunlochan. It was a struggle, but he finally subdued that mad urge. The men holding him obviously felt that change in him for they cautiously released him although they stayed close by him. When Annie thrust a tankard of ale at him, Lucas did not hesitate to take it and tried to ignore everyone watching him as he drank it all down.

“Did it clear your head?” asked William when Lucas was finished.

“It did.” Lucas handed Annie the empty tankard with a nod of thanks.

“So, ye willnae be charging off, sword waving like some ancient berserker?”

“Nay, not just yet.”

“Ah, good. Now we can actually make a plan. Could be useful, aye?”

“It could be,” agreed Lucas as he started toward the hall. “We shall make our plan, then we shall rescue Katerina and slaughter our enemies, and then I shall beat ye into the mud for being such an impertinent bastard.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” William said, grinning as the others laughed.

Once back in the hall where he had been given the message from Ranald and Katerina’s lock of hair that had set him off in such a rage, Lucas had to struggle constantly not to feel as if every passing minute put Katerina’s life in danger. She could be badly hurt, even tortured as he had been, but her life was not yet at immediate risk. Ranald and Agnes needed Katerina alive to bring him to them. She was the bait in their trap. When a small voice in his head reminded him of how Ranald lusted after Katerina, of how he might use her now that she was in his grasp, Lucas shoved all thought of that as far back into the dark depths of his mind as he could. Thinking of Ranald touching Katerina could drive him mad and make him act recklessly. He had to think only about keeping her alive and planning a rescue that would not cost her men too dearly.

Even though he was not hungry, he accepted the plate of food Annie set down in front of him. He knew he would need the strength it could give him. As he ate and waited for the others to be served and start eating Lucas tried to think calmly and coldly about the best way to free Katerina.

“The passages are still the best way for us to get into Dunlochan,” he said.

William nodded. “Aye, they are. We just need to have a plan for what we must do when we get in there—beside slaughtering our enemies.”

Robbie cleared his throat and then blushed faintly when everyone looked at him. “I think Lucas ought to do exactly as they told him to do.”

“Walk in there alone-and unarmed?” Patrick asked, outraged. “He will be dead ere we can reach him. They both will.”

“Nay, I dinnae think that is true. Lucas himself heard Ranald and Agnes agree that they would have Lucas and Katerina first. They will try to do just that Freda may nay like it, but she will do naught to stop them.”

“Why would Freda e’en think she could stop them?” asked Lucas, suddenly recalling how forceful that woman had sounded and how both Ranald and Agnes had acted as if the woman was far more to them than a mere servant.

“I dinnae ken, but she could if she really wanted to. Freda has always had power over Agnes. So, Ranald and Agnes will wish to indulge themselves. They are like spoiled
children in that way. There may be an argument amongst the three of them as weel, as ’tis unwise and Freda will ken it. All of that will hold their attention firmly on Lucas whilst we slip into Dunlochan.”

“’Tis a good plan except that we dinnae ken what we will find once we get in there. We dinnae ken how many men they have with them, where in the keep they are holding Katerina, and if Katerina could be in danger the moment the others realize I have not come meekly into their grasp and that they are being attacked.”

“There are three men with them, they are all in the great hall, and Katerina is tied to a chair in front of the fireplace in there.” Hilda smiled faintly when everyone looked at her, not all of them able to hide their surprise. “’Tis much finer down here than I e’er could have imagined.”

“Come sit here, Hilda,” Lucas said as he stood and helped her to the seat next to him. He smiled his gratitude at Annie, who hastily set some food and drink in front of the woman. “Do ye need to hurry back so that ye are nay discovered missing?”

“Nay. I have retired for the night.” Hilda took a drink and ate a little food, smiling at Annie to show her approval of the fare. “I gave Katerina something to eat and drink. She took a sore knock upon the head, but I believe she is already recovering from that. If she were freed, she would have enough strength to watch out for herself and be no hindrance to whate’er ye need to do. I am certain of it.”

“Do ye think ye can cut her free?”

“Oh, aye, but I will tell ye about that in a moment. They all want ye dead, ye ken. Ye
and
Katerina. I heard what Robbie said about what Agnes and Ranald want to do and he is right—they willnae kill ye until they get what they want. Freda was furious at first, but then she decided she liked the idea, could see how it was as good as torturing each of ye.”

“Freda wields some power over them, doesnae she.”

“Och, aye, that she does. Freda is Agnes’s mother.” She nodded at the looks of shock on everyone’s face and proceeded to tell them all that she had overheard Freda confess to. “I think the woman is mad.”

“Aye,” Lucas said quietly, wondering how such news would affect Katerina, “and that madwoman holds Katerina.”

Hilda patted him on the arm. “Nay for long, aye? Ye will set her free and send that woman to hell where she belongs.”

Lucas prayed the woman’s faith in him was deserved. “It willnae be easy. Nay with a keep full of armed men.”

“Weel, mayhap nay so full. There are ones who areloyal to Dunlochan but loathe Agnes and Ranald. They also all like our Katerina. Once they were told what was going on they slipped away, nay wanting to be forced to hold to their oaths of service to Agnes. They gave them when they thought Katerina was dead and Agnes was to be the one to hold Dunlochan. There is another group of men who will soon be fighting each other to get to the garderobe.” She blushed a little when the men grinned. “And there are a few more who will find that they cannae get out of their quarters to go to Ranald’s aid.”

“Hilda, ye are our miracle. Now all we must do is find a way to get Katerina free of her bonds so that she isnae still trapped in that chair when the fighting begins. Ye said ye had a plan that might accomplish that?”

“I do. I will need one of your men. Mayhap Robbie or e’en Thomas, as they are
slender and nay as tall as the rest of ye.”

“And being slender and wee bit short is necessary?”

“Aye, for none of the maid’s gowns would fit a truly big mon.”

“Explain it all a wee bit more clearly if ye could, Hilda,” Lucas said gently, feeling a tug of hope for the first time in hours.

“A maid can slip into the great hall without anyone paying her much heed at all. The hearth is always cleaned out after the last meal of the day. If I can dress one of your men as a maid who has been sent to clean the hearth he can easily cut Katerina’s bonds whilst ye, Sir Lucas, hold fast to the attention of Freda and the others. That mon can also linger close at hand to give my lady help if she is in need of it.”

“Ye could lead armies, Hilda,” Lucas said and he kissed her on the cheek. “There is one thing to consider—mayhap it would be best to send Annie to be the maid. A kerchief for her hair and a bit of dirt upon her face and I dinnae think Ranald will notice her.”

“Nay,” said Robbie so quickly and sharply that everyone stared at him in surprise, but he just blushed a little before continuing. “I will do it. E’en if freed from her bonds it sounds as if Katerina willnae be able to fight or defend herself. Annie has no skill with a sword and, ere ye mention it, neither does Thomas. I do. I shudder at the thought of donning a gown, but I can do it.”

“Then so ye shall.”

For a little while they talked with Hilda, gleaning all the information they could and telling her exactly what she needed to do. The moment she and Robbie left, Lucas turned to the others. “Weel, do ye think we have a plan that will work?”

“Oh, aye. Old Hilda is a treasure,” said William.

“That she is. S’truth, I believe the woman has been watching and gathering information, mayhap e’en planning things, just for this moment.”

“Thanks be to God that Agnes and the others are the sort to pay little heed to the servants.”

“True. I believe their arrogance there is our saving grace.” Lucas idly stroked the lock of Katerina’s hair that he had slipped into the pocket of his coat. “I had best go and do my part.”

“Be careful,” said Patrick. “They are expecting to see a gallant fool come to give his life for a woman. Ye dinnae want them to guess that they may have misjudged ye and become wary.”

“I ken it. I also ken that I could stir their suspicion if I play the part too weel. Ranald has come close to killing me three times and willnae believe it if I am too meek and self-sacrificing.”

“True,” agreed William. “I hope Robbie keeps that hair of his weel hidden, too. Agnes will recognize it immediately.”

“Somehow I think Robbie will play his part with ease.” Lucas stood up. “Weel, Godspeed to ye all. I pray the next time we have to speak it will be o’er the dead bodies of our enemies.”

Patrick watched the doorway until he could neither see nor hear Sir Lucas and then looked at William. “Do ye think he meant that? About the dead bodies of our enemies and all?”

“Oh, aye,” said William as he stood up and began to arm himself. There is only
one way we can put a stop to Agnes, Ranald, and Freda, and that is to bury them.”

Lucas hid his smile as the man escorted him into the great hall of Dunlochan. The man had not searched him for weapons other than a curt and far too light brush of his hands over the usual places one hid a knife. He had not found one of the five knives Lucas had hidden away. A sword would have suited him better but Lucas was pleased that he would not be facing his enemy unarmed.

Once inside the great hall, he looked for Katerina and tensed with fury when he saw her. He studied her carefully and used the fact that she had no more than one red mark on her cheek and a hint of blood from her head wound in her hair to calm his sudden rage. He did not hide all of it, however, as he faced Ranald, Agnes, and Freda.

“I believe ye are supposed to release her now,” he said in a cold, hard voice.

“Is that what ye believe?” said Freda and she laughed softly. “Nay, my gallant fool. I said ye could
see
her alive. There she is—alive. I have now met my part of the bargain.”

“I wish I could say I am surprised. So, is it Ranald who gets to kill us?” He glanced back at the three men lurking near the door. “I dinnae think he will need all three to kill a woman tied to a chair and an unarmed mon, do ye?”

Freda held up her hand to stop a growling Ranald’s advance on Lucas. “Ye are verra arrogant for a mon in your precarious position, Sir Murray.”

He shrugged. “I have naught left to lose so what does it matter?”

“It could make a difference in how easily ye die.” She glanced over at Katerina. “Or who dies first.”

“Ah, so that is how ye mean to play the game. And ye willnae accept any bargain offered, will ye. No vow that I will take Katerina with me and we shall ne’er darken your threshold again or something like that.”

“Nay, I dinnae think so. I have little faith in the word of men.”

“Considering the men ye deal with now, I am nay surprised.”

“But ye willnae die right away,” said Agnes as she walked up to Lucas and laid a hand on his chest. “If ye are verra good to me, mayhap I can offer ye a reprieve.”

Lucas looked down at Agnes. He wondered how he had ever thought her sweet but witless. He could see the cold cunning in her eyes. She was willing to walk over as many bodies as were needed for her to reach her goal. The fact that she would think she could take him into her bed and he would perform just to try to save his life revealed just how cold she was. It surprised him a little that she was the whore she was reputed to be, but he had to wonder if she sought the warmth she herself could never feel. He took her hand in his, saw the glint of malicious satisfaction in her lovely eyes, and then dropped her hand.

“Ye would refuse me?” she said, her fury growing fast, and she clenched her hands into tight little fists at her sides.

“I believe the threat of death if I dinnae please may weel make an adequate performance difficult.” He looked at Ranald when the man laughed. “If ye are still planning to wed with this woman, I wouldst ne’er sleep without a dagger at the ready.”

“I ne’er intended to do so,” Ranald said.

Lucas saw Agnes move and easily caught her by the wrist, stopping her palm from connecting with his cheek. “I think ye have marked that cheek enough for now, mistress.”

“’Tis m’lady, ye fool,” she snapped as she tried to wriggle free of his grasp.

Lucas smiled faintly as he saw how tense Freda and Ranald had grown. They could
see what Agnes in her blind fury could not. He now held one of theirs. It was tempting to taunt them with that, to threaten them as they threatened him and Katerina, but he could not. Robbie was now near Katerina’s seat and he could not afford to have either Freda or Ranald move toward Katerina now.

“I could just snap her wee neck,” he murmured and saw Agnes pale as she suddenly realized the dangerous position she was in.

“Aye, ye could, and I begin to think she is such a stupid woman it might be best, but ye willnae,” said Freda.

“Ye sound so certain of that.”

“I am. Ye are a knight and I believe ye actually hold to the vows knights are supposed to take—such as bringing no harm to women.”

“I am nay sure I recall that one.” He threw Agnes’s hand down. “Howbeit, I cannae think that killing her is worth blackening my soul.”

Agnes moved to huddle near Ranald and glare at Lucas. “Ye are a fool. I could have saved ye.”