Dawn Annis (8 page)

Chapter 10

Smithers woke slowly on the deserted road. Dawn was breaking in the eastern sky. He heard the birds singing and twittering overhead. A rather raucous jay complained above the others. Smithers groaned. He was cold and wet, and his head thumped painfully with every beat of his heart. As he sat up, light flashed across his eyes accompanying the grievous rhythm his body played. Gingerly, he rose to his knees and then to his feet. His pain forgotten, he remembered. Kate had been taken.

“Damnation.” He held his painful head in his hands.

What the hell did the brute hit me with, a club? I should have been more prepared. Prepared against what? I thought riding outside the coach was our best defense. Who were those men? Who could have possibly done this?

The new Lord Colquhoun? Surely, not Andrew. No, this is not to his advantage. The man wanted them out of his house and out of his life. Why add a complication? No, it wasn’t Andrew. “Then who?”

I have nowhere to start but at Colquhoun Manor.
Smithers limped down the road, his knee popped with every step, his head pounded, his heart heavy, and worry in his gut. To what gain? He racked his brain for any indication of the identity of the men who had taken her. He had been as surprised as the driver when they had rounded the bend in the road and were surrounded by men on horseback. The riders had intercepted the coach’s lead horses, grabbing the bridles, bringing the team to a halt.

Having stopped the coach, the rough men swarmed up from the road. They climbed the coach like locust before Smithers and the driver had the chance to stop them. Eric, the driver, gave up without much of a fight, the craven. Smithers was no match for them alone. The men wore kilts and trews. He remembered nothing more.

He shuffled along the road, nursing his aches. He spotted a farmer riding in a cart filled with hay.

“Hi ho! May I trouble you for a ride?”

“Wouldn’t be a minute of trouble to me. Where ya headed?”

“Colquhoun House.”

“Hop on. I go right by there on me way.”

Smithers jumped onto the back on the wagon. Nursing his aches, he took an inventory of his injuries. His knee was sore and seemed to be out of joint. His head hurt, he had been thumped a good one. Other than scrapes and bruises he considered himself damn lucky he survived. The farmer neared the manor.

“Drop me around back, if you will. I can walk.”

The man nodded and left him off behind the stables.

“Thank you, sir.” Smithers raised an arm as the wagon trundled away.

“Sir? I’m no sir.” The farmer chuckled. He whistled a tune as he rode away.

Smithers saw servants loading Lady Colquhoun’s second carriage as he ducked into the barn. Until he knew more, he felt it best to keep Kate’s abduction from Lord Colquhoun.

When Smithers entered the stables, the morning sun was beginning to rise higher in the sky. He heard the sound of a man crying. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dim of the stable he saw Eric, the driver of the coach. It appeared as though Eric had been weeping the night through. When he saw Smithers, he wept harder.

“Don’t beat me. I couldn’t stop ‘em. I couldn’t. I tried. Truly I did. You saw I tried, didn’t you? You saw.”

Smithers grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him up to scowl into his eyes.

“Stop your blubbering,” Smithers growled. “I saw how hard you tried,” Smithers added sarcastically. “Good God, man! Tell me what you saw. Did you see who took her?”

“Oh, no, sir. I can’t say, I didn’t see,” he wailed. “How can I tell his lordship I lost the lady? Oh, he’ll beat me for sure.”

Disgusted, Smithers threw Eric down into the hay. He fell heavily.

Smithers was sure Eric had no idea his lordship cared nothing for Kate. Lord Colquhoun told him to take Lady Colquhoun to Dumbarton, nothing more. Knowing he was not going tell Andrew Colquhoun anything of what had occurred, Smithers gritted his teeth. “Tell me what you know and I will not bother his lordship. Leave out anything, and I’ll see you thrashed.”

Eric wept harder. He wiped his nose with his grimy sleeve.

“For God’s sake, stop sniveling,” Smithers said. “I will not disturb his lordship. Tell me what you know so I can hunt for her ladyship. Lord Colquhoun shall not be the wiser. I need a good mount.”

Eric’s teary eyes grew wider. “I cannot let you take a horse. His lordship . . .”

Smithers lost what little patience he had left. He cuffed the man across the face.

“Eric! I will not abide you any longer. You are wasting my time.”

Eric picked up his hat from the ground and kneaded it with his hands.

“By the sound of ‘em, they were from the North. ‘Tis all I know.”

Smithers went over to the nearest horse and threw a saddle on him. At hearing Eric’s information, he turned and stared briefly into the man’s face.

“I deduced that particular part of the riddle for myself. Take these coins and leave. Return in one week.” Smithers narrowed his eyes. “No sooner.”

As he readied the horse, he continued. “Speak of this to no one, not even your family. Should his lordship inquire of your task, inform him Lady Colquhoun arrived, no more. Then return to your duties. I will see to her.”

Eric’s chin quivered as he agreed to Smithers’ plan.

“Now leave quickly before you are seen.”

Eric jammed his dirty hat on his head and ran through the field behind Lord Colquhoun’s property. Smithers watched him go and finished readying the horse. He led it to the back of the property and through a wooded area to avoid being seen by the servants of the house or the few loading the coach.

His plan was to arrive in Dumbarton before them to give additional instructions when they arrived. For now, it was best to let them travel in ignorance. He saw no reason to inform anyone of Kate’s disappearance. He had no clear idea what he would do once he reached Kate’s home, only he had to have a starting point. At the cottage, he could outfit himself for a further search for Kate.

Smithers made his way to Dumbarton going as fast as his horse would allow. On the third day, Smithers finally crossed over into Scotland. He made a few inquiries in the villages he passed but no one recalled the Colquhoun coach or seeing strangers pass through. As he traveled further into Scotland, to his good fortune, he came upon a man driving his pigs to market. “I had nearly been run over by a coach owning to the description. Headed north. In a hurry.”

Exalted by this bit of luck, Smithers rode north. He arrived at the cottage a day ahead of Kate’s other carriage. Nell, the plump housekeeper was in the back dooryard feeding the chickens and ducks. The birds scattered as his horse cantered in.

He quickly dismounted and explained Andrew’s inheritance and Kate’s loss.

“He demanded she leave at once.” His disgust was clear in his voice as he told her of Lord Colquhoun’s announcement and his treatment of Kate.

“Oh no, sir,” Nell cried. “Is our lady with you?”

“No.” Smithers shook his head slowly. “Nell, she has been taken.” He held up a hand as she started to speak. “I am not sure who took her.”

“Lord Colquhoun will be arriving soon to roust us from this place no doubt. He was quick to include this cottage in his assessment of what was his.

“We, however, cannot worry over what is to come. He is unaware of Lady Colquhoun’s disappearance. We may have a small amount of time. His ignorance won’t prompt him to ride here to take advantage of the situation. We must now concern ourselves with our lady and what has become of her.”

Nell listened in horror at Smithers’ tale. As her blue eyes filled with tears, Smithers gathered her into his arms.

“There, there, Nelly old girl. I will find her. I must. It would not do to have her gone, would it?”

“Nay sir, it certainly would not. What would we do without our pretty lass? Our sweet, wee lass. It just canna be,” Nell agreed, her face grave and tear streaked.

Smithers led her into the kitchen area. He sat down at the table and told her more of the details of the long, terrible story as she busied herself making tea for the two of them. Nell brought her apron to her face to catch the flow of tears.

“Lady Colquhoun is the best of them. She gave me this here job. ‘We get on,’ she said. ‘We have need of each other,’ she said.” Nell burst into fresh sobs.

Smithers stood up and took over making the pot of tea for Nell and himself. He guided Nell to the table and set her down gently.

“While riding here, I came across a man who had seen the Colquhoun coach and the men driving it. They were Scots. He saw their plaids, Nell.”

Smithers described the plaid to Nell. Nell quieted her tears and searched Smithers’ face. “Those are the MacGregors colors. They’re a fierce bunch. Feared by the clans. Ye must be wary.”

“It is a start. I leave in the morn to hunt these men down. I will find her,” Smithers declared.

Smithers began wearing monk’s robes the day after his journey north had begun. He rode quickly, inquiring as he traveled into the Highlands as to where he might locate the clan that had taken Kate. The villagers were loathe to cooperate. They were suspicious of any stranger searching for the clans. They were loyal to the Highland Scots as a whole and were unwilling to give any information. Once he donned the robes, he was less of a threat and the locals were more helpful in helping him to locate the MacGregor clan as the culprits.

He fell in with a group of minstrels traveling the countryside. As a monk, they welcomed him. Although it slowed his progress, Smithers decided to accompany them for the safety a group could provide. The roads were full of thieves and unsafe even for ‘a man of God’. The risk of traveling alone may prove to be too great.

The MacGregor tartan was well known and through careful inquiries he learned of the clan’s whereabouts. Steering the little group in the desired direction had not been difficult and they soon arrived at the outer gates. He and his companions were readily welcomed.

The leader of the group spoke to the housekeeper in search of a meal. Startled, Smithers saw Kate. He noticed the bruises on her face. Had she been beaten? She moved with ease in her surroundings, with a level of freedom he did not expect.

Smithers pulled the cowl around his face as she drew closer. He didn’t want her shock at seeing him give him away. He wanted the opportunity to assess the situation before he made a move. Relief loosened the knot that had been present in his chest since they’d been attacked. Kate did not appear to be in any immediate danger.

Chapter 11

Dressed as he was in knee breeches tucked into tall boots, a doublet made of fine cloth and a fur-lined long cloak, Shane looked ever the part of an English gentleman as he walked the avenue and adjoining park.

Giving every indication he was simply strolling, taking in the fine morning, he took in his surroundings. In particular, he watched the Colquhoun household. Strange. He had not seen a sign of anything amiss. Surely, if his wife had just been kidnapped, the man would have people searching regardless of the amount of time that passed. There were no riders dashing in to give the latest update or the sound of dogs or men searching the grounds, covering every inch with a sense of urgency. Nothing. Just the calm everyday occurrences with no hurried fear about the place. Why? He knew he wouldn’t stop looking for her. As surprising as that thought was, he knew if she were his, he’d never stop searching for her. Ever.

So what to do now? Did he walk right in as if he owned the place and demand his ransom? Or should he just sit here like a bleedin’ fool waiting for someone to notice and call the watch? Bloody hell. Shane felt disgusted with the whole situation, Lord Colquhoun’s lack of concern as well as his own indecision.

He returned to his tied horse, hoisted himself into the saddle and made for the inn he had been staying at since his arrival into the area. Shane shook his head as he puzzled over what he had just seen. He couldn’t make any sense of it.

Shane rode to the tavern and scattered the chickens as he and others dismounted from their horses to break their late-day hunger. He walked in behind a particularly loud group of gentlemen about to enjoy what appeared to be not the first drink of the day. When they sat at a table close to the front windows, Shane moved farther into the room. He chose a place in the back next to the stairs, away from the noisy crowd.

A brown-eyed girl walked over with a mug of mead and set it on the table with an alluring smile, letting her long, brown hair graze his cheek.

Shane smiled and ordered, indicating none of his Scottish descent. “A plate of the mutton stew, if you will.”

As he waited for the girl, he studied the room and watched the celebrating men. With a tremendous amount of backslapping, they were congratulating each other on some great feat. Shane smiled to himself. Too many drinks, the act of just walking would soon be enough to celebrate.

The girl returned to the table swinging her ample hips, carrying a plate of stew and a loaf of brown bread. She set the food on the table giving Shane a generous view of her breasts barely held in by her blouse.

He tore a hunk from the bread. He watched the girl as she walked toward the bar.

The tavern door opened and Lord Colquhoun entered, He sat down with his friends and turned, lifting an eyebrow and gave the girl his order. He dismissed her with a flick of his hand. Shane didn’t think Colquhoun would recognize him, but didn’t want his face to be seen all the same. He moved his plate closer to the edge and ate while he listened to the conversation going on across the room.

“Oh, it was quite delicious, really. Looking down her nose, playing the honorable Lady Colquhoun. She truly did not have the substance to sustain it,” Lord Andrew cooed. “Of course she had no idea Sidney had been so frivolous with his money. I have no doubt she thought to inherit all. Her man, rather an arrogant cur for a manservant I must say, rushed in to save his mistress. And I use the term with a loose meaning.”

Andrew lowered his head and pursed his lips as he crossed his legs to indicate his bawdy meaning. The gentlemen around the table laughed uproariously and urged him to continue his tale.

“Well, I told him to get out or he would be flayed.” Andrew flicked his hand regally as if to shoo a fly. “Of course, he immediately cowered. He knew better than to threaten a man of greater station. The lady was so stunned by my announcement and her man’s reaction to my threats, she fled the house in tears and ‘tis the last I’ve seen or heard of her. Thank God!”

“Andrew, you handled that whore with authority. Imagine the gall, thinking she was to inherit after your brother died. Sidney told us all how she weaseled her way into the marriage and then refused to be a wife in any sense of the word. She got just what she deserved, nothing!”

Andrew preened.

The man to Andrew’s right asked. “So, do you have any idea where she went? I haven’t heard anything about her around town.”

“No. Nor do I care. I am not going to further concern myself with my brother’s widow. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.”

Shane listened intently to the whole conversation. The serving girl swished by. He ignored her. This was perhaps the explanation he had been seeking. Something was going on with Lady Colquhoun and this man he had thought was her husband. Obviously, this was not the case and he had mistaken Andrew for his brother. He was unaware Sidney Colquhoun was deceased. This put a completely different light on the whole situation.

“Bloody hell,” Shane murmured. He let out a low groan.

Kate had known there would be no ransom. She must have known this man would not pay to have her returned to him hale, hearty, and whole. She had not given him or Iain any indication of her defunct funds. Why would she, given the situation? Of course she would keep that particular piece of information to herself. He would have. Why give the opponent any sort of advantage? Shane nodded, admiring her effrontery. She had not let them know there was no ransom. She had played the game and had played it coolly.

The corners of Shane’s mouth lifted.

Shane remembered the Colquhoun brothers as children and he had never forgotten the experience. He had been in England at the time, sent by his father to be properly educated and gain knowledge not to be had in Scotland.

“Know thine enemy,” his father had said to young Shane. “Knowledge is power. What ye learn is our gain. The clan will one day depend upon ye. Learn it all and learn it well.”

Seamus fostered him with a family friendly to the MacGregor clan. Edward Maxwell and Seamus MacGregor were bonny friends. They had been since Seamus’s own fostering days. Edward realized the importance of Shane being educated in England to Seamus. He had readily agreed to the arrangement.

Shane took a sip of his mead and leaned back in his chair.

During his time with the Maxwells, the elder Lord Alexander Colquhoun, unaware of the Maxwell ties to the MacGregor clan, had paid a brief afternoon visit to the manor house.

While Shane felt a need to keep out of sight, his curiosity forced him to peek at the man responsible for his clan’s troubles. This man had started the trouble with the king that led to war. Shane shook out of his reverie. So, the spoilt boy has grown into an ill-tempered foppish man. He expected no less.

Disgusted, he finished his meal. He tossed a coin to the serving girl, climbed the stairs to his room and packed his bag. He had not gotten what he came for. There would be no ransom.

Shane went to Maxwell Hall, the home of his father’s friend. Now knowing Sidney Colquhoun was dead, he needed more information regarding the late man’s wife. The Maxwells and Colquhoun moved in the same circles. Perhaps he could learn more.

Edward Maxwell was so pleased to see Shane he dispensed with using his butler to announce Shane. As soon as he had heard Shane’s voice he hurried out of his study to greet him. He shook Shane’s hand enthusiastically.

“I’m glad to see you, m’boy. I thought these old eyes would not rest on you again with so much trouble your family has had with King James. What a mess of things he is making.” Edward lowered his voice. “I heard just the other day he’s trying to disband Parliament. Have you ever heard of such a ludicrous idea? He has told his advisors he rules by divine right and God views him as an equal. Good Lord. Have you ever heard such a thing?” Having not let go, Edward took Shane’s offered hand again and enveloped him in a hug. “Good to see you, son.”

“Well, he wasn’t so impressed with himself in Scotland. They say power rules the man, not the other way around.” Shane smiled. “’Tis good to see you as well.”

“Enough of politics! For now,” Edward said as he winked. “Let me call Victoria. She will be pleased to see you and upset with me I’ve tarried with the news of your arrival.”

Edward laughed. He led the way to the library and motioned for Shane to sit down. He then went yelling through the house for his wife, Victoria.

Shane again smiled.

He had lived here for nearly five years until his father had called him home. By then he was a man. It was good to see his father’s friend again.

Shane’s father was not ignorant. He’d just learned a different way of seeing things other than the Highland way. Shane conceived many of his ideas for raising cattle and farming land due to Edward’s help. The Highlanders have always been too busy warring to put much stock into farming. Shane was intent on doing things different. Shane had learned, as his father had bid him to do.

Victoria glided into the library with her arms outstretched and a smile of joy on her beautiful face. Shane immediately rose to greet her as Edward followed his wife into the room. He noticed she, like her husband, had gotten older with streaks of grey in their hair and a few more wrinkles on their faces. They were the same dear, kind people he remembered. He had missed them.

“Shane, dear,” Victoria said as she pulled Shane into her arms. He smelled her perfume. It brought back sweet memories. “We have missed you. It is so good to see you. Let me have a look at you.” She held Shane at arm’s length.

“You’ve grown into a man and a handsome one at that, but you are too thin. You need to eat more.” She tugged on his long, curled hair as she did when he was a boy. “You need your hair cut as well.” She gave him a stern look then smiled as if he were the most special person to her.

“Now, sweetheart, leave the boy alone. He is a man now and can make his own decisions and his own choices. I have no doubt all his friends are wearing their hair in similar style,” Edward said endearingly to his wife.

Shane kept his laughter inside but smiled in return. They were doting parents to the end. It didn’t matter he was a man and laird of his clan. To them he was their son. They would still make a fuss over him.

“Shane, how is Seamus faring?”

Shane slipped back into his Scottish brogue, a sign he was truly upset.

“I fear for him. As I notified ye, he was injured in a confrontation with the Campbells
a month ago. He was wounded badly and is weak. He is not healing. Every day I visit and he is weaker than the last.”

“Oh, how dreadful,” Victoria said with tears in her eyes.

“Is a physician there? Surely something can be done,” Edward asked with concern.

“Aye, for all the good he is. He spends most of his time ogling the wenches and filling his belly. He says nothing can be done. We must just wait for it to be over.”

Victoria shook her head, her hands shaking a bit as she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. She sniffed and cleared her throat. “When we received your message, we were concerned. We know he is a strong man. We were sure his recovery would be quick.”

“The physician informs me the arrow pierced very close to his heart. He said he is surprised my da lived. He tells me nothing can be done but wait,” Shane repeated as if he didn’t want to believe the words he spoke. He took in a deep breath.

“’Tis not the only problem plaguing me. Iain showed up with Lady Colquhoun a fortnight ago.”

“What? Who? What is he doing with Lady Colquhoun?” Edward asked incredulously.

Victoria stared at Shane in disbelief.

“Aye, I canna believe it myself,” Shane said as he saw the look Victoria had given him. “He showed up driving her coach with her in it, telling me he’s taken her for ransom and this’ll be the end of all our problems.”

Edward and Victoria exchanged glances.

“The king will be all over you and your family. He won’t let this pass without some sort of retaliation. He’ll send in the royal army. You cannot prick him now. He has much to lose.”

Victoria interrupted her husband. “This is truly of some consequence. In addition, the lady is a widow. She has no money for ransom. There have been whispers about her plight for days. Andrew or perhaps I should say Lord Colquhoun,” Victoria said, adding her opinion by her derisive tone, “has thrown her out. She has nothing. The cad.”

“Aye, I’ve heard something about that already,” Shane snorted. He described the conversation he had overheard. “The man is a worthless piece of dung. I doubt the king has been troubled with her disappearance. After listening to the braggart, the new Lord Colquhoun seems to think she left of her own accord in compliance with his edicts.”

Shane spent a few days making discreet inquiries into the death of Sidney Colquhoun. What had surprised him was the marriage of the lady to him.

Many people he spoke with commented she had borne the burden of her disastrous marriage to Lord Colquhoun with dignity and grace. While they were sure news of his many indiscretions had reached her, she had maintained her aplomb.

Kate’s mother had a bit of a scandal in her past before she married the earl. The details had long been forgotten. There was a story about her mother’s insistence to employ a manservant instead of a maid. You could only put so much stock into gossip.

Shane realized he thought of her as ‘Kate’ after spending a bit of time with her. After having learned more about this enigmatic woman, about her past and what she had endured, it was impossible to think of her as ‘Lady Colquhoun’.

He said his good-byes to Edward and Victoria, and started for home, promising to return as soon as he could.