Highland Soldiers: The Betrayal (16 page)

During that supper and the suppers to follow, Jenny watched Duncan withdraw more each day. While the others would talk over supper, Duncan was quiet, forcing a nod or a smile when he thought it was called for. As the days turned to weeks, his dark moods took over.

A second room opened up at the inn, leaving Jenny alone with Duncan and the brooding that was part of him now. Alex and Charlie found quarter with other troops, but would sup with their friends at day’s end.

One night, on the way upstairs, Jenny said, “Och! I left my bonnet.” She sent Duncan on and went back for her bonnet. With a glance up the stairs, she made sure that Duncan had gone to their room. She hurried outside and caught up with Alex and Charlie leading their horses from the stable.

Charlie’s eyes gleamed. “So, you’ve finally decided to leave him. It was only a matter of time before my charms would overwhelm you.”

Ordinarily, Jenny would have laughed at Charlie’s remark, but this time, she could not.

This caught Alex’s attention. “Jenny?”

She had no time to mince words. “What has happened to Duncan? Every day he grows worse.”

Charlie said, “Has he not told you?”

“Told me what? You see how he is.”

Alex said, “Ask him. It wouldnae be right for us to talk about things he has chosen to keep to himself.”

Jenny clutched Alex’s arm. “Do you think I’ve not asked? I may as well be a stranger for all he talks to me.” She peered from one to the other. “Please, tell me the truth. Have I lost him?”

“Lost him? Dinnae be daft. Of course not, lass.” Charlie exchanged glances with Alex.

Jenny fought to hold back her tears. “Then what is it? If there’s somebody else, please tell me.”

Alex lowered his chin and gazed earnestly at her. “Duncan loves you. Dinnae doubt that. Anything else should come from Duncan, himself.”

Charlie said bluntly, “It’s Tavish.”

Alex eyed Charlie sharply, which raised Charlie’s ire. “Do you honestly think Duncan will tell her? Look at her. Do you see how she suffers?”

Alex did look, and the sight softened his expression. “I’m sorry, hen, but I dinnae like to meddle.”

“Then don’t.” Duncan stood a few feet away. “Come inside, Jenny.” With a pointed glance toward Alex and Charlie, he took a firm hold of Jenny’s upper arm and led her back into the inn.

Charlie raised an eyebrow and gave Alex a look as he shook his head. “She needed to know.” With that, he mounted his horse and left.

Once inside their room, Duncan exploded. “Why must I go out in the night to find my wife? And then, when I find you, you’re talking about things that should stay between us?”

“They’re our friends. And I know of nothing between us anymore.”

Her words struck him like a blunt blow, but he took it in silence. “Nothing? I’ve gone through hell for you, wife. And now you say there is nothing between us?”

“Nothing that you share with me. Whatever hell you have been through, you keep to yourself, and you leave me alone on the outside to wonder.”

When his eyes were not shut, Duncan stared at the floor.

Jenny spoke softly. “I’m alone and unhappy, and I know that you’re unhappy, too.”

“Not with you. I could not be unhappy with you.”

“But you are. Look at yourself. I do, every day. And I dinnae know what to do.” Jenny reached out to touch him.

That one touch released his emotions. He pulled her into his arms and held her to him. “Jenny.” He kissed her and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry.”

Jenny circled her arms about his neck and held him close, as though he had returned from a faraway place. “Tell me about it.”

“Why? What good would it do? You cannae fix this.”

“I can listen. I can help carry the burden.”

“If I cannae bear the weight, how can you?”

“My heart is strong.” He turned and saw it shine through her eyes.

Duncan lifted her hands to his lips. “Och, Jenny. ’Tis hard to talk of such things.”

“What things?”

Duncan pushed his hair back from his forehead and struggled to get the words out. “My weakness.”

“Your what?”

He nodded. “Like my father. He would come home in his cups, and he’d cry to my mother and beg her to forgive him–like a whimpering pup. It made me sick to my stomach to see him like that.”

Jenny searched his eyes. “But you’re not like that.”

“Nor will I be. If I cannae be man enough to take what life doles out to me, I am not much of a man.”

“You are more of a man if you share it with your wife.”

Duncan shook his head. “No, Jenny.”

She took his face in her hands and held his gaze fiercely. “Yes, Jenny.”

She had never spoken to him like that before. He was taken aback, but his face soon relaxed. He seemed almost to smile as she went on. “You will talk to me, Duncan. I’ll not be locked out. If you’ll not share all of your life, troubles included, I will leave you. Aye. For I’ll not have part of a man.”

Her strong warrior crumbled into her arms and buried his face in her chest. Jenny combed her fingers into his hair and kissed his head. Duncan looked up and kissed her with a fierceness that came from his soul. “I have wronged you.”

Her eyes shimmered. “No, my braw man. You have wronged yourself.”

They made love with a depth they had not known before. There had always been passion and love, but they found a place closer together, beyond the thrill that their bodies could share, to the joining of souls. In that place, there was power together that no human could conquer.

Afterward, they talked late into the night. Duncan told her what he had suffered and kept to himself in the weeks of unending harassment by Tavish.

“Do the others not speak up for you?”

“I forbade them. It would make me look weak. Besides which, they know that the man is a fool.”

Jenny shook her head, closing her eyes. “I dinnae understand men.”

“You understand me.”

“I am not very certain of that.” Jenny laughed.

“But you do. And yet, for some reason, you love me.”

“I do that.”

*

They awoke to a pounding on their door. Callum called out, “Duncan, are you coming?”

Duncan sat up and cursed. He gave Jenny a kiss as he pulled on his trews, and then called out to Callum, “Go on. I’ll be along shortly.”

Duncan arrived at the castle no more than a minute after Callum arrived.

“You’re late,” said Tavish.

“Not by much,” Alex offered.

“I will tell that to the king when he asks why we’ve lost our next battle. I dare say he will not find ‘not by much’ to be a satisfactory answer.”

Duncan looked away, clenching his jaw, lest he say something he would surely regret. Instead, he kept his mind on Jenny and how much he loved her. He could endure anything for her.

Tavish went on. “We Highlanders are already thought to be a wild and undisciplined lot. I refuse to contribute to that perception.” He called to the stable boy. “Take the morning off, lad.”

The child’s face lit with wonder. “Sorry, sir?”

“You heard me. Go on.” Tavish grinned and waved him off. “You,” He said, turning to Duncan just long enough for his disdain to strike its target. “Spend the day in the stables. You can start with the mucking.”

Callum opened his mouth to protest, but Duncan silenced him with a glance. Alex and Charlie stole wary glances and then Tavish with disbelief.

Tavish pulled up straight in the saddle. “I do not suffer tardiness.” He turned and rode off, and the others offered Duncan commiserative looks and then followed.

As they rode off, Duncan walked to the stables and set to work. He surveyed the task before him and let out a deep breath. The corner of his mouth turned up. What Tavish seemed to have forgotten was that Duncan had done these same tasks nearly all of his life. He knew how to work hard, and a day without Tavish was not such a bad thing. So he led the horses outside and tethered them there, and then picked up a pitchfork and shovel. As he worked, thoughts of Jenny and the absence of Tavish’s voice served to brighten his day.

By the time Tavish returned, the stable was swept clean, with bed of fresh hay for each horse. It looked better than Duncan had ever seen it. Tavish scrutinized it, but could find no fault. So, with a sneer, he sent Duncan home.

Callum, Alex, and Charlie each promised him drinks when they got to the inn. Mari and Jenny joined them.

Jenny hugged him, but quickly leaned away. “Duncan! You smell terrible!”

“Do I? Och, Darlin’, come here. Gie us a hug!” He then locked her in an embrace as he buried his face in her neck. Jenny laughed as she begged him for mercy.

After Duncan washed up at Jenny’s insistence, they all shared a meal, a few drams, and more laughter than they had in a long while.

*

The next morning, the four Clan MacDonell men were saddled and mounted when Tavish arrived. With barely a word, he led them out to the countryside for another day of searching for signs of rebellion that they had not seen since the minister escaped.

Charlie checked to make sure Tavish would not overhear them. “Do you ever wonder why we’re here?”

“I know why we’re here,” answered Callum.

Alex said, “Aye, to quell the rebellion, but–”

“What rebellion?” asked Charlie.

With a nod, Alex said, “There it is. There is no rebellion.”

“But we will be here if there ever is one,” said Callum, with a crooked smile.

“But there is nothing to do!” Charlie said. “All we do is go on merry wee trots through flowery meadows.”

Alex’s eyes flickered toward Tavish before he leaned forward so as not to be overheard. “Oh, you can be sure that by the time Tavish reports it, we will have put down uprisings all across Galloway, and rooted out every dissenter who dared venture into Tavish’s glorious presence.”

“Aye, there’s one now.” Charlie nodded toward a cow that was taking its time to amble in front of their path. They all chuckled as they crested the hill. In the valley below, some two dozen people had gathered. The men turned around to get back out of sight.

Tavish’s eyes glimmered. “We will teach them not to flaunt acts of rebellion on my watch.”

Callum said quietly, “I would hardly call it flaunting.”

Tavish glared. “So says the man who married one of the rebels.”

Callum said, “We’ll not discuss my wife. As for the families down there in the valley, they are praying. They have done no one harm.”

Tavish glowered at him. “Whose side are you on?”

Callum stared right back. “I fight for my clan and my king. Let no man dare doubt me.” He said it almost like a threat.

Alex leaned closer. “Steady.”

Callum added, “Lieutenant,” as a show of respect.

With deliberate calm, Alex said, “There are women and children down there, and the men who are armed are but simple farmers. They pose no threat to us.”

“All the better for us,” said Tavish.

Callum said, “Why not send them back to their homes with a warning to not meet here again?”

Tavish held up his pistol. “Mr. Murdoch will warn them.”

Alex said, “You cannae fire into the midst of innocent people.”

“But I can, and you will. If they’re here, they are not innocent.”

Charlie said, “It’s not right to ambush them like this.”

Tavish said, “We have done so in battle.”

Duncan shook his head. “These are not soldiers.”

“No, they are rebels.”

“With children,” said Charlie.

“Whose parents chose to involve them in illegal activity.” Tavish lifted his pistol. “Make ready, men.”

Duncan reached for the pistol, but Tavish fired it first. Duncan grabbed it and flung it behind them.

Tavish turned to backhand him, but Duncan caught his wrist in a vice like grip. They both fell, fighting, from their horses. “I’ll not murder for you.” Duncan punched him. “I’ll fight for the king, but I’ll not murder children.” Duncan struck him again.

“This is treason.” Tavish fixed his eyes on Duncan. “One more word, and I’ll have you court-martialed.”

“You’re not in a position to do that, at the moment.” Duncan landed another blow, this time to Tavish’s jaw.

The sound of horses drew Tavish’s attention. “They’re getting away. After them!”

“Go on,” Alex told Callum and Charlie, as he tilted his head toward the rebels. “I’ll see to this battle first. We’ll catch up to you at the inn.”

Duncan had Tavish pinned. He was no match for Duncan’s skill and strength. Tavish struggled in vain. Alex watched Callum and Charlie ride away, but the fleeing Covenanters were already out of sight. He then turned his attention back to the row. Tavish had all this and more coming to him. Alex would not interfere with a fair fight.

Tavish freed a hand long enough to pull out his sgian dubh and thrust it at Duncan. Tavish pushed Duncan off, and stood up, with the bloody sgian dubh in his hand.

Alex cried, “God’s wounds, Tavish! What have you done?”

“He refused to follow an order, and then he attacked his commanding officer.”

“You dinnae need to do that.” Alex tore strips of his plaid to wrap around Duncan’s wound.

“’Tis not so bad.” Duncan winced.

Alex said, “You’re lucky. He’s just nicked your side.” Flesh wound or not, he was losing blood.

“Good,” said Tavish. “He’ll be able to stand when I court-martial him.” Tavish turned to check his horse’s girth.

Duncan grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He pounded him twice, and then Tavish fell to the ground. He lay unconscious.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” Alex helped Duncan to his horse.

“Aye. He deserved it.”

“Yes, but you’ve made it worse for yourself.”

“How so? He was already planning to court-martial me. What more could he do–kill me twice?”

Alex checked Tavish. He was breathing. “I’ll send someone back for him.” He and Duncan set out for the inn. “I’ll tell him his horse ran off, so I had to go back for a cart to carry him.”

“After you chased after me.”

“Aye, that’s better,” said Alex.

Duncan said, “With luck, I’ll have pounded the memory from his wee brain.”

“Tavish? I doubt it.”