The Accidental Highland Hero (37 page)

“Catriona,” Eilis said.

“Aye, she is wanton. We guessed she would chase after Keary or some other, mayhap even your cousin, Broc. But what is she up to?  Plying her feminine ways on our Laird James. Polecat. He should send her back whence she came now before new rumors begin to fly.”

And Nesta would be just the one to give them wing.
For once, Eilis was glad of it. “Then I must put a stop to her wicked ways.”

“We will help,” Nesta said, and the older maid nodded, her eyes smiling. “We serve you as well as we do our laird, and we know what kind of a woman Lady Catriona is to work for. Her servants are terrified of her. So we will help you in anyway that we can.”

“Then come, ladies, before the rumors begin in earnest.”

Nesta and the older woman giggled and followed her out of the chamber. Niall bowed his head to Eilis. “You are looking verra bonny this morn, my lady. Wedded bliss becomes you.”

She tried to quash a blush, but as heated as her cheeks were, she fear she failed. “I understand Catriona is causing trouble.”

“Fia is giving her a difficult time and so is Lady Akira. One of the servants burned Catriona’s portion of the veal, and another gave her the sour mead at the bottom of the barrel. Most of all, James has been too busy speaking with your cousin, Broc, to pay the woman any mind.”

Eilis let out the breath she’d been holding. She didn’t think she’d be worried about the woman’s attentions to James so soon after their marriage, but then again, what if he was just like his father?  Taking a wife then finding any maid to satisfy his sexual needs beyond the marriage bed.

As soon as she walked into the hall on Niall’s arm, everyone grew quiet. Her face flushed anew, and the heat spread all the way through her. Why didn’t James wake her earlier this morn so she wouldn’t be subjected to this humiliation?

He hurried from his chair and joined her, which helped somewhat. “You are looking lovely this morning, my beautiful wife,” he whispered in her ear then kissed her cheek.

His kinsmen were smiling, and several raised mugs in salute. ‘Twas only the sour-faced Broc, some of his men, and the most dour Catriona that dimmed the happy celebration.

“I understand Catriona is vying for your attention overmuch,” Eilis whispered back and gave her husband a kiss on the lips, which caused a roar of cheers and mugs and knives tapping on the table.

James chuckled. “Once I found my siren, the woman lost the chance to be my wife. My mother and most of my people, even Niall, knew it from the beginning. I was the only one too thickheaded to realize it at first.”

“Nay, my laird. You knew not who I was and could not make such a commitment, risking your people’s safety. ‘Tis your kindness and care for your people that made you hold back.”

“Aye, my sweeting.” He led her to the table and whispered again, “Did I disturb your sleep overmuch?”

She grinned at him. “’Twas for a verra good reason. But I apologize for arising so late.”

“No apologies needed.”

Catriona glared at Eilis as she took her seat. Ethan waved his amber stone at his sister and grinned as he sat between Fia and Lady Akira. Broc bowed his head to Eilis as if acknowledging she’d played her game well and won.

Catriona said, “Do you oft sleep away the day”

“Only when her husband keeps her up overmuch,” James said with a gleam in his eye. He slipped his hand around Eilis’s in her lap and squeezed.

She smiled at him. If it had been someone else he’d spoken to, Eilis might have been embarrassed. But Catriona deserved worse, the witch.

“Aye, and he promises much more of the same this eve.” Eilis offered her a coy smile.

“If he is not away battling Dunbarton,” Catriona said, her voice chilly and calculating. “Seems someone has told him that you are here, and he wishes you turned over to him at once. Then he’ll release James’s brother. I never thought James would prefer a woman over his blood relation.”

Eilis stared at James in disbelief. “Is what Catriona says is true?  Has Dunbarton ordered my exchange for your brother?”

“Eilis…”

“Oh, James, what are we to do?”

Broc snorted. “I have accepted James’s bride price for you on my da’s behalf, Eilis.” He shrugged. “’Twas a much better offer than Dunbarton’s. And since you are not Agnes, the betrothal was no longer valid.”

Broc was standing up for her?

“My men and I will fight alongside MacNeill.” Broc inclined his head.

Stunned speechless, Eilis glanced at James to see if what Broc said was true. James gave her a small nod.

Ian hurried over from the table where he’d been sitting beside Keary and spoke in private to James. Eilis strained to hear his words and picked up bits of the conversation—plan, fight, free Dougald. What had Keary in mind?

But would it be a ruse?  To kill more of the MacNeill?  Was Dunbarton’s bastard son trying for a way to smooth over past difficulties with his sire?

James rose from the table and offered a toast. “To my bonny wife, Lady Eilis, also known as Marsali, pearl of the sea.”

Everyone drank to the couple except for Catriona. Had she been the one to send a missive to Dunbarton, stating his betrothed was at Craigly?

“’Tis usual that the festivities continue throughout the day. But we have other matters that must be dealt with at present. Afterwards, we will continue the feasting in celebration,” James said to his people and his guests.

“What do you plan to do?” Eilis asked James, as he escorted her out of the hall.

“Worry not your bonny head, Eilis. Stay with Ethan and my mother and Fia. ‘Tis time I fetched my brother home.”

“What if ‘tis a trick?  What if Keary has sent word and his da plans to kill or capture you?”

“There is no other way, sweeting. Now that Dunbarton thinks you are Agnes or not and wishes you just the same, I have no choice. He will not release my brother or Gunnolf until I hand you over to him.”

“But…”

“No more worries. Stay here. I will return before nightfall, and we will continue to celebrate our new beginning.” He kissed her soundly and hugged her tightly against his chest.

She quashed the tears threatening to spill.

“Now, now, my lady. You are to send your hero off with smiles and well wishes.”

She smiled, but the tears began to roll down her cheeks anyway, and she hurriedly wiped them away. “I am sorry.” She looked down, wishing to avoid seeing James’s annoyance that she could not be cheerful for him when he went into battle.

 He lifted her chin and gave her a wistful smile. “’Tis your tender heartedness that I love best. Take care of your wee brother, and I will return as soon as I can.” Again, he kissed her, hugged the breath out of her, and then hurried with his men to the inner bailey, discussing their plans for the battle ahead.

What if she lost her Highland hero now, when they finally found each other, and she had a home, a mother, and her little brother to raise in a place where he would be loved and not terrorized into submission?

Chapter Twenty

Ever since James had left to do battle with Dunbarton, Eilis couldn’t hide her upset, and, although she tried to spend sometime with Ethan, her brother was too excited about playing with his new found friends below stairs.

Lady Akira had ordered a hot bath for her to help her to relax. James’s mother had warned Eilis ‘twould not do well for her to fret too much when she might be carrying James’s child.

Eilis had never heard that worry could cause a woman to lose her baby, but she obeyed, since the lady had four sons and would know more than Eilis would about the matter. Ethan was having a great time playing with wooden swords with some of James’s kinsmen’s sons in the great hall while Fia watched with a protective eye.

Catriona had packed her bags and left with her servants and escort, vowing to ruin Eilis in any way that she could for deceitfully stealing James under her nose. Nesta was busy talking nonstop as she usually did and despite the worry about James, the heated bath and not enough sleep was making Eilis drowsy.

Until Lady Allison came to the room and dismissed Nesta. “I will help the lady dress for bed. Go, Nesta. I can manage.”

Nesta didn’t immediately leave like she’d been ordered but waited instead for Eilis’s word. “Thank you, Nesta. Mayhap you can bring me some goat milk later?”

Nesta smiled and curtseyed. “Aye, my lady.” Then she hurried out of the room.

“Hurry, Lady Eilis. You must get dressed at once,” Allison said, helping her out of the tub then hurried to dry her off.

“What is this all about?”  Eilis sensed some mischief was at play, and her skin prickled with fresh concern. With Allison’s help, she quickly donned her shift, a traveling gown, and her stockings and shoes.

“We go to Dunbarton’s castle. I will get us in, and while the men are causing a distraction, we will free Dougald and Gunnolf.”

“But I thought Keary was helping James to get into the castle and free Dougald. And that you could not get in again without getting caught.”

“Keary is not to be trusted. Aye, he wishes to overthrow his da and become the clan chief. But he does not wish to release James’s brother. He will turn on James as soon as he has his da’s people’s support. He was the one who sent the missive to his da concerning you and how James was holding you here against his will. As for the rest, as I said, Laird James and those who rode with him will be enough of a distraction.”

“But how will you and I be able to slip in and free the men?”

“I told you. I was raised there. I know all the ways in and out. Also, I know the best way to get there from here. They say you slipped out of here without alerting the guards. We will have to use the same secret passage you used before. Since I’m not part of the MacNeill family, I do not know the secret passage.”

“But Tavia had the keys to the door that leads out of the castle. It would be locked.”

Allison pulled the key from the pouch hanging from her belt. “Let us leave before we are too late.”

“But…why do you need
my
help?”

“The secret passage?  I don’t know the way. But also, I cannot take anyone else with me, and the two of us will be able to watch each other’s backs.”

“Should we not have an escort?  At night, we would not be safe—”

“We cannot take an escort, Lady Eilis. No one will allow us to leave. And I tried speaking to Niall, but he brushed me off. I fear no one will trust my words, despite that I have freed Dougald and Gunnolf at my own peril once already. The men are bull-headed and have only one thing in mind—a frontal assault. Come, hurry, my lady. We are wasting verra valuable time.”

With a wariness that she had felt when Nighinn helped her escape, Eilis pulled her own cloak over her head this time and fastened the silver brooch, hoping she would not regret yet another hasty decision. Yet what if she and Allison could free Dougald and Gunnolf without any bloodshed?  ‘Twas worth taking the chance.

She had to know Allison’s motivation though. “Why do you do this, risking your own life?”

Allison let out her breath. “Lady Akira took me in, has given me a home, and has been verra kind. I saw the way Dunbarton’s men treated Dougald and Gunnolf when they first captured them. I could not sleep for knowing how brutal Dunbarton and his men could be. And when he learns James will not give you up no matter what, he will kill them. If we can get to Dougald and Gunnolf first…”  She spread her hands. “I can think of no other way.”