The Imposter (10 page)

He helped me down
from the giant horse and withdrew a dagger from the saddlebag, offering the
hilt of the weapon to me, green eyes encouraging me to take it.  I tentatively
wrapped my fingers around the hilt of the dagger, weighing it in my hand,
surprised by its unexpected weight.  Devon reached down and drew his own dirk
from his belt.

He moved to stand
beside me and began my impromptu lesson.  “Mind, ye hold it like this, lass,” he
instructed demonstrating the correct grip on the hilt of his dagger. 

I adjusted my grip
to match his and held the weapon out for his appraisal.  He used his other hand
to adjust my fingers and nodded in approval.  “As a lass, yer best tactic using
a dirk is the element of surprise.  Most likely, yer attacker will be stronger
than ye are, and more experienced, sae hide yer weapon under yer skirts and use
the element of surprise as ye plan yer attack.  Ye may only get one chance.  Use
it wisely.”

I could not
imagine using this weapon on another human being, and I noticed how foreign the
dagger felt in my hand.  Having always been surrounded by my father’s well
trained guards, self defense was not a skill that I had previously required.

“The dirk is best
used for stabbing someone in close combat.” He instructed matter-of-factly, as
if this was something that happened every day.  “There are a few places that ye
can try to aim for, but always remember that ye may only get one opportunity,
so wait, calculate yer chances and use it wisely.  If yer face tae face with
the enemy the neck is always a good target. There is a large artery that runs
right here,” he demonstrated using his own body, turning his head to the side
and tracing the line of his carotid artery with the tip of his dirk.  His
illustration made me shudder.

 I was unsure if I
could slit another human being’s throat, no matter what the circumstances.  The
dirk suddenly felt heavier in my hand and I tightened my grip.

“Mind ye that it
will take some force tae inflict a fatal wound.  Ye must slash deeply.  Use the
side of the dirk in order tae make it count.  Doona stab at the neck, slash,”
he instructed, again demonstrating the correct motion with his own dirk against
the skin of his neck.

“Give it a try?”
he questioned, looking at me encouragingly as if he were giving a simple lesson
in mathematics.

I held the dirk
up, using the grip that he had shown me and raised it cautiously towards his
neck.  I turned the dirk on its side, placed it against his skin, and mimicked
the motion that he had shown me.

“Good, lass,” he
encouraged.  “Another good place to aim for is the liver, doona try for the
heart.  It’s too protected by the sternum and the ribs.  Ye’ll never get at it
if ye don’t ken what yer doing.  Plus, ye have tae pretty much bury a dirk in a
man to get at his heart.  Most women are not likely tae do that.  The liver is
more exposed, ken, it’s on the right side of a person’s body, partially
protected by the ribs, but partially exposed.  Remember when yer takin’ aim at yer
enemy that their right side is the opposite of yours when they are facing ye. 
Take yer dirk and aim it up, strike hard and bury it deep into the liver.  Move
the dirk around inside of the man’s body if ye can tae increase the chances of
a fatal wound.”

I mimicked his
motion, pointing the tip of my dirk towards his right side, thrusting it firmly
up, imagining that I was going under the ribs and striking the vulnerable liver
beneath.

“Use both hands, lass,
for a more powerful attack,” he said, grabbing my other hand and placing it on
the hilt of the dagger.  “Like I said, ye will likely only get one shot, sae
make it count.”

Devon was in his
element and it was a beautiful sight to behold.  I was in awe of his controlled
strength, his knowledge and his grace with a weapon.  My attraction to him
almost caused me to forget that he was a deadly Highland warrior.  To see this warrior
in action was both alluring and intriguing.

“Now, if ye are
attacking someone from behind, say they turn their back on ye and ye have a
chance tae make a move, yer best bet is tae go for the kidneys or tae slit
their throat from behind.  The kidneys are located in the lower back, here and
here, he demonstrated by turning around and placing his fists in the small of
his back.  Be careful not tae stab too low or ye might hit the pelvis.  Mind ye
that a kidney strike would can be fatal, but not immediately.  If ye must go
for the kidney, make yer move and while yer assailant is stunned, run like
hell.  Don’t forget tae retrieve yer dirk if ye can.”

“Alright,” was all
that I could think to say, still stunned by the fact that Devon thought that
this was information that I would need.  I tried to be a good student, but the
possibility that I might someday have to use this information scared me to
death.  This lesson was overwhelming and I knew that it showed in the
expression on my face.

“Need a break,
lass?” Devon questioned, again seeming to read my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I said
with relief, dropping right where I stood and settling to my knees on the
ground.

“I hate pushin’ ye
sae hard, but I’ll feel better when I ken that ye can defend yerself,” he
confessed, sheathing his dagger in his belt.  He walked over to the horses and
retrieved a jug of ale and two mugs from the saddlebag.  He joined me on the
ground sitting cross-legged, then poured us each a mug of ale.

He’s worried
about me?
 

My heart raced as
I contemplated why this beautiful warrior was so concerned with my safety.

I took a sip and
it tasted wonderful, cool and refreshing. 

“So, what is yer
plan, Kate?” Devon questioned as he took a dreg of ale.  “Do ye plan to go home
tae yer family, or will ye stay here and find another match?”

His direct
approach surprised me.  I took another drink of ale, swallowing it down in an
unpleasant gulp as I pondered how best to respond to this question.  I hated
living a lie.

I want to stay
here.  I’m safe here, here with you.

My subconscious
cringed as I admitted to myself the truth.  I wanted to stay here because of Devon.

“I’ve been
thinking about staying here… to see what might happen.” I ventured, knowing
full well that I couldn’t go “home” to Ms. Berkshire’s family.  Staying here
was currently my only option as I bided my time, knowing that I should escape
and set my own course in life.

“Ye will be safe
here, Kate,” he said, as if reading my mind.  “I’ll see tae yer safety for as
long as I can,” he promised.  “I still owe ye a debt of gratitude for what ye
did for my men, for me.  Ye saved Brennan’s life for sure.”

“I don’t want to
go home,” I added for good measure, fearing that I would be sent to Katherine’s
home and be exposed as an imposter.  I was far safer with the McClains for now,
it was unlikely that my father would ever find me here, even if he suspected
that I might have survived my dive into the ocean.

“Leti will be
pleased,” he continued.  “Nathan too.  I’m not sure what ye did there, but ye’ve
got Nathan wound right round yer little finger.”

Will you be
pleased if I stay?

I knew that he was
attracted to me, but I was unsure just how interested in me he was.  Was he
thinking that he might be the match for me?  Or, was he just thinking that I
might be a lively conquest that would give him another notch in his bedpost?

“Ye’ll need to
speak with Collin, ken?  Now that he’s Laird he’ll want tae know yer intentions
so as tae find a suitable match for ye.”

“I get the feeling
that Collin doesn’t like me,” I confided.  “I won’t look forward to having that
conversation with him.  He makes me nervous.”

“That’s his
manner.  Collin has always operated by intimidation.  Makes him feel powerful,
ken?  Da never gave him the responsibility that he craved, so Collin developed
a liking of exerting his power on those he perceives as weaker than himself.”

“Have you ever
gotten along with your brother?” I asked.

“Not really.  He
has a different Mam than Leti and I do.  There’s always been jealousy between
us.  I wish that it could have been different.  I think that Collin has always
felt as though Da tried to replace his Mam when she died by marrying our mother. 
When Leti and I came along as bairns, Collin felt like an outsider tae Da’s new
family.”

“Do you feel sorry
for him?”

“I’ve never really
thought of it in those terms,” Devon’s eyebrows knit together as he churned
over my question, twisting some grass between his fingers as he thought. 
“Yeah, I guess that I do.  It must have been difficult having his Mam die while
he was so young, and I can see how he would feel as though Da had tried tae
replace her.”

“That explains a
lot about how Collin treats you now, I’ve seen the scowl on his face when you
enter the room.”

“Our relationship
is strained at best.  We’ve learned to tolerate each other, mostly at the
insistence of our father.  Da was not fair tae Collin and even though he knew
that Collin would rightfully succeed him as Laird due to his birthright as the
eldest son, father went tae great lengths tae ensure that I would remain the
war-chief, even after his death.”

“So Collin is
jealous, even now?”

“Aye.  He never
had a knack for leading men and Da knew this even when Collin was quite young. 
He began training me tae be a warrior, and it came easily tae me.  Father knew
that our clan needed a war-chief tae defend what is ours, and he trained me tae
do just that.  I am proud of my position and secure in the knowledge that even
Collin canna take it away from me, although I’m sure that he will try.”

“Now that he is
Laird, can’t he just remove you from the position?”

“Da figured that
is what he would try, but had legal papers drawn up, bequeathing me the
position as war-chief and limiting Collin’s job as Laird tae everything except
war and defense of the clan. Da was a smart man, always looking into the future
tae do what was best for his people.”

Devon rose up so
that he was supporting himself on his elbow and played idly with the small pile
of grass that he had made on the plaid between us.  He toyed with the strands
of grass as he spoke, as if he needed something to busy his hands with so that
his thoughts could flow freely.

 He chuckled
slightly, “I’d like tae see Collin try tae remove me, it would most likely end
in his overthrow by my men.  Most of the men only tolerate his presence as
Laird out of respect to Da.  They hope that I will someday replace him and lead
our people.”

“No wonder he
looks at you the way that he does.  You’re a threat to him, a threat to his
power and control of the Clan.”

“Damn right, I
am.  I am a threat, and he knows it.  I’d never displace him from his Lairdship
out of respect for our Da.  However, I am not fool enough tae believe that he
holds the same moral commitments that I do.  I am forever keeping one eye open
out of distrust for my brother.  I’d not put it past him tae have me killed so
that his claim to the Lairdship is secure.”

I thought for a
moment about Collin, and indeed, I felt sorry for him.  I knew what it felt
like to lose your mother.

“My mother died
when I was eight.” The words came out, surprising me.  I generally didn’t like
to talk about my parents.  I hoped that this unintentional tidbit of
information would not compromise my rouse as Ms. Berkshire.  I had to be more
cautious.  I could not allow my guard to drop. Devon was so easy to talk to.  I
would have to be more careful.

“I’m sorry lass,”
Devon said, his eyes meeting mine, eyebrows furrowed and drawn together in
sympathy.  “It’s no right for a lass to be left without her mother.”

“It was hard.  You
go on, but you never forget.  I grew up wondering what she would have been
like, wondering if she would have approved of the things I did and the choices
that I made.”

Devon grabbed my
hand, and met my eyes with intensity. “She would have approved, Kate.”

“I also wondered
if she would have protected me from things,” I confessed.  “My father didn’t
always have my best intentions at heart.  I was a pawn in his empire.”

“Do ye mean that
she might have protected ye from marriage?  Fought tae let ye choose who ye
might marry?” Devon said softly, still holding my hand.

“Yes,” I said
sincerely, amazed by Devon’s uncanny ability to read my thoughts.  “I had
always hoped that she might have swayed my father into giving me some choice in
the matter.”

“So ye were not
happy with the match that was made tae my Da?”

Devon’s statement
brought my thoughts crashing back to my web of lies.  He thought that I was
Katherine Berkshire, betrothed by my father to marry his father.  Letting my
guard down, I had been thinking of my
real
father and the way that he
had sold me into marriage to a man twice my age.  A man that I had never met.

I bit my lip,
unsure of how to continue.  Devon’s eyes were searching my face, his thumb
brushed against the back of my hand, causing my blood to rush in my veins in
response to his touch.  I pulled my hand away from his and settled it in my
lap.

“I’m sorry if I
have pressed ye tae much.  I’ve overstepped my bounds,” Devon said, raking his
hand through his hair and standing.

“Can we get
started again?” I asked, uncomfortable with the silence that had fallen between
us.

“I’d not expected
ye tae be such an eager student,” he said raising his eyebrows approvingly. 
“Maybe it’s just that I’m a superior teacher?” he chided as he stood and
unsheathed his dirk.  “If ye must slit someone’s throat from behind, ye must
move quickly.  The instant that they sense yer movement, they will react. 
Reach around in front of them and slice with all of yer might.  Turn around.  I’ll
show ye the motion.”