Thistle and Flame - Her Highland Hero (10 page)

“Fiancée,” Kenna said.

Kenna chewed her lip and intertwined her fingers
against her naked belly, under the blanket. Instinctively, she touched the ever
present thistle hanging at her throat. When she looked at Macdonald, he looked
back at her with half-opened, unimpressed eyes, although he was still shifting
his weight back and forth. Catching a draft, Kenna pulled her blanket back up
around her shoulders, and the Laird looked away.

“I don’t understand, my Lord,” Kenna said. “Do you
mean that if I’m kidnapped before we’re married, there’s less of a penalty to
the man who kidnaps me?”

“Quite right. Under English law, the kidnapping of
a commoner is hardly punished. It’s unlikely the police would even search.
However, if you’re married to me, and so you’re a Lady, then it’s certain he’d
be hunted down. Strangled to death, dangling from the end of a rope with his
feet kicking back and forth.”

“What is it you mean to do with me?” Kenna’s eyes
flashed as her voice rose.

“You’ll not speak to me like that, girl.” Macdonald
said. “If you know what’s best for you.”

“I forgot my place, sir,” she said. “But I’m still
confused on your plan. We’re not to be wed for months. Does that mean I’ll have
to stay inside until then?”

Kenna drew her knees up under her chin.

“Miss Kenna,” he said with a sneer, “how would you
like to become Lady Kenna sooner, rather than later?”

Kenna turned to Ramsay and stared at him, lip
trembling in spite of her strength.

“Is that really what you’ve planned?” She said.

“Which part?”

“The wedding? Is it really so easy? Being moved
up? Aren’t there preparations that have to be made?”

“I think it’s for the best, don’t you? For your
own sake, Kenna. If you’re kidnapped, or God forbid, run away,” at that he
glared at her, “the law pays much more attention to a Lady in duress than it
does a common person. It’s for your own good.”

“But what if...”
What if I don’t want to
,
she thought.

“What if what?” Macdonald set on the bed beside
her, groaning as he did.

“No, nothing. You’ll keep me safe, won’t you?”

“Of course I will. That’s a husband’s job after
all.” He stood as he spoke and closed the door, remaining inside.

When he turned back, Ramsay Macdonald had a
terrible look on his face and two of his fingers were unhooking his waistcoat.

“Wh – what are you doing?”

“Shh, be quiet. I won’t hurt you,” he said.

“Hurt me? Oh! No! Stop!”

“You don’t say no to me, do you understand? I own
you, Kenna Moore.”

He grabbed the top of Kenna’s shawl and ripped it
out of her fingers. “I always get lonely after parties. Good thing I’ve got you
now, isn’t it?”

“Please, Laird Macdonald, master, sir, please
don’t. I’ve never...”

“I know,” he said eyeing her hungrily. “That’s why
I took you from your father. If you’d been touched, I’d have left you there,
rotting away in that backwater Hellhole you came from. But here you are.”

With a tug, he pulled her cover off the rest of the
way and Kenna curled up to hide her nakedness from him, but he grabbed her foot
and pulled that away too, baring her to his lecherous, devouring eyes.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” he said, “I’m going to
enjoy this more than you could ever know, little lass.”

She shuddered, and then began to weep at his dry, cool
touch.

“Please!”

“Oh leave off,” he said. “I’m not going to touch
you tonight. I wanted only to see what I was going to have. I’m satisfied. I’d
not defile you before we were wed. Afterwards, though...wait then, what’s
this?”

He pulled Kenna’s hand away from her neck and then
slapped it when she reached back.

“Jewelry? Who gave you this?”

“I’m sorry sir, it’s only a thistle, it’s from
home, I-”

Macdonald grabbed the glass bauble and yanked on
it, snapping the string and burning Kenna’s neck.

“You have only one home now. This one. Best
remember that.”

“Please let me have it, it’s the only thing I have
to remember G – ah, to remember my mother and father by. Please!”

“Who is G? What were you about to say before you
stopped yourself, you red-haired tart?”

“Nothing! My tongue slipped! I’m scared and made a
mistake, please!”

He slapped Kenna across the face and then grabbed
her hair, pulling her close.

“Don’t lie to me, girl.” She tasted his breath.
“Don’t lie to me now, or ever. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, I’m not lying!”

Ramsay Macdonald pulled her close so that she had
to suck air into her stomach to avoid touching his belly, held her there,
staring into his awful eyes for a moment, then flung her backwards. Her knees
hit the bed and then she sat down hard, thankful for the softness.

“Remember your place. You’ll not argue or fight.
Do you understand?”

In his fist, he clenched her thistle. He may as
well have had her heart.

“Yes sir, yes, I’m so sorry for whatever I did,
I’ll never do it again.”

“See that you don’t.”

He turned to leave, then remembered the object in
his hand which he flung as hard as he could at Kenna, but she jerked the
blanket up just in time for it to thump harmlessly off and to the floor.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. You’ll begin fitting and
lessons for the wedding. I’ll hear no complaints.”

The door slammed shut.

Kenna clutched her thistle to her chest, thought
about Gavin, and let the tears soundlessly spill down her cheeks.

“Come for me,” she whispered to her empty room.
“Please, Gavin, please come.”

She remembered that he was to come in two days,
but she feared that was too late, too long away. She feared her heart would
break in two before she saw him again.

I’ll be strong
, she thought, clenching her
fist.
I’ll be strong for you. I’ll do whatever I have to do if it means I
can feel your arms around me just one more time
.

––––––––

A
s John and Gavin slept, a rock with a note
wrapped round it sailed through the open window, waking both of them. John
rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and stretched his neck.

“What’s this then?” He said.

“A letter, looks like.” Gavin said.

“Yes, of course, your brains are why you’re the
leader of our little gang.” He slid his finger along the seal. “You expecting
anything from anybody?”

“No, not that I know of,” Gavin said. “Red
,
maybe? Needing us to save him from his wife?”

John read in silence for a moment.

“Oh,” he said. “It’s from Lynne.”

“Lynne?”

“Aye, while you were cavorting around with your
girlfriend at the Laird’s manor, I was doing the same, but with a serving girl.
A man must keep to his station,” he said with a profoundly ridiculous
Londoner’s accent.

“Good for you,” Gavin said. “Is there a reason
you’re telling me about your love note, or is it just to brag?”

“Oh, piss off, you old grouch,” John laughed.
“You’ll be with yours soon enough. But no, she’s only part time at Macdonald’s
lair of self-loathing Scotsmen playing at being English. She also works down
town at a club. It’s modeled after the
salon
springing up all over the
place.”

“Ach, right, I’ve heard of that. Where rich old men
sit around, swill brandy and talk about politics, Voltaire and how to best
maintain their levels of wealth, aye?”

“Not far off. But this one is more of an
investment club. Less philosophy and more trying to leverage banks and so on,
which she explained but I cared not to understand lest I take my attention away
from her luscious...”

“Right, so, what is it the letter says and why am
I still awake in the middle of the knight? A rogue needs his beauty sleep.”

“Lips.”

“What?”

“I was going to say lips. She’s got these gorgeous
ruby lips that are big and full and plump. Even when she was wearing servant’s
livery, she was a sight.”

“I’m sure she is. Very nicely done, John.” Gavin
heaved a sigh. “What of this
salon
?”

“Well, she goes on at the beginning about my
dashing good looks at some length, and then when she gets to the part about the
salon
, I lost interest. Let me see what it says. Ah, yes very good.
Uh-huh. Right. Very informative!”

“I’m going back to sleep. Wake me up if you decide
to stop being a pud’s tip.”

“Wait, wait!” John said. “It would seem as though
my dear Lynne has invited us for a party.”

“Not in the mood. Had enough of parties.”

“It’s a different sort. The kind that rabble like
us is never invited to attend.”

“Only to rob? Why should we steal from them? Just
being rich and blowing a lot of hot air about banking strategies isn’t cause.”

“No, but this is.” John handed the note to Gavin.
“Read it. Start after the part about my stunning charms.”

“John,” Gavin said. “I think we have a problem.”

“Do we?”

“Aye, the part about your charms is only a line
long and says you’ve got less than a worm.”

“What?” John shouted, reaching playfully for the
note.

“Alright, let me see here, alright. She talks
about the salon, then drops a note about how warm your lips are – very nice –
goes on at length about how obnoxious her matron is, and then makes a crude
remark about your cock and how debauched you make her feel.
Tisk tisk
,
John, you need to treat a lady with more respect. Then we get to...oh,
goodness.”

“I guess you’ve got to the part about the land
grabbing scheme?”

“Is such a thing even possible? Working with the
Crown and our good friend Ramsay Macdonald to start parceling out land all the
way from Edinburgh to Glasgow? No one lives between the cities except...”

“Aye, the poor, and the farmers. Exactly who we
aim to protect.”

“But this isn’t set in stone, it’s just a plan. A
plan that may go nowhere farther than I can throw you.” Gavin said, wiping his
hand across his lips.

“Keep going.”

“Right, here’s some moral justification about the
depravity of the poor and...fuck me, but is this a proposal to buy
half of Edinburgh
from the crown and raze it?”

“Seems to be, and watch your language you gutter
rat.” John laughed. “If this goes through, Macdonald will find himself in
charge of a Crown Committee built from the ground up to remake Edinburgh in
whatever fashion he – and the rest of the nobles – sees fit.”

“But what’s a little theft going to do? This is so
vast...if such a conspiracy ever formed, do you have any idea how impossible
it’d be to stop?”

“Oh quite impossible, I’m sure. That’s why we have
to do what little is in our power to stop it before it gets going. We steal
from these people enough to drive them out of the city, to drive them apart,
what’s to say they’d bother getting back together?”

“I’ve got to do something to keep my mind off
Kenna, anyway. She’s all I can think about.”

“I know,” John said. “We’ll get her back one way
or another. I know how much she means to you.”

“You’re a good friend, John,” Gavin said. “The
best I’ve got.”

“No. Well, yes I am, but I have to admit, the
other reason I’m so certain we’ll get her back is that I’m not sure I can live
with you otherwise. Come on,” he said as he stood. “We’ve got work to do.”

––––––––

T
he two of them walked along the sleepy, pre-dawn
streets of Edinburgh, not bothering to stick to the shadows. All was dead in
the city, and a misty gloom hung over the place like a graveyard after a
rainstorm, with a thick smell that stuck to the inside of Gavin’s mouth. For
the first ten minutes of their stroll, neither man spoke a word, instead
preferring to be lost in their own thoughts.

“Gavin, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask
you.”

“Eh?”

“Well I’ve been thinking about your wee lass
there, and a few things just don’t add up in my mind.”

Gavin remained silent.

“I just don’t understand how you can pine for a
girl you’ve never met.”

“I’ve met her. I just haven’t talked with her very
much.”

“Or at all, Gavin. Listen to yourself. You’re
completely sensible in every other part of your life, why not this? You spent
longer questioning me over this job than you took to give your heart to this
girl.”

“Don’t know,” Gavin said.

His eyes never left the stones that clicked by
under his heels.

“I just don’t know. Nothing has ever been like
this for me. I’ve known that she was the one for me since I saw her as a wee
boy. Seeing her last night just me realize how right I’d been. When I saw her
hair, it took my breath away, and when I tasted her lips, I almost fell over.
And then, when I put my hands on her back, it was like...it took my breath
away. Did I already say that?”

John smiled under his hood. “Maybe once or twice.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t do that. You’ve been living for everyone
around you for the past two years, and that’s just the time I’ve known you. And
anyway, you’re rushing ahead. You’ve always been the cautious one of us.”

A moment passed in silence and then Gavin said:
“why are we here?”

“Do some robbing? Do some good?”

“No, I mean how do we know we aren’t walking
straight into a trap?”

“Lynne, I trust her.” John said.

“Aye, but why do you? You met her only the once.”

“You’re one to tell me about being careful of
women we’ve met once?”

Gavin chewed his lip.

“I think we’ve arrived,” Gavin said.

He looked up at the apartment that stood three
stories above Queen’s Street, about halfway between the old castle at the
center of Edinburgh, and the government buildings at the other end.

“We’ve been busy on this street lately, aye?” He
said.

“Can’t ever tell where you’ll get a job. What are
you doing?” John put his hand on Gavin’s shoulder as the bigger man tensed up
and addressed the door. “Are you a bull? We’re burglars, leave off the shoulder
ramming.”

“Sorry, I just...”

“Your mind’s somewhere else, I know. Why not let
me lead this time. Better that than to go charging headlong into some dark
apartment filled with rich old aristocrats.”

“Most likely for the best.”

“Let’s see here, someone drew me a diagram.” John
fished the letter Lynne wrote him out of his pouch and held it up. “Looks like
there should be a series of ledges on windows leading to...ah hah! There it is.
Look. We follow that one, that one and then that one over there, and we’re home
free.”

Gavin followed John’s bouncing finger with his
eyes, then nodded and began his ascent.

“Gav, you know how I know you didn’t read that
letter?”

“Huh?”

“The letter, from Lynne. You know how I know you
didn’t read it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The door.”

“What?”

“It’s open, see?” He pushed the door gently, and
it swung open. “Lynne’s been good to me. I suppose I was pretty good to her
too? Anyway, this is the home of Lord and Lady Somerset, two fine nobles who
plan to buy Scotland or steal it. They’re not here at this time of year, but
their jewelry is. After you, dear friend, though we’ll still need to be a bit
stealthy.”

“If no one’s here, then...?”

“Ah someone is here. Lynne. And she’s sleeping.
I’d hate to wake her until I’m good and ready.”

He pushed open the door, grinned, and ushered
Gavin inside.

As he said, the house was dark and abandoned,
almost completely, except for a few sleeping servants who Gavin supposed were there
to make sure people like him didn’t do exactly what he was about to do.

“This is insanity,” he whispered. “What are we
doing with ourselves?”

“Shh! We’re stealing three boxes full of jewels
and one box full of Crowns and one of bullion that’s all going to be used to
rape Scotland even more ragged than she’s already been.”

Walking softly down the hall to one bedroom,
checking over it for an inhabitant and then entering, Gavin found a latch and
tugged it to open a hidden drawer.

“Why don’t they ever put things in new places? Oy,
John – found the box in here, full of pearls. What’s the use of all this
stuff?”

“Looks nice,” John said. “Better to have a pretty
neck than to feed...what would you say? This box alone would feed Dunne Craig
for a year? Two maybe? It’s a small town, but that’s a small bunch of jewelry.
What gets me is how one of us might find two or three Pounds on the ground and
be able to rent a room for a fortnight or two. One of these people find a
Pound, they’d just kick it across the street.”

“Your friend is sure no one is here?” Gavin said.

“Aye, why do you ask? They’ve got a cat, I think,
along with the servants. They probably treat the cat better.”

“No reason, I just thought I heard – there it is
again.”

A faint jingle came from down the hall and to the
right, in the direction of the door.

“John, are you sure your friend is trustworthy? I
know what you said before, but you
did
satisfy her, didn’t you?”

“Me? You’re asking John Two-fingers if he
satisfied a woman.” He laughed softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever-”

“Left one wanting more?” A soft, husky voice that
belonged to someone much sultrier than either John, or Gavin, could ever hope
to be, lilted through the darkness.

“Who – who’s there?” Gavin yanked the dirk from
his belt. “John...where are you? I don’t want this blade to find your throat.”

“To your left, three paces.” The sound of metal
sliding through leather let Gavin know his friend had his sword in hand.

Though both of them were able fighters, John was a
natural with a blade despite his missing fingers. The way he balanced the hilt
against his palm had an awkwardness that disarmed opponents while his rapier
found its mark every single time. Gavin was practiced, but mechanical when he
fenced, but John moved like water.

“Ach, aye, what is this then?” The voice was quite
a bit less seductive. “Two overgrown lads fumbling about with knives in the
dark? I suppose if you want to test me, I’d oblige.”

“What did you get us into?” Gavin whispered. “Are
we about to kill a woman?”

“Kill me? Ach, listen to him! He’s going to kill
me
when he’s the one with the rope about his ankle. That’s bravery for you.”

“A rope? Wh-” Gavin was cut off when the promised
rope tightened around his foot, pinching the skin on his ankle and swept him to
the floor. “Ow! What is this? John! What’s going on?”

“That was a fair mite easier than you said it’d
be.” The woman’s voice was next to him. When Gavin squinted, he could make out
a shapely figure standing in front of him clad in what seemed to be
tight-fitting leggings underneath an open-necked tunic.

Suddenly, a frenzy of noise from outside shook the
thief to his core.

“John? John! Where are you? Answer me!”

A foot rested on the back of his hand, then
twisted until Gavin dropped his dagger. The woman stooped and plucked it off
the ground by the blade and tossed it up and caught the handle.

“Nice knife,” she said.

“Who are you? What are you doing? I thought this
was-”

“Aye, of course you did. Why would you think
otherwise?”

Gavin shook his head in the darkness, not knowing
what to do.

From above him, he heard John’s boot heel click.

“I’m sorry Gavin. I’m – I’ll make this right, I
promise.”

“Make what right? What are you talking about?
John! Answer me!”

“I...I can’t. When I can, I will. Lynne?”

“Right here. We need to get out of here, and
quick. Sheriff’ll be by any minute, and I’d rather not be here when he is. The
man smells of a cow’s arse.”