Ann Carr (18 page)

Chapter Thirty-Six

“What kind of sick joke is this?” Duncan thundered as he slammed into the great hall of MacGregor castle. There was a collective gasp at his sudden outburst as all eyes were turned in his direction. Men sank into their chairs, most knew Duncan and those who had never seen him first hand had heard the stories of him. They all now fervently hoped that he was here today as friend, not foe.

Unperturbed, Malcolm rose from the table where he was eating his breakfast with his wife and some of his knights, “Duncan! Come join us! Come join us!” he jovially invited.

“Join ye! What I should be doing is asking ye to join me! Outside!” he roared, dumbfounded by his friends unconcern.

“Whatever for man?”
Malcolm too turned serious, now irritated by his friend’s dour mood. “Yer the one who has burst into my home! Indeed I am the one who should be asking. .. No! Demanding that ye join me outside!”

“My men and I raced over here because of this!” Duncan threw down a cream piece of paper onto the table in front of Malcolm.

“What’s this?”

“What? Ye don’t recognize it?” he asked, mock shock in his voice. “This is the message that ye sent to me saying that ye were in trouble and needed my help! Now usually I
wouldnae mind but right now I would prefer to be at home with my wife than dealing with ye and yer wild goose chases!”

“Stop right there Duncan” Malcolm held up his hand for emphasis, a frown knit his craggy brow, “I
dinnae send you this message!”

“I just said I’m not in the mood for
yer games!” Duncan repeated.

“This
isnae a game Duncan. I have never seen that message before!” Without asking he picked up the offending scrap of paper, a deep frown forming between his eyes as he read, but before he could comment both men were distracted by loud male voices raised in argument outside. Side by side they moved towards the disturbance, hands resting on the hilts of their swords ready to react to any threat.

As they walked out into the morning sun, their hands dropped unconsciously as they saw the person causing all the noise.

“I take it he’s looking for ye?” Malcolm asked dryly, not appreciating having English feet on his soil.

Before Duncan could confirm this Richard spotted the two men standing just outside of the doorway, “Duncan!” he shouted, struggling ineffectively with the two men holding him in place, each clinging tightly to an arm.

“Ye’ve got a nerve to show yer face here Richard!” Duncan roared back, all but jumping down the steps and eating up the distance until he stood face to face with the boy. “Let him go!” he ordered the men who were still restraining him. When they had complied he turned his attention back to Richard, “Go on! Raise yer sword! Make my day!” he thundered, murder in his eyes.

“Wait!” Malcolm now reached out hands to restrain Duncan before he lost control completely. “At least find out why he’s here first!” When Duncan didn’t react, he turned to the boy and waited, then let out a long suffering sigh. The boy was staring up at Duncan with glazed over eyes, not a muscle moving in his body. Fear had apparently
paralysed him to the spot, Malcolm had seen this reaction before on numerous occasions, sometimes it were directed at him but more often than not it was Duncan who elicited such dramatic responses.

Duncan moved beside him, only a fraction, but Malcolm knew that he wouldn’t stand there waiting for much longer, patience wasn’t one of his friends strongest points, “Spit it out
laddie!” he ordered, cutting in before Duncan had the opportunity to bite out his own scathing remark.

Blinking Richard came out of his daze, for a moment he had thought he was standing in front of the devil himself. He had never had such powerful anger directed at him before, oh, his brothers had tormented him his entire life but he had never seriously feared for his life before. Now he ran his tongue around his dry mouth, praying for the right words to form.

“I....I.....” he stumbled before taking a deep breath and summoning up all of his courage, then continued, “I’ve come with news for you” he directed his speech towards Duncan.

“Well spit it out
laddie!” Malcolm prompted again.

“Elizabeth sent me, I...”

“How do I know what yer telling me isn’t all lies? For all I know ye havenae even seen Elizabeth since I left last night!” Duncan interrupted.

“Because of this!”
Richard dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the ring that Elizabeth had given him before he had left. Holding out his hand, palm up, he watched as Duncan directed his glare into his palm, and he knew the exact moment that Duncan realised what was cushioned in there when the anger receded from his face to be replaced by frantic concern.

“Why do ye have that? What have ye done to Elizabeth?” he reached out to grab hold of the ring, which he squeezed tightly in his own palm, as if he could somehow summon her presence through sheer power of will.

“She gave it to me so that you will believe that she sent me here. You might not trust me but you do know that I would never do anything to hurt my sister!”

“Why did she send ye damn
it!” Duncan bit out.

“Castle Campbell’s under siege!” he blurted, Duncan and Malcolm exchanged swift glances, and they both knew what must be done.

“Need I ask who is waging war on my lands?” Richards’s averted gaze was all the answer that he needed.

“There’s no need to panic yet Duncan. The outer walls will protect Elizabeth and Ewan until we reach them. If we leave now we will be there before nightfall!” Malcolm soothed his friend.

“They’re already inside of the outer walls!” Richard blurted, not wanting to relay that piece of information but knowing that it was vital.

“You let them into my lands!” Duncan roared, reaching out to grab a fistful of Richard’s shirt and lifted him off the ground with little effort.

“No...No I....” Richard stuttered, now seriously frightened for his life.

“The
truth damn ye! No more lies!” Duncan shook him to forcefully underline his point.

“O.K.!
O.K.!” Richard shrieked, “That is the reason why I came to stay with you! I was supposed to wait for my brother’s signal and then open the gates from within!” he blabbed.

“
Ye no good English bastard!” this time it was Malcolm who lost control of his temper.

“But I didn’t do it!” he continued, “I couldn’t! I couldn’t betray Elizabeth! I told them I wouldn’t do it! When I returned to the stables someone knocked me out from behind, the next thing I knew I woke up bound and gagged, it took an age for me to get loose! They had hidden me up in the hay shed above the stable.” When their expressions didn’t change he quickly raced on, “I managed to get to Elizabeth just in time to warn her, and she got everyone inside of the inner gates before my brothers could get in!”

“If not ye, then who opened the gates?” Malcolm questioned, not yet ready to believe him.

“William!”

“What!” both men exclaimed together, “If ye want to make up a story, ye’d better create a more believable traitor than old William!” Malcolm raged in disbelief, Duncan couldn’t find words to speak.

“I’m not lying I tell you!” he knew he had to convince them of the truth, “I have the proof!” he pulled out the letter from his pockets and reached out. Duncan snatched the letter with one hand and with the other threw the boy to the ground as he read.

“This isnae proof of William’s guilt!” he exploded, relief rushed through his body, “this could have been written by ye!”

“No! Elizabeth sent Ewan with William to bring word to you! It was only later that we
realised William’s involvement! That’s why John sent me! To warn you! Bring you back!”

“I still
dinnae buy it!” Malcolm commented to Duncan.

“He’s not here is he?” Richard asked, “
he left before I did so he should have arrived here by now!”

“How do we know ye aren’t lying? This might all be a trap!” Again Malcolm did the talking.

“Because of that ring. Elizabeth gave it to me so that you would know she sent me here to you! You must believe me Duncan!” he beseeched, “If you don’t return home swiftly you will lose all you hold dear, my brothers will show no mercy towards your people! How can you risk that I am not lying?”

Duncan’s heart turned cold, he hoped with all his soul that Richard’s words were lies. He could deal with that! But not William’s betrayal....

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Wearily Elizabeth rubbed her aching neck as she shuffled out of the kitchen, her body needed sleep but her mind would not give her that relief. During all of her tasks and responsibilities of the past day her thoughts had continuously circulated from Ewan to Duncan. Hope was all that she had to cling onto. Hope that Ewan was still alive, hope that Duncan would return soon. The only positive of the day was that the English, she had now aligned herself with her adopted people the scots, had seemed content to sit and wait. For what? Elizabeth didn’t know and she fervently hoped that she wasn’t going to find out. As a consequence the day had passed by slowly without any drama, although no one had been able to relax.

As she walked through the large dining hall she stepped around the obstacles of bodies lying on the ground trying to snatch some sleep so that they would be ready and able to face what the next day would bring with it. She envied them their peace unable to find any herself, no matter what she did.

“Oh sorry” she murmured automatically as she bumped into someone in the hallway as she left the dining hall.

“Not to worry
dearie” Mrs MacTavish soothed as she bent down to retrieve the bundle of clothing she had dropped in the collision.

“Let me help!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

Before she could act out her intention Mrs MacTavish bobbed back up, arms fully loaded, draped in a mound of material. “No need, ye have enough to worry about! I’m taking these clothes into the courtyard. We’re making a pile out there which some of the village women are going to start washing at first light.”

“Good idea. If nothing else then it’ll keep the women occupied, stop them worrying so much.”

“That’s what I thought. How are ye holding up?”

Elizabeth gave a weak smile,
Mrs MacTavish had been a wonderful support to her since this whole terrible episode began “as best I can, but I hope Duncan returns soon!”

“I’m sure he will, once word reaches him he’ll waste no time in returning!” she reassured, “I’d better keep going, there are another couple of loads to bring down.
And before ye ask. No, I dinnae need yer help. Run along and try to get some rest for the both of ye”, without waiting for a reply she bustled away down the hall and into the darkness.

Elizabeth found herself left to wonder at the energy that
Mrs MacTavish possessed, but decided to take her advice and try to get some rest, so she turned towards the stairs that would lead her up to the sanctuary of her bedroom.

Before she reached them, she found herself grabbed from behind, letting out a terrified scream which was swallowed by the hand now covering her mouth she frantically struggled against her captors hold. Oh Lord! How could she have forgotten! Hadn’t Richard said that there had been two traitors inside of these walls, she had somehow managed to completely forget that during
the chaos and turmoil of the last few hours since Ewan had been taken.

“
Shh Elizabeth! It’s me!” Even though she could only just make out the words for they were whispered so quietly, her body immediately reacted to the unforgettable voice of her husband and she found herself dissolving into his hold.

“Oh! Duncan!” she cried as his hand uncovered her mouth, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, she was just so happy that he was actually here, standing right beside her. Twisting, she turned in his embrace and reaching up she pulled his head down to hers to take a life giving kiss fuelled with desperation and despair. “I’ve lost him” she whispered in torment, “I was supposed to take care of him and I sent him away with our enemy! Oh God help me! It’s my fault he’s not here, not with us! He’s probably so frightened out there, feeling so alone!” as the words ran out the tears gushed forth like an unstoppable tide.

“Shh Elizabeth we’ll find him!” he worked hard to keep the anger out of his voice; he didn’t want to frighten her with it when it wasn’t directed at her. He had been the blind fool not Elizabeth, William had lived in this village all of Duncan’s life and he had never once suspected that he was capable of doing something like this. The most niggling part of the whole thing was why? Why had William betrayed him at all?

“But how will we find him Duncan?” she whispered, gaining strength from his strong arms, “we have no idea where William took him!”

“We know where he dinnae take him, and that’s a start”, at her confused look he elaborated for her benefit, “my men and Malcolm’s men have surrounded the English, we’ve been watching their camp for some time now and can see no evidence that Ewan is there amongst them, that means wherever William has taken Ewan they are alone with no protection which will make it easier for me to kill that traitorous bastard!” he couldn’t stop the anger from seeping out! William had been like a father to him, the betrayal cut deep, however Duncan believed in his heart that no matter how low William had fallen he would not kill Ewan, at least not directly! They still had time!

“How will we find out where they took him?” Elizabeth had been racking her brains with that question all day now and so far had come up with one trail of thought “by finding the accomplice!” she spoke out loud. That task however seemed just as daunting, they now had hundreds of men, women and children inside of the castle walls and any one of them could be the traitor.

“Exactly! Now come!” he took her hand to pull her behind him along the shadows in the hallway.

“Where are we going?” she whispered anxiously.

“Shh!” he paused and pushed against the stone wall with all of his might. To her amazement the wall gave way beneath his strength and with a low groan swung inwards, creating enough room for them to pass through. Another secret passage, she thought in awe, wishing she could have discovered this at some other time when she would have had time to explore the secrets of the dark.

In no time Duncan had closed the wall back into place and was once again leading her through the darkness with an assurance that suggested he had walked these passageways many times before. Before long they came to a stop and with some more pushing and groaning the wall opened up again and they walked straight into the library which was now dimly lit with candlelight.

In front of them, standing around the large desk were two tall figures, Elizabeth felt herself shudder when she noticed their presence, surely not! she thought as she managed to make out the profiles of John and Colin. Not these two as well!