Lifting my chin, I forced a smile. “Death for me would be as comforting as falling into my mother’s arms.” I trained the flintlock on his chest, my hand never wavering.
I watched the other man hesitate. I could take him now my rational mind thought. There remained a small chance of escaping a life threatening injury. After all Beathan revealed, I needed to give him another chance. I opened my mouth to speak and he cut me off abruptly.
“I am nae a coward, Captain. I am a businessman. Perhaps there is something or someone I might offer ye in return fur yer loyalty?” Beathan’s insinuation brought a sickening feeling to my stomach. “Ye hae nae love of the English Militia, yer practically a traitor already after attacking them. Join us, we will need experienced military men tae fight, and perhaps my sister could be persuaded intae yer arms.”
“You would sell Phil to me for my loyalty?” I spat the words out, my honour affronted. Phil’s respectability lay bare between us. Here Beathan proved he could never be the man I thought he was. I sniffed. “You are a great actor, sir, however I am not. I may not have much respect for the English and their methods. I would never betray them. As for Phil, I would never do her the dishonour of forcing her to be my bride out of some traitorous deal with her murdering brother. You are not the man I thought you.” I took a deep breath. “Prepare to test your mettle,” I clicked the lock back, ready to strike the flint.
Phil came barrelling around the corner in the next instant. Another second and I would have pulled the trigger and Beathan his, our stalemate over. However, Phil looked around Beathan’s shoulder with wide eyes fixed on the flintlock. “What the devil! Put down yer weapons!”
The demand went unanswered, I could tell by her rosy cheeks and heavy breath she must have made the journey as quickly as possible. I could not fathom any reason bringing her up here. Now I only wanted her gone, my stomach tightened at the thought of standing over her lifeless body. The image almost brought me to my knees.
“Get the hell out of here, Phil.” I shouted the words, infused them with as much authority as I could. “This is none of your affair. Leave this place and do not look back, you understand me?”
Unfortunately her years of bucking all authority made her oblivious to my demands and she tried to step around Beathan. Who saw his opportunity, reached behind him with his free hand and grabbed the front of her tartan, pulled her in front of him.
“Are ye going tae let another woman die under yer watch, Captain?” Beathan smiled grimly and pointed his flintlock at Phil’s temple. For a moment she remained shocked into stillness.
“Beathan, unhand me at once. I know the game ye are playing. Why ye stole the diary, perhaps the captain can help ye.” Phil tried to squirm from her brother’s grasp. He only pressed the muzzle of his weapon harder into her skull. The sight made my mouth dry.
“Let us be reasonable here.” I tried to keep my own flintlock pointed at Beathan’s head rather than his body. Such a shot was not without its risks. “You are not going to shoot your only sibling. She is your family after all.”
His barked laughter echoed through the cave and around the stonewalls. “A sister who never does what she is told. Who refused to marry into the wealthy and well-connected family of my friend? Who spends her days reading and largely making a nuisance of herself? She is nae family tae me, she can nae even be used as a pawn.”
Phil struggled all the harder to free herself from Beathan’s grip. The hurt caught in her voice broke my heart. “Ye are my brither. Ye are supposed tae protect me. Stop this foolishness now. Let me go. We will never speak of it again. I promise.” She turned tear-filled eyes to meet mine.
“As I said tae the captain. It is too late tae turn back fur me, the only way is forward. I must see my tasks through, whatever the consequences.” Beathan looked at me and I knew he asked me to make a choice.
My life for another’s, I wish I had been given the same choice in Boston. I would have traded my existence for the life of Onatah and the child. I would have made it in a heartbeat, my life for hers. Now looking into the frightened and confused face of Phil, I could detect no subterfuge. She remained truly innocent. I took a few steps back into the cave and pointed my weapon to the ground. Watching as Phil shook her head at me. She pulled away from Beathan as far as her tartan would allow, the material tearing.
“Dinnae back away, Captain. He does nae know what he does. He will kill ye,” Phil sobbed on the last words. Her body racked with tears and she started flailing her tiny fists at Beathan with all her might. “Stop this at once, stop it!”
Done with his sister’s hysterics. He cuffed her on the side of the face and she fell into the rock wall. I made a couple more steps back into the cave, my eye catching the boxes of paper cartridges.
“You and I are going tae hae a long discussion over loyalty when we return tae Markinch. Ye are going tae agree tae marry the man I chose fur ye.” Beathan aimed his flintlock at my head. “Do ye hae any last words?”
I tried to catch Phil’s eye, she stared at me, terrified over what the next seconds would bring. I slowly brought both my arms out to my sides, looking into Phil’s eyes all the time, hoping she would catch onto my plan. My weapon faced the boxes on my right. She looked away for a second and her breath caught.
It felt as if I watched the next minute take place from a great distance. Through a glass bent to make all the objects appear much smaller. Phil turned abruptly and pulled away from Beathan. Ripping her tartan from her shoulder. Her yellow dress stretching out behind her and she disappeared behind the first boulder.
Beathan only had time to look at her in puzzlement before turning back. I ran several steps back and fired my weapon into the boxes of premade ammunition. For the next ten seconds nothing happened, Beathan laughed at my efforts, as the first round went off. Followed by an ear-shattering explosion I dove through the opening under the waterfall, unmindful of the cold or where I might land.
Water from the falls blurred my vision. I closed my eyes tightly. Praying Phil made it past at least the first turn in the rocky lane. It would offer protection from the debris flying through the air. The flames would make breathing hard. With my arms crossed in front of my face. I hit the water in an ungraceful flop. Shards of ice cut my exposed skin. Even my clothes held no protection from the sharpness of some of the missiles.
The impact of the half-frozen pond knocked the wind from my lungs. My first instinct in the water was to take a deep breath. I fought it as I sank lower into the cold pool. I thought once my feet reached the bottom I could push back up to the surface. My clothes felt ten times heavier with the water soaking in. I knew I could not stay above water for long. I opened my eyes. The clear cold water burned them. My ears rang from cold and I felt water seep under the layer of fur. Trickling at first, before filling with more urgency into the space between my skin and clothing. This would only make it more cumbersome to swim.
Still my feet did not reach the bottom. I tried to peer below me, all remained in darkness. Above, a faint orange glow illuminated the surface of the water. I realised the whole cave must have caught alight. From below the water, it looked beautiful. Without the noise of the cartridges exploding, nearly peaceful. I thought back to what I had said to Beathan. Dying would be as easy as falling asleep in my mother’s arms, peaceful from down here, waiting to be lifted above, perhaps I might be religious man after all.
The stillness broke sharply, my body needed air, I had been under water for at least a minute. I convulsed violently and commenced shaking in great racking fits with cold. My body fought for life, death might not be as easy as I thought. With a thrust of my legs I tried to reach the surface, my clothes weighing me into the water, acting as a talisman for death. I felt my energy wane. In the same way as in the bog, there would be no child to save me this time.
Lungs burning from the effort of not breathing, nose pinched. I gave two, three good pushes with my legs and tried to work my encumbered arms. I looked up and I could see the surface. One more push and I could at least breathe. I broke the surface as a fish might splutter, coughing and moaning as my body tried to fill itself with air, every muscle screaming out for oxygen. I felt my deerskin clothing and moccasins dragging me back under the water, impossible to tread above the surface with this weight. I prepared to take a deep breath before going under again. I tried to push towards the side of the pool, the thin ice close to the middle broke easily and several shards cut my hands.
The surface of the water reached my eyes. I refused to close them. If I could still see, I thought irrationally. I might have a chance to survive. As I tried to push my numb, tired limbs into action I heard a shout. My given name from the lips of a woman, something I had not heard in a long time.
“Esmond, Esmond, hold on, I hae a branch.” Searching around frantically. I could hear Phil sobbing. I turned back to face the cave, and watched as Phil wrestled a branch haphazardly from the bank and trudged down to the river.
Her face smudged with dirt and soot. The dress looked burned Her features remained set in determined lines. Her forehead wrinkled in concentration, a look I knew well, and in a voice hoarse from holding my breath and effort from staying afloat, I cried. “Don’t get too close to the edge. The ice will not hold you!”
Phil studied me with narrowed eyes. “I think I know how unstable ice can be.” Adopting the tone of an old lecturer, she continued. “I once did a study as a child using several buckets of frozen water and weighted instruments tae gage whether the pond down in Markinch was safe tae sledge upon.” She pushed the branch out over the water as my head slipped below the surface.
I could hear her yelling at me dully through the filter of the water. I wondered if she expected to fill the rest of my life with such lectures. Followed by a severe reprimanding as she gave now. Using my numb hands. I grasped the wood and held tight, hoping for salvation.
Phil might be small. She was tenacious. A slow inch at a time, I felt the branch move, until I could crane my neck and breathe carefully above the water. If I did not feel so cold and numb, I might laugh at her efforts. After what felt like an eternity, the ice at the edge of the pond bumped into my face. With one hand still holding tight to the wooden lifeline. I swung my numb arm around and hoped it would land on the stable ledge in front of me.
“Good, Esmond.” Phil did not quit her litany of praise. I felt her small gloved hands grasp my own numb hand. She pulled hard. Trying to wrestle me from the water. After a few minutes she cried out in frustration. I lifted my head to see tears streaming down her face.
“Ye must try.” She begged. “Ye must at least get yer torso out of the water. I cannot lift ye further and help will still be ages away. Hopefully someone saw the explosion from Markinch. They will come. Ye must nae give up.” She shouted the last bit.
“I am tired, Phil. I can’t feel my legs, my arms. I can barely feel the warmth of your hands.” I let out a shuddering breath. I saw she shook from cold. Her clothing wet from helping me. She would not last long out here without shelter or warm clothing. I made my decision. “Phil, look at me. I am too heavy for you to pull out. You have to let go now. Make you’re way back to Markinch as fast as you can. The cold will take you soon, without your cape and tartan you are a martyr to the elements.” To show I my resolve, I let go of the wood and released my grip on her hand.
“Nae, I will nae let go.” She sobbed, tears running furiously down her cheeks, pooling at her chin and dripping onto our clasped hands. “Dinnae ye see, ye great fool. I came fur ye. Beathan showed me the diary. Told me I must translate it fur him. It was then I knew he was behind it all. I saw him come up here. I came fur ye. I made my choice.”
Trying to smile through frozen lips. I hoped the effect did not appear as grotesque as it felt. “And here I believed all along I must save the damsel in distress. You have to let go now, be strong, get down to the village and protect the people of Markinch. The fact a small cell supporting the Stuart cause flourished here will not go unnoticed to the English.”
Phil grimaced and gripped my hand in her small ones all the tighter. “That’s why we need ye. I need ye. Give one more great push. I know ye can. Ye made it out of the bog. Ye can make it out of this.”
I fixed my eyes on hers and I tried with the last of my strength to throw my arm out of the water. It dragged heavily beside my body. As I tried to pull from Phil’s grasp. A large hand and arm appeared between us and I heard Phil give a shriek of surprise before the collar of my deerskin coat grew tight. I slowly rose out of the water.
Chapter 17
A man larger than Beathan set me on the side of the bank. He studied me curiously, head cocked to one side, wide strangely innocent blue eyes searching for something in my face. He was startled for a moment by the barked order of another man I could not see.
“Levy, get the man out of his clothes, and right quick with it now.” The other voice sounded sharp. As if he might be accustomed to giving the large man direction. Levy did not waste time in questioning his instructions. He bent over and began divesting me of my wet, heavy clothing. I tried to make a feeble protest with unresponsive limbs. A heavy blanket flew at the man’s head. He caught it before it fell onto the snow-covered ground. He handed it to me and I tried to cover my shivering body while he helped me to my feet.
Grateful I could not feel the sharp pebbles and ice underfoot. I watched another man light a fire and Phil throw fuel onto the flames in order to make it larger. She appeared to know these men and a thought struck me. Between chattering teeth and racking shivers, I managed. “You are the McGreevy brothers,” a statement more than a question.
The other man looked up from the fire and smiled grimly. “At yer service, Sassenach. Levy help him over tae the fire. There’s a guid lad.” He added as the larger man took my elbow and roughly steered me towards the flames. “Name’s Roth, this here is my younger brother, Levy.”
Levy pushed me down onto a rock near the fire and smiled a toothless grin when I looked up at him. I tried to give him a nod in return, however I did not seem to have much control over the spasms in my body. “Thank you, Levy. You saved my life.”
“Listen to this, Levy, a Sassenach gauger thanking ye.” The big man looked at his brother curiously. “Ye should remember this day. As I dinnae think ye will ever be in such guid graces again.” Roth began to laugh at his own joke.
Phil looked uncomfortable wrapped in a second blanket. She studied each of the McGreevys’ faces and tried to avoid my eye. I thought she might be embarrassed over my nudity. Clearing my throat. I asked. “How did you manage to get here so quickly? Markinch is a way off.”
Roth watched me intently as I tried to wiggle my toes, stamp my feet and rub my hands together all at the same time. He appeared to make a decision. “I guess it’ll be best if we make a clean slate of it.” He looked up at Levy and continued. “We were working with Beathan, after the McKinneys.” Phil looked at him sharply. I studied his face. I wondered how much he would admit. How much of the conspiracy he might be privy.
He held up his hands. “I want tae say neither Levy or I had anything tae dae with the McKinneys’ or Turner’s death. We may be thieves, but we are nae murderers, especially of our neighbours. Beathan came tae us after the McKinneys disappeared.” Roth said the last word with some doubt. “Said he’d teach us tae make Scotch and we could get out of the cattle business.”
Beathan chose his marks well I thought with self-pity. First he came to the aid of the McKinneys making them a simple offer. Work a second still and have a major cost of Scotch production deferred. He used the same approach with these boys. Learn a new skill, perhaps have a chance at a better life, I had been the easiest target of all, befriend the outsider excise man.
Roth interrupted my thoughts as he continued the story. “Levy and I know cattle. We’re nae Scotch men and we found the intricacies difficult.” He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at me. “Ye may recall the still explosion, the night ye found the McKinneys. We knew what all in the village did nae. Beathan must hae been behind their deaths. We decided it would be better fur our health if we ended our arrangement with Beathan, but he said he wouldnae let us go.”
My eyes flicked to Phil’s expression. She watched Roth tell his story with a mixture of sadness and disbelief. I could not be sure how she would take all the revelations. The shock at finding him standing at the entrance of the cave, flintlock pointed to my head burned into her memory.
“What happened after? Surely, he could not force you to continue working for him? You obviously did not have the skill to help with the Scotch and as you probably already know from the contents of the cave. He needed it to trade for weapons from the French.”
Phil took a sharp intake of breath and buried her face in her hands. I wanted to get up and comfort her. My jellied legs wobbled at the thought of standing again. I could feel the pins and needles burn in my toes and fingers and underneath the blanket I remained naked, hardly proper conduct for a gentleman.
“We found the weapons in the cave and tried to use it as leverage.” Roth shook his head. “Clever man, Beathan, told us our lives wouldnae be worth spit if we ratted on him, he’s got powerful friends in Auld Reekie who would protect him, we are known criminals. The best I could do was hide out with my brother and hope everything might come tae a head without us. And it did, we’re safe enough, I think. We watched him the day ye came up tae the fens and poked around our auld still site. We could nae help ye without exposing ourselves. Ye made it out all right in the end.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I knew someone watched from the woods, if I had not been so intent on exposing you, I would have realised Beathan stalked me from the rear.” I continued angrily. “After the story you have told me of your goings-on. You should be lucky I do not seek warrants for both your arrests for public mischief at the least.” With the word arrests, Levy stirred beside me and I looked up into his frowning face.
Looking at his brother steadily and until Levy made eye contact. Roth continued shaking his head lightly. “We tend nae tae use the word arrest, it makes my brother uncomfortable. We hae a couple of run ins with the law down south.” He sighed and tried to smile encouragingly at his bigger brother. “Some men want tae try their luck with a man as large as Levy, but he can hold his own.”
I studied both of the boys. I knew they were guilty of cattle rustling. It remained an ill-kept secret amongst the villagers of Markinch. Yet they had failed in their attempt to be Scotch runners and did not have to be linked to Beathan’s crimes, which would end with their heads on spikes if the English had any say in the matter.
The burning in my feet and hands felt so intense I nearly shouted, instead I tried to regulate my breath. After a minute I had it somewhat under control, looking up I met Roth’s eye. “I will make you a deal. I do not want to see more bloodshed. I have seen enough to last me many lifetimes over.” Cautious interest passed over Roth’s features as I continued. “As of now, there is no evidence linking you to Beathan’s crimes. There has only been a rumour you might be trying to operate a portable still in the fens in order to avoid the duty. I will leave your names out of the official report, however you must do something for me.”
Roth’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Accustomed to dealing with men who tried to cheat him and his brother. “You and your brother need to take up some form of gainful employment and I know Agnes McKinney could use a man’s help over at the Turret. If you are keen to help your neighbours.”
Scratching the whiskers on his chin, Roth peered into the fire for a couple of minutes. The only sound in the small valley the waterfall. The crash of liquid on ice and the crackling of burning twigs and peat, he eventually looked back up and stared me in the eye.
“Ye hae a deal sir.” He grimaced as he watched me tremble. “I would shake yer hand, but I think ye need it tae stay warm.” He laughed. “Ma will be happy for us to spend more time around the farm in any case. She is getting too auld tae be on her own. Eh, Levy, time tae go and see Ma, get yer things ready.” He told his brother, and the large man stood up and went over to where two rucksacks sat side by side and heaved one onto his back.
“I warn you now.” I used my military captain’s voice. “If you or your brother start up any trouble with the villagers. I will be forced to take action.”
The other man laughed as he set his own bag on his back, turning to me with a cheeky smile. “Sassenach, you’ll hae tae find us first. Mind I’ve given ye my word as a true Highlander.” He bobbed his head and began to walk down the stream, his brother following behind.
“Bloody Scots, will be the death of me.” I shivered out as I watched the two brothers disappear around a bend. I looked back at the fire and pulled the blanket tighter around my large frame, help could not come fast enough.
Out of the corner of my eye. I watched Phil step closer to the fire. She appeared to be puzzling over some question and she finally spoke as she stepped close enough to unwrap the blanket she had over her shoulders and put it over my own. “I hope we’re all nae in yer curse, Captain.”
Gathering the remnants of my dignity to my person, I lifted my chin. “You saved my life. Not only today, in other ways too.” Never being a man who expressed emotion. A lump in my throat prevented me from going on further. Phil shuffled over and sat on the rest of the log in front of the fire.
She rubbed a hand across her forehead, squeezed her eyes shut. “I think I am so superior with all of my books and machines.” She took a hitched breath. “I never suspected Beathan of all this. Tae me he was just a boy. The one who lost the mother he worshipped. I never gave him the sympathy he needed. I only mocked him fur loving such a hurtful woman.”
I valiantly tried to put my unease over my nakedness aside, adjusted the blankets over my person again. With one fluid motion I scooped Phil closer to my side. My naked arm anchoring her there, the heat from her body adding to my comfort. The acrid smell of gunpowder in her hair making my nose twitch.
“How could you know of any of your brother’s plans?” I squeezed her closer for a minute. “I, a trained soldier sent to ferret out such plots, had no inkling until the end. Now it makes perfect sense. We will have to work together to protect the town. The English will never believe the plot is finished.”
Phil rested her head on my shoulder. The action so trusting I felt a fierce protection rise up in my stomach. “I know ye will dae yer best tae protect us. It is in yer nature. Captain, fur all yer worldly faults. We will protect Markinch together.” She looked up at the smoke coming from the cave, staining the sky overhead. “We will have tae explain somehow, make people understand.”
“We will try and stay as close to the truth as possible.” I told her. My mind going over various possible explanations, “in order to satisfy my superiors and the villagers. We will keep the McGreevys’ name separate from this. We do not need any more bloodshed. Hopefully when word reaches Edinburgh of Beathan’s death. The cell will be paralysed for a few months before it can operate again, unfortunately I do not believe any of the ring leaders will be caught.”
“A search through his office may reveal something,” Phil mused. “Somehow I can nae believe he is dead. A traitor. He placed us all in danger.” Her voice broke and the tears she had fought against since the explosion erupted. I held her as she cried her pain into the already damp woollen blankets. “He broke the promise our faither made tae the English never tae take up arms against them, or conspire. How could he risk Faither’s word?”
This is how the Tavish brothers and the rest of the village folk found us. Huddled around the fire on a small ledge of the riverbank, Phil in my arms crying and I trying valiantly trying to cover my modesty.
“Thank the good Lord above sitting in his golden chair.” Tavish burst out when he saw us. I immediately pulled away from Phil. She jumped from her seat, red stain appearing on both her cheeks. “And what has happened here?”
I remained speechless for a minute, what
had
happened here? I watched as Angus and three men wearing black armbands looked between Phil and the cave billowing smoke. I sighed. It was going to be a long day and I could feel the familiar heat of a fever coming on.
“An accident, Tavish. A terrible accident, do you have any extra blankets or clothes I might use? I am afraid mine are a bit wet.” He only continued to stare at me.
“How ye ever survived fighting in the New World. I’ll never know, Captain.” Angus came forward and immediately began to tug on the blankets. I fought him weakly. My strength had not returned. “Here, give me one of the blankets and we can fashion a kilt fur ye. Put the other around yer shoulders.”
In the midst of all the men, Phil straightened and looked them in the eye, without a quaver in her voice. “Beathan is dead.” The other men studied her with incredulous looks on their faces. “I know it will be hard tae believe, he was a traitor, against the English and against us. He would hae placed us between two formidable enemies, neither of which cared fur the folk of Markinch.”
I watched Phil as she made her statement. She made her choice. As she had when she rushed to rescue me from Beathan. She chose her people. Not the promise of social or monetary rewards from dubious men in Edinburgh. I never respected a woman as much as I respected her in this moment. I wanted to take her up and kiss her. Though such an action would probably end in both of us in a heap on the stony ground, my strength low. I needed to get back to the village. My warm bed and sleep for a long time.
It was not to be however. It took Phil and me at least another half-hour to explain how all the events of the past year. Culminating in my appearance in Markinch and how it had led to the explosion in the hermit’s cave and the death of the prodigal son. After which two of the men and Angus agreed to stay with the cave until the fire burnt out. They would stay to recover Beathan’s body. Phil helped me put my damp moccasins on before we walked back to Markinch. An arm over her shoulder, as she explained the workings of a mantelpiece clock her father recently purchased. Her worry and nerves soothed with explanations of science.