Seven
“Maria,” Marsaili hissed, shaking her sleeping friend. “Maria, please.” Maria simply had to wake up so they could flee!
The door to Maria’s bedchamber creaked open, and Marsaili glanced up as a woman strolled in. She was fine boned, eyes keen and a deep shade of brown. Marsaili hissed in a breath. The woman had eyes the exact shape and color as Callum’s. She pushed her thick, peppery-brown hair behind her ears as her gaze traveled slowly over Marsaili and then came to rest on her face once again.
“I’m Lorna Grant, Callum’s mother. I’m also the healing woman here,” she said in a haughty tone. “Shaking yer friend will nae do any good. I gave her a sleeping draft. She’ll nae be waking for a while.” The woman’s eyes darted to the door as if expecting someone.
Marsaili frowned at how odd Callum’s mother was behaving and at the fact that she had given Maria a sleeping draft, which would prohibit them departing as quickly as Marsaili had hoped.
She stood and offered a curtsy. “I’m Marsaili Lamont,” she said, using the false name. She could not chance giving her name and having it lead her father to her. She would get to her son, no matter the lies she had to tell to do so.
“Save yer lies,” Callum’s mother snapped. She stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind her with an ominous click. “I ken well who ye truly are,” she said, her voice cold and exact. “Brice told me when he brought yer companion to me to care for. Marsaili Campbell,” the woman said. Disdain seemed to trace her words. “Imagine my dismay and my surprise.”
“I’m afraid I kinnae,” Marsaili said as she backed up a step. She sensed danger, and she never ignored her gut.
“Ye are the woman responsible for my husband’s death.”
Marsaili frowned. The woman was daft. “I did nae ken yer husband,” she said evenly, though her palms tingled and her belly was tight with worry.
“Aye, that’s true enough, but ye are bathed in his blood, nevertheless. My son could nae be swayed to marry as we had commanded after he met ye, and his stubbornness brought the Gordon clan to our doorstep wanting vengeance. My husband died fighting the Gordons when they raided our land—”
The information shocked Marsaili, yet the woman’s words also confused her. “Yer son made his own choices,” Marsaili interrupted. “He did not break his vow to wed Edina Gordon for me. He did so to ease the burden of shame he carried for his dishonorable actions.”
The woman’s mouth parted, and her eyes widened. “Ye have talked to Callum, aye? Ye must have. He was much delayed returning to the castle. I saw him rushing to the great hall to sup with his soon-to-be wife.”
Marsaili felt her nostrils flare on the news that Callum had kissed her and then rushed off to appease Coira. The man had not changed at all. “I spoke with him,” she managed through gritted teeth.
“And yet ye dunnae see,” the woman said, her tone contemptuous.
“I dunnae see what?” Marsaili demanded, her temper banishing the fear she had been feeling.
Obvious anger flared in Lorna’s eyes. “Ye speak of my son’s dishonor when ye swim in yer own,” she hissed.
Mortification burned Marsaili’s cheeks, neck, and chest. Callum had told his mother what had occurred between them. He had to have for the woman to say such a thing to her. “I’m nae ashamed of what I did.” She had been in love, and though she regretted her choices now that she knew she had given her heart and body to a man who had not loved her, she refused to feel shame.
“I’m nae shocked,” Lorna spat. “Ye are just like yer father. He dunnae have any honor, and neither do ye! I dunnae ken how ye ended up here to be wagered away, and I dunnae care. Ye kinnae stay. Callum is to marry, and I’ll nae allow ye to ruin this chance for him again.”
Marsaili drew in a slow, fortifying breath. “I dunnae have any intentions to stay and ruin yer son’s plans, so dunnae fash yerself. As soon as Maria awakens, we will depart.”
“I dunnae believe ye,” the woman rasped. “What deceit is this?”
Marsaili stiffened. She was used to feeling unwanted by her own family, but it chafed to be so disliked by someone who did not even know her.
“I speak the truth,” Marsaili bit out. “I dunnae need nor want yer son.”
“God’s bones,” Callum’s mother whispered, clearly shocked. “Ye do speak the truth.” She glanced to the door, then back at Marsaili. Indecision seemed to flutter across her face, then she said, “Wait here. I, er, I’ll fetch ye some daggers for yer journey. Ye should nae be traveling defenseless. Evil men lurk about.”
“I ken,” Marsaili muttered.
Lorna whirled toward the door and hustled out of the room as if a wolf were snapping at her heels.
When the door clicked shut, Marsaili slumped into the chair beside Maria. Her head and her heart ached terribly, and exhaustion threatened to overcome her. Why had Lorna acted as if Marsaili had somehow wronged Callum? He had been promised to another when he had wooed her. He had lied! He had made her fall in love with him. He had never come back for her as he’d vowed he would. But it seemed he had family who loved him.
And what did she have? A father who had lied to her, robbed her of her child, and was trying to use her for his gain. All the emotions she had long ago caged inside her fought their way to the surface. When the door creaked and started to open, Marsaili scrambled to her feet, hastily swiping at her cheeks. She did not want Lorna to see her weakened, but as the door opened farther, she nearly cried out in fright. Looming in the doorway was Lucan.
Her stomach clenched tight in fear that she refused to show. “Missed me?” she asked, trying to sound playful.
The Black Mercenary chuckled as he pointed a dagger at her. “Aye,” he drawled, his gaze sweeping over her and a leer twisting his lips. “I believe I did.” He rubbed a rough finger over her cheek that made her skin crawl. “I wish I could say I came for ye to make ye mine, but alas…”
She barely contained her sigh of relief, which he must have sensed because he sniggered. “I did nae. I’ve been given a new assignment in regard to ye, my pet.”
“How nice for ye,” Marsaili snapped, glancing toward the door. Any minute now, Lorna should be returning, and hopefully, the woman had a weapon. “Why are ye here, then?”
“Well,” he said, scratching at his stubble with the blade of the dagger he held, “I was amazed, then pleased to hear some English knights discussing a lass they were to find for their lord, the Earl of Ulster. It seems the leader of their party, a Godfrey—” A smile twisted his lips. “I believe ye ken him. Actually, I believe ye killed poor Godfrey. I stumbled upon a dead body in the woods when I was making my way back here to retrieve ye.”
“Aye, I killed him,” she lied. “Just as I’ll be killing ye when ye least expect it.”
“I like a lass who’s nae afraid to threaten,” Lucan said in a voice that revealed his fondness for dark deeds. “As I was saying,” he continued, sounding amused with himself, “I overheard them mention the earl was rather eager to have ye brought to him. It seems he’s quite taken with ye. I thought to myself, ‘Lucan, a rich earl would likely pay ye a great sum to bring the wench to him.’ So I killed the English guards, and here I am.”
The matter-of-fact way he spoke of murdering the Earl of Ulster’s men swept icy fear through her. She swallowed, her palms tingling. “So ye came here to take me to the earl, and what? Bargain me away to him?”
“How astute ye are, Marsaili.”
Her mind raced as she contemplated how she would get away. She didn’t see a way, unless Lorna’s return distracted Lucan enough that she could get around him and both she and Lorna could flee. “How did ye manage to get into this castle?” she asked, wishing to delay.
He chuckled. “That,” he said, slowly drawing out his words, “is a story I’m afraid I was paid generously nae ever to repeat. But I’ll tell ye this, my sweet, have a care before ye ever choose one man over another again.”
Marsaili frowned. She had no notion of what Lucan was speaking. “I dunnae—”
Lucan lunged at her, taking her by complete surprise. He clamped a hand over her mouth, turned her face directly to his, and knocked her over the head with the hilt of his dagger so hard that everything went black.