The last part of Maura's plan was ready to be enacted. She sent a note to Athol, purporting to be one of the under-managers at the estate with a problem that urgently needed his attention. He groaned as he looked at it.

"Damn it!" he said angrily, "I have to go back to Blairmore. McKenzie wants to see me." He looked at Davina, still lying in a daze and smiling at him sleepily. How much he wanted just to lie here and make love to her! He got out of bed stiffly and with great reluctance, his headache worse than ever.

"What's wrong?" Davina asked anxiously as he rubbed his forehead and grimaced.

"A headache. I will take some willow bark tea before I go out." He dressed in haste then leaned over to kiss her. "Wait for me," he said, in a voice husky with desire.

Davina nodded and smiled bewitchingly. "I always do."

---

Athol drank down a goblet of willow bark tea and two of milk before grabbing three bannocks to munch on his journey to Blairmore. He hated being in such haste; it always upset his equilibrium and put him in a foul mood for the rest of the day. He mounted Jock and they set off along the cliff path and Athol felt his headache abating. The problem at the back of his mind was still there, though, and coming to the front once more.

Then, in the distance, he saw a rider mounted on a blue roan horse trotting towards him. As he got closer, he could see that it was a woman and when she took off the black veil she was wearing he knew it was Maura. His heart began to beat a wild pattern as she slowed her horse down right in the middle of the path.

"Good morning, m'laird! I trust you are well?" Her smile was wide, but her voice was mocking as she looked at him. She was teasing him. He was not yet a laird.

"Very well, thank you, milady." He bowed.

"Did you get Mr. McKenzie's note?"

"That was you?" he asked, astonished and outraged in equal measure.

Maura laughed and cast her eyes heavenwards. "God help me!" she cried in mock despair. "Men are so stupid! Your tenant would go to your manager first, he would not need you." Her voice was dripping with contempt.

"What do you want, Maura?" he snapped.

"I am carrying your baby," she replied blithely, "I need money for its upbringing."

Athol stared at her, stunned, for a moment, then found his voice again. "I know you are with child. Davina told me. She also told me that you lay with Grant before the wedding."

"Your wife is so naïve," Maura said scornfully, "she believed everything I told her. I told her that so that she would think she was my confidante and we would share girlish secrets with each other. Secrets are powerful things."

Athol could barely restrain himself from slapping her, but he could never hit a woman - much less a pregnant one - if indeed she was pregnant. "And how do I know you are even with child?" he demanded, "you have shown that your word is worthless."

Maura shrugged. "You do not," she said carelessly, "but it will show soon enough. This is my first child so it may take a while longer. But Grant will think he is the father too. You may tell Davina if you wish, a little peccadillo before marriage is excusable, but I could tell Grant, and that would embarrass him and estrange him from you. You are connected closely in business are you not? Indeed, I believe you have bought a huge tract of land together and will be raising cattle. Think of all the money you would lose should Grant back out!

“I need money to restore my castle and my estate; Grant does not have enough because of that deal. Also, I need some of the finer things in life: jewels, perfumes, silk dresses. Grant cannot get those for me. So, how much will it cost to buy my silence?"

"You tell me," Athol said, feigning disinterest although his heart was beating out of his chest. "I am all ears."

She named a sum of money so large that it made his eyes widen in alarm. "Ah!" she cried in triumph, "now, I have your attention!"

"I am afraid that is impossible," he said grimly, "I too have large commitments and expenses."

"I expect Davina will be overjoyed to know she has a stepchild then." Maura failed to keep the glee out of her voice.

Athol thought desperately for a moment. He named a substantially smaller sum, and Maura pretended to consider. She had known that the higher sum was impossible, but she had to start high so that she ended up with a reasonable return for her risk.

"That will buy you six months of silence," she replied, "a little more will buy you the time until the baby's birth. Then we can see what the little one looks like. I am a redhead and Grant is fair, so if my baby is dark… It might be yours."

"You know that babies do not always resemble their parents!" he cried.

"But can you take that chance?" She shrugged again.

"What of your reputation?" Athol knew he was beginning to grasp at straws, but he had to try something.

"What of it?" She laughed. "It only matters if you care and I do not."

"It will when everyone finds out you are a poisoner." He took the little bottle out of his pocket and showed it to her. For a split second, he saw panic in her eyes then it was replaced by a look of sheer derision.

"What is that thing? I have never seen it before in my life. If you repeat these scurrilous accusations you will be guilty of slander," she said dismissively. "Now, I have no time to trade any more insults with you. I will expect the first payment tonight. Have your most trusted servant bring it just before dark and wrap it in a silk scarf so that I may say it is a farewell present from Davina." She paused. "And in case you have any thoughts of reneging on our bargain, I have letters written and addressed not only to your wife and my husband but to others who may be interested to know that you have conceived a child with me and left me in the lurch. Goodbye, Athol."

---

Then she turned her horse around and cantered away until at last, she was out of sight. Athol was devastated with no idea what to do next. She had obviously been thinking about and planning this for months, but why him? There were other lairds out there far richer than he, and he lived so far away that getting the gold to her would be extremely difficult, but no doubt she had thought of that. It seemed that she had thought of everything. He was tired of worrying now, but he had no choice. His headache was coming back.

Should he tell Davina? If he did that he ran the risk of losing her. On the other hand, Maura would then lose her main bargaining chip. She could ruin his reputation, but as long as he had Davina and his land he cared little for that. And they knew she was a murderer but had no proof of it. If they let her go she would be free to do it again.

He made up his mind. He would tell Davina. God help me, he thought, I hope I am doing the right thing.

"That was quick!" As usual, Davina was there to jump into his arms as soon as he got home. She gave him a smacking kiss on the lips, then, seeing the expression on his face, stood down and took him by the hands. "Sweetheart! What's wrong?"

He looked at her long and hard for a moment. "Davina darling," he said sadly, "I have something to tell you."

"You're scaring me," she replied, her voice trembling.

"I am frightened too," he confessed, pouring himself a large glass of wine.

"Why?" She hugged herself, feeling a sudden chill come over her.

"Sit down." He waited until she had done so, then began to speak. "I am being blackmailed," he said quietly. He looked into the fire, then up at her.

"By whom?" Davina asked. "And why?"

He sighed heavily. "By Maura." He looked up at her. "The baby she's carrying… it may be mine."

Davina said nothing for a moment, but when she finally broke her silence her voice was flinty. "Go on."

"I lay with her once before you and I were together and she tells me I am the father of her baby. You told us that she had also lain with Grant, so it could be either one of us or even someone else, although that is just a suspicion of mine. I must pay her or she will tell you and I run the risk of losing you. She could even tell Grant and say that I raped her or something like that. She is devious enough for anything." He put his face in his hands. "I have put myself in this situation and I will not blame you if you throw me out. But Davina, I love you so much and I am sorry if I have hurt you. I will understand if you do not want me anymore."

Davina was frowning, trying to think. The situation seemed quite straightforward in some ways. He had been a single man and she had been a single woman, not yet betrothed. She wandered over to the window. There had been no romantic attachment between herself and Athol then so it was not unfaithfulness, but there was the baby to consider, and that could not be wished away.

"I can understand it happening. She is a very beautiful woman, but the baby…" She clenched her fists in annoyance. "You say that she lay with Grant too?"

He nodded. "Perhaps others too."

"Then I think she was already with child when you lay with her," Davina concluded, then smiled. "I will not deny that this has been a shock." Her voice was firm and steady. "But Athol, she is a wonderful manipulator. I don't blame you—you were in the hands of a master, so you have nothing to fear from me. I still love you."

He closed his eyes in relief. "Thank God. You have no idea how happy that makes me," he said breathily, "but Davina, what if it is mine?"

Davina shrugged and spread her hands, then came to wind her arms around his neck. She looked up into his troubled face. "There is no way to tell," she said gently, "we must forget that part, Athol, and go on as we are. If Grant brings him or her up he will have one good parent at least, but it is a concern."

"And the murder?" Athol asked.

Davina's face clouded. "I do not know what we can do," she said despondently, "we have no proof."

"And no way to keep them here." He paused for a moment, thinking, then suddenly he looked up at her. "Davina, get ready. We are going to Lyle's house for dinner."