Eight

Roxburgh, Scottish Marches, Autumn 1310

An eerie prickle raced down her spine. Janet turned anxiously, scanning the area behind her, but nothing seemed amiss. No one was paying her any mind. It had to be the weather.

It was a hot autumn day, and the sun beat down mercilessly on the heavy black wool of her habit as she waited for the group of ladies from the castle to appear from among the throng that had descended on the high street for market day. The ladies were late, but as they had been delayed before, it did not give her undue cause for alarm.

She passed the time exchanging brief conversations with the people who stopped to enquire about her goods (a benefit of supposedly speaking only Italian and French) and the other nuns and friars who brought their goods to market, as well as listening to the talk of the villagers around her while pretending not to understand their words.

As usual, the talk was of war. Since Edward had marched his troops north into Scotland late last spring, the talk had been of little else.

“Another supply train was lost,” one of the merchants in a stall behind her said.

Her ears pricked up.

“Bruce’s phantoms again?” another replied in an almost reverent whisper.

“Aye,” the first answered. “Like wraiths they appear out of the mist to slay all in their wake, with their swords forged in the fires of Valhalla, and fade back into the darkness again. It’s the Devil’s magic,” he whispered. “How else could they know where King Edward’s men will be?”

The stories about the mysterious band of warriors—“Bruce’s phantoms”—spread across the Borders like wildfire. They were either devils or heroes, depending on which side you were on. But even among their enemies, there was a certain amount of awe and admiration when speaking of their exploits. Like all good legends, the stories were getting better with each retelling. If the warriors had managed even a quarter of the feats attributed to them, it would have been impressive.

The common folk might think them phantoms, but King Edward’s commanders were keenly aware that they were only men—exceptional ones perhaps, but men all the same. The rewards being offered for any of “Bruce’s secret army” were staggering. But it was hard to capture men whose identities were shrouded in secrecy.

Except for one. Janet still couldn’t believe that her sister-in-law’s disreputable bastard brother, Lachlan MacRuairi, was one of Robert’s chosen few. Janet had met the brigand only once—at Duncan’s wedding, before Lachlan had been accused of murdering his wife—but that was enough. The big, mean-looking warrior with a temperament as black as his hair had terrified her. Since John MacDougall, Lord of Lorn, had unmasked him, Lachlan had a price on his head nearly as high as Bruce’s.

Janet enjoyed the stories as much as anyone else, but she was curious about the real men behind the myths.

“How many?” the other merchant asked. She didn’t want to look, but she guessed by his voice that he was only a lad.

“Four, against nearly a score of English soldiers.” She could almost hear the older merchant shake his head. “How can King Edward expect to compete with such magic?”

Janet bit back a smile. It wasn’t magic, it was her messages—or at least the ones she passed back and forth. But she could hardly tell them that. Over the past few months, she’d become the intermediary for Robert’s most important—and secret—informant in the enemy camp. Only a handful of people knew of their informant’s identity. Indeed, Robert was so protective of their source that Janet didn’t think he would have agreed to risk using her had she not been available to act as an intermediary. It had to be a woman—to lessen the chance of discovery for their informant—and someone he could trust. Like a former sister-in-law.

On the first Saturday of every month, Sister Genna brought embroidery from the good sisters of Mont Carmel Nunnery outside of Berwick to sell at the market here in Roxburgh, one of Edward’s key command posts in the Borders. The finely stitched pieces were a favorite of the ladies in the castle, and they were always excited to see the Italian nun. If Janet occasionally found a folded piece of parchment in one of the purses they examined (or left one to be found as she did today), she knew it wouldn’t be long before there was another sighting of “Bruce’s phantoms.”

“It’s not right,” the older merchant continued. “Bruce is a knight, yet he hides in the forest and countryside like a craven mouse while he sends his phantom brigands to harry our valiant and chivalrous soldiers. Edward will be forced to return to England for the winter, having never taken the field against the traitor.”

Janet would not argue with the mouse analogy—with Edward playing the part of the cat—but Robert the Bruce was no coward. However, she understood what these men did not: the battle could be won by evasion as easily as it could by taking up arms—with much less risk.

Why should Robert take the field? He had nothing to gain by meeting Edward on the battlefield right now. The quick, surprise attacks from the heather that were meant to harry and discourage the enemy might not be “knightly,” but they were giving him all the victories he needed. When he was ready, Robert would take the field against the powerful English army, with their knights, mail, and destriers.

But until then, the war would go on.

Janet sighed, sadness and resolve rolling over her in a wistful wave. If she’d harbored a secret hope that the war would end soon, she knew it was not to be. Scotland, her sister, and what remained of her family would have to wait a little longer.

The talk around her continued, but Janet’s interest waned as the morning dragged on and the sun climbed higher in the sky. Jerusalem’s Temples, it was like midsummer during a heat wave! She dabbed a damp cloth at her forehead, not for the first time wishing she could tear off the blasted veil and gown.

The vehemence of her reaction took her aback. It seemed that more and more, Janet was growing uncomfortable in the garments that had protected and kept her hidden for so long.

Her mouth pursed, knowing exactly who was to blame for her discontent. Before Ewen Lamont had burst into her life and ruined everything with his confusing, bone-melting kiss, she’d barely noticed the clothes she wore. But now, every morning after she washed, she dressed with a feeling of wrongness. It felt wrong to pretend to be a nun when her thoughts—her dreams—were filled with such wickedness. And her intention to be a nun … that felt wrong, too. It had never been a calling to her, not in the way it should, but had seemed the practical solution to enable her to continue doing what she did enjoy.

It was the only way; blast him for making her question it!

It was ridiculous. All these months, and she was still thinking of a man she would probably never see again, who’d probably forgotten all about her. Who was utterly wrong for her. Who saw only one place for women in this modern world, and that was behind castle walls.

Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? Why did the short time they’d spent together play on her mind even all this time later? And why did she feel so guilty for lying to him?

Lies in war were necessary. If she needed any proof that she’d done the right thing, all she had to do was think about today. Her role in Robert’s network had become more important than she’d dreamed. Robert needed her.

It was for the best. Of course, it was. She was glad Ewen had never come back. Truly. He’d confused her enough already.

For the second time that morning, Janet felt a prickle at the back of her neck and turned. She scanned the crowd of villagers, looking closely at the soldier who stood in their midst, but no one seemed to be paying her any mind.

The long wait was making her antsy. Fortunately, when she looked back up the hill toward the castle, she could see that her wait was over. A group of about ten ladies were making their way down the hill toward the village. They were easy to pick out by the bright colors and finery of their gowns and jewels. They sparkled like diamonds in a sea of dreary gray.

Janet was unable to suppress the pang of longing that stole through her chest. At one time, she’d looked just like them. As a girl, she’d driven her father half-crazed with her penchant for spending “a bloody fortune” on the latest fashions from France and England.

But now …

She gazed down at the hot, black homespun gown that she wore, which had no more shape than a sackcloth. Her chest squeezed. Was it wrong to want to be pretty again?

She pursed her mouth, telling herself to stop being so silly. But she knew exactly who was to blame for the errant thoughts.

The ladies from the castle were only two stalls away when she felt someone at her side.

“Don’t turn around,” a man’s voice whispered in French. “You are being watched.”

Janet did her best not to react, but the heat that had spread over her skin from the sun turned to ice. She cast a sidelong glance at the man who’d voiced the warning, recognizing one of the friars from the Friary of St. Peter’s, located just across the river from the castle. They’d crossed paths many times before at market, and he’d been the one to arrange for her stall among the other religious houses’ offerings, but she’d never paid the nondescript young churchman much mind.

Perhaps that was the point. He was easy to overlook. Friar Thom was of average height and build, with a circle of straight brown hair around his tonsure. He was neither handsome nor ugly, with brown eyes and unremarkable features. Nothing stood out. Which probably made him the perfect spy or courier—she hoped, for Bruce.

He moved away as quickly as he’d approached. If someone was indeed watching her, it would have seemed as if he’d passed right by after a quick glance at her table.

But the brief contact had sent her heart racing. Whether friend or foe, she could not take the chance in meeting her source with him near.

Her pulse took another anxious spike when she glanced over and saw the ladies from the castle at the very next stall.

She tried to make eye contact, but one of the ladies was blocking the person she was looking for. If someone was watching her, perhaps that wasn’t the best thing to do anyway. She needed a distraction, something to keep the women away.

All of a sudden, she had an idea. “Mais non!” she cried out in despair. She began tearing through the items she had laid out on the table.

“What is it, Sister Genna?” one of the nuns at the next table asked, continuing in French.

“The alms purse made by the Reverend Mother,” she said, twisting her hands. “I cannot find it. Someone must have stolen it from the table when I was not looking.”

She’d spoken loud enough for those around her to hear, and the use of the word “stolen” had the desired effect in creating a disturbance. A number of the nearby churchmen and women came forward to help her.

“What does it look like?” the first nun, Sister Winifred, asked.

“It was an image of Our Lady embroidered in gold thread,” Janet answered about the nonexistent item.

“When did you notice it missing?” another one of the nuns asked in English—this one she didn’t recognize.

Janet pretended not to understand, and Sister Winifred, who knew she was Italian (or at least pretending to be), translated for her in French.

Janet shook her head, hoping her eyes looked as if they were filling with tears. “I don’t know.”

“Someone should send for the constable,” one of the friars said, outraged.

Janet glanced at the ladies and nearly sighed with relief to see them being urged away by her contact, who’d obviously figured that something must be wrong.

She shook her head at the friar who’d spoken. “It is no use. I did not see who took it. I’m sure the thief is long gone.”

“What seems to be the problem?”

Even before Janet turned, she felt a chill sweep across the back of her neck and knew without a doubt that this was the person who’d been watching her. He wore the robes of a priest, including a finely embroidered cope that spoke of his importance, but there was nothing about this man that was holy. He seemed to exude danger and animosity. For a moment she felt like one of the hunted Templars under the inquisitor’s gaze.

As he’d spoken in French, she could not feign ignorance. “A purse, Father. It seems someone has stolen it.”

“Is that so,” he said carefully, eyes narrowing. “And how is it that this thief made off with your purse and no one noticed?”

Janet’s eyes widened innocently. “What a wonderful suggestion, Father. Perhaps I should ask around. Did you see something, by chance?”

“Of course, I didn’t see something.”

“I only thought since you were watching—”

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t watching you!”

She blinked a few times in confusion, hoping she wasn’t overdoing it. “You weren’t? But I thought I saw you standing over there gazing in this direction.” She pointed to the area where she’d felt someone watching her.

“You were mistaken.”

“That is too bad. I was hoping you might have seen something.”

“That isn’t possible, as there was nothing to see.” She tilted her head. “But I thought you were not watching.”

His face flushed. “I wasn’t.”

“Oh! Pardon me! I must have misunderstood.” She shrugged. “My French is not perfect.”

“Where are you from?”

“Sister Genna is from Italy, Father Simon,” Sister Winifred interceded on her behalf. “But she comes to us from the Sisters of St. Mary’s Priory at Coldstream.”

His eyes lit up. “That’s in Berwick-upon-Tweed, is it not?” he said in perfect Italian.

Janet nodded with a silent curse. Her heart raced even harder. She’d become fluent in the language, but she prayed she didn’t make any mistakes. “It is, Father. But I will be returning to Italy soon.”

Very soon, she suspected. “Sister Genna” had probably just served her last mission. She would not take the chance in leading this man back to Berwick. She was going to have to change her identity again.

“The Reverend Mother is going to be most displeased with me. The purse was worth a great deal of money.” She wrung her hands in despair.

Sister Winifred moved to comfort her.

Janet hoped that would be the end of it, but the man’s next words turned her blood to ice. “May I see the missive you removed from the purse at your waist and slid into the edge of your scapular?”

Dunstaffnage Castle, Scotland, late autumn, 1310

“What the hell do you mean you don’t know where she is?”

Sutherland shot Ewen a glare, interrupting before the king—to whom the comment had been directed—could respond, and no doubt saving Ewen from a scathing set-down. “Janet hasn’t been seen since a week after Michaelmas. She left for a mission in Roxburgh and never returned.”

But if Sutherland meant to calm him down, his comment only infuriated Ewen further. “October? Bloody hell, that was weeks ago. Why didn’t someone go after her right away?”

Ewen had apparently forgotten that he was supposed to be not angering the king.

“That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” Mary added, coming to stand beside him in front of the table opposite the king. If there was anyone in the room more outraged than he, it was Janet’s twin. From the moment Mary of Mar had learned of her sister’s survival (not long after Ewen discovered the truth), she’d hounded the king incessantly to bring her sister back. “I thought you said Janet was handling a few more things, and then you would call her back home?”

If Robert the Bruce had a weakness, it was for the women in his life. His fondness for his former sister-in-law was evident by the contrite look on his face and the effort he took to mollify the obviously distraught female. He might chastise Ewen for speaking out of turn, but the pretty former Countess of Atholl and future Countess of Sutherland would enjoy far more leeway.

“We were not concerned until recently.” He paused. “It isn’t uncommon for Janet to be delayed or take a couple of weeks longer than expected.”

Ewen knew there was something he was leaving out.

“But wouldn’t she find some way of letting you know?” Mary asked.

Bruce looked decidedly uncomfortable. He may have even shifted in his chair. “We can’t check up on all the people we have working for us. It isn’t possible.”

“You mean you let her out on her own without protection?” Mary accused, tears glistening in her eyes. “And Janet isn’t ‘people,’ she’s our sister.”

Bruce appeared to wince. As Mary was doing such a good job, Ewen saw no reason to intervene. He simply stood to the side with his arms folded across his chest and watched the king squirm.

Sutherland had taken his wife under his arm and was making some attempt to console her. “Of course, she is, love,” he murmured softly.

Not long ago the display of affection would have made Ewen do a little squirming of his own, but in the past few weeks since he and Sutherland had returned to Dunstaffnage after Edward’s retreat to England for the winter, he’d grown used to such displays. He’d grown surprisingly close to Sutherland’s bride. The unusual ease he’d felt around Janet apparently extended to her sister. Actually, being around Lady Mary was easier. Despite their similarity in appearance, Sutherland’s wife didn’t set every one of his nerve-endings on edge, heat his blood, or make him harden like a lad at a Roman orgy.

Once Mary had learned that he’d spent time with her sister, she’d asked him hundreds of questions about what he could remember. He was sure that was why every detail about Janet of Mar was so fresh in his mind even after all these months. Her sister had kept her that way.

“I am sure there is nothing wrong,” the king said, but it sounded as if he was trying to assure himself as much as them. “But you don’t have to worry, Mary. I’m sending my best man after her. Hunter will find her.”

Although an attempt had been made to keep the wives ignorant of the Highland Guardsmen’s identities, it had proved impossible. Of the men who were married, only MacLean’s wife was unaware of her husband’s role in the king’s secret army. But as his wife was a MacDowell that was hardly surprising. To Ewen’s knowledge, MacLean hadn’t seen his wife in years. If he hadn’t disavowed her formally, he’d done so de facto.

Ewen was tempted to refuse. If he were smart, he probably would. But he couldn’t do that with Mary looking up at him. For a moment she looked so much like her sister, his chest ached. “Will you?”

He nodded. “I will leave as soon as it can be arranged.”

“Wonderful. I’m going with you,” Mary said.

The four male occupants of the room went silent, showing varying degrees of alarm. Bruce had an “oh no” look on his face, Sutherland an “over my dead body” one, and Chief a “you’d better do something about this” look directed at Sutherland. Ewen supposed his was a combination of all three.

It was Sutherland who made the first attempt to get his wife to see reason. “Now, Mary, you know how dangerous it would be for you to go to England. I’m sure the king will see fit to allow me to accompany Hunter—”

“Don’t ‘now, Mary’ me! It’s just as dangerous for you to go to England as it is for me. Even more so with Felton recovered and looking for blood—your blood. Besides, a man and a woman traveling together will draw much less attention than you two.”

Sutherland’s jaw was clenched so tight, Ewen was surprised he could still talk. “If you think I’m going to allow you to travel with Hunter alone—”

Mary waved her hand dismissively. “Then come along if you must.”

Apparently the lass had more of her sister in her than Ewen had realized. She may have tricked her husband into conceding the point, but Ewen wasn’t falling for it. “I will travel much faster alone, my lady. If you come, you will only make my job more difficult.”

The blunt, matter-of-fact assessment (rather than worrying about her tender feelings) worked. Mary’s demeanor changed from bound and determined to chastised. “I did not think about that. I do not wish to be a burden.”

“Then let me do my job. You can trust me—I will not let anything happen to your sister.”

Mary nodded. Sutherland and Bruce eyed him as if he’d just accomplished some kind of miracle.

In the end, it was decided that Sutherland and MacKay would accompany Ewen and MacLean in the event they came across any English patrols. The war might have come to a standstill while Edward retreated to the comfort of Berwick for the winter, but the hunt for the “rebels”—Bruce’s phantoms in particular—had not diminished. If anything, their reputation had only grown after the past few months of fighting. The surprise attacks for which they’d become known had taken on a prescient edge. No matter what the English did, the Highland Guard “magically” knew where to find them.

Of course it wasn’t magic; it was exceptional intelligence. Whoever this new informant of Bruce’s was (the king had refused to say), he hadn’t been wrong yet. Some of the other Guardsmen were speculating that it must be someone high up in Edward’s command. The best guess was Ralph de Monthermer, who was married to a sister of both the king’s and Hawk’s wives. Ewen didn’t care who it was, as long as the information continued.

But for the next few months, while Edward rested and tried to bolster the spirits of his demoralized troops, the fighting would be reserved for the local skirmishes in the Borders. There were talks of peace—even now, Bruce was negotiating for a parley at Selkirk before Christmas—but the Borders had been and still were a war zone, and venturing into the English Marches near any of the English strongholds had grown increasingly perilous for the much hunted “phantoms.”

The Highland Guard might be the best, but they weren’t invincible—or invisible for that matter, though Ewen did his damnedest to make them so. This mission would not be without its risks, and Ewen would be glad for the extra sword arms in the event they drew any unwanted attention.

It was decided that they would leave at first light. Sutherland led his wife from the room, but not before exchanging a glance with Ewen. He nodded in acknowledgment of the silent communication. Ewen would fill him in on the rest later, when Mary wasn’t around to hear it. Like Ewen, Sutherland had sensed that there was something else going on.

“What aren’t you telling us?” Ewen asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

The king’s expression turned grim, sending a flicker of unease racing down Ewen’s spine. Hell, it wasn’t a flicker, it was more of a deluge. If Ewen didn’t know better, he’d think the anxious feeling twisting around in his chest was fear.

“One of our couriers—a friar—was found dead a few weeks ago.”

His chest squeezed like a fist. Bloody hell, it was fear.

“What connection did he have to Janet?” Ewen managed.

“Very little, but he was our main contact in Roxburgh when Janet’s, uh, work took her there.”

Ewen hoped his annoyance didn’t show. The king knew what he thought of Janet’s “work.” A lass had no part in any of this. “Why was she in Roxburgh?”

Bruce seemed to be debating how much to tell him. “Selling embroidery and exchanging messages with someone in the castle. The friar helped facilitate her place at the market.”

“Is there a chance she could have been discovered?”

“Possibly, but our person inside is safe.”

“Might he have betrayed her?”

Bruce gave him a strange look and shook his head. “No.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I am; that’s all you need to know.”

“But the friar’s death bothers you.”

Bruce nodded. “It seems too much of a coincidence.”

Ewen agreed. But he wouldn’t let himself consider that something had happened to her. He had to keep his mind clear for the search that lay ahead.

“Find her,” Bruce said, “and bring her home.”

Ewen nodded. “I will.”

The king gave him a long, measured look. “I trust this mission won’t be a problem for you?”

He stiffened. “Why should it?”

“My former sisters by marriage have always been pretty little things, as I suspect you noticed. But I’ll remind you that while she might not be a nun, she is meant for another.”

Ewen’s mouth hardened. “I’m aware of that, Sire.” And he sure as hell didn’t need the reminder. But obviously, Bruce had sensed something from before and was letting him know in no uncertain terms to steer clear of her. Ewen didn’t need it spelled out.

“Good.” The king bowed his head, dismissing him. Ewen turned on his heel to leave, but Bruce stopped him with a sharp laugh. “Although when you do find her, you may not want to tell her that I have a husband waiting for her—she’s liable to get it in her mind to disappear again.”

The reminder of her betrothal set Ewen’s teeth on edge. But he managed a smile, as it seemed to be expected of him.

He would find Janet and bring her back to her betrothed. But he wasn’t looking forward to it.