Highlander Assassinated (Highlander In Time #16)

Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

“ W ell, I’m definitely not going to be able to sleep now,” Niall confessed on the way back to their room. “I think I’ll take a walk around the manor — make sure nothing else untoward is going on in dark corners.”

“I’m coming with you,” Lissa said, her tone sharp enough to dissuade him from any argument. There was no way in hell she was letting him go out there alone. As glad as she was to learn that at least one of his fellow Englishmen appeared to have a conscience, there were still more than enough of them to take down an outnumbered Niall. With Lissa at his side, at least, that would be twice as difficult. Besides, some fresh air sounded like a nice idea right now. Maybe they could even go for a moonlit ride together — take a horse out and ride double around the manor grounds, just like the night they’d first met.

But no sooner had that romantic little thought occurred to her than she was pulled abruptly back to the grim reality. They weren’t even out of their wing of the manor when they heard, yet again, the sounds of a scuffle — this time coming from behind one of the doors they’d just passed. Lissa’s mind raced as she tried to recall who was staying in this part of the manor. Niall, meanwhile, sprang immediately into action. He drew his dirk in one fluid motion from the scabbard at his hip and ran straight into the room, the door banging on its hinges with the force with which he’d thrown it open. Lissa was hot on his heels, reaching into the bodice of her dress to withdraw her own weapon. She felt the same eerie calm descend on her that had come down the night of her last job in the twenty-first century, when Angela’s gun-wielding boyfriend had come creeping along the hallway.

But there were no guns in that room. Just two men — one flat on his back in the bed, the other kneeling over him with a knife raised over his face. The only thing that had stopped him from delivering the killing blow was Niall, who was even now wrestling him away from his intended victim. The man in the bed, howling with fear, scrambled out of the bed and away from his attacker. She could see blood on the attacker in the moonlight from Niall’s blade, but he was able to wrench himself free before Niall could get his arms pinned to his sides. Quick as lightning, he crawled out of the window and disappeared from sight. Niall stuck his head out of the window, clearly willing to chase the attacker down — but then he swore under his breath and came back inside, shaking his head.

“Disappeared before I could see which way he went,” he admitted, breathing hard. “Are you alright, lad? Did he hurt you?”

“I don’t think so,” the young man said cautiously, scrambling to his feet. He looked to be about twenty. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide as saucers. “He would’ve cut my throat if you hadn’t come through the door when you did, sir. I owe you my life.”

The uproar had drawn the attention of the residents of neighboring rooms — Lissa could hear shouts of alarm echoing through the manor, torches being lit and guards stirring from their beds to come and investigate. “Did you see who he was?” she asked the young man, who was looking at her curiously now that the immediate threat to his life had been dealt with. “Do you have any idea why he’d have wanted to kill you?”

“The inquest,” he said immediately, glancing over at Niall as he spoke. “Lord Codlington came to see me about it a few hours ago. He said — well, sir, he said if I didn’t tell the story he wanted me to tell then I’d be well and truly sorry for it. I suppose I didn’t give him the answer he wanted.”

Niall’s eyes widened. “Lord Codlington threatened you?”

“He did, sir.” The young man swallowed hard. “It was me who was driving the carriage, see, the night that Lord Taffington died. He wanted me to say that Hamish MacClaran drove us off the road on purpose. But I won’t be lying to a court,” he said, lifting his chin stubbornly. “Not when I’ve sworn to tell the truth on the Bible, I won’t.”

“Would you be willing to tell the court about what Codlington asked you to do?” Lissa asked.

“Of course.” He hesitated. “Although I’d appreciate it very much if Lord Weatherby might assign one of his guards to my room.”

“That can be arranged,” Niall said, putting a hand on the young man’s back. “You’re a brave young man — Allan, isn’t it?”

He nodded agreement, clearly pleased by the compliment.

“I’ll be commending your courage to Lord Weatherby myself. And I’ll make sure you’re safe in your bed, even if I have to guard your room myself.”

Sir Baldric arrived not long after that with a handful of guards in tow, and Lissa and Niall were able to take their leave of the shaken Allan. One thing was clear — the inquest tomorrow was going to be a hell of an event. She only hoped that all these witnesses would be enough to drive Codlington out of Weatherby’s manor — and ideally, right out of Scotland — once and for all.