Chapter 17
C aroline felt buoyed by her victory. While her uncle was manifesting dark plans, she felt confident that together, she and Ryan, could defend against them and protect the innocent. On their return journey, they did not stop off for a rest, for it was imperative they returned to the Keep with this signed agreement as soon as possible.
The land was always more dangerous at night, so Caroline had to remain content with the stirrings of her thoughts to keep her warm. She and Ryan had come close to being intimate again in the glade, and soon enough they would be in their bedchamber again. This time, she wanted to hear Ryan tell her that he loved her, for she imagined it would be the sweetest thing that would ever greet her ears.
The world passed by in a blur, and thankfully they did not encounter anything dangerous. Her legs were aching, but she steeled herself against the pain, not wanting to appear weak and frail.
“We’re almost there,” Ryan called out as he spied familiar territory.
Caroline was yet to fully acquaint herself with the Knox terrain, but that was something she would have to correct soon enough.
“Oh nae,” Ryan gasped, interrupting her idle thoughts. “Come on,” he urged, and then as she raised her gaze she saw what had inspired such a guttural reaction.
Smoke billowed from the location of the Keep, and the sky was ablaze with a soft glow. Fear clutched at her heart, her thoughts turning to Nessa and Tara. If anything happened to them while she was absent, she would never forgive herself.
She clutched the reins tightly and dug her heels into the horses’ flank, spurring it on to go faster and faster, even though it had already been a long day of riding. But time was of the essence. With every moment that passed, the fire grew more intense, and the more fragile life seemed.
When they approached the Keep, they slid off the horses, for the animals were skittish when faced with such a blaze. The people of the clan were rushing about, fetching water from nearby streams and wells, bringing back bucketfuls to splash upon the blaze. The guards were controlling everything, barking orders and trying to maintain some semblance of sanity.
The flames licked the stone. Fire bellowed out of windows, and ragged tapestries flapped in the wind. The fire roared, as though it was shouting a warning to everyone who witnessed its might. Water hissed and a wave of smoke rolled out, covering the land in a mist. Caroline’s eyes filled with tears, and she felt as though she was choking. She pressed her shawl against her mouth and remained close to Ryan, finding his strong arm amid the darkness.
She blinked frantically, fighting against the itchy feeling in the hope of seeing Nessa and Tara, but it was so hard when there were so many moving bodies. Suddenly, she heard Nessa cry out. They were huddled with some servants beneath a shelter. Their faces were smudged, but they were safe and unharmed.
Caroline embraced them tightly, kissing them both on the forehead.
“What happened here?” she asked the question in unison with Ryan, whose face was set in deep pain. A nearby guard marched up to him.
“It was the Gilmour Clan, sir. They sent a party tae infiltrate the castle and set the fire. We believe they were after them,” he nodded towards Nessa and Tara, who looked self-conscious.
Caroline winced. After all this, they still weren’t safe. She thought being harbored in their enemy’s keep would have been sanctuary enough, but apparently not.
“What’s the status of the fire?” Ryan asked.
“We hae almost got it under control. It hae been contained tae a wing of the Keep. We sealed the doors shut tae prevent the fire from reaching other areas. I’m afraid tae say that there hae been a lot of damage, but we hae all been trying our best tae put it out,” the guard replied.
“And ye shall all feast well for yer efforts,” Ryan clapped the man on the shoulder, nodding to him with respect. “Carry on with ye, and gather any man who is nae needed tae help with the fire. I need tae speak with them. This attack cannae pass without vengeance,” Ryan’s voice was harsh and heavy with ire.
Caroline could sense how much this would rankle him. It was a matter of pride for him to keep enemies from invading his territory, and this brazen attack had happened directly in his home! It was an affront to the promise he had made to his people. Her uncle certainly knew how to strike at someone’s heart.
“Ryan, I’m sae sorry.”
“This is nae yer fault. It’s the work of yer uncle, and I will make him pay,” he growled.
“Are ye certain that’s nae what he wants? What if ye are walking intae a trap?”
“Then I will show him that it’s nae sae easy tae trap me. He burned my home, sae as soon as dawn light touches the land I will attack him and make him wish he hae never been born.” He turned back to the guard. “What happened tae the men who set the fire?”
“As soon as they were noticed, they ran. We were about tae send a patrol after them, but the fire took hold, and we thought all hands were needed tae put it out.”
“Aye,” Ryan nodded. “Sae it was a distraction,” he regarded Nessa and Tara with a cool look. “As soon as the fire hae been doused ye are gaeing back intae the Keep where ye are safe,” he jabbed a finger in the air. Then he turned to Caroline. “Ye tae, Caroline.”
Her heart sank. “But Ryan, I can help ye. I can?—”
He cut her words short by slashing his hand through the air. “This is nae a discussion. Ye need tae be safe, and I will nae allow ye tae be anywhere near a battlefield. As soon as yer uncle catches sight of ye he is liable tae shoot tae kill just as he is tae kidnap ye. The guards will keep ye safe here.”
“I am nae gaeing tae spend my life behind a locked door! Hae ye learned naething from taeday? We make a more formidable pair taegether,” Caroline insisted.
But Ryan wasn’t having any of it. His face was lined with worry, and he was pacing about. However, Caroline did not have to make the argument alone.
“They came here because of us. They hurt people because of us. That is nae right. He is our uncle and we cannae allow him tae carry out these dark deeds in our name. I can shoot a bow better than any man ye hae,” Nessa declared, the whites of her eyes stark against her smudged features.
“And I can help the healers. Nessa is right. They were only here for us, and it’s nae right that others should fight on our behalf,” Tara said.
Caroline added to their defiant looks. “We speak sense, Ryan. This is our fight, tae. Ye hae tae let us be a part of it. If ye respect me at all, then ye will allow use tae come with ye.”
For a moment, she thought that Ryan was going to listen to her. There was a glimmer in his eyes that suggested he might actually grant her request, but then he gritted his teeth and shook his head.
“It’s tae dangerous. He will be looking for ye. At least if we take the fight tae him, then he cannae sneak behind us. Stay here. Ye will be safe. I will come back for ye. I promised tae protect ye and that’s exactly what I am daeing. Ye wanted me tae stay true tae my word, Caroline. Ye cannae expect me tae break it now.”
His words flew as swiftly as arrows, and Caroline was left reeling by the intensity in his eyes. He snapped his fingers and called a few guards over, assigning them to protect Caroline and her sisters. Nessa and Tara huddled close beside her as Ryan stormed away, bellowing for his guards to gather beside him as he planned the attack against the Gilmour clan.
She thought of it as her clan, but she wasn’t so sure any longer. The men who had thrown their lot in with her uncle were doing things that went against all the values her father had espoused. But the clan was bigger than the army, she reminded herself. It was made up of the servants, the healers, the children, the ministers, the hard-working villagers who broke their backs every day to eke out what little they could from the land. Ultimately, these were the ones who were going to suffer the most.
“There hae tae be something we can dae. We cannae just stay here,” Nessa exclaimed, forming tight balls of tension with her hands.
“I’m afraid that’s exactly what we hae tae dae. We cannae join the army. The Laird hae given his orders, and we must obey,” she said, glancing at the guards.
Her mind worked fiercely, trying to think of a way that she could escape and fight against her uncle, but Ryan had seen to it that their safety was paramount. And wasn’t that what she had wanted for him all this time?
Caroline, Nessa, and Tara were locked in again. The guards were outside their door. It didn’t really matter that this time it was for their own protection. They were still captives, still prevented from doing what they wanted.
“What’s gaeing tae happen? Why is Uncle daeing this?” Tara wondered in a small voice. She had her knees drawn into her chest and was hugging them tightly.
“I’m afraid that he’s worse than we thought,” Caroline said, and explained about how Ryan had a spy, and how he suspected her uncle of poisoning their father.
Nessa cursed under her breath, and Tara put her head in her hands.
“I bet Ken hae something tae dae with this as well. He’s a lot like his Da,” Nessa claimed bitterly.
“I cannae speak tae that, I only know that the clan hae been twisted from what Da wanted it tae be. If this is true, then Uncle hae poisoned the minds of the soldiers as well as Da. And it’s gaeing tae cost them their lives.”
“That’s if Ryan wins. Hae ye thought about what’s gaeing tae happen if he loses?” Nessa inquired.
Caroline felt fear shooting through her. No, she had not considered that possibility at all. If that happened, then her uncle would march smugly into Knox territory and claim it as his own. He would come into this Keep, and tear them from the room, and all would be as he intended from the very beginning. He would take her as his bride, and this time there would be no escape.
Fear clung to the back of her throat in the form of bitter bile. An uneasy feeling swam in her stomach. She closed her eyes and prayed for Ryan’s well-being. Her freedom relied upon his victory, but she also wanted him to return because she loved him. She didn’t want this to be the end of their marriage because they had only just started to try in earnest.
“I’m nae gaeing tae gae down without a fight,” Nessa declared. “Whatever happens, I’m gaeing tae find a way tae get a sword in my hand, and I’ll fight until my throat is cut.”
“Dinnae sae that!” Tara exclaimed.
“I’d rather die than live with our uncle. Whatever fate he hae waiting for us, it’s worse than death,” Nessa continued.
Tara began to sob. Caroline couldn’t even console her. For however fiercely they fought, it seemed as though they were destined to meet a grim fate.
Tension tightened in Caroline’s stomach. She wondered if she was being spoiled. After all, she had taken her sisters away from home in order to keep them safe. Wasn’t that exactly what Ryan was ensuring? Yet, it seemed wrong to be so far from him, to have so little to say in their own fate.
The scales of destiny were dipping back and forth. Either Ryan or Gorram would win, and the victorious man would decide whether she was happy or filled with sorrow. She wrung her hands together, wishing there was a way to influence the outcome. Nessa was pacing, simmering with anger, while Tara was sitting with a pensive look on her face, clearly worried about the worst.
And then, out of nowhere, a note slipped under the door. Nessa stopped pacing. Tara’s sobs paused. Caroline stared at it. Her brow crinkled. She walked towards it and picked it up, unfolded it and then gasped, almost dropping it as she recognized her uncle’s penmanship.
Dearest and fair Caroline,
I hope this letter finds you well. I was most displeased to learn of your treachery. To know that you and your sisters have abandoned your blood and clan in order to live under the roof of our enemy leaves me dismayed. And I had such plans for you as well.
To think that you would choose a Knox barbarian over your own family… Clearly, you inherited too much foolishness from your father. I will not tolerate this behavior from you. Your place is with your clan. You belong to me. Return at once, and no more blood needs to be shed. Call that dog of a husband off and annul the marriage.
You are to be my wife. We are to be married and all the villagers will be there to celebrate. If you don’t, then they won’t be celebrating at all. Instead, they will be clutching their throats as they die. I will poison them all if you do not do as I wish.
Either marry me, or condemn the people your father cared about so much to a painful death. And believe me, I am well versed in the art of poisons. Their deaths will not be pleasant. And if you think this is an empty threat, consider that I would do anything to prevent our clan from falling into the hands of this Knox brute.
I will end this once and for all. I will make a widow of you, and we can dance around his body at our wedding.
I will see you soon, my bride; otherwise, you will soon hear of the tragedy that will befall the people. There will be no clan for Knox to take.
Regards,
Gorram
Caroline’s heart was in her throat as she passed the letter to Nessa. Tara rose to her feet and peered over her sister’s shoulder, gasping as she read the words.
“He cannae mean this!” she said.
“Oh aye, he means it,” Nessa replied darkly.
“It’s clear now that he was behind Da’s death. These references tae poison, they cannae be by chance. He killed Da! He stole the clan,” Caroline stated as clarity of thought seized her.
“And now he wants tae steal ye as well. Caroline, we hae tae dae something tae stop him. We cannae stay here and let him poison the people.” Nessa’s face was burning with anger.
“There may nae be a way tae heal them even if we get tae them in time,” Tara added.
The pressure of time was against them. Ryan was running into a battle with a man who had nothing to lose, and was prepared to rush towards the very limits of his savagery in order to prevent his clan from falling into enemy hands.
And Caroline was the key. She could end it all by giving herself to Gorram and taking on all the misery of the world. Her stomach churned. She ran to the door and hammered on it until the guard opened it.
“Who delivered this letter?” she inquired, snatching it from Nessa and holding it in the guard’s face.
“Just a maid,” the guard replied.
“She must hae been paid. Look who it’s from.” She thrust the letter in the guard’s face, but he looked blankly at the letter. Caroline huffed. “It’s from my uncle. He’s threatening the people of my clan, and yer Laird. I need tae get tae him.”
“I’m under strict orders tae keep ye here,” the guard said.
Caroline could have screamed. “Get someone up here who can read. My uncle hae a dark plan and Ryan is riding right intae the storm. I need tae get tae him. I need tae save him and everyone else!” she cried, and was joined by a chorus of demands from Nessa and Tara as well.
It was a rare man that could stand up to all three sisters when they were united, and this guard was not one of them. He yielded and escorted them through the castle to the highest-ranking guard. Caroline showed him the letter, and he immediately frowned, agreeing with Caroline that action needed to be taken at once.
They were soon on their horses, riding towards home. Caroline had to keep blinking back tears, hoping that she wasn’t too late to save Ryan and the people of the clan. Nobody else should have to suffer because of her, but she kept her thoughts private regarding what she was willing to do. Her uncle demanded so much of her, but was it a price worth paying if she could save everyone?