Chapter Twenty-One
MacDuff had escorted Corisande and Gaia to a smaller tent that was near the edge of the encampment, but it was surrounded by several fires, all of them with men huddling near the flame to stave off the mist that had rolled in from the sea.
It was heavy now, blanketing the land, and wet to the touch.
It was like being covered with sea spray.
The smaller tent had a brazier, a pallet, and little more.
It was quite spartan when compared to the grand tent of William.
Corisande and Gaia stood near the door as MacDuff went to add fuel to the brazier, watching it spark up and flame.
Holding his hands over the heat, he turned to the women by the door.
“Come in,” he said. “Sit.”
Corisande didn’t like the feel of the situation. Something about the way MacDuff was looking at her made her feel vastly uneasy.
“I would rather not,” she said. “When we were brought here, it was in a wagon. Where is that wagon?”
MacDuff left the brazier and went to the entry, sticking his head out into the misty night. “It is over where we left ye,” he said. “Did ye no’ see it?”
Corisande eyed him before peering out into the misty night.
She knew the general direction she had come from, so she looked off in that area.
Oddly, the fog was heavier the higher it went, but not so heavy near the ground, so the visibility closer to the grass was better.
She bent low, looking off towards the spot she remembered, and she could see the bottom of two wagons. The bottom of their wheels, anyway.
She stood back and looked at the man.
“We would rather sleep in the wagon,” she said. “When are we to be released?”
MacDuff looked her over, remembering William’s words. He wanted the women released with a message to William Marshal, but they didn’t know that. They hadn’t heard the directive, which would work in his favor, and they weren’t going to know of it if he had anything to say about it.
They were only going to know his terms.
It was time to get to it.
“Sit yer sister down,” he said. “I would speak with ye alone.”
Corisande was feeling more uneasy the longer he looked at her, but she did as he asked and forced Gaia to sit down on the pallet. The young woman hugged her knees, fearfully, her gaze on Corisande as she went back over to MacDuff.
“Well?” she said. “What is it?”
His focus lingered on her. “Ye’re no’ very friendly, are ye?”
“Please tell me what you wish to speak with me about.”
Her resistance only seemed to harden him. He stepped a few feet away, motioning to her, clearly putting distance between them and Gaia. What he had to say was for Corisande’s ears only and she followed, but warily.
“Have ye no’ heard my name?” he asked quietly.
Corisande had from the outset, though she couldn’t place it. “I do not know,” she said. “Why? Who are you?”
“The Earl of Fife,” he said. “Did yer father no’ mention me?”
“Nay. Why?”
“Because I came to The Keld those weeks ago tae speak with yer father about an alliance with Scotland,” he said. “Yer father refused.”
Her brow furrowed. “Then you were the one who attacked our village?”
That only made him harden. “Yer father was unreasonable and offensive,” he said. “I came with a just offer. Alpin Canmore came with a just offer. We dunna know where Canmore is, but I can guess.”
That was one thing Corisande did know about, but she wasn’t going to say a word. She was afraid to tell him that Alpin Canmore was dead, afraid that she might be punished for it. Somehow, she was getting sucked into the politics of two countries and she was absolutely terrified.
She didn’t belong here.
“I do not know what are speaking of,” she said. “My sister and I will sleep in our wagon tonight and, tomorrow, I want to speak to the king again and ask him when he intends to release us.”
She started to turn away, but he grasped her by the arm and forced her to remain.
“Ye want tae know when ye’ll be released?
” he asked, frustration in his voice. “I’ll tell ye.
Why do ye think I brought ye here? There are terms tae yer release, my fine lady, and ye can thank yer father for them.
He shamed me with his refusal, but I’ll do the shaming now. I have his daughters in my control.”
Corisande sensed something horrible coming. “What does that mean?”
His hand was still on her arm and he yanked her closer, eliciting a gasp of surprise and fear from her lips. His stinking breath was in her face as he hissed at her.
“Ye want yer freedom?” he said. “It will cost ye. One night with me is the price for that freedom. Ye can return tae yer father and tell him the punishment for no’ allying with the Scots was his daughter’s innocence.
It’s his punishment for shaming me. Ye’re going tae pay for all of yer father’s sins, lassie, if ye want yer freedom. ”
Shocked and sickened, Corisande tried to yank her arm away. “How dare you say such a thing to me,” she said through clenched teeth. “What a vile, despicable man you are!”
She continued to pull away, but he grabbed her with both hands, pulling her against his body. Corisande put her hands up against his chest as he sneered at her.
“One night,” he muttered. “Warm my bed for one night and I will release ye and yer sister, and all of the men we captured. Agree and they shall be safe. Refuse and I shall take my frustrations out on yer sister and force ye tae watch. If you want tae save yer sister and the rest of the Sassenach captives, ye’ll do as ye’re told. ”
Terrified, Corisande lifted a hand and tried to slap him, but he pulled back and she only managed to rake her nails across his face. Infuriated, he shoved her to the ground and marched in Gaia’s direction.
“Nay!” Corisande shouted, grabbing at his ankle and nearly tripping him. “Leave her alone!”
Gaia started to wail as MacDuff grabbed for her, but he slapped a hand over her mouth to silence her as he looked at Corisande.
“Ye know what ye must do,” he said, his face red with fury.
He removed his hand from Gaia’s mouth and reached down, pulling Corisande off the ground.
“Ye can return tae yer wagon and think about it. When ye make the proper decision, I’ll be here waiting for ye.
Make the wrong decision and I’ll come for yer sister in the morning. ”
By this time, he was dragging them out of his tent and heading towards the two wagons that were parked on the perimeter of the encampment.
There were men patrolling the perimeter with torches; they could see them through the mist. MacDuff dragged and pulled, hauling them all the way over to the wagons before lifting Gaia into one of them and then practically tossing Corisande in behind her.
“There,” he snarled at Corisande. “Make yer choice and make it fast. I’ll be waiting for ye.”
With that, he whirled on his heel and stormed back through the mist. When he faded from sight, Gaia looked to her sister in horror.
“What choice?” she sobbed. “I heard him say something about Papa’s sins. What did he mean? What is he going to do to me?”
Corisande looked at her little sister with horror and disbelief. Gaia may have been spoiled and annoying, but she was still her sister. She had to protect her.
She couldn’t let anything happen to her.
She pulled Gaia into a frightened embrace.
“Oh, God,” she breathed, fighting off tears. “He’s not going to do anything to you. I will not let him.”
Gaia didn’t want to be hugged, at least not at the moment.
She pulled back to look her sister in the eyes.
“What was he speaking of?” she asked. “Cori, I know you think I am silly and lazy, and mayhap I am, but I have seen ten years and eight. I am educated, like you, and I am not stupid. I am not a child.”
Corisande looked at her, seeing the young woman, but also still seeing the little girl she knew. “I know,” she said. “It is difficult for me to realize how grown up you are. I will always want to protect you.”
Gaia was surprisingly serious in the midst of their turmoil.
“I understand,” she said. “And although we have had our differences since I returned home, you are still my older sister and I love you. I know I am naughty and silly, but I do love you. Won’t you please be honest with me and tell me what he said? ”
Corisande wasn’t entirely sure she should, but the more she looked at Gaia, the more she could feel herself relent. Perhaps if Gaia knew what was going on, she could protect herself should it come to that. All Corisande knew was that she was backed into a corner and she didn’t see any way out.
The reality of it was starting to tear at her.
“You remember the battle at The Keld a few weeks ago?” she finally said.
Gaia nodded. “Aye.”
“That man, MacDuff, was responsible for it.”
Gaia’s eyes widened. “What does he want from you?”
Corisande closed her eyes tightly before averting her gaze. “Oh, Gaia,” she whispered, feeling the horror and pain to her very bones. “For the first time in my life, I am happy. So happy. Cole and I are to be married. Did you know that? Papa gave his permission.”
Gaia appeared surprised for a moment but, just as quickly, her expression relaxed.
“I suppose I knew it would happen,” she said.
“Oh, I pretended I did not, but I knew he was fond of you. I could see it in the way he looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at him. I… I am sorry for pinching him. I should not have done that.”
Corisande looked at her and grinned, a moment of levity in the midst of a dire situation. “Not to worry,” she said. “Cole told me that his hand slipped onto your buttocks.”
Gaia grinned. “He spanked me!”
“You deserved it.”
Gaia’s expression of outrage held out for a mere second longer before she giggled. “I suppose I did,” she said, but quickly sobered. “I am glad you are happy, Cori. I’m very glad Cole makes you happy. But what does that have to do with what the man said to you?”