Chapter 18 #2
When he reached the cottage, he found Mhairi and Aftyn outside, being held by Keith warriors, including the two Jamie had knocked out, who gave him glares when he showed himself that promised retribution, and two more.
The Keith had many reasons to be in a foul mood, Aftyn judged, but not with her, or with Jamie for trying to protect her.
They were taken to the laird’s solar, where she related the attack she’d suffered and showed him the bruises that were proper for a lass to display.
He studied her bruised and swollen eye for several moments, then ordered their escort to wait near the doorway.
Apparently unaware that Braden had men looking already, he sent the captain of the guard to organize a search for the men who’d attacked her.
Now that she and Jamie were found, he had men to spare for the task.
Aftyn kept her silence, not willing to put Braden in jeopardy.
No mention had yet been made of Jamie’s men, missing from the dungeon, but she had no doubt he’d get to that eventually.
Jamie stood silently beside her, appearing to brood, but Aftyn could see the tension in his shoulders and the way he balanced his body, ready to move in any direction as the need arose.
He was wise enough not to make direct eye contact with the laird.
That would only be seen as challenging him, which would not improve their situation.
At least Jamie wasn’t bound, though she suspected that wouldn’t slow him much if he had to fight.
He could play the healer, but the warrior lurked just under the surface.
She hoped her father did nothing to bring that out.
Once the guard captain left to carry out the laird’s orders, the Keith leaned back in his chair and turned his gaze to Jamie.
Hoping to forestall that confrontation, Aftyn spoke up. “What will ye do with the men who attacked me when ye find them?”
“That doesna concern ye, lass.”
Heat flared in her body. “How can ye say that? They nearly killed me. I should be allowed to see them punished.”
The laird leaned forward, and she thought she might have caught a glimpse of fatherly concern in his gaze before it hardened again.
“Dinna be daft. A mere lass doesna punish men. I will see to them.”
“The question remains.”
Jamie’s low tone startled Aftyn. He’d yet to speak, and the sound of his voice sent a thrill rushing through her. Then a chill of fear as the laird eyed him.
“Ah, so ye can speak.”
“Aye, and I speak for the sake of yer daughter. They did her grievous harm, and she deserves to be certain they will suffer for it.”
“Grievous… did they take yer innocence?”
The color climbing into his face nearly stole Aftyn’s breath, but she managed to croak out, “Nay. They simply beat and kicked me near to death. When they were satisfied they’d vanquished the useless healer, they left me to live or die as God willed.”
“Then how is it ye stand before me mere hours later?”
“I was found and given good care in the time between,” Aftyn said, seeing now that her quest for vengeance would make her father even more determined to keep Jamie and put him in harm’s way.
“But I am not yet well and forbore to mention it, but I would like to sit down. My injuries still pain me. Ye didna see the worst of them.”
Surprising her, the laird nodded. “Ye may.”
Aftyn moved to a chair under the solar’s window and sank into the seat. A guard stepped forward to stand behind her.
Her father turned his attention to Jamie.
“I suppose I have ye to thank that the lass is here. My offer stands, despite the fact that among all the other miracles performed this day, yer men have somehow escaped the dungeon. And left behind a saddled horse in the post house stable. Did ye think to leave with them? But stayed to care for the lass?”
Aftyn’s heart sank. He was better informed than she’d hoped.
“I have given ye my answer, laird Keith. I must return home before my father sends men to retrieve me—though they may already be on their way. I wouldna wish to put the people of this clan through the conflict that might arise. And since ye dinna choose to answer how the men will pay for harming yer daughter, I deem her unsafe here and will take her with me to be trained at Lathan. At some time in the future, when ’tis safe for her to do so, when the men have been found and punished as they deserve, she may choose to return. ”
Aftyn winced as the laird surged to his feet.
“Ye deem her unsafe here. Ye dare much, Lathan.”
“Only to protect yer daughter, which ye seem unwilling to do, even to give her proper standing within the clan and the protection of yer name. She is nay safe. Her bruises are proof.”
“Yet her value to the clan is less than that of the men ye say attacked her. A farmer and the stable master from the post house. Why should I punish them when they contribute more…”
“Than the life of yer heir?” Aftyn surprised herself by speaking up in her own defense, but her heart was breaking to hear, yet again, her father's contempt for his illegitimate daughter.
“What have ye done since? Naught more than any goodwife could do.”
“Ye are wrong.” Jamie’s voice rang out, strong and strident. “And if ye willna punish the men who harmed Aftyn, I will. They willna live to threaten her or any other lass again.”
Jamie’s eyes blazed with fury. He leaned forward, every muscle tense, ready, Aftyn feared, to do battle. His anger frightened her as much as the laird’s, especially now that he was already angry and being challenged by his worthless-to-him daughter.
“So ye do care for her. Tell me, how is it that she was near death, yet now she can sit here and argue with me? What did ye do, Lathan?” He pulled a dirk from his boot and drove the point into his desk. “What will ye do if I cut her?”
Aftyn gasped at the threat. Her injuries still pained her, yet her father threatened to draw her blood to test Jamie’s skill? Or his resolve?
“Ye dinna want to do that,” Jamie told him, too quietly.
The Keith stood and gestured toward her with his blade. “Or if I stab her in the chest? Yer skills are reputed to be miraculous. There’s a priest at the abbey who might agree. Saving this lass from such a wound would surely take a miracle. I wonder what the abbot would say to that.”
“In seconds, that blade would be buried in yer chest,” Jamie told him, quietly. “Do ye truly want to risk her life? Or yers on my skill with a knife?”
Aftyn could see the fury mounting in Jamie. His gaze on her father was narrow and fierce. His fists were clenched and his neck corded
“Dinna threaten me in my own keep.” The Keith sat down and leaned back in his seat with a laugh.
“Ye are bound for the dungeon until ye can keep a civil tongue in yer head while addressing the chief of clan Keith. And for yer interference in clan matters, since ye insist ye are a Lathan, no’ a Keith.
” The laird nodded to his men, who grasped Jamie’s arms and pulled him away, toward the door.
“If a Lathan army is on the way, they’ll find ye difficult to retrieve from there. ”
“Nay!" Aftyn tried to stand, but the guard behind her held her arms, pinning her in her seat. “Ye dinna need to do this,” she cried. “The abbey will soon have a hospital, a trained healer. Ye dinna need to force Jamie Lathan to serve ye.”
“I’ll do as I deem best, lass. Now be silent!”
It seemed that Jamie allowed the men to lead him toward the door.
Then he erupted, pulling both guards in front of him and knocking their heads together.
They fell, but more took their place. When the fight ended, Jamie, battered and bleeding but alive, stood tall.
Surrounded by six angry Keith warriors, more drawn from the hall watching from the doorway for their chance to land blows, Jamie gave her one long, intense look as they took him away.
She realized he had feared she would be hurt in the fight.
She nodded to him, telling him she was unharmed.
She wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn’t true—she had never felt more harmed.
The agony of her beating paled in comparison to seeing Jamie suffer again after he’d taken her injuries into himself.
Even her father’s betrayal, when he said he preferred her attackers’ contributions to the clan over hers, didn’t hurt her heart as much.
Jamie swore as the guard slammed shut the door to his dungeon cell. He hadn’t meant to lash out at the Keith, but to convince him the threat to Aftyn was real and must be dealt with or it would grow. And the next time, she might not be left with her innocence intact—or her life.
But when her father threatened to harm her or take her life merely to test him, Jamie saw red.
Keith had pushed him too far. After his foster father’s warnings, Jamie had fought for months to control his temper, but he could not stomach Aftyn hearing her father offer her up to prove his mastery over Jamie.
His first thought had been to go after the Keith, but some sanity had remained, enough for him to fight for his freedom instead. From the dungeon, he could not protect Aftyn.
Yet, here he was. His damned temper had burned another bridge with her father.
One he needed to keep her safe, at least for as long as she remained here, until he could take her away.
He wanted her. He needed her. He was a fool.
He’d let his feelings for her shatter his emotional control. He had to calm down and think.
He collapsed onto the padded bench that served as a sleeping surface and dropped his head into his hands.
He knew better! His strategy, his tactics, had flown out the window the moment he realized the Keith would likely not do anything to the men who’d nearly killed Aftyn, and instead threatened the woman Jamie loved.
How could the Keith claim they were more valuable to the clan than the man’s own daughter?
Jamie knew he’d been goading him, but to do so in Aftyn’s hearing was cruel.
His hands clenched into fists and tugged at his hair until the pain made him stop.
He needed to break out of here. To be ready if and when someone brought a meal.
He assumed the Keith would not want to starve him, not if he retained any hope of convincing him to join the clan as its healer.
Though, after the fight in his hall and Aftyn’s revelations about changes at the abbey, perhaps he’d change his mind.
Nay. The memory of the condition those men left her in sent his blood boiling through his veins yet again. He jumped up and paced the width of his cell. Without his intervention, she’d be dead right now. Then where would clan Keith be?
After the Keith’s threats to harm her, did he care? Neve knew less than Aftyn. Hamish might help, or Neve’s description of him might be colored by her infatuation. If so, Keith would have been worse off without Aftyn. But his contempt for his illegitimate daughter apparently knew no bounds.
The ringing truth in Jamie’s mind was that he would be worse off without Aftyn. She’d given him more than he’d given her. She made him care and taught him that what he could do had more value than he’d ever recognized or accepted.
And she loved him.
That was the only reason he’d trusted her with his ability.
He could have taken the risk and put her in a healing sleep before he touched the first of her injuries.
But he’d let her see and feel what he could do.
Not to prove to her that she’d never be as good as he was.
Only to show her that he trusted her with his life. And more.
He loved her. He had to save her.