Chapter 19
After Jamie was taken away, Aftyn fled to the herbal, the only place she felt was hers in the entire keep. There she paced and castigated herself until Neve and Hamish arrived, breathless.
“We ran up as soon as we heard,” Neve told her. “’Tis all over the keep that the laird put Jamie in the dungeon. How is he supposed to do any good from there?”
“I think he’s supposed to cool off for a wee,” Aftyn told her. “Though I doubt that will work. He got as angry as I’ve ever seen him when Da said he will do nothing to the men who attacked me.”
“What?”
Neve’s outrage was evident in her screech.
“That’s not all he did,” Aftyn said, shaking her head sadly.
“What does that mean?” Hamish asked.
“He threatened me.” She shuddered at the memory. Her disbelief, and the outrage on Jamie’s face. “To see what Jamie would do, he threatened his own daughter.”
“What do ye want to do?” Neve went to Aftyn and hugged her.
Aftyn leaned into her, grateful for her care. Her throat closed up and she couldn’t speak around the lump in it.
“Get him out of there, of course,” Hamish interjected. “There must be a way.”
“From a dungeon?” Neve’s tone was incredulous, her eyes wide as she turned to him. “No’ without help.”
“’Tis my fault he’s there,” Aftyn finally managed to say. “So ’tis my responsibility to get him out.”
“Nay,” Braden said as he entered the room, then closed the door behind him. “I heard ye out in the hall,” he explained. “Our father threatened ye. If we’re to conspire against his wishes, we must do so in private.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the heavy oak door.
“Thank ye, brother,” Aftyn told him and sank onto a stool, feeling every place the men hit or kicked her, despite what Jamie had done to heal her. Her body still worked to recover from the damage. She was tired, but angry enough at her father to do something to help, no matter the consequences.
She finally accepted that she could not remain at Keith while her father ruled it. Jamie was right. She’d never be safe while he was laird. And her heart was with Jamie, wherever he went. Away from here, surely. Beyond that, she didn’t care.
Yet a part of her still felt guilty over leaving the clan, village, and abbey. Then she noticed Hamish reading through some of Jamie’s notes made from her mother’s journal. “What do ye think?” She asked him. “Can ye and Neve follow those well enough to care for everyone if I have to go away?”
“We already established that ye do have to go away,” Neve told her. “We will manage.”
“I’m familiar with many of these,” Hamish told her. “And can follow Jamie’s notes to make anything I havena done before.”
Relief that she could leave without guilt eased some of the ache within her.
“Neve is right,” Hamish continued. “We’ll manage until the abbey’s healer arrives. Yer safety is most important.”
“My men and I will guard them,” Braden said and put a hand on her shoulder. If those men show up, we’ll take care of them.”
“Nay, Braden.”
“Aye, Sister. They tried to kill ye. Do ye think I’ll ever rest if they are still free? Now that we’ve been warned, we can keep Neve and Hamish safe, especially if they stay together.” He grinned at Neve after he said that.
“We will be together,” Hamish commented, his gaze on Neve, “if this lass will handfast with me. We can stay together, not just all day, but all night, as well.”
“Handfast?” Neve’s face betrayed her surprise. “The abbey is nearby…”
“And it takes weeks for banns to be read and a wedding planned. We can do all that later, lass. For now, I dinna want ye out of my sight.”
“I agree,” Braden said. “And I will officiate the handfasting, if ye’ll have me.”
“Ach, Braden, of course. We’re honored,” Neve said.
“Now?” Aftyn recovered from her surprise enough to ask the question.
“Now,” Hamish said, and produced a length of plaid unfamiliar to Aftyn. “These are the MacNeish colors. Mine. And now, Neve, they will be yers.”
He gave the fabric to Braden, who studied it, then smiled.
“Give me yer hands,” he commanded. Neve proffered her arm and Braden wrapped part of the plaid around her wrist, then did the same with the remaining cloth to Hamish’s hand.
“As this fabric binds ye together, so do your intentions and your promises made here and now. Ye will be handfasted for a year and a day. If a child comes of this union, ye will be married, even without the benefit of the kirk. As ye have both stated yer intention to marry in the kirk when ’tis safe to do so, I declare ye man and wife under the old ways, and bless this union.
May it bring ye joy and fruitfulness for the rest of yer lives. ”
Neve had tears in her eyes as Hamish turned to her and grasped her free hand with his. “I love ye, Neve, and I mean to keep ye with me always. Whatever life brings us, I want ye by my side. Do ye accept me as yer husband?”
“Ach, Hamish, ye ken I do, and gladly. I love ye, too. I want ye by my side always. I will be a good partner for ye and do my best to make ye happy all our lives.”
“I vow to do the same for ye, lass.”
“Blessings on ye both,” Aftyn said around the lump in her throat. “I’m so happy for ye!” But their joy reminded her of what she was missing. And who. Jamie was still locked up. If only it had been the two of them here, handfasting along with Neve and Hamish. Nothing could tear them apart then.
“Here, let me help ye,” Braden said, and unwound the cloth from their wrists. “Well, I’ve never done that before, but I’m proud ye were my first.”
“Braden, thank ye,” Neve cried and hugged him. Hamish took the cloth from him and shook his hand. “Ye are no’ losing Neve,” he said. “Ye are gaining another healer.”
“One we will need, now Aftyn must leave us for a while.”
“As to that, who is on guard duty in the dungeon tonight?” Aftyn wasn’t sure it would make any difference, but some guards were friendlier than others.
“Graham, I believe,” Braden said, and thought for a moment, eyes closed. “Aye, Graham. One of mine.”
“Why only one guard?” Aftyn crossed her arms, suddenly worried.
“Da thinks the man who overpowered a guard and let the other Lathans out is now locked up, so he doesna need to waste more men watching him. And he doesna expect any Keiths to help him escape.”
“Good!” Neve exclaimed. “I ken Graham well. And his love of whisky. We’ve been friends for years. I can get him drunk enough for one—or all—of ye to get Jamie out of his cell.”
“Nay, better Jamie escapes,” Braden said. “Da will be angry, but willna blame Graham for that. If he’s drunk, Da will punish him. Let’s go.”
“Ach, nay, Braden. Ye canna. If we’re caught, Da will disown ye. Ye must stay away from there. Once we are gone, ye can be shocked with all the rest when the news is spread.”
“And saddened, Sister. I dinna like that ye must leave like this, but I willna let ye do this without me. Hamish, stay by Aftyn. Neve, ye follow and watch our backs. Someone must convince Graham to let Jamie out. Jamie can do the rest.
Aftyn ached. She struggled to keep up with Braden and be silent about it, but she’d never been more determined in her life than she was right now to free Jamie and escape.
Yes, escape. Jamie never should have been taken there in the first place.
She added that to the long list of things she’d never forgive her father for.
Thinking of her father made her wonder if he’d called off the search for her attackers. After he said they were more valuable to the clan, she’d nearly cried, but forced back the tears. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how he hurt her. He’d never punish them, not for her sake.
She should not have refused to go with Jamie when he first suggested it. They could have been gone long before those men got their hands and fists and feet on her.
“I see ye fretting,” Hamish whispered alongside her, interrupting her spiraling thoughts.
“Aye. I am indulging in wishes.”
“Wishes. Such as?”
“Leaving when Jamie first suggested we go. I never would have been attacked, and Jamie wouldna be where he is right now.”
“He willna be much longer. Braden willna let our plan go astray.”
“Unless we’re seen, or another guard is in the dungeon, no’ the one Braden expects. Anything could go wrong.”
“If he’s no’ Braden’s man, ye being there will raise questions.”
“No’ if I hit him over the head before he sees me.”
“Ye could do that.” Hamish grinned. “But if something happens to ye, both yer brother and the Lathan healer will take turns beating me.”
He had a point.
Outside the entrance to the dungeon, Hamish caught her arm before she followed Braden inside. “I’ll go saddle a horse, and tell the guards Neve and I will soon leave for the abbey. Then ye and yer man can ride out, and the guards will think ’tis me and Neve.”
“Ach, Hamish, thank ye. That is brilliant. Please be careful.”
“I will. Be safe, Aftyn. Neve will miss ye,” he added, as Neve joined them. “As will I.” He took her hand and kissed the back, then opened the door for her. She slipped through and heard him close it softly behind her.
Her knees were shaking by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, but the torchlit hall ahead of her drew her onward. She heard a thud. Then silence.
She reached the guard station in time to see Braden lift the guard’s head, then drop it back down onto the tabletop where he’d sat. He glanced up at Aftyn and grinned. “Perfect timing. He’s out. Take his keys and get yer man, then go.”
“Hamish is saddling a horse and told the guards he and Neve need to go to the abbey. Neve married a good man.”
“I ken it. Now, go. We canna be found here. ’Tis why I hit him. He’ll no’ ken who did it.”
Aftyn took the keys and a torch and hurried farther down the hallway. She spied Jamie clutching the bars of his cell.
“I heard Braden and the guard. Then I heard yer voice.”