Chapter 13
“Callum, how is it the Benefactor sends his regards to us?”
“Perhaps Sir Brayden may provide the answer to this with those he tracked,” Callum replied, eyeing her a moment.
“I know the purpose you inquired about the Benefactor’s regards first. You seek to turn my attention elsewhere.
Nella, what were you considering?” Callum’s tone weighed by anger rang her ears while they bolted through the keep, for the garderobes and Sir Brayden.
“The enemy could have charged back toward you instead of taking leave through the iron-barred door in there.” Her knight thrust his arm at the passage behind them where they had come from the kitchens. “You swore to me!”
“I nodded.” She raised her chin. “I never spoke any sort of promise.” Flimsy at best.
Both his hands flew up by frustration. “Oh, well, there is logic. How may I keep you safe if you do not mind what I say?”
Her eyes narrowed while they separated when a chamberlain walked between them holding candlesticks. “Whenever a choice presents, I am going to keep Abbot and Abbess safe first, not me. And mind what you say? Am I a hound to fetch what is required for my lord? Shall I seek scraps from your hand or—”
Callum pointed at her. “This you shall not turn around upon me. Twice, I have sought for you to step away from chance and yet twice you charge both feet in with a leap toward danger. How is it you are so rash?”
“I happen to recall a time long ago you rather cared for my ‘rash’ tendencies, Callum.”
“Nella, you are trying—”
“Callum!” Sir Brayden’s yell broke the battle in wills when he appeared around the far corner.
“Nella, we shall speak more upon this matter later.”
No, they wouldn’t! “Woof,” she retorted, his step half tripped at her brash reply.
“My lady and Callum,” Brayden panted, reaching them, “they have vanished!”
“Vanished?” both of them said at once.
“Aye.” Brayden shot his shoulders up. “Lord Kolson and the pair of slayers were not at the garderobes. I have searched the passageways lining the area. Gone, the lot of them.”
“Lady Fawnella,” a stern voice sounded behind her. She turned, finding a thick-necked warrior she had seen with Alaina’s husband, the laird. “You are to come with me, at once.”
Callum stepped nose to nose with the warrior’s bearded face. “My lady shall not journey one step with you.”
“You are the lady’s guardsman from the kitchens?”
“Aye.”
A brown-toothed grin appeared. “The laird cares to speak with you as well.”
Oh, hell no. Lady Alaina’s husband.
***
“Months!” Nella heard the laird roar at Callum and Brayden in the solar.
“Months in planning for a joyous feast with nae clan feuds nor battles and less than one eve here I have been told by my servants that you” – he jabbed his finger onto Callum’s torso.
Not a smart move if the laird meant to keep the finger – “Callum Scott of Clan Scott have charged the passageways armed with a bow appearing prepared to kill those within my keep. My keep!” The laird’s round face turned part crimson shade with a vein popping up on his temple looking the same as a red grouse.
Wretched laird. That was the same look he threw at Alaina a year past when her friend had dared speak about the warriors she had thought best to guard the drawbridge.
The Laird turned his attentions at her as she stood beside Callum.
“What manner are these guardsmen, Lady Fawnella?” Ten more times the character than you, wretch.
“If not for your efforts regarding my lad’s survival the day from drowning, you and your guardsmen would be in my keep’s dungeon!
” He raised his palm at her. Was he going to poke his finger on her shoulder too?
The laird gasped, when he descended his finger at her, after Callum’s hand shot up in a blink to grab the laird’s toadstool-like wrist. The warrior with no neck stepped forth while Callum stepped before her.
“You dare to touch her or threaten her once more there shall be a consequence of the grandest measure you have never seen before,” Callum snarled. “Step your guards from this chamber, at once. The matter I have to discuss with you forthwith shall be for your ears alone.”
The laird gave a low-pitched cackle same as a red grouse. “Ohhhh, laddie, you dare to dictate how I treat a lady or my guards?”
“If what I have witnessed before me this moment shows any inkling about how you treat a lady you are ill at best. Your guards? If you fail to step them back in your next breath, your hand will never point at another again.” Nella saw Callum’s shoulder move; the laird’s features went from crimson to blanched in a blink.
“S… step to the passageway,” the laird demanded his guards with a speckle from spit landing his beard at sputtering the words. Why had the laird suddenly changed his demands?
No neck began to approach. “My lord…”
“Step to the passageway, DIRECTLY! Or your heads shall be on a spike by the drawbridge at dawn!”
Once the solar was deserted with the exception of her, Brayden, and Callum, whose hand still held the laird’s arm like an iron shackle, her knight began again.
“Tell me where the concealed passage leads to from your spence beneath the kitchens.” She peeked around Callum’s arm.
There in his hand was a signet ring bearing the king’s crest. Ah, that was the reason.
“A wee loch east of where we stand.”
Callum looked toward Brayden. “Sir Brayden.”
“Aye.” Brayden nodded then vanished from the solar.
“Sir Brayden?” the laird asked, wide eyed.
“You did not believe one carrying a signet belonging to our Lord King Alexander was a mere warrior?” The laird’s mouth gapped wide like a rat’s burrow.
“For one of your standing not only are you cruel but daft as well. Aye, ’tis Sir Brayden as you address the captain of his guard.
Sir Callum MacCade, a Highlander, not a lowlander like those you are currently sealing an alliance with in the chambers beyond.
There was a purpose how this enemy to the crown knew of your passage for his escape, in your ‘months of planning’.
You are going to tell me any and all who knew about this secret doorway.
Once done and we take leave of this keep, you and that fleshy finger of yours shall never unleash another cross word toward a lady again.
Including your wife, Lady Alaina. To strike against this demand is a strike against the king, and the full weight of the crown will crash upon your shoulders.
Nor shall you speak a word about my purpose before you in our lord king’s name.
Have we an understanding with an accord or must a further demonstration be made?
” Callum’s knuckles became white as Highland mountain tops after his grip tightened.
“We have an accord,” the laird groveled with a dark glare.
“Then let us commence once more. Who held the knowledge regarding the passageway?”
***
The laird was lucky to keep his hand. As Callum turned the corner headed back toward Nella’s chambers, the gentle rustle by her gown’s skirts at her silent stride was the only sound other than torches hissing same as the bastard they had not grown any closer in uncovering after questioning the laird.
Aye, he could have snapped the laird’s hefty wrist after the sight of the laird preparing to threaten his Nella… His? She would never…
“Callum?” Her tiny murmur broke his thoughts. She sounded panicked. His feet nailed onto the floorboards outside her bedchamber’s door.
“Nella, what troubles you?”
“There…” She tilted her head a breath more before her lashes burst wide. “There is another in my chamber. I am harkening to a wide step by someone within who just sat at the chair which scraped a wee bit.”
Another voice hailed him from around the corner with a dire expression which approached them. “The passageway was there, but nae one was present.”
A grind in steel against leather aired when Callum drew his sword. Sir Brayden’s brisk step matched his palm reaching for his own sword’s hilt at Callum’s action.
“Brayden, a stranger is residing in Nella’s chambers,” Callum explained in a low tone. “Stay watch over my lady.”
Brayden answered silently by taking his stance at once before her.
Who the hell was in her chamber? It could be one of the pair sent after Lord Kolson, or Lord Kolson or Hiss.
Whomever it was meant to ambush Nella. Kill the stranger first?
Nella’s features bore a frightened look up at him.
No. Question the stranger, piece by most painful piece, then slay him.
Possibly weapons which may be present in the stranger’s arsenal.
Crossbow? Naw, the chamber wasn’t large enough to get the momentum for a bolt to penetrate chainmail nor flesh.
Arrow? Possibly. Rip the door open then leap right.
Sword? His own hand tightened on the leather hilt.
Not his strongest weapon like the bow but strong enough to best any in his guard.
He lowered his stance for the dodge right with one final look at Brayden, who shielded Nella down the passageway.
“If I fall, you take her from here at once and keep her safe.”
“Callum.” Nella’s tone was weighed by protest. “Nae.” Again, she would not leave him. Why? Was it more than Abbot and Abbess as she had said?
He looked at his guardsman. “Brayden.” Any jest was gone; his friend’s stare had turned flinty while he nodded.
A long inhale filled his lungs as he reached for the door. Cold iron met his palm. Now! Slam! The door swung open same as a whip cracking the wall. The fire to lunge in his thighs turned to ice as he froze.
“Sir Callum MacCade, you do not disappoint. Forever the staunch mannerly knight, keeping the lady safe by securing her chamber first.”