Chapter 24
Leah ran up the stairs, hot tears streaming down her face as she wiped them away irritably with the back of her hand.
She had never been so incensed in her life, never more furious with herself or with Magnus.
She could not believe that she had allowed herself to be taken captive so easily. She realized now that she had had a rather more impressive view of herself in her mind than existed in reality.
In her stories, the maidens always fought off the men who attacked them or fought off the monsters that came to claim their lives. She had never felt so helpless as she had today.
The feel of the knife at her throat had been truly terrible. It had paralyzed her. Even if she had tried to fight him, he had been ten times stronger than her. She could not have hoped to overpower him. It was an unpleasant reality to be faced with.
He had lifted her onto the back of the horse like she had weighed nothing, her hands bound behind her back. He could have done anything to her, and she would have been powerless to prevent it.
As she approached her rooms, the weight of her guilt fell over her like a shroud as she remembered what she had said to Magnus.
She was furious that he was sending her back to England—it was true, but she was also grateful to him.
Without him, she might not be standing here now.
Being held in his arms, safe and warm, had been the best feeling in the world.
She threw open her bedroom door in a fury, ready to pack her things immediately, but stopped short when she saw Katie sitting by the fire, an ugly bruise across her cheek and tears in her eyes.
“Katie!” she exclaimed, running to her, and the two women embraced fiercely.
“Oh, Leah, I was so frightened,” Katie sobbed as she clung to her desperately.
Eventually, Leah pulled back, stroking a finger gently beneath the cut on Katie’s cheek. “Are you hurt?” she asked.
“No. It is painful, but I am just glad you are alright.”
They went to sit by the fire, both of them taking a little time to process what might have happened if Magnus had been unable to get to Leah in time.
“Do they know who he was?”
Leah shook her head. “Magnus killed him.”
Katie gasped, putting a hand over her mouth in shock. “In front of you?” she asked.
“Yes. He asked him who he worked for, and the man simply said that his Laird thought that Magnus would have learned his lesson the first time.” Leah clenched her fists again. “Magnus has insisted that I go back to England.”
There was a long, ominous silence.
“You do not agree?” Katie asked softly.
“You do?” Leah demanded.
“You were almost kidnapped!”
“But I wasn’t. Magnus found me.”
“I have never been so terrified. That man might have slit your throat in front of me, and I could have done nothing to prevent it. Why do women never get taught how to fight? We are always the ones who are attacked or hurt. Why must we wait for men to save us? I should have struck him over the head with a rock, fetched the servants, screamed. But I did nothing.”
“You went to get Magnus,” Leah pointed out, taking her friend’s hand in hers.
“It was the only thing I could think of. I simply thought he must be aware who his enemies are, that he would know where you were being taken.” Katie scowled. “He knew there was a threat. He told you as much. Why has it taken this long for him to find out who hurt his first wife?”
“He feels guilty that he has not found out, I am sure of it,” Leah insisted.
“But this solution of sending me away is ridiculous. If Magnus is faced with a problem, he distances himself from it. That appears to be the only solution he ever considers. Why should I run away when I have done nothing wrong? I do not wish to return to England. Part of me believes, if I go, I will never come back.”
Katie’s head shot up at that, and she looked at her with a startled expression. “What do you mean?”
Leah sighed, the same wave of uncertainty and unhappiness engulfing her.
“I believe he will use it as an excuse,” she muttered.
“That he doesn’t really want me here now, and not having me here at all would be easier.
Once I am gone from the island, all of his worries and concerns will go with me.
He can annul the marriage and live as he did before—without the burden of a wife he was forced to take. ”
She sniffed, feeling fresh tears welling up in her eyes.
“You do not know that, Leah. I may have joked with you about how you look at him, but I have seen the way he looks at you, too.”
“With frustration mostly.”
“He cares for you, I am sure of it,” Katie insisted.
“I do not know how you can be. I am not, and I have spent a great deal more time with him than you.”
Suddenly, a soft knock sounded at the door, and the women looked up as the same servant girl with the birthmark across her forehead opened it and curtseyed timidly.
“Laird MacWatt has sent me to gather yer things, M’Lady. He has said to pack as little as ye can. He will send anythin’ else ye need after ye.”
Leah scoffed loudly, going to stand by the window.
Katie cleared her throat. Leah heard her thank the girl, and there was some scuffling and scraping as they began to gather what she might need.
“None of that,” she said, turning around, a stubborn set to her jaw. “I will just need the pink dress I was wearing when I arrived. That is all I had with me when I came, and that is all I will need when I leave for good.”
“Leah,” Katie admonished, “you do not know that will happen.”
“Help me change,” Leah said harshly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Magnus looked up from the maps he had thrown on his table as Kenneth walked in, closing the door behind him.
“Do ye have any reason to suspect yer staff of giving information away?” Kenneth asked, getting straight to the point.
“Nay. I have had the same staff for years, I trust them.”
Kenneth nodded. “I feel the same, but ye can never be too careful.”
“What have ye found?” Magnus asked, knowing that Kenneth had stayed behind to dispose of the body and try to find out anything about him.
“I think he is from Clan Thompson,” Kenneth said gravely.
“What makes ye so sure?”
“Location more than anythin’. I dinnae think he could have traveled from MacLeish so quickly, and the boat he used was small. It wouldnae have traveled well over such a stretch of water.”
Magnus nodded sadly.
“Ye suspected?” Kenneth asked.
“I did.”
“How?”
Magnus swore and threw one of the carvings that were scattered across the desk into the fire in his rage. He watched the little figure hit the flames, lying forlornly on the logs, and then swore again, rushing to it and pushing it out of the flames with a poker.
He gripped the smoking wood with the hem of his kilt to smother the flames and stared down at the little charred figure of his wife miserably.
He looked at Kenneth, who was watching him sadly.
“I wondered, that is all,” he confessed. “I should have thought on it more all those years ago, but I just wanted to push all thoughts of Elizabeth and me bairn out of me mind.”
Kenneth nodded.
“Before I married Elizabeth, there had been some talk, brief at best, that I might marry Edith Thompson.”
Kenneth frowned. “Laird Thompson’s daughter? But she couldnae have been…”
“Sixteen,” Magnus confirmed. “She was fifteen when her faither proposed the match, and I was five and twenty. I ken plenty of men who would have done it, but I wasnae happy with the notion. I explained to him that I didnae wish to take her as a wife, and he seemed contented enough at the time. I never really considered him a threat.”
He felt like a fool for having dismissed things so easily.
“I didnae think he cared. It was such an odd match, to begin with, and Elizabeth was more connected and closer to me clan, nae to mention me age. I felt it was obvious which bride I would choose and that he could not have had any reason to resent it. Clearly, I was wrong.”
Kenneth joined him at the table, looking over the maps himself. “We can settle this. He kidnapped yer wife—we cannae nae react. We have enough men. I can take a dozen or so to his castle, prove that ye are ready to fight. We have had enough battles in our lives to ken we can beat him.”
“Aye.” Magnus nodded, feeling relief that Leah was leaving and would not be anywhere near the bloodshed. “Ready the men. I’ll ride with ye. I willnae have anyone believin’ they can take what’s mine and nae be punished for it.”
There was a long silence from beside him, and he looked up at Kenneth’s gentle expression.
Magnus growled. “Stop that.”
Kenneth smiled. “It’s odd, do ye nae think? Ye kidnapped her first, and now she is yer wife and ye dinnae want anyone else to do it.”
“I didnae kidnap her, she hid in the carriage. And I married her because I had nay choice. I can still knock ye out, ye ken.”
“Ye’re foolin’ nay one, Magnus,” Kenneth said solemnly.
It was rare for him to call Magnus by his Christian name.
“Ye care for her. I’ve never seen ye in such a frenzy as when she was taken.
Ye’re foolin’ yerself more than anythin’ if ye make this about ‘what’s yours’ bein’ taken.
Ye wanted her back because ye need her in yer life. ”
“Or I could run ye through,” Magnus added with some feeling, but his harsh words were entirely lost on his friend as Kenneth put a hand on his shoulder.
“She’ll forgive ye for sendin’ her away.”
Magnus shrugged off the man’s hand and opened his mouth to retort when a great commotion sounded outside.
A deep voice suddenly screamed two words that echoed through the castle’s halls like the tolling of a bell.
“Magnus Shaw!”
Leah was dressed just as she had been when she arrived, in the crinkled pink dress that was still stained by the rain from the boat journey many days ago.
She felt angry and morose as she descended the steps to the shoreline. The little inlet was banked by guards, who were looking around at the surrounding scenery, their weapons drawn. Clearly, Magnus was taking no more chances with her life.
I should be grateful to him, but all I can feel is rage.
There was a shout from behind her, and she and Katie both turned around as Betty emerged from the archway above them, hobbling toward them, holding a great many items in her arms.
Katie dutifully went forward to assist her, and Betty leaned heavily on a large boulder at the edge of the stairs. She blew away the hair that had fallen over her face and sat on the rock, seemingly unaware that Leah and Katie were expected to board the boat within the next few moments.
Leah walked back up the steps toward her and was amused to see that Betty appeared to have brought several items that she seemed eager to show her.
“This is for ye, me dear,” Betty said as she handed a pendant to Leah. It was a long silver chain with a gem at the base, also encased in silver. “It is an amethyst and will calm yer thoughts in this difficult time.”
Before Leah could thank her, Betty had rummaged through the items on her lap once more and pulled out a sprig of something dry that smelled lovely.
“This is lavender, it will calm yer nerves on the long journey. Put it under yer nose and smell it.” She waited for Leah to do so before continuing. “Dinnae worry yerself, lass,” she said, her eyes sparkling with hidden knowledge, “Master Magnus will come to his senses in nay time.”
“I do not think that he will,” Leah muttered bitterly. “Since he has chosen to make all of my decisions for me, he is nowhere to be found.”
Betty waved her off, and when she noticed Leah had no more free hands to take new items, she turned to Katie with a conspiratorial grin.
“This is a nugget of amber. Keep it in yer pocket, and it will ward off evil and harm.”
Katie looked at Leah with a deeply skeptical expression, but Leah could only smile. She was going to miss Betty almost as much as she would miss the island.
There was a clatter from the top of the steps as Betty was sifting through the rest of the things she had brought, and a servant appeared, running down toward them.
Leah frowned, handing over the items Betty had given her to Katie as he stopped before them.
“What is it?” she asked uncertainly.
“The Master has asked for ye, M’Lady,” the man said urgently.
Leah needed no more information than that. She followed him hastily.