Chapter Fourteen #3
“Ye have been entertaining some important people there. Surely ye heard something when the Black Douglas was sitting at yer table?”
How could he have known that? Did he come and go freely, with no one noticing? She knew he’d done it at least once, when he approached her in the yard in the full light of day, so ’twas possible he’d done it before or since. Or…?
“You have other contacts within the household?” she asked.
“Aye. A few well-chosen, well-placed, faithful MacDougalls are there with ye. But ye are the best placed by far, with the most intimate access, shall we say?”
Now that she thought on it, it made sense to her. Lara suspected that she knew at least one of those who still reported to Eachann. And who probably gave an accounting of her behavior as well.
“The sun is going down and I must be on my way, so tell me what you know. What did the Douglas say?” Eachann twisted her arm tighter, until she gasped, and then asked again, “What did he say?”
She did not answer fast enough, for he backhanded her across the face and she fell to the floor. “He is not worth it, Lara. You are trying to protect the Bruce’s spy and it’s no’ something ye need worry about.” He yanked her to her feet and spoke quietly now. “What are they planning?”
“Spy? He is not a spy,” she said, so dazed from the blow she could not focus her thoughts. “He is a warrior.”
“Ye are sleeping with the man who controls all the spies used by the Bruce. Sebastien of Cleish and I are old acquaintances and have faced each other many, many times, Lara. ’Tis like a game now between us.
I leave him signs and he answers them in kind.
’Tis fitting somehow that ye should be his downfall. ”
“Signs?” She covered her cheek with her hand. It burned from his blow. “Like those people you killed?”
“Just so. Yer husband does the same when he gets close to my trail. ’Tis just sport among those of us in the game. But ye’re wrong in this one—he left them for me, no’ the other way round. They died at his hand and bear his mark.”
“You think this is some kind of game?”
“Oh, aye, ’tis that. Tit for tat. He makes a move, I counter it. He found out about the ambush at Brander Pass. I found out about the gathering at Kilcrenan, but the bastard changed the location and we missed our opportunity to capture the Bruce himself.”
“So, he did not go to Kilcrenan?”
“Nay. The bastard used St. Modan’s instead. He defiled our own priory. But dinna worry, for he will pay dearly for that sacrilege.” He turned his gaze back to her. “Dearly.”
Eachann leaned her back against the altar and faced her, his hands free and menacing before her. “This is the last time I will ask ye. If ye do not give me what I want, I will fetch sweet Catriona and we can finish this with her to spur on yer words.”
“No!” she cried.
“Good. Then speak yer piece and ye can go.”
“The Douglas said that they need to take but three more keeps to control this area. Invercreran is to be last, Glen Gour and the southern tip of Loch Awe first.” She could see him thinking on her words.
“When do they make their move?”
“By early next month. Then the Bruce will seek out the Earl of Ross.” She related to him the details of the attacks and the specifics about how many would be involved in the plan.
“Verra good, lass. Next time do no’ make me waste time waiting for ye to come or to tell me what I need to know. I will tell yer father that ye are glad to hear of his return.”
He stepped back and disappeared into an opening in the wall before she could agree or not. Before she could tell him that she would not do this again.
Lara gathered her cloak around her and wondered how she would ever conceal this from Sebastien. From the pain in her face, she knew it would be obvious that she’d been struck. What could she say? How could she explain it?
She stumbled to the door and pulled it open, for the need to breathe fresh air was overwhelming to her.
The two guards stood a few yards from the entrance and they turned as she left the church.
Positioning the hood of her cloak over her head, she tried to keep her face hidden in its folds.
When they arrived at the path that went up the embankment to the drawbridge, she stopped.
“I am not ready to go in just yet. I would like to walk on the shore there for a few minutes.” They glanced at each other and looked as though they would argue, until she pointed out the guards on the battlements and at each corner of the castle, on the beach.
“I will be observed every moment and will be quite safe. I need only a short time.”
With a nod, they allowed her to go on, and she walked to the water’s edge.
Crouching down and dipping her hand into the water, she knew its chill would soothe the growing pain in her face.
Taking the end of her cloak, Lara wet it and held the cold cloth on her cheek.
When it warmed, she dunked it again and repeated the action until the pain lessened.
The sun dropped behind the trees and she knew she could not remain much longer.
She shivered, both with cold and with trepidation over the coming scene with Sebastien.
Now that she knew his true role in the Bruce’s campaign, how could she face him?
If he and Eachann were involved in some personal war, did he know her role?
Her legs were tired from being in this position for too long, so she immersed the edge of the cloak one more time and then stood with it against her cheek.
“Tell me what brings you to the water’s edge? Surely you cannot mean to swim now?”
Sebastien’s voice was light, even playful, but his face when he saw hers was nothing like that. He wore a deadly expression and she watched him change into the forbidding warrior he was. “Give me his name,” he ordered. “Give me his name!”