“Nay. They were too clean for that. They’d done it to be sure nay one could recognize them.”
Eoin shook his head. “Cairstine remembered there was red in it, but that could be any number of clans. I think she never had the chance to see either. From what she’d told me, one of them grabbed her from behind, then the others held her down. She might not have been able to move enough to see, or more likely, she shut her eyes.”
“That’s exactly what she told Alex, Magnus, and me. She couldnae move, so she shut her eyes. She wasnae thinking aboot what details she would need afterwards.”
“I need you to be her guard again. If I can’t be with her, then you must be at her side. Follow us whenever we’re in public. Whoever it is, at least one of them is here. And I doubt one would be here without the others. Even after all these years.” Eoin slipped back into the chamber and laid down beside Cairstine, drawing her into the haven of his arms. He ran through a list of clans that had red in their pattern, but there were too many. Even the Grant plaid had red in it. When Cairstine woke later that evening, Eoin sent for a tray, so they could remain tucked away. She barely stayed awake long enough to eat. It was the first time since they handfasted that they spent the entire night only sleeping.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Three days into the second week of the gathering, an argument erupted between the warriors of Clan Grant and Clan Cameron, who were already at odds with one another. A Cameron man tried to pull a Grant serving woman into his lap, but when she refused and tried to walk away, he hurled profanities at her. He was loud enough that men at the surrounding tables heard, including the woman’s brother. When the Grant warrior swung and missed the Chisolms, who were also enemies of the Grants, taunted him. The Grant man swung again and knocked the Cameron out before turning on the Chisolms. The MacDonalds–who had branches allied with both the Camerons and Chisolms–attempted to join the fray. The lairds of all five clans barreled through the crowd to their respective guardsmen, each threatening to send them packing if the fighting continued. Once they’d diffused the situation, the five lairds sneered at one another in disgust. More than one set of fists were clenching, but each laird walked away.
“I’m surprised it went this long without a melee,” Ewan commented as the two couples sat on the dais. They watched Edward dismiss most of his men from the Great Hall before stalking back to take his seat beside Davina.
“Isn’t that Arlan Gunn over there with a Mackay guardsman? They look to be chatting, not arguing,” Eoin pointed out. His gaze shifted to Tristan, who was watching his man with obvious suspicion. “Arlan is more likely causing trouble than he is brokering a truce.”
“Aye.” Ewan had his own run in with Arlan a few years earlier, but it was Eoin who’d thrown the only punch before dragging Ewan away. Eoin may have knocked Arlan unconscious, but Ewan would have murdered him for the things he said about the twins’ aunt, who’d borne a child out of wedlock. The animosity between the twins and Arlan was as fresh as if the incident happened the day before.
The music began, and Eoin led Cairstine onto the dance floor. They danced three songs together before the music changed to a country reel. Eoin led Cairstine away, but a man bumped into her, and she lost her hold on Eoin’s hand. She saw him wave to her, and she tried to skirt around the person who separated her from Eoin, but the man pulled her into the dance instead. She recognized her new partner as the Mackay warrior who’d been speaking to Arlan. She frantically tried to reach Eoin, but every time she thought she could slip away, the Mackey warrior pulled her back. Her unwelcome dance partner twirled her until she became dizzy. When she stopped, she looked up to realize Arlan Gunn now had a hold of her.
“Do you remember me, lass?” Arlan’s smug grin, coupled with his voice, filled Cairstine with horror. She remembered him clearly as he pulled her closer. She pushed against his chest, but he used his strength and the tight space to hold her in place. “I see that you do. We have unfinished business, you and I. There’s also the matter of Alex Sinclair breaking my nose when I was just having a little fun.”
“Let go of me! Eo—” Cairstine was cut off as an enormous crash was followed by screams. A fight broke out, and people pushed and shoved, either trying to escape or join in.
“Perfect timing,” Arlan quipped. He wrapped his arm around her waist, much like he’d done in the woods six years earlier. He propelled her forward, and Cairstine was horrified as two men pushed and shoved, creating a path for Arlan to lead her down. She kicked out and thrashed as best she could, but Arlan had her arms pinned to her side. She slammed her head back and heard the crack of Arlan’s nose breaking. As blood flowed from Arlan’s nose, he pushed her into the arms of another Gunn guardsman. He pinched it, staunching the flow after blood splattered down his chest and onto Cairstine’s hair and back.
“You think that’s the first time I’ve had my nose broken, bitch? I don’t even notice it anymore.” Arlan cackled, but Cairstine knew the truth: it had to have been excrutiating. He lifted her off her feet and strode through the crowd until he and three other men were headed toward a dark passageway that led to the gardens. Cairstine forced herself not to panic and lose focus like that last time. Before they entered the passageway, she intentionally tripped over her own feet, kicking one of her slippers off, praying Eoin would find it. She knew no one would be in the gardens, outside of a couple trysting who didn’t want to be discovered. There was little chance anyone would come to her rescue.
“Eoin! Eoin! Help! Eoin, help! Someone, help! Cairstine’s voices echoed loudly throughout the empty passageway.
“Holler all you want, but no one will hear you over the noise.” Arlan’s chuckle made bile rise in the back of Cairstine’s throat. They emerged into the gardens, which took up almost an entire length of the bailey wall with an orchard near the postern gate. Arlan covered her mouth with his hand as one of the men passed him a kerchief. Arlan quickly replaced his hand with the fabric, shoving it into her mouth, so only garbled sounds came out. Thinking quickly, Cairstine kicked off her other shoe, while she pretended to stumble. The shift in balance sent Arlan staggering, so Cairstine attempted to break free, but as Arlan regained his hold on her a fist landed against her cheek. Her eyes darted to the man who’d punched her. She knew he could have hit her harder, but it was enough for her to see stars and for her ears to ring. When they reached the trees, Cairstine once again began to panic. Entering the canopy of tree branches made her retch against her gag.
“I see you remember the last time as well as we do. We can’t drag you past the market without someone raising the alarm, but this will work just as well. It’s like old times,” Arlan taunted as he threw Cairstine to the ground. She tried to scramble away, but Arlan’s friends pinned down her arms. She looked at each man, memorizing his face and recognizing their plaids. Two were Gunns, and the other was the Mackay she’d seen talking to Arlan, the one who had pulled her into the dance. She recognized the plaids this time. Arlan grinned at the Mackay. “You did a fine job, cousin, first getting her away from that bastard and then starting the fight. You shall have the next turn, after I’m through.”
Cairstine stilled. She thought of Eoin and all he’d taught her. She wouldn’t be able to overpower all four of them if she kept struggling, so she had to outwit them. Eoin had told her that if she were ever in a situation like this, she should appear as if she’d capitulated. If her attacker thought she was being compliant, he might drop his guard enough for Cairstine to get away. She stopped struggling and tried to control her breathing. Her heart was pounding so hard that she worried her body wouldn’t react quickly enough if the opportunity presented itself.
“She’s given up,” the Mackay man pointed out.
“That’s because she wants it. She was just playing hard to get the first time, putting up that wee fight because she knew a proper lady would, but this one is no lady. Everyone here has heard how that Gordon bastard humps her round the clock. She’s a slut just like I said.” Arlan pulled a knife from his belt and sliced it down the front of Cairstine’s gown as she lay without moving. He made to pull the two halves apart, laying the knife on the ground beside them. She was sure God was watching over her when the man on the side where the knife lay relaxed his hold on her wrist to pull at her gown. She clutched the knife and yanked her arm free.
Cairstine drove the dagger into Arlan’s side before jerking it free and swiping it at the man who tried to recapture her arm. The blade sliced his forearm, and he backed away. Arlan slapped her, but she’d caused enough distraction to drive her knee into his groin. Cairstine’s captors had underestimated her and hadn’t restrained her legs. Cairstine slammed her forehead into Arlan’s hard enough that he toppled to the side from the pain in his side, his groin, and his head. Cairstine twisted and drove the heel of her hand under the chin of the other man who had her wrist. She’d had to put the dagger down to use her free hand to hit him, but with a hand free, she pulled the gag from her mouth. She screamed as loudly as she could.
When the fourth man, who’d stayed out of Cairstine’s reach until then, tried to force the gag into her mouth, she clamped her teeth down on his fingers. She scrambled to her feet and ran. She was counting on the Gunns and the Mackay not to know their way through the garden. She could hear them following her, just as she had in her dream, but she could see the edge of the garden. She slammed through the gate that separated the orchard from the lists. Cairstine dared not look back, instead lifting her skirts and running as fast as she could back toward the main doors of the keep.
“Eoin! Eoin!” Cairstine screamed until she slammed into a wall that made her stagger, but this wall caught her shoulders and pulled her back against it.
* * *
Eoin couldn’t find Cairstine. One moment she’d been holding his hand, and the next she disappeared. He spotted her head several times, but the man who pulled her into the dance spun her further and further away. As he squeezed through the dancers, he thought he saw someone pushing Cairstine, but while he was tall, so were most Highland men. It was difficult for him to see over the heads of the other men. He let out an ear-piercing whistle, and a wave of Gordon warriors barreled through the people, not caring who they knocked out of the way. Ewan and Andrew were on their feet then, leaping from the dais, but as they tried to make their way to Eoin a fight broke out. Ewan and Andrew were drawn in, ducking and swinging, unable to extract themselves.
“Cairstine!” Eoin’s voice bellowed. “Cairstine!”
The Grants in the midst of the fight froze, as did the Gordons, recognizing their lady’s name. Members of other clans kept swinging, but Edward Grant pounded on the table. “CEASE!” The single word reached every ear, and men who were only moments ago prepared to fight to the death didn’t dare flinch.
“Where’s Cairstine?” Eoin demanded. “Someone had her.” People jumped aside as Eoin made his way to his brother and father. Eoin spun around, looking in every direction for where the man might have taken Cairstine. Fenella ran forward, waving a shoe.
“It’s hers! It was at the beginning of the passageway to the gardens. Mother, Allyson, and I were going to flee there.”
“Cairstine!” Eoin was charging toward the passageway when he heard his name. It was muffled, but he was certain it was Cairstine’s voice. He spun around and ran back to the Great Hall. He looked around, but he didn’t see Cairstine.
