His grin faded. “Find Sutherland. Have him fetch MacLean. Tell them I’m calling in the favors they owe me.”
“Come, Campbell. We have a long day of riding ahead of us.”
Cait kissed Iain, refusing to cry. She stepped back and looked at Palmer. “Where are ye taking him?”
Palmer hesitated as if he didn’t want to tell her, but then said, “Fort Augustus.”
She looked at him in shock. “Fort Augustus? That’s a long ride from here.” And it was where Cumberland was headquartered. She shivered in real fear, more fear than when she thought she was going to be arrested. She turned back to Iain. “Tell him the truth. Tell him it was me. He’ll believe ye. Ye can’t go to Fort Augustus.” She’d heard numerous horror stories of that place. A prison from which no one escaped unless they were dead.
“Never,” Iain said. “I’d never willingly send you there. Find Sutherland and MacLean. They will help you.”
Palmer rode up. “Enough whispering,” he said harshly. “It’s time to go.”
With one last long look, Iain turned his mount and the three of them rode away.
Chapter 31
Cait wasted no time in getting to Sutherland’s home.
She rode harder than she’d ever ridden before, fighting the panic and the tears, furious at both Iain and Palmer for being dim-witted fools. Palmer had to know that Iain would not kill an English soldier.
Since standing above Donaldson’s dead body, she felt like she’d swallowed a pound of pistol balls, and they were ready to explode inside of her. None of this was going to end well, but she was damned if she was going to let Iain take the blame for something she had done.
She arrived at Sutherland’s barely able to stand up, with tears clearing a path through the dirt on her face, the hem of her gown filthy. Sutherland met her at the door, no doubt warned that a crazed woman was riding through his land.
“What happened?” He grabbed her upper arm when she swayed. He motioned for a lad to take the reins, and she gladly handed her horse off to him. The poor beast had never been ridden in such a way.
“Iain,” she gasped between breaths.
Sutherland drew back. “Campbell did this to ye?”
In her panic and fright, she’d nearly forgotten about her bruised face. “Nay,” she said.
“Oh my goodness.” Eleanor came out and hurried down the steps, taking Cait’s other arm. “You’ll be in need of a bracing cup of tea and a soft chair, no doubt.”
Cait could only nod as she gulped in mouthfuls of air. Among some curious stares, the Sutherlands led her into the house and straight to Brice’s solar, where she was grateful for the peace and quiet. In her crisp no-nonsense English accent, Eleanor ordered a servant to bring some tea. Chattering away about nothing consequential, she led Cait to the most comfortable chair and gently pushed her into it. Cait was grateful for Eleanor clucking over her like a mother hen.
Finally, Eleanor stood back, leaving Cait holding a cup of tea laced with whiskey. She took a sip because her throat was parched, but her hands were shaking so hard that she nearly spilled it. Eleanor rushed forward and took it from her.
Sutherland crossed his arms and glared down at her. “Now tell me what happened.”
“Iain was taken by the English.” Just saying the words made her want to be sick.
“Why?”
So suddenly that it made her dizzy, Cait’s anger surged through her. “Because he’s a hardheaded ijit who thinks he knows better than anyone else and won’t even stand still long enough to listen to anything.”
Sutherland’s lips twitched and Eleanor covered her mouth with a dainty hand. “I meanwhydid the English take him?” Sutherland clarified.
“Because they think he killed an English soldier.”
Sutherland stilled. This was a very serious offense, and they all understood the ramifications. “Theythinkhe killed an English soldier?”
“They think so because he told them he did it.”
Sutherland sighed and took a seat behind his desk. “Mayhap ye should start from the beginning.”
“He told them he killed Donaldson, but really I killed Donaldson.”
