“And you think I’m one of them? And so you had mekidnapped?Your nephew is a man full grown; don’t you think he can judge such things for himself?”
His eyes raked over her body, narrowing in appreciation, making her want to cringe in disgust.
“Ah, but we all know how beauty and lust can blind a man to all else. I wouldn’t take the chance with our clan’s holdings. You see, I promised his father before he died that I would always look out for the boy.”
“I have no interest in lands or wealth.”
“Of course you do, what lady wouldn’t want to snare such a prize? What woman wouldn’t want her sons to inherit such wealth and power?”
Ella glared at him again. She was beginning to understand the motive for her kidnapping, and it was distressingly obvious.It wasn’t a family feud after all, but greed, plain and simple.If Ceann should die without producing a male heir, his uncle was probably next in line to inherit everything, or his cousin was. But Hugh and Ceann looked to beof a similar age; and if he were eager to get his hands on Ceann’s land and wealth, it was doubtful that this uncle would let Ceann live much longer. If he were to marry and have a legitimate son before whatever plan they were hatching was complete… that must be why she was here, Ross thought there was something between them. She wondered how many hapless women had caught Ceann’s eye and ended up here in the hands of his scheming uncle. She rallied her temper, suddenly outraged for Ceann, who even with his constant growling and lack of good manners, was looking more and more like a saint compared to the man who sat next to her.
“I think you misunderstand, sir. I am a temporary guest at Castle Tulloch. I have no designs on its laird.It was purely by chance that I was there at all.”
Ross gave a short laugh. “You’re lying!Why would you not be?You lie to protect the very man you seek to find your fortune with!”
Ella sucked in a breath. Not only was this man dangerous and volatile, she began to feel that he was also not entirely sane. In the next moment she was sure of it. He turned and grabbed her fiercely by the arms. His fingers sunk into her flesh and he shook her until it was all she could do not to cry out in pain. Only her anger and pride kept her from doing so. She bit her tongue to make sure she did not make a sound. He wanted her to weep and beg, she knew it.
“Tell me the truth girl! Are you secretly wed?Has he had you?”He seemed to search her face for answers. “Perhaps you already carry his child?”
She said nothing, kept her face carefully blank, and so he threw her roughly to the floor. She landed hard on her backside, pain shooting up through her body. But still, she managed to look up at Ross and glare at him with all the ferocity she could muster.Aye, his evil was driven by a deeper madness all right. He abruptly seemed to come back to himself, brushing at his surcoat as if nothing had happened.
“Very well then. We’ll finish this later, as you wish. I have more important business to tend to first.Morag!” The maid appeared in front of the dais and gave a small, timid curtsy. “Take our guest to her room for the evening. It seems she’s not hungry.”He sat down andleaned back in his chair, picking up the goblet of wine in front of him, and taking a long swallow.“And Morag, don’t forget to lock and bolt the door, lest she wander at night and get lost, or, er… fall down the stairs.”
Ella looked back to catch his hateful smirk as she followed Morag back to her chamber. Once there, she sat down shakily on the bed while the maid lit the fire and readied the room. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself so that she could keep her wits about her. She glanced at the still open door, noting the guard standing in the hall. Perhaps if she was careful, she might get some information from the maid. It was worth a try, at least.
She put her hands to her face, feigning the kind of weak, womanly distress she had never known and didn’t care to.“I don’t understand, Morag, why I’ve been brought here. I was merely a guest at Tulloch Castle. What possible harm is there in that? I can’t think why one lass would be such a threat to the ambitions of these men. Oh merciful God, what does he mean to do with me?”
The maid turned to look at her, and Ella thought she could also see the other woman’s pity for her plight. “One lass has been the downfall of many a great man”, she said thoughtfully.“Lord Ross is ambitious.You aren’t the first lass he’s brought here who has the look of her, you know.”
Ella was genuinely confused now. “The look of whom?”
The maid looked at her like she was daft. “The girl in the legend”, she said with authority. “You know, flaxen hair, eyes of blue… Edith found the parchment years ago, hidden away behind the mantle.She can’t read of course, but Thomas can, and so we know all about the one who is meant….”
She broke off abruptly, as if she had thought better of talking about it, and a look of fear came over her face as she glanced towards the door, realizing what she had already said. Ella had begun to suspect the perhaps this Morag was none too sound in the head, either. Wonderful! Was she trapped in a manor full of lunatics? Some of them murderous?
“If there’s nothing else, milady, I must be off.” Morag had disappeared behind the closed door before Ella could even open her mouth again to speak.She heard the bolt slide home, locking her in.What legend?A girl who was meant to do what? Perhaps it was all just superstition, not at all an uncommon occurrence in the highlands.Or madness, she reminded herself. Though even superstition and legend were usually based on some kernel of truth… madness… there was no help there. But she didn’t have time to think about that. She needed to escape,now, before it was too late. She knew in her gut that if Lord Ross continued his questioning, she would suffer greatly, perhaps even die at his hands.No, surely die, it was just a matter of when, of how long she could last…She shivered as prickly fingers of fear slid down her back.And she had to warn Ceann about his uncle; clearly the man was plotting against his own nephew.Did Ceann know? If he didn’t, he was in great danger. Ceann. She would give anything to be safely at Tulloch right now. Anything to be held safely in his powerful arms. The feeling of longing came over her so strongly that for a moment it overwhelmed even her fear.
She waited for full night to fall, alternately pacing the floor and collapsing on the bed. When at last the light had faded, she pressed her ear against the door and listened. The muffled sounds of breathing and the faint rustle of clothing told her there was at least one guard outside the door to her chamber, and doubtless others at the door of the manor, and more still at the gate.She would never get past them all, even if she did manage to get the door open somehow. That left only the window. She walked over to it and looked out. There was no one in the garden below. In the soft light, she could see the postern gate at the far end, unguarded except for the men on the wall above. They were looking out, away from the keep. If she were lucky, she could slip out unseen, and staying in the shadow of the wall, reach the safety of the trees. Risky, at best, but what other option did she have? For all she knew, Lord Ross could be planning to kill her in the morning, or worse. She had no intention of waiting patiently to find out. The man was pure evil; she did not need one of her visions to know it, she could feel it in her very bones.
Steeling herself, she set about knotting linens together; first the ones on the bed, then the ones she found in the trunk as well. It was not easy with the way her fingers trembled and her eyes kept welling up with anxious tears, but she finally managed to knot them all. She carefully fed her makeshift rope out of the window, watching to see how far down it went. Close enough; she could drop down the last several feet. She knotted the linen rope tightly to the bedpost, then slowly, painstakingly, lest she alert the guards with a sound, she shifted the small bed under the sill. Her heart began to beat wildly as she climbed up into the window, and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. Cautiously, holding on for dear life, she lowered herself over the ledge and began her descent. She crept down inch by inch, her hands gripping the linen, her toes trying to find purchase in between the stones. She moved as slowly as she could, lest her movement attract anyone’s passing attention. By the time she neared the bottom, her arms were shaking and she thought she would not be able to hold on. She did.
When finally she dropped to the ground, she held perfectly still for several moments, breathing deeply and regaining her courage. Then, crawling low through the garden on her hands and knees, she made it to the postern gate. The guards on the wall above were still facing outward, watching for anyone approaching the manor, and so they did not see her push the gate open just enough to slip through, and press herself to the outer wall. It seemed to take forever to sidle her way slowly around to the other side, her back to the cold stone, but when she finally reached the cover of the trees, she gave a sigh of relief, letting go the breath she had been holding. Now she only had to find her way back to Castle Tulloch. Out of the hands of one captor and back into the hands of the other, she thought ruefully. If she was honest with herself, she much preferred being held captive by Ceann; his uncle left a lot to be desired.
She started walking softly into the wood, then running, when she thought she was far enough away not to be heard. She needed to be well away when come morning she was discovered missing.The panicshe had continually held at bay since her capture now gave her the power to run fast and far before she finally tired, slowing back to a walk.
How did I escape so easily? Was it just luck? Her arms begin to sting as the adrenaline wore off and she felt the many scrapes and lashes from her headlong flight through the trees and brambles. Her whole body was shaking now and her legs felt weak and watery.Did they let me escape?Are they following me even now?She hadn’t really let herself consider that possibility before, and she turned nervously to look behind her, panic rising again in her chest. Perhaps they were toying with her, making her think she had escaped only to…
She collided with something hard. She turned quickly and saw a man’s chest before her, and screamed before she could stop herself. Then she looked up at his face. Ceann. She let out her breath, relieved beyond words. Then, in pure reaction to her fright, she drew her fist and punched his arm as hard as she could. “You scared me!Itoldyou not to do that!”Letting out a harsh breath, she collapsed wearily against him.
Chapter 7
Ceann felt his arms come up instinctively around her before he could stop them.Ella.She was battered and scratched and her gown was torn in a number of places. There were smudges of dirt on her face, and her chest heaved as if she had been running some distance. She looked wild and…beautiful. He was so relieved to have her back, more so than he wanted to admit… and then she had hit him.No lass had ever hit him like that, like she did.As if she could do any damage to him with her wee fist. He wanted to smile, but kept his face carefully blank.She still leaned against him, her breath coming fast, and in truth it felt so good he could probably have stayed like that forever, but instead he took her by the arms and held her away so he could look down at her face. He struggled to keep a cold distance, so she would not know he had been worried.Worried, like a man who cared. Bloody hell.“Where have you been lass?” he asked sternly.
She looked up at him, her mouth slightly open in an expression of incredulity, her eyes sparking in sudden anger.“Where have I been? I am kidnapped and locked up and barely manage to escape with my life and you ask mewhere I’ve been?”She aimed her fist at him again, but he caught her by the wrist before she could use it on him. She pulled her hand away with an outraged growl. Behind him, he heard Ethan’s amused snort. He shot him a glare over his shoulder. He had forgotten Ethan was even there. Ethan, and thirty other men. He turned back to the lass before him.“Wehavebeen searching for you, from the moment we returned and knew you were missing…”I was so scared… and I don’t understand why. I’ve never felt scared like that before… and I didn’t like it at all!
She scowled up at him. “Of course you were looking for me. It seems everyone wants me as their unwilling guest lately.You mighthave asked me if I’m alright!”With a huff, she moved past him and took Ethan’s arm. “Take me back to Tulloch Ethan. I’ve had a very long day and I’m tired.”
Ethan took her arm and led her towards their horses. He gently pushed back her hair and examined her face. “Are you alright lass?” He threw a smug look back at Ceann.
