Ella hung her head further. “Aye. He is a good and generous man. Truly I am not worthy of him.”
Ross began to pace slowly in front of her, his hands clasped behind his back. His graying hair was pulled back into an impeccable queue; his face would have been handsome but for the malice written there.
“Whether or not the bairn is my nephew’s, a child born in wedlock is legitimate under the law,especiallyif the man claims him.”
Ella heard a small gasp escape her lips. “How can you do this to your own brother’s son? What kind of man follows his greed at the expense of his own flesh and blood?”
“Ah lass, I was born the younger son. Artair was handed everything, while I’ve had to fight my way up in the world. Is that fair? I only have this manor because of my brother’s so-called generosity! I will not let the unfortunate order of my birth hold be back from my destiny.”
“You are mad.”
“I am not mad, only reasonable. Had my dear brother not made a pact with the devil, he would have died without issue, and Tulloch would already be mine! Ceann is not even the child of Artair’s wife, he is bastard-born!An unnatural thing that I should have done away with long ago, instead of biding my time like a fool.”
“You are a fool, if you think you’ll get away with this!”Oh, yes Ella, that will scare him, she chided herself. “What are you going to do with me?” She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.
Ross turned to her and put a finger to his lips in a parody of thought. “I think I’ll keep you locked up for a while, my dear, until I decide if the child is of any worth to my claim.” He turned to look at her, his eyes glinting darkly. “Of course, after Ceann meets his unfortunate end, I could perhaps take you as my wife. Aye, that would surely strengthen my claims to Tulloch, if I were to wed the poor unfortunate widow. But I’ll have to think more on it, now that I have you here. Itwouldbe a shame to waste such beauty with an untimely death.”
The coldness of the smile he offered her made a shiver run down her spine.Oh God, Ceann.Ross meant to kill him. And he would come here after her, she knew he would. He could be walking into a trap.
“He won’t come here.”
“Who won’t?”
“Ceann. He won’t come after me. He will probably be glad to be rid of the burden. He only married me as a kindness, after all.”
Ross came closer until his face was directly in hers. She pulled back in disgust. “You know what lass? I don’t believe you.” He whirled away from her. “Guards! Take her to the east solar. Be sure she stays there this time, or it’s you heads”!
Two days. She had been locked in a room for two days without seeing anyone but the guard that left her food and water but would not speak a word to her. She paced the floor, her desperation growing by the minute. Where was Ceann? God, what if he had already been killed! No, she would feel it in her blood if he were gone, wouldn’t she?For all she knew, Ross could have already taken Tulloch. The not knowing was eating her up inside. Then the first pain hit, clenching low in her abdomen. “No!No!” He won’t have my child…
Everything was in place. The plan had taken two precious days to lay out, but he would not risk Ella’s life in a hasty attack. He had placed spies at Rossmoor months ago, and so he knew that she was still safe, locked in a tower room. Ross must be mad to have taken her, but then he couldn’t have known Ceann would go to the ends of the earth to get her back. Ross was a dead man, and he would be the one to take him down.
Finally, just at dusk, the signal came. Ceann stormed toward the gate, where the guards already lay dead, long before they could sound the alarm. He shouted his battle cry as he ran, surrounded by some of the best-trained warriors in all of Scotland. Ross had anticipated their attack, but not their strength or their fury.Ceann entered the hall and skidded to a halt. The clash of swords and daggers echoed all around him, along with the screams of fallen men. The warm rich tang of fresh blood reached his nostrils, fueling his frenzy. Ross was there, standing near the head table, his sword drawn, hatred written on his face like a mask.
“Ceann, you little whelp of a hoar! Have you come for your woman? Perhaps she doesn’t want you anymore, now that she’s been in a real man’s bed!”
Blind fury overcame him, swallowing him whole, and Ceann drove his sword right through his uncle’s heart, before the other man even knew what was coming. He drew close and looked into his eyes, wide with shock, and twisted the sword, “You are no man Ross, you are the very devil.” He withdrew the sword, and watched, panting in reaction, as his uncle fell lifeless to the floor. He took only a moment to wipe his sword clean of the taint before he ran for the stairs. The guard in the hall saw him and reached to pull out his sword, but not before Ceann had run him through. “Damn”, he whispered, as he wiped it clean onceagain on the guard’s clothing. Then he turned to the door, kicking it open as if it were made of bark and not solid oak. When he saw Ella, a jolt of fear hit him hard in the gut. She was kneeling on the floor, arms wrapped around her middle, agony etched on her face.
“God, Ella! What is it? Did he hurt you?” He rushed to her, lifting her easily in his arms even as she cried out in pain.
“Ceann, thank God! I didn’t know… thank God!” She gasped for a breath as her body clenched yet again. “Maggie. I need Maggie!”
Without another word, he ran with her in his arms until he reached his horse, hidden in the wood behind the manor house, trusting that his men had already cleared the way for them.
He rode hell-bent for Tulloch, holding Ella tight to his chest. She cried out in pain again, clutching his arms and trembling against him. He saw the blood which was soaking her gown. Why was there so much blood? Panic filled his chest anew and the miles seemed endless.If I lose her now, I will surely die.
At long last he could see the tower, then the walls, and then he was flying through the gate and into the bailey. He roared for Maggie even as he slid from the horse, Ella in his arms. She had gone quiet now, limp. He continued to bellow for Maggie as he ran, until he passed her at the bottom of the stairs as she rushed down, her face a mask of concern and fear.“You found her! Thank God, you found her!” She turned and followed him up, not able to keep pace with his long strides. Ethan fell in behind her.
“What is it, Maggie? Is she alright?” His voice was tight with worry.
She didn’t answer because they had reached the chamber door where Ceann had laid Ella down on the bed, and was frantically stroking her hair and calling her name. Maggie turned to Ethan, her face set in a business-like expression.
“Keep him away from her so I can work.” Then she turned to the doorway, where a small crowd had already gathered. “Fiona! Fetch hot water, linens, all the usual supplies.”
The woman ran to do her bidding, and Maggie shut the door, leaving the others in the hallway to wait and wonder.
Ethan was struggling to pull Ceann away from the bed, talking to him in a placating tone, words of reassurance that Maggie knew what she was doing. Ceann did not hear him. He moved away for Maggie when she came to the bedside, but his eyes were still wild with fear. “Help her! Do something!”
Ella opened her eyes at his shouting.“Ceann?What happened?”
