She nodded. “Aye. It was an ambush of Rory MacDuff’s name. But Ivor was able to fight them off, ye ken. Even Eithne managed to kill one of them because they protected each other. We could do that as well.”
“Eithne killed one?” Jonah asked quietly. “And Ivor the other two?”
“I think there were only two dead in the end, but aye,” Myrna agreed. “I dinnae have weapon experience like she does, but I’m a quick learner, I swear it.”
Jonah’s expression hardened as though he’d made some sort of resolution. “Let’s talk about it later tonight,” he said. “Ye could…if ye wanted, ye could come to me rooms.”
Myrna blushed. Shedidlove him, but she hadn’t ever…she didn’t even know if she knewhowto give pleasure to a man. She wanted to wait until she was married when she was sure it would all come to her naturally. “What if…what if Eithne and I came? We could have drinks before we go back to our rooms.”
He gave her a look. “It’s alright, Myrna,” he said, gentle once more. “I dinnae want to pressure ye into anything that ye arenae ready for yet. Maybe itisbetter that both of ye girls come to the room, aye?”
Myrna smiled. There was her Jonah – the one who understood her, the one who cared about her. “Aye,” she repeated. “We’ll be there. Directly after dinner.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, and she believed him.
* * *
Ivor followed as closely behind the men as he could while keeping a relatively safe distance. He still couldn’t understand where he recognized the man he now knew was their leader, and it bothered him at the edges of his consciousness. It was necessary that he remembered, he knew that, but he simply couldn’t place him.
He’d left his horse in Lingow as well, and a good thing, too – these men were sticking to the back roads, making his pursuit difficult if not impossible. He’d never have been able to pass himself off as a traveler like he was used to doing in these situations.
Right now, though, Ivor was up a tree, hiding in the canopy of the forest as he watched the men he was pursuing down below. They were talking too quietly. He couldn’t make out enough of the words, but he knew getting closer would be dangerous.
His indecision was broken when he saw it – a flash of yellow and brown below. A tartan.MacDufftartan. So, they were Rory’s men. Cautiously, Ivor climbed down, sacrificing his sight so that he could overhear. If they were planning something, he needed to know.
Is that where I ken the leader from? When I got Eithne out of the keep?
But no, the leader wasn’t a MacDuff man, not one that Ivor had seen before. So, who was he?
“—tomorrow night,” one of them was saying while Ivor hid behind a tree and listened. “Assuming the lad plays his part.”
“He will,” another assured him.
“We’ll all do our parts,” the leader said. Even his voice was naggingly familiar. “Me brother might be a problem, but I’ll take care of him if I have to. Nothing’s more important to me than making sure this goes well.”
“I didnae trust ye at first,” another man said, “But ye’ve more than proven yerself. When Laird MacDuff takes over, we’ll make sure ye’re left alone. We can even get rid of yer brother for ye if ye like.”
The leader said nothing.
There was silence after that, for so long that Ivor almost fell asleep. His limbs were stiff from staying still, but he dared not move lest he be seen or miss something important.
Ivor thought about what he knew. These men were working for the man who had slaughtered Eithne’s tribe. Their intentions were to capture her once more and force her into being Rory’s bride. There were only a few of them, yet they’d mentioned someone on the inside.
And they seem fully confident that their plan, whatever it might be, will work. They’re sure, in fact. How can they ken that?
How could less than twenty men take a whole keep? How could they attack a woman who was as protected as Eithne? The entire reason that Ivor had been able to leave her behind was that he’d known that there, at least, she’d be safe.
The silence went on and on, and the cold was beginning to hurt Ivor’s bones. He hadn’t slept since setting out after these men, and he was exhausted. He wasn’t sure if or when he’d get a chance to rest again, especially as they were so close now to the target. To her. Maybe now was the only relief he would get from all of this.
He was just beginning to think that he could rest when the leader spoke again. He was a big man, almost of a height and build with Ivor himself. “And I have yer Laird’s word, aye?”
“Ye do,” another man said. “Me Laird is always as good as his word. He never breaks a promise.”
“Remind me of the promise,” the leader said. “I need to be sure ye’re all on board.”
A few men started to laugh before one of them spoke. “If it makes ye feel better. Ye deliver the girl as ye promised, and Clan MacDonnell and all yer people will be left alone. Ye’ll be safe, he’ll be wed, and everybody will be happy.”
Ivor clenched his fists as the shock and anger filled his blood. Because now he knew – he knew where he’d seen this man before. He knew where he’d heard his voice.
