“What are ye daeing? Unhand me!”
“Ye are nae leaving, Anne. I hae sent Finlay off tae dae a wee job for me. I’m gaeing tae keep ye here tae make sure that he does as he is told. He is a liar, but there’s something about ye… I think he might genuinely care about ye, if he’s capable of caring about anything at all. Either way, we shall find out soon. Consideryerself my guest and enjoy everything that my establishment has tae offer,” he flashed a grim smile and Anne glanced to the window, fear blazing in her eyes.
Rory huddled outside. Although the shutters were closed, the tavern was in a state of disrepair and some of them were broken. He pressed his face against the window and waited for his vision to adjust to the dim light inside. He saw his sister walk in and felt a flare of shame. He wanted to be in there with her, to make sure that no danger came to her. He didn’t trust Finlay, and he thought it was foolish of them to go to such lengths to save a man they barely knew. Anne had never let her heart rule her head until now, and Rory wondered where this was going to lead. He grit his teeth and his entire body was tense as he watched her move deeper into the tavern, reaching Murdoch. Rory was hidden behind a crate, obscured from the view of other people. A shadow shrouded him as well.
Murdoch took the coin. Rory breathed with relief. He hoped that this would all be over soon. They were still talking, though. Anne looked troubled. What had Murdoch said? Had he killed Finlay already? While Rory wasn’t heartless, he thought that perhaps this wasn’t the worst outcome. Anne would be sad, of course, but at least they could go back to doing what they did best. Besides, soon enough Rory would be old enough to work himself and he could make an honest living. Anne wouldn’t need anyone else.
A few moments later, Anne rose from her chair. Rory relaxed and prepared to move himself. Then Murdoch grabbed her. Anger flared inside Rory’s young body and his hand shot to his waist, his fingers curling around the hilt of his dagger. Anne’sbody language changed. She was frozen with fear, and panic was in her eyes as she looked at the window. It was clear that she wasn’t going to be able to leave. This whole thing had been a trap, and now Anne was at the mercy of that murderous criminal, and it was all Finlay’s fault.
Rory clenched his jaw and looked around the tavern. For all of his bravery, he knew that he couldn’t fight Murdoch’s men alone. He was still just a boy, and he cursed his youth. He longed to be a grown man already with the strength that came with it. Things would have been much easier then, and he could protect his sister properly. As it was, he had no allies, no friends, nothing aside from a heart beating with panic.
But he couldn’t just stand there and let Murdoch hold his sister captive. She had warned him against going to the guards, but she was an innocent girl who shouldn’t have been put in this situation. It was all Finlay’s fault, and surely nobody would want this kind of crime to happen right under their noses? The McLeod clan was noted for their willingness to protect people, so he thought they would protect Anne, and if he couldn’t go to the guards, well, he would just have to go to the Laird himself. Rory said a small prayer and then rushed towards the keep, hoping that he would not be too late.
17
“Does it feel good tae be back?” Gavin asked. Finlay glared at him. They rode through the village at a slow pace, halted constantly by the undulating crowd that never ended. They were accompanied by another of Murdoch’s guards, so Finlay’s hopes of escaping were slimmer. He wasn’t willing to do anything drastic anyway, not when the safety of his father and Anne depended on him fulfilling Murdoch’s wishes. He had done many nefarious things over the years, but those had all been in the name of survival. This was different. He wasn’t some common criminal, and he definitely didn’t want to be lumped in with Murdoch’s lot.
And worse, by the end of all this, Anne would find out the truth about him. Whatever hope of love had fluttered in his heart would be dispelled and he would go back to being the shadow of the man he used to be.
“Oh, it’s grand,” he said dryly, turning away from Gavin. He didn’t want to look at the man. All these years Finlay had wondered how one of his own could have accused him of doing something he hadn’t done. He had racked his brains trying tothink of who might have seen him as an enemy, but hadn’t been able to come up with anyone. He never even considered Gavin. The two men had patrolled the keep together. They had shared brandy to keep them warm on cold nights and shared bawdy jokes with each other. In retrospect, he should have known it was Gavin as the man had often passed envious glances at the treasury whenever they passed it, remarking that the Laird had so many treasures that he should share them with his people. Finlay had just thought it regular grumbling at the time, but clearly, it had been more than that.
“Sae ye switched yer loyalties tae Murdoch?” Finlay asked.
Gavin rolled his shoulders. “He tends tae treat his men better. He lets us get away with whatever we want, while the Laird is still stingy with his wages. I mean, look at all of this,” he gestured around to the celebration, “he can afford tae put on a feast like this, but does he share with anyone else? He likes calling himself generous, but that generosity hae never found its way tae me.”
“Sae instead ye betrayed me, ruined my life and my reputation.”
“Life is a war, Finlay. It was naething personal. I dinnae even think they would discover the sword was stolen. When they did, I hae tae think quickly. Ye would hae done the same thing in my position.”
Finlay looked at Gavin with a level gaze. “Nae, Gavin, I would nae,” he said softly. Gavin looked away and avoided looking directly at Finlay until they reached the keep. They rode around the building, avoiding the main entrance because the servants were carrying out grand platters of food. The amusements had already started outside, with jesters plying their trade and making people laugh. A tight crowd gathered, but it was easierto move once they reached the servant’s entrance, which was hidden away from the distracted eyes of the crowd.
Finlay had spent many days and nights patrolling this route, making sure that no villains dared intrude upon the keep. Now he was one of the men he used to protect the keep from. The irony was not lost on him, and he wished there was a better way. But even if he tried to alert the guards, they wouldn’t believe him. Instead, they would take him into custody for stealing the sword in the first place, and they would never believe him if he tried to blame Gavin. Even if he did manage to get the matter straightened out, Murdoch would have ample opportunity to punish Brandon and Anne in the meantime. The only thing Finlay could do was carry out this task and then hope that an opportunity presented itself to take revenge against Murdoch’s actions and make sure that Anne was safe.
Hopefully, by now she had found her uncle, at least that would afford her some protection.
Finlay and the other bandit were waiting outside while Gavin entered the keep for the main entrance. The servants’ door was always kept bolted to stop anyone from sneaking in, so Gavin had to open it from the inside. Gavin had apparently kept his reputation with the Laird intact despite working with Murdoch, so he did not cause any commotion by entering the keep. By now it would be largely deserted anyway, with the guards more concerned about keeping people outside safe. Everyone was here for the celebration and despite the keep’s vast size, it was not big enough to hold everyone. The hallways would be empty, the chambers vacant, and everything was ripe for a daring crime. The Laird must have thought that nobody would be stupid enough to try and steal from him when so many people were in attendance, but that was a sign of arrogance on his part.He should have known better than to underestimate Murdoch’s avarice.
“Ye are here? Ye monster,” a voice filled with rage sounded behind him. Finlay turned to find Rory standing there, bristling with anger. He was only a boy, yet boys could be dangerous too. Rory scowled. He looked like a wild animal. Finlay was confused.
“What are ye daeing here, lad? Ye should get away,” Finlay tried to warn him, knowing that Murdoch would not like unexpected occurrences in his plans. He knew the bandit beside him was already reaching for his sword, and goodness knows what Gavin would have thought if he opened the door to find Rory standing there. He would probably act before he had a chance to think, and that would be bad news for Finlay and Rory.
“I came here tae get help for Anne, because ye hae endangered her life,” Rory said, jabbing a finger in the air.
“What? I hae done nae such thing,” Finlay protested.
“She’s with Murdoch right now, being held in his tavern. She went tae pay yer debt. She tried tae save ye, but ye are nae even a prisoner,” Rory’s voice was filled with disdain. Despite being young, he had a strong moral code and it was clear he had no sympathy at all for Finlay. He was right to do so as well, Finlay thought, for Anne was in danger. Finlay noticed they had been together from the beginning. It had struck him as odd that the merchant would allow his niece to wander through the world with a young apprentice as her only companion, but clearly, he was fiercely devoted to her and willing to protect her.
“Ye should gae back tae where ye came from, boy,” the bandit hissed. Rory ignored him though. He only had eyes for Finlay.
“She trusted ye. Dae ye know how much she sacrificed tae help ye?”
“I…I never asked her tae.”
“Ye dinnae need tae,” Rory said. He had closed the distance between them to just a few feet. The other bandit bristled with tension. Finlay couldn’t think straight. He was filled with immense guilt. It pervaded his heart and made him sick to the stomach. Anne should have known better than to interfere like this. She should never have tried to approach Murdoch. What was she thinking?
He knew exactly what she was thinking, and it was a bittersweet feeling because his heart soared with elation, just as it drowned in the depths of despair. The only reason he could think of why she did this was because she loved him, because she thought that he was the son of a Laird and would likely marry her if she saved his life. The passion they shared had touched her heart and she had been unable to ignore it, even when he told her that he could not marry her, even when he tried to pull away from her. But there was something tethering them together, something that neither of them could deny, but it had put them both in danger.
The fear and unease he felt quickly turned to anger. The only reason he had agreed to help Murdoch was to ensure the safety of the people he cared about, but Murdoch had gone against that agreement already.
