“Are ye sure there were nae more men behind him?” asked the knife-holding brigand who seemed to be their leader.
“Aye. Nae one followed.”
“’Tis strange to have only one escort for the lady.”
“Well, this one was well-armed,” the second rider replied. “Half a dozen knives and a sword, plus a musket in the saddlebag.”
“And doona forget the coin.” The third one held up a leather pouch. “’Tis enough to keep us in whisky and women for weeks.”
The leader turned his hooded face toward Annie. “And what riches are ye carrying?”
“Besides the obvious,” added one of the men, snickering.
“Aye, we can draw lots who will have her first.” Another man looked inquiringly at the leader. “Unless ye want to be first, Calum.”
“Stop your blethering,” Calum snapped. “We are holding Lady Briana for ransom, nae ravishing.” He sheathed his knife. “At least, nae yet. If the Campbell refuses to pay, ye can all rut her until she is raw.”
Annie still felt dizzy, the conversation swarming around her like a cloud of midges, but slowly the words began to sink in. Apparently these men mistook her for someone of some importance to a Campbell. That might buy her a day or two of time before whoever this Campbell was refused to pay ransom for someone who had not disappeared. It also meant this band was not regular highwaymen out simply to rob. And rape. A cold shiver swept down her spine as she recalled that part of the conversation. The leader had told the men to hold off, but as soon as they realized they had the wrong person… Annie took a deep breath. She still had her knife. Now she needed to collect her wits.
“So what riches are ye carrying?” the leader asked again.
Annie swallowed and lifted her chin. “I do nae carry jewels or coin when I travel.”
“I can check your saddlebag later.” Calum’s cloaked head moved up and down as he appraised her. “’Tis a rather clever disguise for ye to dress as a lad, but ye took a foolish risk with only one escort.”
A lump rose in Annie’s throat as she thought of Niall’s body lying in a ditch. She felt the lightheadedness begin again and willed herself not to faint. “My…guard was well-armed.”
“Aye, but nae match for five MacDougalls.”
So that’s who they were. Was this about a clan feud? Even though the English had implemented the Disarming Act over fifty years earlier, she knew Highlanders still remained loyal to their clans, but she wished she understood more about such things. A wild idea flitted through her mind. It might not work, but it was worth a try.
“Your men must have remained well-hidden for Campbell men nae to notice them.”
The leader frowned. “What do ye mean?”
“Well, we did have several men travelling ahead of us to be sure the road was clear,” Annie said, her mind racing. Surely there must have been other travelers on this road earlier. “Since we should have been in Crianlarich by now, they’ll be coming back to search for me.”
Calum tossed back his hood and she could see the hard lines of his face. His eyes glinted near black in the moonlight. “Ah. I dinnae think your uncle was so stupid as to let ye ride with one guard, although ’twas clever enough of the bastard to nae call attention to ye.” He looked down the road in the direction they had come. “And does he have a rear guard following as well?”
Annie forced herself to smile and managed a shrug. “Perhaps.”
The leader’s brows drew together. “I doona like lasses with sassy mouths. If ye are nae careful, I may let my men have sport with ye in spite of a ransom.”
“’Twould be a fittin’ revenge for what Campbell men did to your sister,” one of the riders said.
“Aye, it would,” another added. “Perhaps just a wee taste of her now?”
“Not now.” Calum turned his hard gaze on Annie. “Ye would be wise to watch your mouth.”
Annie steeled her hands not to shake and hoped her voice didn’t either. “I simply meant that my…uncle…did nae advise me of his plans.”
“That sounds like him. Nae matter though.” He pulled a small sack from beneath his cloak and shook it out. Before Annie could respond, he reached out and pulled it over her head, blinding her. “We will be well out of the way by the time they pass by.”
****
Niall groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Or one eye, anyway. The other seemed to be pressed shut by something damp and hard. He lay still, trying to adjust his senses to where he was. An earthy, somewhat putrid smell filled the air and he realized that half his nose was buried in something slimy. He snorted and pushed himself up to find he was sitting in a grassy ditch still muddied from the last rain.
His head throbbed. Niall touched the egg-size bump along the side of his head and stared at his hand, covered in half-dried blood. How long had he been out? And why? His memory cleared and he remembered the ambush.
