Chapter 7

7

C aitlin froze as panic blazed through her at the sight of her enemy. Beside Dawson was Mr. Phelps, the horrible drug expert, and two brutal looking armed guards.

Dawson said in a commanding voice, "Catherine, I'm so glad to see that you made it home safely! Remember Mr. Phelps? He's here to support my guardianship to ensure your safety. I have the legal documents right here." He pulled several folded papers from inside his coat.

She felt David's tension as he silently evaluated the danger. In a burst of mad inspiration, Caitlin reached over to catch David's left hand. "No need to concern yourself about me any longer, cousin," she said in a bright, cutting voice. "Captain Cameron and I are now married. If I need a guardian, which I don't, it would be him."

"Married? That's not possible!" Dawson stared in shock. "You only met him two days ago! There's been no time to read the banns, much less marry him!"

Recognizing why Caitlyn had claimed they were wed, David squeezed her hand. "We’re hand fasted, which is entirely legal in Scotland." He smiled dotingly at Caitlin.

She smiled back. "It was very simple, Cousin. We clasped hands like this and I said, 'I, Caitlin Jane Wallace, take thee, David Cameron, to be my wedded husband, forsaking all others until death do us part, and thereto I plight thee my troth.'" As she gazed into his eyes, she felt something deep and true blaze between them.

Holding her gaze, David said in a strong clear voice, "To which I replied 'I, David Lewis Cameron, take thee, Caitlin Jane Wallace, to be my wedded wife, forsaking all others until death do us part, and thereto I plight thee my troth.'"

"That's no wedding ceremony!" Dawson sputtered.

"In Scotland it is," Caitlin said crisply as she withdrew her hand from David's. "Those words change everything, so get off my land, Cousin! And keep far, far away from me in the future!"

Dawson's expression changed from confusion to furious determination. "Bedamned to your bloody sham Scottish marriage! It changes nothing!" he roared. "Shoot them both!"

Before Dawson had finished speaking, Sahib reared up with a fierce stallion trumpet of rage. The other horses squealed and jerked away, briefly unbalancing their riders.

As Sahib's forefeet struck the ground under his master's control, there was a lightning flurry of violence that happened too quickly for Caitlin to consciously follow.

The guards raised and cocked their pistols, aiming at David and Caitlin and they were so close that their shots couldn't miss.

David whipped his pistol from its holster and shot the right hand guard, his bullet blasting the pistol from the man's hand in a spatter of blood and screams. He instantly shifted his weapon and disarmed the other guard with equal efficiency.

A raging Dawson yanked his own pistol from his coat and aimed at David.

Caitlin's hand jerked from the recoil as she shot Dawson before he could fire his weapon.

Scarlet blossomed on Dawson's chest. Disbelieving, he gasped, "You little bitch!"

He crumpled and slid to the ground as the acrid scent of gunpowder filled the air and echoes of the shots ricocheted from the stone farm buildings.

It was all over in a handful of heartbeats. Shaking, Caitlin lowered her pistol and steadied her horse, on the verge of fainting. She didn't even remember drawing her pistol. Surely she hadn’t just killed a man! But she couldn't deny the sight of Dawson's lifeless body sprawled on the icy cobblestones. Since David had used both barrels of his pistol and hadn't had time to reload, if she hadn't acted it might have been his body on the ground. The thought was gut wrenching.

The only unwounded visitor was Mr. Phelps, who was fighting for control of his frightened horse. "What are you doing? " he cried in terror, "You really are mad! Both of you!"

David had already reloaded so he trained his weapon on Phelps, his hand steady. "Didn't you notice that Dawson ordered his thugs to shoot us? It was self defense." His hard gaze moved to the wounded guards. "Be grateful that I wasn't shooting to kill."

Swearing viciously, one of the men snarled, "You bloody ruined my hand!" as he tried to calm his horse, his right hand a scarlet mess.

"At least you're still alive," David said, still holding his pistol at the ready as he watched the guards. "Murdering innocent strangers is no way to earn a living."

Caitlin couldn't wrench her gaze from Dawson's body. "I didn't mean to kill him," she said in an agonized whisper. "But when I saw him aiming at you, it…it just happened."

"It's difficult to kill another human being even to save a life," David said quietly as he reached over to catch her right hand while holding his pistol steadily in his other hand. "But Dawson would have been hanged for kidnapping and attempted murder so this was justice delivered early. Do you know this Mr. Phelps?"

The question steadied her nerves. "He's the physician who drugged me till I was unconscious, then supplied the Dawsons with the drugs they planned to use to murder me. Surely that's a hanging offense in England and Scotland!"

Phelps gasped. "You were fighting and screaming like a mad woman! The drugs were to calm you down so you wouldn't hurt yourself!"

"If you had been kidnapped, gagged, and chained for no reason, wouldn't you scream and fight?" she snapped, her furious gaze holding his.

He shifted uneasily on his horse. "When they said you were mad, I had no reason to disbelieve them. You'd just lost your uncle and delicate young females have been known to be driven mad with grief. But I was very careful to explain how to dispense the drugs so they wouldn't give you a dangerous dose."

"They used that information to calculate how much would be lethal," Caitlin said flatly. "They planned to bring me back to Braewood and murder me here because that would arouse less suspicion than murdering me in Newcastle far away from everyone who knew me."

Phelps paled. "You're lying! I consulted with the Dawsons because they were so concerned about you. I would never participate in a murder!"

"Perhaps not knowingly," David said dryly. "Did it never occur to you that the Dawsons were lying about their goals?"

Phelps hesitated, looking ill. "My patients have always sought cures or reduction of pain. Sometimes family members might have wanted to end the pain of a dying loved one. That is…not a subject that is ever discussed. I certainly never would have been party to the deliberate murder of an otherwise healthy young woman!"

"Do you believe him, Caitlin?" David ask, his gaze as steady as his weapon.

She frowned as she considered his question. "He didn't come often and I remember him warning them not to give me too much of the drugs he supplied. He may not have meant to help them murder me, but he was mostly interested in selling them his vile concoctions for outrageously high prices. He had no interest in me as a person or patient."

David gave her a quick glance. "So not a man of great character. Shall I shoot him for you?"

As Phelps gasped, Caitlin looked at Dawson's sprawled body and shuddered. "No. Mr. Phelps was stupid and arrogant and greedy, but not a murderer, I think."

"Should we let him go?"

When Caitlin nodded, David made a dismissive gesture with his pistol. "You can tell Mrs. Dawson that her husband is dead, killed as he attempted to murder Caitlin and me. In the future, treat patients with more compassion and intelligence, Phelps, and give thanks that Miss Wallace is so fair-minded."

"I will," the physician said in a choked voice before wheeling his horse around and bolting toward the road that led away from Braewood.

Fergus's son Andrew came running from the direction of the house, "Caitlin!" he called out. "Are you all right?"

She saw that he'd brought her shotgun, which she'd left in her kitchen. Voice unsteady, she replied, "Well enough considering that my vile cousin just tried to kill David and me."

Andrew swallowed hard as he noticed Dawson's body and the wounded guards. "I…I see. Now what?"

"Does your father have a secure place where the guards can be held until they can be taken to the chief constable in Jedburgh?" David asked.

Andrew nodded. "Yes, there's a cellar store room with strong locks that can hold them until the roads are clear enough to transfer them to town."

"Very well. We can tie Dawson's body to his horse and take him and his thugs to Dunglass." He glanced at the sky. "There should be time enough to go there and return before it gets dark. Caitlin, do you want to stay here and rest?"

The thought was tempting, but Caitlin shook her head. "I should go. At Dunglass we can write our statements to send to the Sheriff's Court along with the prisoners."

"That's a good idea," he agreed. "Andrew, did you see enough of what happened to also bear witness?"

"Yes, I was in the library reading when I heard gunshots. I grabbed Caitlin's shotgun and came out in time to see most of what happened. You and Dawson's brutes were all so close to each other that it's amazing you and Caitlin weren't injured. " He nodded at David. "That double-barreled pistol of yours is a bonnie weapon!"

"I bought it in London when I passed through on my way home from India." He grimaced. "I didn't expect that I would need it so soon."

David began organizing the next steps. His quiet natural authority was a fine example of leadership in action, Caitlin realized. He had surely been a very good officer.

David and Andrew worked together to lash Dawson's body to his horse's saddle. David personally bandaged the wounded hands of the prisoners while asking that Caitlin keep her eyes and her pistol on them. They were surly but resigned.

They all mounted and set out. As she rode beside David. Caitlin said, "I'm guessing you trained Sahib to rear up and threaten the enemy?"

David smiled. "Sahib likes learning new tricks. That one has been very useful, along with his steady nerves when there's gunfire."

No wonder he'd brought his splendid horse all the way from India. Sahib deserved oats for his supper after they returned home.

"What do you think will happen to Dawson's guards? Will they be hanged?"

David shook his head. "I don't think so. They threatened us but didn't actually cause harm. My guess is that they'll serve some time in prison, or possibly be transported. We can hope they've learned the error of their ways."

"Unlikely." After a long silence, Caitlin said, "I shot Dawson because you'd emptied both barrels of your pistol and there was no time to reload. But you're a seasoned soldier. Could you have avoided his shot without my help?"

"Perhaps, but I'm not sure," David said slowly. "Everything was happening so quickly! I'm very grateful for your swift action and steady hand. You have warrior reflexes."

"Then I'm glad I shot him." She shuddered. "And I'm glad he's dead. I don't think he would ever have given up trying to get his hands on Braewood."

"Probably not," David said. "Will Mrs. Dawson want vengeance?"

Caitlin considered. "I don't think so. The Dawsons were united in greed, but I don't think they actually liked each other very much. They seemed quite well off, so she won't starve. I should be safe now."

"I'm very glad to hear that," he said warmly.

After that, there was little conversation, but the silence was peaceful. She was deeply grateful for David's steady, understanding presence at her side.

She thought back to the horrific moment when David's life was in danger and realized with rising wonder that she seemed to have fallen in love with him. Though they'd only just met, danger and honesty had dissolved the usual barriers and brought them together.

At least she thought that was what happened. She'd never been in love so she wasn't entirely sure what love was like. But as she glanced sideway at David's calm profile, she felt that she was learning fast.