Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

T here were no carts leaving after dark, and thus, Katherine had to get creative with the truth once she had made her way to the gates.

“There is a lady I must speak to from the village,” she told one of the burly men.

“Are ye going alone, me lady? ‘Tis dangerous tae be out in these parts o’ late, what with the recent attacks.”

“She is meeting me on the road,” Katherine said quickly. “The woman is a seamstress. She is making my wedding dress, and thus, she needs to see me for a fitting.”

It was a downright lie, of course. Her wedding dress was hanging in the closet in her bedchamber. But as the guard nodded, his eyes seem to glaze over, and Katherine had to wonder if he had the first clue of what she was talking about. Perhaps that worked in her favor, for without any fuss, they opened the Jacob gate, a small gate set into the large wooden one, and let her pass.

She carried no torch, and followed the path by the light of the moon. It was not yet full, but it soon would be. If she hadn’t known that the recent attacks had actually been orchestrated by her brother, perhaps she would have been more frightened.

Even with her warm cloak wrapped about her person, the bitter cold of the night nipped at the exposed skin of her cheeks. And as confident as she had sounded to the guard, the long eerie shadows of the trees and their branches gave her cause to shiver and hurry along even faster.

Her nerves were already frayed, having to lie not only to the twins, but to her betrothed’s own men. The wind blowing through the leaves, and the creaking boughs in the darkness of the night, only amplified her anxiety.

Walking down the cobbled street that ran through the village, Katherine was alert to anyone seeing her, and she pulled her cloak even further forward to cover her face. There were few about at such a time, that was until she neared the tavern, where the rowdy sounds and lively music danced through the windows and out onto the night air. Moving across the street, she kept to the shadows, praying that the drunken men stumbling about outside would not notice her.

Her trick worked, and with the sounds fading behind her, she carried on, now leaving the village and heading up to the well, where she had instructed Reginald to meet her.

This journey does seem far longer than the last time I travelled it in a cart. Of course, it does.

Veering off the path, she took the small track that led to the well, and no sooner had she arrived, than Reginald and two others emerged from the trees, just as they had last time.

Even by the small light of the moon, however, she could see his cold, disdainful expression. Knowing her brother, she felt her heart sink and her stomach clench. Any hope of reasoning with him swiftly disappeared along with the idea that he might even consider what she had to say.

“Katherine,” he snapped, clearly not happy to see her.

“Hello, Reginald. Thank you for meeting me.”

Baring his teeth, he said, “I am surprised you are fit for such a visit after your stupidity the other day. What could you possibly have hoped to achieve, running into a fight of such ferocity with grown men? And to what end? To save the laird?” He glared at her. “Am I to be taken for a fool? Clearly, we are not aiming for the same result, sister.”

Given that he had raised the subject, Katherine took her opportunity for fear she might not get it again.

“You don’t understand,” she began. “Things have changed. I tried to tell you the other day, but you would not listen. I do not believe that Domhnall killed our father. We have grown closer over?—”

“You do not believe,” he spat. “And what evidence are you going to produce to verify such a claim, or is it simply your heart taking over your common sense?”

“Reginald—”

“Silence,” he bellowed. “I have not spent copious amounts of time and money to listen to the whinings of a woman who has been blinded by the charms of a wretched Scotsman. I can hardly believe your words, sister. You would choose this man over your own family? After everything I have done for you, you would now betray me and our family name?”

Katherine was so astonished at Reginald’s raging anger that she had no words with which to reply. With her eyes wide and her mouth open, she could only stare at him, partly shocked, partly frightened. Never before had she seen such anger, and particularly, not aimed at her.

For as long as she could remember, he had been cold, distant, unaffectionate, but this was a completely different side of him. She was also feeling confusion. Why was he so determined to destroy Domhnall and his entire family? Why would he not take one moment to consider that the man she had grown to love might actually be innocent?

“Rest assured, Katherine. If you do not follow through with this plan, I will make certain that Laird MacLeod is made fully aware of your part in all of this. He and all his siblings will discover that while you have been in the castle, playing happy families, your real reason for being there has been to spy on them all.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Katherine gasped, now dreading what all of them might think of her if they ever discovered the truth.

“Oh, but I would. I assume, given the circumstances of their parent’s death, that they are already not fond of the English. Imagine how they will react when they discover that you are spilling their secrets to the king.”

“That isn’t true,” she hissed.

“And who do you think they will believe? You, or a letter from a concerned noble, worrying for their safety?” he spat.

He had her to rights, and she knew it. Domhnall had already stated his hatred of the attack. That, coupled with the guilt he suffered over his parent’s death was like wood doused in oil. It would take only a spark to set him ablaze. A spark her brother was clearly willing to ignite.

Katherine gazed at her brother with new eyes, as though he were a stranger standing in front of her. For how long had she veiled his true identity? How long had she ignored what she truly knew? Even in her frightened stupor, it occurred to her that this was her brother’s true state. A cruel, evil man who would sell out his own sister to get his way.

And yet, what was she to do? She was in love with Domhnall, and the wedding was now only days away. Add to that the connections she had made with the twins, and the affection she had grown to have for Magnus. Reginald was willing to sacrifice all of that to get his own way. They would never look at her the same way again. And in truth, could she really deny that she was there to spy on them?

No. I cannot.

While her thoughts were a cascading mess, voices carried across the night air. Voices that were heading in their direction.

Grabbing her arm so tightly that Katherine winced, Reginald pulled her close to his face, and gritting his teeth, he whispered angrily. “You know what will happen if you do not do as I ask, Katherine. The choice is yours. Your time is running out.”

Roughly, he pushed her away again. While she panted and rubbed her arm to try and ease the pain, Reginald and his men hurried into the trees and out of sight. Taking a moment to gather herself, Katherine eventually left the well, and walked out onto the path.

As she was nearing the castle walls and Katherine was wondering if she could get back in with the same excuse a before, she heard some approaching horses.

“Katherine?”

Spinning at the sound of Kai’s voice, Katherine could hardly believe her ears. The twins had told her he had left to collect a friend who was attending the wedding, but what were the chances that it would be his approach that had scared her brother away?

He walked beside his horse, while the woman beside him, walked beside hers. Clearly, they were giving their beasts a rest. That, or they had just decided to walk instead of ride.

“Hello, Kai,” she said, pinning a smile on her face, and doing her best to try and calm her beating heart.

“What the devil are ye doing out here at this time o’ night?” he said, once he reached her.

The three fell into step and continued walking.

“Oh, I just needed some air.”

He gave her a look of disbelief. “And clearly, there is nay air anywhere Behind the safety of the castle walls,” he teased.

Katherine laughed, but did not elaborate. No doubt, he had questions, but she was under no obligation to provide him with the answers.

Looking at the very pretty woman walking beside him, Katherine said, “Are you not going to introduce us?”

“O’ course. Where are me manners? Katherine, this is Ava MacDonald. Ava,” he gestured from one woman to the other, “this is Lady Katherine de Beaumont. Me braither’s soon-to-be wife.” He paused and frowned. “Unless, ye’ve killed him while I’ve been away.” He looked at her intently, still clearly teasing her. “Ye havenae killed him, have ye?”

Katherine beamed a grin, and feeling the heavy tension slip away, the tension that had doused her soul only moments before, she shook her head. “I assure you. Your brother is alive and well.”

“Darn it,” Kai said, snapping his fingers.

“Are you ever serious?” Katherine asked.

“Nae if I can help it. Seriousness is a disease o’ the miserable, and I am determined nae tae catch it.”

Katherine now looked at Ava. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“And I, ye, me lady,” Ava replied in a beautifully soft voice.

“Please, just call me Katherine.”

Ava smiled and nodded, but said little more. Her long golden hair was tied in a braid that draped in front of one shoulder. She was pretty, and yet, her eyes held something within that Katherine found intriguing. As though, even at her young age, for she imagined she might even be younger than Katherine at twenty-three years old, she had dealt with a lifetime of experience.

Rather than slender, she appeared lean, in fact, almost athletic, and yet, as she walked, she still appeared graceful. The light dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks gave her an almost childlike appearance, but Katherine sensed she was anything but.

As the three continued towards the castle, the conversation was a mixture of Kai and Katherine, for Ava spoke very little. In fact, she was the complete opposite of Kai. While he was outgoing, and clearly a charmer, Ava portrayed a far demurer character. It made Katherine wonder how they could be friends at all. And yet, she did not doubt it, for during the conversation, and particularly witnessing their shared laughter and glances, their closeness was evident.

As they reached the castle, Katherine made certain that Kai and the horses were between her and the guards. She did not need any awkward questions highlighting her lies. The lies she had told each and every one of them. The lies she would need to continue telling, for fear of what Reginald might do.

Bidding goodnight to Ava and Kai, Katherine made great haste to her bedchamber, terrified of being discovered, particularly by the twins. Once inside and alone, she flopped down onto her bed in the most unladylike fashion, trying to make any sense out of her racing thoughts.

What am I going to do? What am I going to do?