Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

B laine MacIver was in possibly the best mood of his life. He walked his horse along the high-banked lane, a couple of his best armed men riding at his back, whistling a merry little tune.

He was returning from a short trip to oversee an arms purchase, and before heading back the castle, he intended to keep the appointment he had made before sending the infernal MacTavish out on the fictitious scouting mission. He smiled to himself to think that, by now, the fearsome warrior would have realized the whole thing was a trap. A trap that would end in his death.

Within a few minutes, the sprawling outline of the MacIver lands appeared before him, sharpening his excitement. He and his men rode into the cobbled courtyard of the inn, dismounted, and hitched their horses to the rail provided.

The trio entered the bar, which at this early hour was almost empty but for a few diehards. "Go and have a pint, lads," he told his companions. "I have some business tae take care of, but I'll nae be too long." The men went off to the bar, seemingly happy at the prospect of an ale. Blaine left them and slipped through to the vestibule. He was about to start down the rickety staircase leading down the inn's cellars, when the door below flew open, and a heavyset man came careering up them and almost crashing into him.

"What the devil d'ye think ye're playing at, Lawson?" Blaine complained angrily, shoving the man in the chest. "Ye almost sent me flyin'. What's the rush, eh?"

"Sorry, Sir, I didnae ken ye were there," Lawson replied contritely, pulling off his woolen cap and giving a rough approximation of a respectful bow.

"So, what's the hurry? Ye have what I want, d'ye nae?"

"There's been a… development, Sir. I was hurryin' tae tell ye about it," the lackey replied, cowering on the stairs.

"What are ye talkin' about? A development ? Are ye sayin' ye dinnae have what I want?" Blaine asked, his good mood starting to fade.

"Nay, Sir, I have it, I assure ye. But I seem tae have somethin' else as well."

"Stop talkin' in riddles, will ye?" Blaine demanded, his irritation rapidly rising. "I'm runnin' out of patience." As though to underline his point, he grabbed Lawson by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back up the stairs before setting him on his feet. "Now, what are ye mitherin' about, ye dummart? Hurry up and tell me or I'll kick ye back down those stairs."

Lawson turned his cap nervously in his hands, a picture of servility that made Blaine despise him. "Sir, I dinnae ken how it came tae pass. Me associates did all that ye asked. But when they took the man last night as ye commanded, they brought back the woman that was with him too," he explained.

Blaine felt like he had been pole-axed. Had he not made sure to send Tadhg alone on the scouting mission? "Woman? What bloody woman?"

"She says she's Lady Alana MacIver," Lawson said, cowering like a whipped cur.

The news was so startling that for a moment, Blaine could hardly take it in. "Christ Almighty!" he exploded, seeing his carefully laid plans shot to pieces. He put a hand to his head and turned away from Lawson to hide his confusion, fighting to gather his scattered thoughts.

"All right," he said finally, turning back to the waiting Lawson. "I want ye tae punch me, here." He pointed to his chin.

"What, Sir? Punch ye. Nay, I cannae dae it," Lawson replied fearfully, backing away. Blaine seized Lawson's grubby neckcloth in his fist. He put his face close to his and stared down at him menacingly. "Punch me on the chin, I tell ye, or I'll send ye tae the bottom of those stairs as sure as eggs are eggs," he hissed. "Jaysus, man, ye stink like a cess pit!" he added, screwing up his face in disgust as he thrust Lawson away.

He stuck out his chin, to give the smaller man a helping hand. "Go on then, hit me, and dinnae pull yer punch. This has got tae look convincin'."

Still looking doubtful, after a few moments of hesitation, when he realized his employer was serious, Lawson drew back his meaty fist and punched him.

With pain splintering in his head, Blaine staggered back but managed to remain on his feet. He tasted blood in his mouth, and when he licked his lips, they felt sore and swollen. Blood ran down onto the front of his padded leather vest.

"I said tae punch me on the chin, ye bloody fool. Ye've gone and split me lip," he complained, nursing his face. Lawson ducked just in time to miss being cuffed around the head. "Ach, well, maybe a bit of blood will help," Blaine added after some consideration, using his sleeve to staunch the crimson stream trickling down his chin. "Now, go and fetch me men from the bar," he commanded. "Tell them there's been a change of plan."

A few minutes later, Blaine and his men rushed down the stairs and burst through the door into the cellar, doing their best to look as though they had fought their way there. "Get out of me way, ye bastard!" Blaine yelled, immediately launching himself at the guard, who put up only token resistance before sliding down the wall onto the floor, his nose bloody.

With that charade satisfactorily completed, Blaine spun around and rushed to where Alana was tied to a chair, just as Lawson had said. "Alana! Are ye all right?" he cried, genuinely worried for his future bride.

"Aye, I'm all right, but Tadhg's hurt," she replied at once, looking stunned at his sudden appearance. "Can ye help him, please?"

"Of course," Blaine said, signaling to his men. "Untie him and give him a drink," he commanded, assigning himself the task of freeing her.

"But what are ye doing here? How did ye find us?" she asked, rubbing the red marks on her wrists as he loosened her bindings.

He stooped to untie her ankles. "I was worried about Tadhg, so I sent a man after him tae help him," he told her. "That was how I kent something bad had befallen him. I had nae idea ye were with him. I'm so sorry ye've gotten mixed up in this nasty business. Thank God I was able tae rescue ye both."

"Aye, thank God," she echoed, able to stand up at last but he noticed she looked at him suspiciously. Blaine could not help marveling at how beautiful she looked, even after her ordeal. What a grand wife she'll make , he thought. "Thank ye, Blaine, I'm sure Tadhg will thank ye when he recovers a bit. The other man was beatin' on him," she explained, hurrying to help Tadhg as Blaine's men finally dispensed with his bonds and lifted him up out of the chair. Blaine's men stood either side of him, propping him up with their shoulders.

Blaine watched with silent resentment as Alana ran to her husband and touched his face with all the tenderness of a loving wife. "Tadhg, can ye hear me?" she asked solicitously as the battered warrior found his feet and started to regain his senses. Her relief was sickeningly obvious when Tadhg peered at her from swollen eyes and managed to nod.

"Naethin' a good healer and a few drams willnae fix," he mumbled thickly through his split lips.

Blaine felt like puking when she stood on her tiptoes and planted a sweet kiss to Tadgh's bloody, swollen lips. The bastard MacTavish should have been good and dead by now, his body dumped somewhere in the wilds, to be discovered in days or maybe weeks, half eaten by animals but still identifiable. Alana should have been a widow, one he would comfort and, eventually, get to marry him.

"Come on, let's get ye out of this place and back tae the castle," he said, hiding his displeasure at her attachment to MacTavish.

"Aye, I cannae wait tae tend tae Tadhg's wounds and wash the filth of this place off," Alana said as they prepared to leave. Blaine made sure to offer her his arm and help her up the stairs. Outside in the courtyard, he was surprised when Tadhg pulled away from his men and made for a barrel full of rainwater standing nearby. The warrior appeared steadier on his feet and dunked his head in the cold water for several moments, clearly in a bid to recover from the beating he had received. Blaine wished with all his heart he had been the one to meter it out before slitting the man's throat.

He ordered one of his men to give up his horse to Alana and Tadhg. "Can ye ride?" he asked the warrior, feigning concern. "Alana can ride with me if she likes."

The look Tadhg shot him from beneath his blackened eyelids was laden with suspicion. "Thanks, but I'm fine tae ride, and me wife will ride with me." He reached down a mighty arm and effortlessly lifted Alana into the saddle, setting her in front of him. Blaine was careful not to show that he took the move as an insult.

They had not ridden very far when Tadgh suddenly said, "I owe ye me thanks fer rescuin' us."

"Och, I'm yer host and, I hope, yer friend. I could nae let naethin' happen tae ye," Blaine replied. "I feel bad about sendin' ye off alone like that as it is," he lied.

"So, ye launched a rescue mission, eh?" Tadhg continued. "With only two men?"

It was obvious to Blaine from the man's tone that he did not believe him. How he held himself back from attacking Tadhg's then and there he hardly knew. But with Alana watching, what else could he do but be brazen it out? "I didnae ken the situation, and I thought it best to come with a small party tae avoid raisin' suspicion."

"Well, things worked out well fer ye in that case," Tadhg replied coolly. "Me and me wife are deeply grateful tae ye," he added, with all the sincerity of a roadside peddler selling false cures.

At least, that was how it sounded to Blaine, and his burning hatred for Tadhg roiled in his guts like crayfish being boiled alive. "Nae need fer gratitude," he said eventually, summoning another false smile. "I could nae let any harm come tae Alana, and naturally, the same goes fer her husband."

Just as Tadhg half expected would happen, when they got back to their chambers, Alana fell apart with delayed shock. As soon as the door shut, she all but fell into his arms, tears rolling down her cheeks, sobbing into this chest.

"Oh, Tadhg, I was so frightened fer ye. When I saw that man beatin' on ye like that, I thought I was gonnae die! And I could dae naethin' tae help ye," she mumbled through her tears.

His heart clenched to hear how much she cared about him, hardly thinking of what she had been through. "'Tis all right, bonny lass, ye're safe now, and ye neednae worry about me. I'm as tough as old boots, eh?" he crooned, holding her, stoking her hair gently, letting her cry herself out. "It's been a terrible ordeal fer ye."

He supposed he should feel bad for taking her with him, but he could not regret his decision. To have left her alone with Blaine would have been even more dangerous, he knew that now. The man could not be trusted, and he had a good idea of what Blaine's original intention for him had been. The scouting mission had been nothing but a trap. He meant tae kill me fer sure.