Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

T he following morning when they awoke, Tadhg's headache from the beating he had taken was troubling him again. Alana wasted no time in hurrying up to the infirmary to enlist Moira's help in finding an effective painkilling potion for him that was not the hated willow bark tea.

However, when she entered the room and greeted Moira, she immediately noticed that the usually cheerful healer did not seem herself. Moira was usually bustling about, a paragon of industry, making up potions and poultices and so on. But today, her greeting for Alana was subdued. She hardly smiled, her eyes were red, as though she had been crying, and she seemed tired and distracted. Alana was immediately worried for her.

"Moira, what is the matter? Come and sit down and tell me, please,'" she urged the older woman kindly. Taking the healer's hand, she gently led her over to a seat at the table.

"Aye, thank ye, lassie, I think I will," Moira agreed, obediently sitting in the chair which Alana pulled out from the table for her.

Alana took the chair next to her. "Now, what has upset ye so?" she asked, putting a comforting arm around Moira's shoulders. "Is it too much work weighing ye down? I can help ye with that, ye ken. Ye only have tae ask."

"Nay, lassie, 'tis nae that, though I might well take ye up on that kind offer sometime. 'Tis just that I havenae had a very good night's sleep, and I'm very tired," Moira explained.

"Och, I'm sorry tae hear it. Would ye like me tae fill in fer ye here while ye take a wee nap?"

Moira shook her head. "That's kind of ye, but dinnae fash yersel'. I'll get over it."

"Did somethin' keep ye awake then?" Alana asked.

"Aye, it certainly did. Did ye nae hear the messenger in the wee hours? He came clatterin' intae the courtyard right by me window, shoutin' about havin' urgent news and demandin' tae speak tae Blaine right away."

She shook her head. "Did he now?" Alana replied, her curiosity more than piqued. "Well, we heard naethin', but our chamber's further back, so 'tis nae surprisin', I suppose."

"Ye're lucky," Moira continued with a small frown of annoyance, "The fella made such a row, it woke me up. It unsettled me somehow, and I couldnae seem tae get back tae sleep after that, so I'm feelin' awful weary today."

"Och, bless ye. I'll fetch ye some tea, that'll perk ye up maybe," Alana told her, going to the fire to heat up water. "I wonder what was so urgent the messenger had tae make such a racket in the middle of the night," she said over her shoulder as she bent over the hearth, unable to help fishing for Moira's opinion on the matter. "Maybe 'tis news about the laird."

"Aye, pray tae the Lord it is, lassie, and good news at that," Moira said decisively, suddenly shivering and pulling her shawl more tightly around her despite the blazing fire. "We need him tae come home. He's a good friend tae me. Things just are nae the same without him. Blaine's nae a proper replacement if ye ask me. The place daesnae feel right with Laird John gone."

"Well, I dinnae ken what it was like before he was taken," Alana told her as she served the older lady a strong cup of tea from the teapot. She had no idea what sort of a laird her father was, only what sort of a father he wasn't. "But I have tae agree, things dinnae feel right around here. But I suppose that's natural, in the circumstances. 'Tis nae everyday yer laird gets abducted."

"Aye, lassie, ye've hit the nail on the head there. In all me long days, I've never kent anythin' like this." She shook her gray curls with sad wonder.

Alana stayed a short while longer, trying to bring some cheer to the old lady. As they chatted, she worked on making up a potion out of crushed, boiled valerian root for Tadhg's headache. "I must go and give him this fer the pain," she told Moira when it was ready. "But I'll try and come back a bit later tae help ye make up the day's medicines, eh?"

"Thank ye, child, that would be grand. I'll hope tae see ye later then," Moira replied with a smile of gratitude as Alana gave her a final wave and disappeared out of the door.

Several hours later, Tadhg awoke after taking the draught Alana had given him. He rubbed his eyes, realizing his headache had gone and that he felt much better. He looked around, expecting to see Alana nearby, but she was not in the room. He frowned, hating not knowing where she was. Deciding to go and look for her, he got up, had a wash and a shave—feeling much fresher for it—before getting dressed and heading out to find her.

He was pleasantly surprised on his way down the stairs to see Knox coming in through the keep doors into the vestibule. He went to greet him at once. "Hello, me friend, what brings ye here today?" he asked curiously as the two men shook hands heartily and slapped each other's backs in a manly fashion.

"'Tis good tae see ye, Tadhg," Knox replied with one of his merry smiles. "I've come tae see Blaine and the council. It seems there's a problem with some of the documents I brought with me last time. But I cannae seem tae find them."

"I cannae help ye there," Tadhg replied. "I only just woke up a short time ago. I was lookin' fer Alana. Have ye seen her by any chance?"

Knox shook his head. "Nay, I've nae seen hide nor hair of her while I've been lookin' around'," he said regretfully.

Just then, Blaine appeared and when he spotted them, he grinned and came over. "I heard ye were lookin' fer me, Laird Stewart," he said after he had greeted them. Tadhg noticed he seemed particularly pleased with himself, and when he met Tadhg's eyes, he said, "Just the man I wanted tae see."

"Oh, tae what dae I owe this pleasure ?" Tadhg asked, his distrust of the man flaring up. But Blaine did not answer. Instead, he looked over Tadhg's shoulder.

"Och, good, here she is," he murmured. Tadhg turned to see Alana hurrying down the stairs. She spotted him and waved, but he saw her hesitate for a moment when she spied Blaine. However, she soon seemed to decide to join them and hurried on down.

"Hello, gentlemen."

"Alana." Blaine nodded a greeting.

"Hello. Knox, what a nice surprise tae see ye back again," she told the laird, smiling at him genuine affection. But Tadhg could tell by her eyes that she was on edge. He wished he could ask her why, but with Blaine standing there, he thought better of it.

"Always a pleasure tae see ye, Alana," the Laird Stewart replied, bowing and kissing Alana's hand gallantly.

"Well, this is fortuitous indeed," Blaine suddenly declared, beaming at Alana and Tadhg in a way that set alarm bells ringing inside Tadhg's head. "Now ye're both here, it saves me the trouble of comin' tae find ye."

"And why would ye want tae find us?" Tadhg asked, catching Alana's hand in his and squeezing it as he pulled her gently to his side. He wanted there to be no confusion in their host's mind about who she was with.

"I've just called an emergency council meetin', and ye're the guests of honor," Blaine replied.

"So, that's where ye've all been hidin'," Knox exclaimed.

"Aye, the council is already assembled in the chamber," Blaine supplied, turning to him. "I dinnae think it will be a long meetin', Laird Stewart. Make yersel' at home in the meantime, and we'll talk afterwards, eh?" He gave Knox's arm a friendly slap.

Tadhg thought he saw Knox's smile falter a little, but he decided he could have imagined it. In any case, Knox did not return the comradely gesture. Instead, he said, "Aye, all right. I'll go fer a stroll outside. See ye all a wee bit later." Bowing again to Alana and with a friendly nod to Tadhg, he left them and disappeared outside.

Blaine looked questioningly at Alana and Tadhg. "Well, are ye comin'? The council is waitin' fer us," he said.

"Is it necessary fer us tae be there?" Tadhg asked, having the distinct feeling Blaine had something up his sleeve.

"Och, aye, I have important news I think ye'll both want tae hear," Blaine said, nodding vigorously.

Alana looked up at Tadhg. "It could be about me faither," she whispered. Then, without waiting for Tadhg to respond, she nodded at their host and told him, "Aye, we're comin.'" Slipping her arm through Tadhg's, she added, "Lead the way, Blaine."

The profound hush that fell in the council chamber when the trio entered made Tadhg feel very uneasy. Something was in the air; he could sense it. And the many eyes he sensed upon him did not feel particularly friendly.

"Good day tae ye all, gentlemen, thank ye fer answering me call so promptly," Blaine said to his advisors by way of introduction when the three of them were seated. "Ye may have heard that a messenger arrived last night, and I can now confirm that he brought some very interestin' news with him."

Tadhg looked around the council table. Blaine had his audience rapt. The councilmen were all looking at their temporary leader expectantly. He wanted to tell Blaine to get on with it. When he exchanged a glance with Alana, she rolled her eyes, and he knew she was thinking the same.

Blaine seemed to be relishing the moment. He calmly took a paper from his coat pocket and unfolded it before turning to fix his eyes on Tadgh first, and then Alana. "I have finally obtained proof of what we all suspected. It seems that Lady Alana here and her husband," he put a sarcastic emphasis on the word that made Tadhg's hackles rise, "Tadhg MacTavish are nae actually married."