Chapter 13

13

K eira was too tired to do anything but slip into her bedroom just before dawn to find Moira waiting up for her. As soon as she saw Keira, she rushed across the room and gripped her by her upper arms, then shook her.

Keira saw relief and anger in her eyes and instantly felt ashamed.

"I was that worried about ye!" she cried, then began to weep softly, making Keira feel wretched.

"Where have ye been, ye silly girl?"

She looked up into Keira's eyes, shaking her head, and Keira folded her arms around her friend, drawing her close and making soft, soothing noises.

"I am so sorry, Moira. I did not mean to upset you," she said gently. "You knew I had a mission tonight, and I understand why you are upset, but I am well. The guards knew we were coming, but I do not know how. A few of us were injured, but nearly everyone managed to flee, thank goodness. But now Murdoch Holmes knows who I am." She sat down and briefly outlined to Moira what had happened. "So I expect my father will be coming to get me soon." She sighed and put her face in her hands.

"I will pack some clothes for ye, an' ye can run away," Moira said decisively.

"I cannot do that, Moira." Keira was decisive. "I would have to leave you here to take whatever punishment he deems fit, and all for my crimes. I will not do that." She went over to the fire to warm her chilled hands. "I will wait to see what happens, and in the meantime I will prepare myself for the worst. But there is one way out of this castle that even my father does not know about. If the worst comes to the worst, I will use it, and in the meantime I will keep a bag packed just in case."

"I will pack it right away, Keira," Moira said determinedly.

Three days passed, and everyone was readying the castle for the earl's arrival. There was a frantic hubbub of activity everywhere, from the topmost turret to the dungeon. It had been very badly maintained; some of the bars on the cells had rusted, and some needed new locks. The whole place stank of sweat, urine, and mold.

The cracked and uneven flagstones were a nightmare for anyone who had to walk along the passage to the cells in the half dark. Many accidents happened to guards and prisoners alike due to them tripping up and falling on the pitted and bumpy surface.

It had fallen into disrepair because the laird did not enjoy spending money, but now that he was "expecting company," he was obliged to make it secure, although not comfortable. The laird did not care about the state of the dungeons, but he saw reason when Murdoch pointed out to him that the rusty locks and cell bars could be easily broken and allow any prisoners an effortless escape.

Keira, on the other hand, did care about the dungeons. While new locks on the doors were being installed, she took a chance when the workmen were in the kitchen eating, stole the new keys, and made impressions on several bars of her soap. She had done the same thing before, after all, then she reasoned that her father could easily imprison her. Yes, it was a very good idea.

Then she hit a brick wall. Unfortunately, the man who had worked for her the first time was not alive any longer. She could have asked one of her men to find someone to make the keys since they all knew someone who knew someone who could do that kind of work. However, she had called off all their secret meetings now that Murdoch knew who she was. She carefully wrapped the soap in a swathe of linen and buried it at the back of her armoire behind her dresses.

Keira spent hours wondering what was taking Murdoch so long to turn her over to her father. Perhaps he was torturing her by another means, one that involved the mind rather than the body, because she was living in a state of perpetual anxiety and fear now. She had heard of such torture before.

She was waiting for his demands at any time since she was sure he was going to blackmail her, but why was it taking so much time?

Moreover, she needed to know who had betrayed them. She would have trusted any of her men with her life and doubted that any one of them would have done it. However, they might do it if someone had some kind of leverage over whoever it was. What? A threat to their families? The burning of their lands?

She was standing on the first tier of the battlements looking out at all the lands on the estate when Adaira came up to stand by her side. Keira had told her the whole story, so she was not surprised to see her looking dispirited.

"Has he said anything yet?" she asked anxiously.

"No." Keira shook her head. "Every time I pass him, he looks away, and I fear that he is biding his time 'til he can bring some doom crashing down on me. After all, I am sure he is not a wealthy man. He could ask for any sum of money he wishes to buy my silence. I am not rich either, but even if I gave him a few hundred pounds, it would likely be a fortune to him. I do not know what is taking him so long, though."

Keira thumped her fists hard against the stone wall in frustration.

Adaira caught her right hand and held it in her own. "If that happens, Keira, we will stand together." Her voice was firm. "I think of you as my sister, and if you do not have enough to pay him off, I will help you, but I do not think it will come to that."

"Why not?" Keira asked, turning to face her. "He has everything to gain and nothing to lose. What is to stop him from blackmailing me for the rest of my life?"

"He will not." Adaira's voice was firm, and her dark eyes shone with determination as they looked into Keira's.

"Why not?" Keira chuckled. "Give me one good reason."

"Because from what I can see, he cares for you," Adaira said bluntly. "But if you do not believe me, then challenge him. Ask him what he is waiting for."

Keira laughed again. "I will give it some thought. Some more thought, that is."

The rebels could talk amongst each other in one of their houses, but they could not talk to Keira. However, they all understood why. She had become the cornerstone of their operation and was in exactly the right place to carry information to them.

However, now that she had been uncovered, it was impossible for her to meet them, even in their secret place. She could not ride into the village since she knew that she would be watched, and she could not send letters since none of them could read with the exception of Moira. However, since she went in and out of the village to see her family two or three times a week, there would be no suspicion, so Moira became their only means of communication.

As well as the letters, Keira gave her the soap bars in their linen wrapping.

"These are key molds," she told Moira. "I will not tell you to which part of the castle they belong to in case you are intercepted. If you are, throw them away, or better still, crush them. I am sure one of the men knows someone who can make them into keys for me. They will be well rewarded."

Moira looked at the soap bars. "Such a clever lass," she said, smiling warmly and patting Keira's cheek. "Nay need tae ask the men, Mistress. My son Alec will dae it for ye. He is a clever boy."

The next day, Moira met one of the rebels and arranged a quick meeting. She read the letter to them and came back with an answer.

"The lads are restless," she said apprehensively. "They want tae know when they can go on the mission, an' they want tae know more about it. They are startin' tae think yer father is goin' tae win."

"Over my dead body!" Keira snarled. "No, over his dead body! I do not care if the earl is as ugly as sin. My father has no right to hold him hostage to extort money from him and his family. The earl must not reach the village."

Keira was beginning to doubt her own ability to stop the laird. He seemed to be omnipotent, and it would only take one word from Murdoch to topple any plans she had made like a house of cards.

She saw Murdoch occasionally in the corridors, but he would turn his head away or look at the floor, and occasionally he would be conveniently involved in a deep conversation.

Keira could no longer stand the suspense, and one day when she had a blinding headache and had drunk about a gallon of willow bark tea, she decided to go outside for a walk around the castle. Usually she would have taken Moira or Adaira with her, but today she wanted solitude, to be completely alone in the middle of the trees, birds, and flowers. She wanted to empty her mind of all thoughts and lie in the grass on what had turned out to be one of the most beautiful days of the year so far.

Keira donned her oldest dress, the same one she had been wearing when Murdoch had found her in the woods practicing archery. In fact, she was heading for the same place but without her bow. She had taken a flask of ale, one of the new and rare fruits that was called an orange, and a bannock with cheese. She made her way over the bridge out of the castle, then proceeded into the shade of the trees. She was so absorbed in enjoying the dappled sunshine that she did not notice the man coming toward her until she almost bumped into him.

Her eyes opened wide with fright. "Captain," she said as calmly as she could.

She forgot her resolution to challenge him as her courage fled, and she felt a desperate need to be away from him.

Murdoch could not believe his luck. He had wanted to speak to Keira but privately, so he had made for the little glade where she practiced her archery, hoping to find her there. However, he was disappointed to find that she was nowhere to be found. Then, as he rounded a bend in the path, he saw her. His heart skipped a beat as he watched her approaching, and the animal part of him responded at once, stiffening as he saw her.

She was walking with her usual graceful, swaying gait, but her gaze was on the ground, and she was absently kicking at leaves and pine needles as she walked, looking as though she was in a daydream. Her face looked peaceful, and he wondered what she was thinking about. Was she as troubled as he was? All at once, she looked up.

Keira had been walking along, trying to think happy thoughts, when she looked up and suddenly found herself face-to-face with Murdoch. She jumped back with a startled cry, and he took a step forward with his arms outstretched to steady her.

Then, remembering what had happened last time, he stood back and watched her regain her balance before opening his mouth to speak again.

Abruptly, Keira turned away as her courage completely deserted her, but she found her arm suddenly gripped by a large, strong hand. Its grasp was so powerful that no matter how hard she pulled, she could not free herself.

She met Murdoch's eyes furiously.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her eyes blazing with rage.