Chapter 5

5

D uring the next few days, Adaira and Keira became even better friends than they had been already because of their shared secret. They were so alike in temperament and attitude that they could have been sisters instead of stepmother and stepdaughter. The biggest obstacle they both faced was, of course, Keira's father, and Keira could see the tension building up in her stepmother as time went by and it seemed as though nothing was happening.

She was constantly reassuring her that everything was under control while not entirely believing it herself. The band had not met in a few weeks, and no intelligence had come in from the rebels. Neither had she been able to supply any from the castle.

"Have you heard anything about what is happening with the Englishman?" Adaira asked Keira one morning as they were about to set off into the forest for a walk. "I have been listening and have heard nothing, but he is always very careful to keep everything of any import away from me."

"Let us go a little further into the woods first," Keira murmured, "and keep your voice down."

Adaira nodded, then bent to pick up a wildflower from the forest floor, for all the world as though she and Keira were having an ordinary afternoon stroll. They would usually have had a couple of bodyguards behind them, members of the castle guard, but Keira had instructed them to stay at the castle that day. They had protested until she dropped a couple of shillings into each of their palms.

"My husband remarked how close you and I have become lately," Adaira informed her stepdaughter. "He seems to think it is a good thing. He says it will prevent any jealousy between us."

"Really?" Keira laughed heartily at that. "Jealousy over what? Him? He thinks we might fight over him?"

"Yes, he really believes that," Adaira answered, grinning. "If only he knew the truth!"

"Shhh! Make sure he never finds out," Keira muttered grimly. "Or we will all be finished. He killed my mother. I know he did, although I never saw it happen. I saw the young man she loved, though. I will never forget him."

Her throat had begun to close with tears of pure rage. She still had nightmares about that night.

"I am so sorry, Keira. It must have been a terrible experience. But do not fret. I have said nothing to anyone. I swear on my life." Adaira's voice was hoarse with fury. "And if I had a sword, I would strike him down right now."

Keira looked around her. The forest had thickened, and now she felt safe enough to speak. "There is a meeting of our band tomorrow night," she told Adaira. "Do you have your clothes?"

"Yes," Adaira replied. "Moira helped me. She is such a sweet woman."

Keira smiled. "She is. But beyond getting clothes for me, I will not let her become involved in our business. The less she knows, the better, for her own sake. Now, I need to ask: Do you know how to use any weapons?"

"No." Adaira looked shocked. "I have never had to learn such a thing."

"Then I will have one of the men teach you how to wield a sword," Keira said grimly. "You must not be defenseless."

"Can you not teach me?" Adaira pleaded. "I don't think I want a man doing something like that with me. He will have to touch me, and it seems so intimate."

"I am sorry, Addie," Keira answered. "But I would be a very bad teacher. I simply do not have the patience. But I have the very man for you, and we can set up a time for your first lesson at our next meeting."

"At last, I am going to find out where your lair is!" Adaira said dramatically.

"Don't get too excited!" Keira laughed. "It is not exactly a palace, but I will tell you a little about the men who will be there."

Suddenly they heard a rustling sound in the undergrowth just ahead of them, and they paused, waiting for a deer or even a boar to come out of the trees. They were both terrified, and Keira took Adaira's elbow to slowly turn her around to go back the way they had come. Her heart was beating so fast, but she always carried a dagger with her so that she could at least defend herself. However, a wild boar was a formidable enemy. Perhaps if they did not startle it they would be able to escape.

Presently, the bushes parted and the tall, powerful figure of a man riding a grey stallion emerged. He had bright blond hair, a scuff of beard on his face, and he was wearing the uniform of the Castle Guard, and although Keira had seen him many times before, she had never spoken to him except to pass the time of day.

He dismounted and walked toward them, frowning, wondering why the two of them were out on their own.

Keira was quite surprised to see the man, and for a moment, she felt quite fearful. Even though he was employed by her father, he was still a man and a very big one, but something about him awoke her female instincts on a very primal level.

He was extremely good to look at but in a very rugged way, and his muscular arms and wide shoulders told her that he was not a man of leisure. However, he was employed by her father, and that alone gave her every reason to distrust him. She put her hand in her pocket and fingered the dagger, not quite knowing why.

Murdoch, too, had seen Keira many times, but he had never approached her to hold a conversation with her, and now he felt as nervous as he had the first day he had put on the uniform of the Guard. As he walked toward her, he saw her backing away slightly; he had seen many women show a few signs of fear when he approached them. He was a big, powerful man, after all, but he still found it a little hurtful, though he cursed himself for being too sensitive.

"Milady, I must speak with you," he said firmly. His voice was a deep rumble, and as he drew nearer, he could see what he had never really registered in his mind before. She was quite, quite lovely. Lady Adaira was, too, of course, but in his humble opinion, Keira was the prettier of the two by far. He bowed low in front of them, then took out his sword and laid it on the forest floor in front of him. He took a step backward so that he could not reach it.

Keira started as the sword swept out of its scabbard, fearing the worst, but relaxed when he put it down on the ground.

"What are you doing?" she asked, frowning in puzzlement.

"I saw that you both looked afraid, so I disarmed myself," he replied, as he took out his dagger and threw it over to rest beside his sword. "I am not in the business of terrifying ladies."

The two women looked at each other for a second, both thinking the same thing.

"You are quite frightening just as you are," Keira remarked drily.

"You have seen me many times before," he said, shrugging. "It is not my job to harm you but to defend you from harm. In case you do not know my name, it is?—"

"Murdoch Holmes," Adaira finished for him. "Captain of the Guard."

Murdoch nodded. "Aye, milady." He smiled, showing a row of even white teeth.

Keira gulped. Could this man be any more handsome? When their gazes locked again, she found it hard to look away from him. His eyes were a bright apple green and utterly mesmerizing, and he was looking at her in a way that made her body tremble and shiver in a way it never had before.

Eventually she asked him: "What do you need to say to me, Mr. Holmes?"

"I need your help," he replied. "Your father has asked me to root out the source of the rebels or bandits or whatever they are who are wreaking havoc in the area and need to be stopped. I have tried, together with my second-in-command, to do this, but no one will give us any answers. Perhaps if both of you…" He looked at Adaira. "…could come and meet with the ordinary people, we could make them give us the information we need. We could call a meeting in the church just after the Sunday Service."

"I am afraid I cannot help you," Adaira replied. "I have only been married to the laird for a short while, and they do not know me. Besides, the laird would forbid me from doing any such thing. I am sorry."

She turned her back on them and began to walk away slowly.

Keira's heart almost broke when she saw her stepmother walk away. She had so much weight to carry on her slight soldiers that Keira did not want to add any more. A meeting in the church with the locals? Her father would never stand for it. He considered it beneath him to meet with the common folk and usually left it to his steward.

Murdoch looked back at Keira and saw the steely determination in her dark blue eyes. Nobody would ever mistake her for being a weak woman despite her willowy figure. She was strong as a young tree, able to stand up for herself, yet also able to bend in a strong wind. There must be a way to get through to her. Perhaps if I kiss her… He swiftly banished the thought from his mind.

"Will you help us, milady?" he asked, trying to keep the pleading note out of his voice. "These rebels must be stopped."

Keira desperately wanted to say yes. She also wanted to know what it would feel like to be wrapped in his strong, safe arms, and she knew that if she threw herself into them, they would wrap around her and keep her safe from anything. However, she had a duty to the fellow members of her band of rebels, so she pushed down her attraction to him and shook her head.

"I don't wish to be involved in clan matters," she said firmly. "I am here to marry and make an alliance for my father, and I am no more than a broodmare, just as my stepmother is. I have no power, and he does not listen to me. He despises women. If I were a son, I would be of some use, but I am not. I am merely a girl. My function in life is to breed for the clan. Therefore I cannot become involved in clan affairs, and they do not interest me in the slightest. If you want help, ask your men. It is their work, after all."

Murdoch felt a surge of anger inside him. This cosseted, privileged young woman, who had likely never had to worry about where her next meal was coming from, was turning her nose up at the ordinary people who toiled in the fields to keep her in the style to which she was accustomed.

He had been admiring her a moment ago, but he certainly had no such feelings for her now. He bowed politely, picked up his weapons, mounted his horse, and rode in front of them along the path, then urged his mount into a trot and disappeared. Keira stood looking after him, still furious. Yes, he might be the most handsome man she had ever seen, but he worked for her father, and whoever worked for her father was usually not her friend.

Presently, she caught up with Adaira, who noticed her expression straight away.

"What happened?" she asked. "You look absolutely furious."

"That is likely because I am," Keira replied through gritted teeth. "I cannot believe the nerve of the man. He is asking us to do his job for him! I have a fairly good name with our people, but I am not going to work for him." Her tone was scathing. "He is in my father's employ, and that means that he does his bidding. We will tackle this problem our own way, and the best way is by unseating him."

Adaira nodded. "I just hope you know what you are doing, though, Keira." Her tone was apprehensive. "I have heard that Murdoch is not a man to be trifled with. His men never disobey him, and he is very loyal to your father."

"Exactly!" Keira growled. "I am not dealing with a man like that, and anyone who is a friend of my father is not a friend of mine!"

"Or mine," Adaira added.