Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

M inna did not intend to go straight to the castle, but to the village. If the worst happened to her she wanted to tell the inhabitants of Cairndene where she had been and let them know that she had not forgotten them.

Accordingly, she ran all the way into the village, glad that she was wearing her breeches and not her dress. The moment she arrived at the end of the street one of the children screamed, "Mistress! Mistress!" and threw herself into Minna's arms. Minna staggered back and almost fell, but managed to right herself, laughing at the delighted expression on the little girl's face. Bridie was all of five years old and one of Minna's favorite children because of her happy, enthusiastic nature.

"Where have ye been?" she asked, touching Minna's cheek as if to make sure that she was real. "We missed ye."

"I have been visiting a friend who was very sick," Minna replied. "I did not have time to tell anyone. I am very sorry."

"Is your friend better now?" Bridie asked earnestly, her big blue eyes wide with concern. Minna wished the little girl was her own sometimes.

"Yes, much better now," she replied, smiling. "All she needed was a wee bit of rest." She bent down and set Bridie down on the ground, then smiled at the crowd of people who had come to greet her. Everyone wanted to know where she had been and how she was, of course, and Minna told them the same story she had told Bridie, since she did not want to tell them the truth in front of the children.

The villagers were hanging back, because like most country people, they were superstitious. Minna might be a ghost or some other species of malevolent spirit. However, after a few more moments, when she called aside Senga Smith and asked her to send the children away for a little while so that she could speak to the adults, they relented.

This was duly done and the adults all sat on the ground around the well while Minna explained what had happened. She took a deep breath. "I am not a ghost," she said. "But I nearly was. I think my brother tried to kill me."

There was a collective gasp of shock as Minna spoke, but she raised her hand for silence as everyone started to talk at once. "Let me explain. As you know, my father took Cairndene Castle by force, and when he died, my brother Jamie inherited it. You know that he is not only a bad Laird, but a very bad man, and no Laird at all. When I was coming to see you a few days ago, he met me on the road. We had an argument by the side of the loch and he pushed me in. A man rescued me and looked after me for a few days, because my throat was sore, and I was very weak. That is where I have been."

"But Mistress," Senga asked. "Who is this man? Where does he live?"

"I can't tell you what his name is because I do not know it," Minna lied. "And he kept his face hidden from me the whole time I was there. As for his home, he made me vow not to tell anyone where it is. He is a very private person, a hermit, you could say. I am well, and that is all you need to know."

"But Mistress, where will ye go?" Archie Findlay asked.

"What a stupid question, Archie!" Craig McLeod said scathingly. "She can stay wi' us of course!"

There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the villagers and it warmed Minna's heart to see their kindness and goodwill. "Thank you all, but you have little enough to go around already," she pointed out.

"Well, your brother gave us a sovereign," Archie told Minna. He went on to tell her about Jamie's visit to them, and how he had given them the coin after seeing the village. "It was no' an act o' charity, though, Mistress," he hastened to add. "It was as if he was tossin' a bone tae a dog. It was an insult, really, but we were glad tae get it. We a' had a bit more tae eat this week."

"I am so glad," Minna said fervently. "I was so worried about all of you, but I had no way to get in touch with you. Now I have to go. I have something to do, and I must do it alone." Then, before anyone could say another word, she was gone. She heard the villagers protesting behind her, but it was too late. Minna was on her way, and nothing was going to stop her.

As she ran along the road to the castle her heart was beating furiously. Would Jamie be waiting for her? Would the guards intercept her as she stepped inside? She had no idea if they even knew she was still alive.

She stopped for a moment at the end of the drawbridge and squared her shoulders, then took a deep breath and began to walk forward. As she advanced, she saw the guards' startled expressions, especially as she greeted each one by name.

"William," she began. "Mick, Malky, Callum. How are you?"

The men stepped back from her, startled at first, the more superstitious among them wondering if she was a ghost. The chambermaids and stable hands stared at her with open mouths and some fled, screaming in fright. Minna walked determinedly past them in her breeches and boots, both filthy by now, then barged past the guard who stood in front of Jamie's office, crashing into it so hard that it banged against the wall and shuddered for a full minute.

The first thing she saw when she entered the room was Jamie lying on the couch, but he was not alone. There was a pretty young woman, whom Minna recognised as one of the housemaids, with him, and they were kissing passionately. However, as soon as the young woman saw Minna she squealed in fright, scrambled to her feet and pulled down her skirt, then ran past her without a backward glance.

He sat up, frowning and growling irritably, but when he saw his sister he yelped in terror, then ran further into the room, and put his big desk between them, his eyes were wide with fear. "Who are you?" he bleated.

"Who do I look like?" Minna asked contemptuously. "I am your sister, you fool!"

"My - my sister is dead!" he said fearfully, backing even further away. Minna saw his gaze dart to the open door, but he had retreated to the furthest point in the room away from it, and would have to run past the ‘ghost' of his sister to reach it.

She grinned at him, a slow, evil grin that made her bright blue eyes glint, not with merriment, but with pure rage, then she began to slowly creep around the desk and advance towards him until she was close enough to reach out and touch him.

As soon as Jamie felt his sister's fingers touching his hand, he flinched and drew back. As she folded her arms and stood in front of him, she saw him shake his head and begin to relax. "Your hands are warm," he stated. "You are not a ghost. But how can you be alive?"

"No," Minna agreed. "I am not a ghost, I am alive, and I am your nemesis. I am going to see justice done on you. You tried to kill me, and I know you poisoned our father. He was a horrible man and I was glad to see the back of him, but I did not wish him dead." She backed away to put some space between them then strode to the door. "You deserve to die for what you have done." Her voice was a low growl.

By this time, Jamie was beginning to recover his bravado. He was in a fortified castle full of his own men, all loyal to him. His sister was a lone, unarmed woman. What did he have to fear?

"And do you intend to kill me?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief as he gave Minna a mocking smile. "Because if you do, sister dear, please remember that I am twice your size and I have dozens of guards who are loyal to me around me."

Jamie took one step towards her, but Minna folded her arms and stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated.

"Are they not loyal to me too?" she asked pointedly. "Do they not also follow my orders?"

Jamie could think of nothing to say, for this fact had not even crossed his mind. He glowered at her, then, with more agility than she thought he possessed, he darted around the desk and grabbed Minna's hand. He dragged her out into the atrium, where dozens of guards and servants stood, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly Minna saw Lorna, her face a mask of distress, and her own resolve hardened. If her brother was allowed to do what he had been doing for the last few years, the estate would be ruined. Perhaps if Jamie killed her, it would make the clan chief come to his senses and intervene. Was it worth it? She had tried everything else. She was shaking with anger and fear, but she was determined.

As they emerged in front of all their witnesses, Jamie folded his arms, squared his shoulders and tilted his chin, trying to look every inch the lord of the manor as he looked down his nose at her.

"You can go now, Minna," he said loftily. "We all know how brave you are, and how much you care for our people. There is no need to throw your life away."

"I was taught to fight with a sword when I was a girl, Jamie," she reminded him. "I was far better at it than you were."

"And how long ago was that, sister?" he sneered. "You were barely in corsets then! I am far stronger than you are, so admit defeat now while you still can. Honor is satisfied."

"I am not in corsets now!" she growled, pointing at her breeches and boots. "And I will fight like a man if I have to!"

"Let her fight, Jamie," Brody Tarrant, a visiting friend who had just arrived from Millrig, said carelessly. "She will not win, and you don't want to look like a coward, do you?" He looked at his cousin with a challenge in his eyes.

Jamie was being backed into a corner. He stared at his sister for a moment. He had every advantage; he was taller, stronger, he had a longer reach, and he could likely take Minna's head off with one swipe of his sword. What was stopping him?

When he admitted it to himself he felt afraid, but not because he thought Minna might beat him, but because she was his sister, and he had some finer feelings for her. Did he love her? She was nothing but a constant irritation to him, but she was his sister, his flesh and blood. Then he reminded himself that she wanted to basically take over the running of the estate, and he would look like a complete fool. No. He could not allow that to happen. His pride would not let him.

Jamie took the sword that Brody was handing out to him, and a guard gave Minna his own. "Good luck, Mistress," he said under his breath.

Minna gave him a brief smile then turned back to her brother. She had never really taken much notice of how tall he was before, and how long his arms and legs were. She had never been so scared in her life, but she kept her expression defiant and angry, not wanting him to see her inward terror.

"Are you ready to die, Minna?" he asked, grinning. "There is still time to change your mind, you know. I will not hold it against you."

"Are you ready to die, brother?" Minna countered, raising her chin and giving him a smug smile.

Jamie swallowed nervously when he saw Minna's cocky attitude. She was definitely not intimidated, he thought, and his confidence dipped as she gave him another wicked grin.

"Come, brother, dear!" Minna taunted him. "What are you waiting for?"