Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

I vy was having the worst time of her life ever locked in the cell. At first, she had not really believed the men were serious about putting her in there and leaving her alone. Such cruelty did not fit well with what she knew, at least of Liam’s personality. He had even apologized for fighting with her, for goodness’ sake!

She had then been horrified by the sickening stench and sight of the dungeons, but she thought they must have been bluffing. She believed they were only trying to scare her into talking and were not about to lock her up down there.

So, when the laird pushed her inside the cell and slammed the door, telling her she could stay there until she decided to talk, she was truly terrified about what was going to happen to her. Her pride would not allow her to scream and beg as she wanted to though, so she bit her tongue.

As she looked around the dank, dripping walls and breathed in the stench, panic ran through her like wildfire. Fearful stories about the fates of prisoners filled her mind. She had heard of people being eaten alive by rats in such circumstances. As soon as the two men left, after a lengthy whispered conversation, she could hear the creatures scuttling about nearby, sending her to new heights of fear.

The time after them leaving her in the dank, gloomy cell, its accompanying foul odor permeating her nostrils, the sound of water steadily dripping, and the whimpers and groans coming from the other cells, was the worst of her life. She clutched her blanket around her, shivering in the gloom, afraid to sit down on the filthy straw for fear the rats would bite her.

Sometime later—she had no way of knowing how long—when she heard the main door swing open on creaking hinges, her fear reached its peak and stole her breath. What if they are coming tae torture me?

The door to her cell opened, and to her surprise and relief, two servants entered, one carrying a lantern that shed warm light on the horrible surroundings, and a pile of blankets. He looked around for a dry patch of floor and set the blankets down. The other man had a tray of food and a jug of something to drink. He handed it to her directly and said simply, “So the rats dinnae get it.”

“Thank ye,” she murmured as they went to leave, but before he shut the door on her again, the elder of the pair looked back at her.

“That’s by the orders of the laird,” he said, jerking his bristly chin at the items they had brought. “’Tis a damn sight more than other prisoners get.” Then the door slammed shut behind him, leaving her alone once more.

She despised herself for feeling grateful to her captors for this unexpected burst of concern for her welfare. But the lantern light was a Godsend, largely banishing the threatening shadows of before.

Rats dinnae like the light , she told herself, feeling marginally more confident they would not come and try to eat her. Trying to distract herself from her fears, she laid a blanket on the floor over the straw, wrapped herself in the rest, sat down, and forced herself to eat some of the bread, cheese, dried meat, and berries from the tray. It was her first food of the day, and she was starving. If I’m tae get out of this mess, I’ll need all the strength I can get.

The jug contained beer mixed with water, and it soothed her dry throat as she drank it.

By the time she had finished the food, her fear had abated somewhat. Warm and with a full belly, she settled down as best she could in her blankets, tried to shut out the other disturbing noises going on around her, and prayed silently that they would come to let her out soon.

But what good will it dae? They still believe I’m a spy fer Carson, and they’re nae gonnae give up questioning me. But if I tell them the truth about who I am, with Carson already threatening the Laird Stewart and his clan, they’ll likely send me straight back tae him.

He’ll find some way tae punish me for running and then force me tae marry Gael. I’d rather die than havetae lie with that vile creature. I’m caught in a trap, and I cannae think of a way tae get out of it, unless I can convince Liam and the laird tae believe me and let me go.

But the more she thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed, and the lower her spirits sank. The only thing she could hang on to as she fell into a fitful doze in the flickering lantern light was her trust in Liam, that he would not allow her to be hurt.

Liam and Knox were walking back to the laird’s study after dinner.

“She’s been down there two and half hours, Knox,” Liam said as they entered it. “That should be long enough tae scare her intae talkin’, if yer plan works, that is.”

“Aye, I ken. I could tell she was on yer mind all through dinner,” Knox replied. “Ye’re nae goin’ soft on me, are ye, Liam, just because she’s a lassie?” he asked with an uneasy laugh.

“Am I so easy tae read?”

“Aye, ye are.”

“I just dinnae like the thought of her bein’ down there when we dinnae even ken if she’s any threat tae us at all.”

“Remember the ring, me friend. If she can give a satisfactory explanation as tae why she has it, then I’ll be more inclined tae believe her. Until then, I have nae choice but tae regard her as a threat tae me security.”

“Aye, I ken.”

They went into the study and sat down to discuss what tack to take with Amy when they questioned her and what they should do to keep her secure, since neither of them was happy with keeping her in the dungeons. They had been talking for about fifteen minutes or so when Knox’s advisor Magnus tapped at the door and poked his head around the corner.

“Magnus, what is it?” Knox said, beckoning in his trusted friend. Liam had met him earlier. He was an impressive figure, about the same age as Knox, with long brown locks down to his shoulders, and watchful green eyes. His general demeanor struck Liam as serious, but he warmed up around Knox, and it was obvious to Liam that the two men had a deep friendship.

“We have a visitor askin’ tae see ye, Knox,” Magnus said in his gruff voice.

“A visitor? At this hour?” Knox exchanged a wondering glance with Liam. “Who is it, and what dae they want?”

“He willnae say, but he’s requestin’ an audience with ye on a matter of urgency,” Magnus explained.

“What d’ye think? Should I see him or nae?” Knox asked.

“Aye, ye should see him and hear what he has are say. He may have useful information fer us,” Liam said.

“I agree,” Magnus put in with a nod. “He might ken somethin’ about MacAlister.”

“All right then, send him in,” Knox said after a moment’s thought. They rose to their feet to greet the man. After a few minutes, he was shown into the study. He was a tall, lanky, fair-haired fellow with a scrubby beard, dressed like a messenger.

“Good evening tae ye, melaird. Thank ye fer agreein’ tae speak with me,” he said with a short bow to Knox. As he straightened up, he eyed Liam suspiciously. “I’d prefer it if we could speak alone, melaird.”

“This is Liam MacTavish, me war captain. Anythin’ ye havetae say, ye can say in front of him,” Knox told him. “Ye can start by tellin’ us who ye are and why ye’re here so late.” Knox folded his arms and looked at the man expectantly.

“Me names Cormac Loughlin. I’m an ex-scout, but now I work fer whoever pays me, findin’ lost things, and people.”

“Oh?” Liam interjected, studying Loughlin closely. He was well-dressed, but there was something disreputable about the man that he did not like.

“Aye. I’m lookin’ tae find a woman, a young lassie actually.

“Arenae we all?” Knox quipped.

Loughlin gave a weak smile. “She ran away from her weddin’ day just yesterday mornin’, and the man she was meant tae marry is determined tae get her back. He thinks she might be somewhere on yer lands, so he’s tasked me with findin’ out if ye’ve seen her. If ye have, I’ll take her off yer hands.”

Liam tensed, glancing covertly at Knox, anxious he might give Amy away. To his intense relief, his friend shook his head. “I’ve had nae reports of strange lassies bein’ found wanderin’ about. But that daesnae mean she might nae turn up. What daes she look like, this lassie?”

“She’s about twenty, has long dark hair, pale skin, and dark blue eyes, and she has some freckles. She’s tall fer a woman, and slender too. Quite a striking looking lass from what I gather,” Loughlin told them.

Liam hid his concern. The man was describing Amy down to a tee. “She must have some guts tae run from her man like that,” he put in, his admiration for Amy’s courage growing as his dislike for her groom did likewise. “And a good reason. Maybe he wasnae treatin’ her right.”

Lochlin gave a faint sign of annoyance. “I dinnae ken anythin’ about that,” he said. “I’m just paid tae find her.”

“What’s this lass’s name?” Knox asked, as casual as could be.

“Lady Ivy MacAlister,” came the reply.

“She’s a MacAlister, is she?” Knox asked, his voice low and tense.

“She’s the laird’s sister,” Loughlin told him.

Liam struggled to conceal his shock at the information, while Knox erupted into fury, clenching his fists at his sides as he raged, “The nerve of that bastard! If he thinks I’ll lift a bloody finger tae help him, he’s got another thing comin’!” he snarled. “Ye can tell him that if his sister turns up here, I’ll wed her mesel’ and see how he likes that! Now, get out before I have ye thrown out, and dinnae come back.”

Loughlin scowled when he was escorted from the room. When they were alone, Liam and Knox looked at each other.

“Yer wee Amy downstairs is Carson MacAlister’s sister,” Knox said, rubbing his hands together and starting to laugh. “Can ye believe it, man? This is an incredible stroke of luck!”

“If Carson is sendin’ men like that Loughlin out searchin’ fer her, then we can be pretty certain she’s nae spyin’ fer him,” Liam said, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The puzzle was suddenly coming together in his head very satisfactorily.

“Aye. And it explains why she’s wearin’ the ring. If she was runnin’ from this weddin’, which Carson would have arranged fer her, then she must have forgotten tae take it off,” Knox said, pacing the rug excitedly. “If I was that scum’s sister, I’d bloody run fer the hills too. By God, I admire the lassie’s guts fer standin’ up tae that brute of a braither! ’Tis a cryin’ shame I’ll havetae make use of her as a bargainin’ chip, tae get MacAlister tae make peace with me.”

Liam knew it made perfect sense. It was exactly what he would recommend doing. From Knox’s point of view, Amy, no, Ivy falling into their hands was a Godsend. He could buy peace with MacAlister’s sister, and the clan would be safe.

He knew it was crazy to feel so disappointed, but he could not seem to help it. After all the effort she had made to be free, she was going to be sent back to her monster of a brother and wed to her waiting groom. He did not think she would get a very warm reception on her return to Castle MacAlister. But when weighed it in the scales, was her happiness comparable to peace? No, it was not.

“Let’s get her brought back up here and tell her the good news,” Knox said enthusiastically. He opened the door and summoned a guard, commanding that the lady prisoner be brought up from the dungeons. While they waited for her to arrive, they discussed their approach to MacAlister, framing the words to the letter Knox planned to write to him to tell him he had his sister and outline a deal to guarantee peace between the two clans.

Eventually, she was brought in and left standing before them by the guards. She was disheveled, still wrapped in her blanket, blinking in the comparatively bright light of the study. Her face was so white and etched with distress that Liam felt his heart being squeezed once again. What he would have given to remove those lines of strain and see her smile and laugh. But he reminded himself of his duty to Knox.