Saving Grace

  The whispered request came from an elderly woman. She held a tray in her hands but hesitated in the doorway until she was given permission.

  "You may," Johanna called out.

  The woman hurried inside. She used the back of her foot to push the door closed.

  "Baron Raulf ordered me to serve you," she said as she walked closer.

  "You're a Gillevrey," Johanna guessed when she spotted the colorful plaid.

  "I am," the woman replied. "And you're Laird MacBain's wife, aren't you?"

  "Yes," Johanna answered. Her voice was sharp, for she was in a hurry now to gain some answers the Gillevrey woman might be able to give her.

  "Are there guards posted outside this door?"

  "There is one," the servant answered.

  "How many in the hall below?"

  "Too many to count," the woman answered. She put the tray on the foot of the bed. "My laird's locked in the cellar, m'lady. They're treating him like a common thief. He sends you an important message. I was allowed to carry food to him early this morning, and he whispered the words he wanted me to repeat to you."

  "What is his message?"

  "The MacBain will avenge this atrocity."

  Johanna smiled. The servant looked expectant. "Does your laird require an answer?"

  "He does."

  "Then tell him, yes, the MacBain will certainly avenge this atrocity."

  The woman gave a brisk nod. "And so it will be done," she whispered.

  She sounded as though she was in prayer. "What is your name?" Johanna asked.

  "Lucy," the woman answered.

  Johanna scooted off the bed. She held onto her plaid with one hand and offered her other hand to the woman.

  "You are a good and courageous woman, Lucy," she whispered. "And now I have a favor to ask of you."

  "I will do anything I can to help, m'lady. I'm old and surely feeble, but I will diligently try to serve you."

  "I must find a way to stay inside this chamber for as long as possible. Are you good at lying?"

  "When it's called for," Lucy answered.

  "Then report to the baron that I am still sleeping soundly. Tell him you put the tray down but didn't disturb me."

  "I'll do it," Lucy promised. "The baron doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get you downstairs, m'lady. He's pacing with impatience, but only because the man he sent for has still not arrived."

  "What man?"

  "I didn't catch the name," Lucy said. "But I heard what he was. He's a bishop, and he's living somewhere near the Lowlands."

  "Bishop Hallwick?"

  "M'lady, please lower your voice. The guard will hear you. I didn't catch the bishop's name."

  Johanna's heartbeat quickened. "Of course it's Hallwick," she muttered.

  "Will the bishop help you, m'lady?"

  "No," Johanna answered. "He's an evil man, Lucy. He would aid Lucifer if there was gold involved. Tell me this, please. How did you know Baron Raulf sent for anyone?"

  "No one pays me any attention because I'm old. I can act dotty when I set my mind to it. I was standing near the corner of the hall when the soldiers came inside to take over our laird's home. The baron didn't waste a minute giving his instructions. He sent six men to ride to the Lowlands. They were to escort the bishop back."

  Johanna rubbed her arms to ward off the chill she felt. Raulf had been quite methodical in his plans. She wondered what other surprises were in store for her.

  "I'd best get downstairs before the baron notices I've been in here so long, and you'd best get back under the covers so the guard will see you're sleeping when I open the door."

  Johanna thanked the servant and then hurried to do as she suggested. She stayed in bed a long while, waiting for the summons to come.

  Raulf left her alone. The blessed reprieve lasted until the following afternoon. Johanna spent a good deal of her time staring out the window. The hills below were covered with English soldiers. She thought they probably surrounded the keep on all sides.

  How was Gabriel going to get to her?

  She straightened her shoulders. That was his problem to worry about, not hers, she decided. But Lord, how she wished he would hurry up.

  Lucy came back into the chamber late that afternoon. She carried another tray of food.

  "They've been coming and going all day long, m'lady. Now men are fetching pails of hot water and bringing up a wooden tub. The baron has ordered a bath for you. Why in heavens he'd think about your comforts now is beyond me."

  "He thinks I'm going to marry him," Johanna explained. "The bishop's here, isn't he?"

  "He is," Lucy answered. "There's another baron down below as well. I heard his name. He's called Williams. He's an ugly one all right with his frizzled dirt-colored hair and black eyes. He and Baron Raulf have been arguing most of the afternoon. It's a heated fight all right, and wouldn't it be a blessing if they killed each other and saved your husband the bother?"

  Johanna smiled. "It would be a blessing. Lucy, please stay and lean against the door while I bathe."

  "Then you're going to accommodate the foul man?"

  "I want to look as pretty as possible for my husband," Johanna explained. "He will be here any time now."

  "Will you put on the English gown?" Lucy asked. She pointed to the corner where Johanna had thrown the garment.

  "I will wear my plaid."

  Lucy nodded. "I'm going to fetch you clean underclothes when I go get the soap and drying cloths," she said.

  Johanna carried through with her determination to wear her plaid. She knew Raulf would be furious but she was also certain he wouldn't strike her in front of witnesses. She would have to make certain she was never left alone with him. She wasn't at all certain how she would achieve that miracle, and damn it all, where was Gabriel?

  She absolutely refused to consider the possibility her husband might not be able to get to her in time, and whenever a worrisome thought popped into her mind, she pushed it away.

  She took her time bathing. She even washed her hair. Then she sat on the side of the bed to dry it with the cloths Lucy gave her. The servant insisted upon brushing her hair for her, and when she was finished and the curls fell just so about her shoulders, Lucy declared she looked as beautiful as a princess.

  The summons came an hour later. Lucy was wringing her hands when she repeated the order. Johanna was extremely calm. She knew she couldn't put off the confrontation any longer.

  She put in yet another request to her Maker to help Gabriel get to her in time, tucked her dagger in her belt and covered it with a fold from her plaid, and then went downstairs.

  They made her wait at the entrance for almost ten minutes before bidding her to come into the hall. Raulf and Williams were standing at a round table on the opposite side of the room, arguing about a paper Williams waved in his hand.

  The two barons were opposite in appearance yet quite similar in temperament. They snapped at each other like mad dogs, one with his shock of white hair and the other with his brown-colored locks and black soul. They were both hideous to her.

  Bishop Hallwick was also in the hall. He sat in a tall-backed chair in the center of the room. He held a scroll in his hands and appeared to be reading the thing over and over again. Every other minute or so he would shake his head as though in confusion.

  The bishop had aged considerably in the past few years. He looked sickly, too, for his complexion had a yellow cast to it now. Lucifer must be dancing with anticipation. Johanna thought to herself. Hallwick was old and worn out, and it wouldn't be long before he was welcomed home by the devil himself.

  Johanna noticed a movement above. She looked up and spotted Lucy making her way along the balcony. The servant was pausing at each chamber and pushing the door open before moving on. Johanna assumed she'd been told to air out the chambers.

  "But I will take the stand that this marriage is only a formality, a renewal of our vows if you will," Raulf announced in such a loud, angry tone of voice that J
ohanna heard him.

  Williams nodded. "Yes," he agreed. "A renewal. When the pope and our king settle their differences, we'll send these explanations to Rome. I doubt Innocent will involve himself in the matter anyway."

  Raulf turned then and spotted Johanna standing in the entrance. He frowned when he saw what she was wearing.

  Williams ordered her to come forward. Johanna did as she was commanded. She didn't cross the room however, but stopped when she was several feet in front of Bishop Hallwick.

  He nodded to her. She ignored him. Williams noticed her slight.

  "Have you forgotten to kneel in the presence of a man of God, Lady Johanna?"

  The sneer in his voice disgusted her. "I do not see a man of God in this room," she answered. "I see only a pathetic mockery dressed in priest's black garb."

  Both barons looked quite stunned by her opinion. Williams was the first to recover. He took a step forward. "How dare you speak to Bishop Hallwick with such disrespect."

  Raulf nodded. The look of fury in his eyes was chilling. "When the holy bishop hears your confession and gives me your penance, Johanna, you will regret your rash outburst."

  She saw Hallwick nod out of the corner of her eye. She still refused to look directly at the old man, however, and kept her attention on Raulf.

  "Hallwick isn't holy," she announced. "And I will never kneel before him and give him my confession. He has no hold over me now, Raulf. He teaches blasphemy against women. He is, in fact, a despot and an evildoer. Nay, I will never kneel before him."

  "You'll pay for your sins, woman."

  The bishop's scratchy voice was filled with malice. She finally turned her gaze to him. "And you will pay for the terrible punishments you've inflicted upon all those honorable women who turned to you for counsel whose only fault was in believing you were God's representative. They didn't realize as I do what a monster you are. I wonder, Hallwick, if you fear going to sleep at night. You should, you know. You're old and sick. You're going to die soon, and then, by all that is truly holy, you will be made accountable for your tortures."

  The bishop staggered to his feet. "You speak heresy," he shouted.

  "I speak the truth," she countered.

  "Tonight you will learn your opinions should best be kept to yourself," Raulf announced. He nodded to Williams and then took several steps toward her.

  She didn't back away from him. "You are a fool, Raulf. I won't go through any pretense of remarrying you. I already have a husband. You seem to have conveniently forgotten that important fact."

  "She cannot want to stay with the barbarian," Williams said. "Her mind has been broken, Raulf. That's why the demons speak through her."

  Raulf stopped. "Have you been possessed by an evil spirit?"

  The bishop latched onto the possibility at once and vehemently nodded. He turned to walk toward the side doorway which Baron Williams now blocked. "She'll have to be purified before she can speak her renewal vows," he declared. "I'll get the holy water and the stick, Baron. You'll have to beat the demons out of her. I don't have enough strength."

  The bishop was out of breath by the time he finished explaining his errand. He wheezed his way across the chamber. Johanna didn't show any outward reaction to the threat just given. She tried to keep her expression as serene as possible.

  Raulf was watching her closely. "You do not seem to be afraid of what is going to happen to you," he remarked.

  She turned her attention back to him. He looked both angry and confused. She laughed. "It's you, Raulf, who has become possessed if you believe I would ever prefer you to my laird."

  "You cannot possibly love the savage," Williams blurted out.

  She kept her gaze directed on Raulf when she gave her answer. "Oh, but I do love him," she replied, her voice strong with conviction.

  "You're going to be punished for such treasonous and disloyal remarks against me," Raulf threatened.

  She was neither impressed nor frightened. She tilted her head while she considered the man who had so terrified her in the past. Raulf looked pitiful to her, and she was suddenly so filled with loathing, she could barely stomach the sight of him.

  He could never destroy her. Never.

  "Do you honestly believe you and Williams and Hallwick are superior to one Highlander? You really are fools," she added with a shake of her head.

  "We are King John's closest advisers." Williams shouted the boast.

  "Ah, yes, King John," she scoffed. "The three of you are worthy company for each other."

  The derision in her voice was a slap to Raulf's pride. He was visibly shaking with his anger now. "What has happened to you?" he demanded in a harsh whisper. "You never would have spoken to me with such blatant disrespect in the past. Do you feel safe because you are in Scotland? Is that it, Johanna? Or do you believe I'm so overcome with joy to have you back I will overlook your slander against my character? You would do well to remember the pain you suffered in the past because of the necessary punishments you forced me to measure out. Aye, you would do well to remember."

  She wasn't cowering away from him. Raulf was confused by her behavior. He didn't see fear in her eyes. He saw defiance.

  "Tonight I will show you what happens to a wife who has forgotten her place," he threatened.

  He thought to terrify her and knew he'd failed when she simply shook her head at him.

  "What has happened to you?" he asked again.

  "You are too ignorant to ever understand what happened to me," she replied.

  "The Highlanders have done this to her!" Williams shouted.

  Raulf nodded. "There's no similarity between us and Scotland's waste," Raulf muttered.

  She nodded. Her quick agreement gave Raulf pause. Then she clarified her position. "You have spoken your first truth," she said. "There are no similarities between you and my Gabriel, and I thank God for that. You have vowed your love for me a thousand times in the past and then used your fists to show me how very much you love me. Gabriel has never told me he loves me, yet I know he does. He would never ever raise a hand against me or any other woman. He's honorable and courageous and has a heart and a soul as pure as an archangel's. Oh, no, you two are nothing alike."

  "How dare you speak such blasphemy!" The veins in the sides of Raulf's neck stood out from the force of his scream.

  She knew she was provoking his rage, but she couldn't stop the words from pouring out. It so offended her that he dared consider himself superior to any Highlander. His opinion of himself was perverse, and she was determined to set him straight.

  "Show me the companions you keep and I'll tell you who you are. My mother taught me that valuable lesson, but I doubt either one of you will understand the meaning behind it. I happen to keep very good companions. My clan's my family, and each one of us would die to keep the others safe. They're all proud and honorable men and women."

  She shook her head at the two barons. Disgust echoed in her voice when she continued. "Nay, you can't understand. How could you? You don't know what honor is. Look at your companions. You cannot turn your back on each other for fear of getting a knife between your shoulders. You would both kill your own fathers if it meant you would gain more power. You, Raulf, have broken every commandment, and so has your overlord. You and Williams both conspired with your king to commit one heinous crime after another. You will pay for your sins one day in the future, and very soon now you will pay for forcing me to leave my sanctuary. You're demented if you believe you can get away with this atrocity. If my husband has any faults at all, it is that he is a terribly possessive man. Oh, Gabriel will come after me all right. You have dared to take away the woman he loves. He won't show you any mercy; and when you're dead, I doubt God will show you much mercy either. You are a demon, Raulf, and Gabriel is my very own archangel. He will crush you."

  Raulf's fury became uncontrollable. His roar echoed throughout the hall. Johanna braced herself for his attack and reached for her dagger.

  Raulf ran toward
her. He was just a few feet away when he raised his fist in preparation for the first blow he would deliver.

  An arrow stopped his advance. It went completely through his closed fist. Raulf's bellow of rage turned into a scream of agony. He staggered backward and looked up to find the man who had attacked him.

  They were everywhere.

  The balcony was filled with warriors wearing the MacBain plaid. They surrounded the great hall on all sides. All but one soldier had arrows knotched to their bows. Baron Raulf was in their sights.

  There was but a second or two of awareness in Raulf's eyes before he died, recognition, too, perhaps, as he stared at the giant warrior standing directly above Johanna. Gabriel's gaze was locked on the baron. He slowly reached back to take a second arrow from his carrier.

  Death captured Raulf's expression of terror. The next arrow ended his life. It penetrated the center of his forehead. And then another arrow and another and another sliced through the stillness to cut into the target. The force of so many arrows striking at the same time propelled Raulf backward and upward; and when he finally collapsed to the floor, there were over fifty arrows lodged in his body.

  Lucifer had his soul.

  Johanna turned around and looked up. Gabriel stood above her. Nicholas was at his side. Both warriors handed their bows and carriers to the soldiers standing behind them, then turned to come downstairs. All of the other clansmen had fresh arrows knotched in preparation. Their target was Baron Williams who was now cowering in the corner of the hall.

  She didn't wait for Gabriel to come to her. As soon as he reached the entrance of the hall, she dropped her dagger and ran to him.

  He wouldn't let her hug him. He wouldn't even look at her. His gaze was fully directed on Baron Williams. "This isn't finished yet," he announced in a gruff tone of voice. He gently pushed her behind his back. "You may show me your affection later, wife."

  Her next remark surely saved Williams's life. Gabriel started forward but stopped when he caught her whispered reply. "And you may explain your reason for being so tardy, m'lord."

  A slow smile eased his frown. He continued on across the hall; grabbed Williams by his shoulders, forcing him to stand up; and then slammed his fist into his face.