Tina wiped away her tears and reached for her bedgown. “Oh Ada, everything is such a tangled mess.” Tina threw back her long hair impatiently. “Only last night he told me he loved me and asked me to marry him. Now thanks to that twisted, sick Colin Douglas, everything is spoiled! I could kill him!”
“Calm down, love. The damage has been done, but once Ram is gone, we have all the time in the world to confront Colin and get possession of the painting. Lock this door after me. I’m going to go to the kitchens and get you some breakfast, and I think I’ll ask Mr. Burque to help us We should have the protection of a man when we challenge Colin.”
“That’s a splendid idea, Ada. Oh, that’s the desk I gave poor old Malcolm.”
“Yes, Jenna brought it to me last night. She said Malcolm made her promise she would give it back to you.”
Ada went to the kitchen, and Tina carefully locked the door behind her, then she went back to the antique desk. She opened the drawer and touched the carving that opened the secret compartment. There lay Malcolm’s history. How poignant it was to touch the pages he had written! He had been so obsessive about the history, it had filled the endless hours of his days and made them bearable for him. Somehow Tina felt absolutely compelled to read what he had committed to paper.
Tina’s brows drew together in puzzlement. She thought his history would deal with Douglas ancestors, perhaps starting with the first earl, but if he had written of the early times, those pages were not in the desk. In fact, there weren’t many pages at all, certainly fewer than a dozen, and Tina’s attention became riveted as she realized it told the story of what had happened sixteen years ago, the night Damaris had been poisoned
The spirit of Damaris stood at Tina’s shoulder so they could read the pages together The writing was lucid, organized, and far clearer than Malcolm had ever been when Tina had spoken with him. As she read the pages she realized that Malcolm had not been bedridden sixteen years ago when the tragedy occurred.
It was so unusual for the newlyweds to exchange angry words that I made myself scarce so they could argue in private. Before the afternoon was over however, their raised voices could not be ignored, and the reason for Lord Alexander’s fury was revealed. Colin had been painting a portrait of Lady Damaris, and when it was finished we all admired his great skill, but apparently Alex discovered that Colin had also sketched her naked. In a fit of jealousy, Alex accused her of faithlessness. Colin was nowhere about to answer the accusations, so Damaris had to face Lord Douglas’s temper, which was infamous.
I recall that the afternoon closed in quickly, and dark came early. Lady Damaris took wine and was immediately poisoned. Alexander forgot his jealousy immediately. She was in so much agony he was distraught. Even in those days I was called Mad Malcolm because I was somewhat reclusive and often got drunk, and marched to a different drummer than other men. Alex accused me of poisoning the wine and refused to let me help him with Lady Damaris.
She died so quickly, there was nothing I could have done in any case, but she died with the accusation of “Poisoner!” upon her lips, totally convinced that her husband had murdered her.
Alexander was like a madman. He waited for Colin’s return with a black heart, thinking he had seduced his beautiful wife who now lay dead. When Colin learned Damaris was dead, he went berserk. The two men drew their swords and flung terrible accusations at each other. Colin told Alex the poison had been meant for him, not Damaris. Colin thought he was heir to the title of Lord Douglas. Alex flung at his younger brother the secret he had kept for years: Colin was a bastard and the title of Lord Douglas would pass to his cousin Ramsay in the event of Alexander’s death. Alex and Colin were so intent upon killing each other, there was nothing I could do to prevent bloodshed. I took a jug of whisky and locked myself in my tower room. I had consumed most of it when I saw them out on the parapets.
Alexander was the superior swordsman, who slashed Colin so fiercely, I believed him doomed. I saw Colin wounded several times and knew he would be cut to ribbons. I must have passed out. The next day Lord Alexander’s body was discovered in the courtyard, and his wife lay poisoned in her bedchamber.
The Earl of Angus descended upon Castle Dangerous, as well as the Kennedys, thirsting for revenge. Somebody said Colin was off fighting in the king’s Highland campaign, and I feared I would be the prime suspect for murder. I locked myself away and drank. The naked painting of Lady Damaris was discovered, and it was concluded that Alexander had poisoned her in a jealous rage, then committed suicide by diving from the parapets.
Coward that I was, I was so relieved that I was not charged with the double murder, I kept my mouth shut. When Colin returned home a week later, crippled with his war wounds, I was the only one who knew that Alexander’s sword had maimed him for life. He kept me well supplied with whisky, and for more than a year I stayed drunk day and night. Later, whenever I tried to bring up the night of the tragedy, people nodded knowingly and called me Mad Malcolm.
I reasoned that things could have been worse. At least Colin did not inherit the title. Ramsay became Lord Douglas, and the role fit him like a glove. The chief of the clan, Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, was well pleased with Ramsay, who was born with the qualities necessary for leadership. So in the end, the evil one did not benefit from his crime. Colin carried his twisted body every day of his life as a reminder and was doubly punished because no woman would ever look at him.
I would probably have kept my lips sealed forever if it had not been for the arrival of another beautiful Lady Kennedy. I knew Colin lusted for her, and I knew he was evil enough to poison Ram so he could have Ram’s woman. I decided to break my long silence by committing it to paper. Since my legs went, I fear for my own life, but now I also fear for Ram and for the beautiful Kennedy lass who has been so kind to me.
Malcolm Douglas
“Dear God, it was Colin who killed Malcolm by poisoning the wine. I drank some by mistake.” Why, oh why hadn’t she discovered these pages before Ram left? Tina unlocked her chamber door and went down to the kitchens to tell Ada and Mr. Burque what she had just learned. Damaris did not want her to leave her room but was helpless to prevent her. All she could do was stay beside her.
Valentina found Ada and Mr. Burque leaving the kitchens. She quickly told them both what Malcolm had revealed. “Colin is a dangerous man—we cannot confront him unarmed,” she added
Mr. Burque agreed with her. He took down a sword from the stone wall of the hall. He was not a trained swordsman, but he was well muscled and agile, and he had all the courage necessary to protect Valentina. He sent Ada to the knights’ quarters for any men-at-arms Ram Douglas had left behind. Without hesitation, he moved toward the castle stairs. At that moment they saw Colin Douglas poised at the top of the staircase. The looks on their faces immediately alerted him to danger.
“I didn’t mean tae poison Damaris. I loved her!” Colin cried.
Tina looked up at him, her face ashen. “You murdered Alexander, you murdered Malcolm to silence him, and by putting poison in the wine you murdered my baby!” She was so incensed at all the pain and suffering he had caused to both the Kennedy and Douglas clans that she rushed up the stairs ready to attack him with her bare hands, unmindful of any danger to herself.
He drew his knife with his left hand and grabbed her. His lips were drawn back from his teeth, his face as contorted as his body. “If I couldn’t have ye, I wasn’t going tae let that arrogant swine Hotspur have ye! He already snatched my title from me!”
Black Ram Douglas rode at the head of his moss-troopers on their way to Stirling. The pace he set was punishing, but his men-at-arms knew better than to protest when their leader was in one of his murderous moods.
Some of the blinding, bloodred mist had cleared from his brain in the bitter cold air, but as his temper cooled, an icy hand gripped his heart. The ghostly specter of Alexander Douglas rode pillion with him.
“Turn back, turn back, man! Valentina is in danger!” urged
Alex.
Ram’s face was grim and closed. He could not rid his mind of the erotic portrait.
“Colin poisoned Damaris and Malcolm and lusts for Tina. She is in terrible danger from him,” insisted Alex.
As Ramsay’s mind searched desperately for a reason, a small niggling doubt intruded How could his beautiful vixen give herself to Colin? Ram knew him well—knew he was ugly on the inside as well as the outside He’d suspected him of keeping Mad Malcolm well oiled with whisky all these years, and when Malcolm was found dead, Ram had been suspicious He had been too concerned with Tina’s recovery at the time to investigate, but he had known better than to leave her unprotected at Castle Dangerous
Alexander was alarmed at the distance widening between them and Douglas
“Turn back, Ram! If ye love her, go home!”
The Douglas men-at-arms stared at their leader in amazement as he suddenly drew rein and pulled to a halt The great black destrier Ruffian pivoted on its hindlegs and pawed the air as he turned the animal He waved his arm and called out their destination “Douglas!”
If they thought the pace was punishing on the ride out, the ride back was brutal Though they tried valiantly, none could match his speed and determination None could keep pace, and one by one they fell behind.
“By the power of God,” Ram cursed softly, “I know she loves me and would not do such a thing”
Mr Burque stared up the staircase with dread in his heart Tina was always so headstrong, yet so courageous, she was ever unmindful of danger Colin had his arm about her throat and looked insane enough to plunge his knife into her heart
Mr Burque stood indecisively, holding his breath, wondering if he dared rush up the stairs in an attempt to disarm or wound the desperate swine. Suddenly the Boozer spotted Damaris’s cat Folly spat at the dog and flew up the stairs The Boozer rushed after it with frenzied anticipation The animal charged into Colin, unmindful of anything but the pleasurable pursuit of the feline
Colin immediately lost his balance and, because of his crippled leg, could not regain it.
Tina fell to her hands and knees on the steps. Colin pitched down the staircase and impaled himself upon the sword Mr. Burque brandished. The horrific tableau was witnessed by Ada and two burly Douglas men-at-arms who had been left behind to guard the castle.
Mr. Burque was white to the gills and visibly shaking. The men thumped him on the back, praising his skill and his courage in saving the lady and dispatching the evil that was Colin Douglas. He had been like a hidden viper in a nest, and Mr. Burque had single-handedly rid Black Ram Douglas of a formidable enemy. The Douglas guards had a new, healthy opinion of the handsome French chef.
The men told Ada to take their lady away before they took care of the gory business of removing the sword from the disemboweled body. Tina walked on unsteady legs to the hall, where Ada sat her down before the blazing fire. She sat gazing into the flames as if she were in a trance. In reality she was reliving the events that had led up to the tragedy of Damaris and Alexander Douglas. The present dissolved into the past, and she lost track of time.
Her thoughts came tumbling back to the present as a powerful dark figure strode into the hall. The swarthy Scot who came toward her was a formidable sight in leathers, chain mail, and iron helm. Tina arose from the settle, a hand at her throat as she saw the fierce pewter eyes. She took a step toward him, her hand going out in supplication. “Ram.”
Tina’s limp body slipped unconscious to the floor. He swept her up into his arms and lifted her against his heart. When Tina opened her eyes, she was in the wide bed with an anxious Ram Douglas sitting beside her. He had captured both her hands between his, and when he saw her open her golden eyes, he raised those hands to his lips and kissed them reverently. He had removed the helmet, and his black hair was wildly disheveled from running a distraught hand through it. He poured her some whisky, tasted it first, then said, “Drink this.” He brushed back the flaming tendrils from her brow. “Can ye forgive me once again for my suspicions?” he asked humbly.
“Why did you come back?” she asked, hoping for a certain answer.
“I sensed ye were in jeopardy. When my jealousy stopped blinding me, I knew ye could never be unfaithful wi’ a miserable excuse for a man like Colin.”
“Did they tell you everything that happened?” she asked.
“Aye. May I read for myself what Malcolm wrote?”
Tina handed him the pages so that he could read the fantastic account of what had taken place sixteen years ago. When Ram finished, he kissed her brow. “Thank God history wasn’t allowed to repeat itself. God’s passion, no wonder their spirits still walk this castle.”
“Perhaps now that the truth has come out, they will be able to rest peacefully.”
“I’m going tae destroy the paintings and sketches he did of Damaris, as well as the ones he did of you I can only guess at his unclean practices behind the closed door of his chamber.”
“He’s the third Douglas to die,” Tina whispered. “After Malcolm and the baby, I feared it would be you when you were taken prisoner,”
He enfolded her tightly in his arms. “And I feared it would be ye, especially when ye took the poison from my own hand.” His voice broke. He paused, then forced out the words, “How can ye ever trust me again, my little vixen?”
Tina looked into his stormy gray eyes and the corners of her lips lifted in irony. “Ram, it is you who must learn to trust.” She slipped from the bed and stood before him.
“What are ye doing?” he demanded.
“I’m not lying in bed all day. Let me help you off with your mail.”
“I forget I’m wearing the damned ugly stuff.” He stood and lifted it off himself.
“I’m sorry to keep you from the king’s business—nay, I’m not sorry at all! I’m so glad that you are here to comfort and protect me today. I always feel safe when you are by me.”
Ram reached out a hand to touch her fiery curls. “Tae hell wi’ the king’s business. Douglas business comes first— always has, always will. But ye are so right. I’ve never learned tae trust anyone. Not the queen nor even the king. I wouldn’t trust Angus as far as I could throw him. Only look how David and Colin betrayed us, and they share our blood. I’ve gone through life trusting only myself. I tell ye I love ye, and yet my actions prove I don’t trust ye.” He shook his head at the riddle.
Tina went to stand at his side and leaned her head into his shoulder “Ram, I think we love each other, but we haven’t learned to like each other yet. We became lovers without first becoming friends. The basis for any friendship has to be trust.”
They curled up in the big chair together and talked for hours. They had never known this kind of closeness before, not even in their most intimate moments. One by one the barriers came down between them as they shared their fears and emotions, as well as their hopes, feelings, and ideas. They had started to do this once before, but circumstances had intervened and driven them apart. This time Valentina was determined that nothing would ever interfere with their personal lives again. She vowed never to oppose him again. She would stand with him against family, against king and country, against the Devil himself. From this moment on, they would be one mind, one heart, one soul She would be Black Ram Douglas’s woman and damned proud of it.
Ram stayed two more days so he could be certain she didn’t suffer any ill effects from the shock she had received. The only time they left their chamber was to take an occasional walk by moonlight in the crisp snow. He would wrap her in one of her soft furs, and handclasped they would wander out, sometimes as far as the frozen river. They stopped once at the place beneath a copper beech where Damaris and Alexander were buried.
“I used tae think she was restless because her grave was next to Alexander’s, but now I think it right that they are together. If ye agree, I’ll get the bishop tae consecrate the ground—or do ye think we should move him tae Castle Douglas tae lie with his ancestors?”
“I think
they should stay together through eternity,” whispered Tina, brushing away a tear.
They hurried back to their chamber, where a roaring fire and sinfully sensuous dishes prepared by Mr. Burque awaited them. When Ram finally departed it was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. As he kissed her goodbye he whispered, “Will ye marry me?”
She clung to him whispering, “Mmm, perhaps. Ask me when you return, you devil—not when you’re departing.”
Chapter 38
Ramsay Douglas gave his all when he recruited for the king He traveled farther and faster than any of James Stewart’s lieutenants, obtaining signed bonds pledging men-at-arms from every branch of Clans Douglas, Kennedy, Campbell, Drummond, Erskine, and Graham. He kept his pledge to Valentina to return for the night whenever he was within fifty miles of Douglas, but still they saw each other only once in every six weeks.
The long, forced absences made their brief reunions so much sweeter, and they longed for a time when they would be allowed to live a life together, unclouded by the demands of impending war with England.
Slowly but surely, over the winter months and into the spring, James Stewart gathered his forces for war. It was a large undertaking to amass an army greater than Scotland had ever had before. Manpower was not all that was needed. Horses to carry the cavalry, oxen to pull supply wagons, and the mounted, heavy iron cannon were needed by the hundred. Thousands of weapons would be needed to wage war—not only the usual swords, knives, and lances, but spears for the spearmen, arrows for the hagbuts and harquebuses, baggage wagons, oxcarts, and weapon sleds.
Ram’s job was one of communication Basically, he traveled back and forth tallying numbers. Argyll was already Governor General of the Army, and Arran, Lord High Admiral of the Navy. The king decided to keep Bothwell’s hot-headed Hepburns as a reserve unit. The rest of the borderers would be united under the command of Lord Home, with the exception of Clan Douglas. Since there were so many branches of Douglas, not all of them borderers, they would be commanded by Lord Ramsay since the Earl of Angus was now past his fighting prime. The Earl of Huntly was to command the Gordon Highlanders, while the king and his good friend the Earl of Crawford would command the Scottish center made up of their clans, Stewart and Lindsay The Earl of Lennox was put in charge of all Highlanders other than Campbells and Gordons.