The Highlander's Promise

  "When we got here, Conran was missing and Geordie seemed in a deep sleep. We feared the worst," Cam explained. "But Conran had just stepped away to visit the garderobe, and Geordie woke up in the end, so Kate's probably fine too, or as fine as she was ere this," he added.

  "Just check her to be sure, Ror," Aulay growled.

  Rory nodded and moved to the bedside at once.

  "Why was Conran's being in the passage a secret?" Geordie asked with a frown as he watched Rory examine Katie.

  "I did no' want ye to fret any more than ye already were," Aulay admitted. "And with Conran keeping an eye from the passage there was no need fer ye to."

  "Mayhap ye should have two men in the passage at a time to make sure the room is covered despite garderobe breaks," Greer said with a frown.

  Aulay shook his head. "No need. Now that Geordie kens someone is watching, the person can sit in the room with him, and only slip into the passage to watch when neither Geordie nor Rory are in the room." Shifting his attention to Geordie he added, "While Rory has left a time or two, ye've yet to do so. Ye should probably leave the room, brother. I ken ye do no' want to, but our watching up until now has been a waste of time since ye've no' left her side except when Rory was with her and that just to visit the garderobe. No one is like to try to harm her with ye both here to witness."

  Geordie scowled. "Ye're going to use her as bait?"

  "Someone will be watching her at all times," Aulay assured him, and then arched an eyebrow and asked, "Can ye think o' another way to capture whoever shot the arrow into her?"

  Geordie frowned briefly, but then rubbed his hands over his face and shook his head. "Nay. I can no' imagine anyone wanting to hurt wee Katie. She's sweet as can be."

  "There is no change. She does no' appear to have been harmed in any way," Rory announced, straightening. "In fact, if anything, she's slightly improved."

  "Really?" Geordie asked, perking up substantially.

  "Aye," Rory said and smiled wryly. "We may ha'e another lass survive when I did no' think she would."

  Aulay considered that as he peered at Katie, and once again it struck him that she could easily be mistaken for Jetta. The black hair, the pale face and petite figure with generous breasts . . . Their facial features differed. Jetta's eyes were larger, her lips a little fuller, and her face was oval while Katie's was heart-shaped. Other than that though, the two women could have been sisters.

  "If we are done in here, we should let Geordie and Katie rest," Rory said suddenly.

  Aulay knew from his expression that his brother wanted a word with him, away from Geordie. Nodding, he headed for the door, but paused once he reached it and turned back to tell Conran, "The men ha'e offered to take shifts watching Katie and Geordie. I'll come talk to ye after we sort out the who and when."

  Appearing relieved at this news, Conran nodded and Aulay led the others out of the room. He walked nearly to the stairs before pausing to face Rory. Raising his eyebrows, he said, "I got the feeling ye had something ye wanted to discuss with me?"

  "Aye," Rory said quietly, and glanced around to include the other men as he said, "I ha'e to tell ye, Aulay, every time I go into that room, I think 'tis just like entering the bedchamber at the lodge has been this last two month. I mean, Katie almost looks like Jetta lying in that bed," he pointed out. "And we brothers all resemble each other a great deal. In fact, Geordie is just a younger version o' ye."

  "Younger and unscarred," Aulay muttered.

  "Aye. But from a distance and on horseback, the two could easily have been mistaken fer you and Jetta," he pointed out solemnly.

  "Ye're thinking Jetta was really the target when Katie was shot?" Cam suggested quietly, not appearing surprised.

  Rory hesitated, and then said, "Mayhap. Although, Jetta was no' even here. And I can't think that anyone here would wish to harm Jetta?"

  "The archer who loosed that arrow does no' have to be from here," Cam pointed out and then reminded them, "there is that business about her family and someone she feared who would kill her."

  "Aye, but her family do no' ken she's here. No one does," Rory pointed out, seeming now to want to argue against what his own words had suggested.

  "As far as we ken her family has no' learned she's here," Aulay corrected him solemnly, feeling he had to at least consider the possibility. But then he shook his head. "The only thing we ken fer certain is that Katie was shot with the arrow, and Jetta was pushed down the stairs."

  "Aye, but Katie does resemble Jetta and might have been mistaken fer her from a distance," Dougall said solemnly. "And Rory's right, Geordie could ha'e been mistaken fer ye from a distance as well. Probably we all could."

  "And Katie's getting shot brought you and Rory and then Jetta home to Buchanan, where she was pushed down the stairs," Niels pointed out.

  Aulay glanced from man to man with surprise. "Ye're now all thinking the two attacks are connected?"

  "Nay, I'm sure they're no' thinking that," Rory assured him. "They're just considering this from every angle."

  "Although," Cam said now, "it does seem more likely that Katie was mistaken fer Jetta, than that ye have two murderous bastards on yer hands. I mean, we already ken the lass was afraid o' someone she felt sure would kill her."

  "Aye," Dougall said now, "but how would anyone from her family find out she was here? Or about the passages if that's how they escaped?"

  "They would no'," Aulay assured them. "At least, they should no' ken about the passages. Besides, from what I could tell, she was no' afraid o' her family so much as the man they were forcing her to marry."

  "Do we ken anything about him?" Cam asked with interest.

  Aulay shook his head. "Nay, from what we could understand, he was no' her betrothed, but she was being forced to marry him anyway, and she feared he would kill her." After a pause, he added, "Which puts paid to the attacker being a member o' Jetta's family. Even if they ha'e somehow tracked her here to Buchanan, they can hardly force her to marry anyone if she is dead."

  "Aye, ye're right," Rory acknowledged, and then said, "so we've two separate attackers, one after Katie and one after Jetta."

  "Unless it was the other way around and Jetta was mistaken fer Katie when she was pushed down the stairs," Dougall suggested.

  Aulay was just blinking in surprise at that suggestion when Niels said, "What about the poisoned stew?"

  "What?" Aulay peered at him with amazement. "What poisoned stew?"

  "Oh, I forgot to tell ye about that." Dougall scowled with consternation and quickly explained about Robbie's dog dying after eating the charred soup Mavis had thrown out. He ended with, "Mavis feared she'd dumped the stew on some sort o' poisonous plant and the dog just gobbled that up with the stew, but . . ."

  "But now ye're wondering if Robbie was no' right and the stew was poisoned," Aulay said quietly.

  Dougall looked uncomfortable. "I just think everything should be considered."

  Aulay began to rub his temples as he considered what he'd learned. "Right, so, here are the facts as we ken them. Katie was shot with an arrow. A dog died from eating stew that was meant for Jetta and Mavis, and may or may no' have been poisoned. And now Jetta was pushed down the stairs."

  "Aye, but we are no' sure who the arrow was meant for. Katie may ha'e been the target, or she could have been mistaken for Jetta," Dougall added.

  "And the stew is less certain," Greer added. "There could have been a poisonous plant at the base o' the tree where Mavis tossed the stew, or the stew could ha'e been poisoned and Mavis and Jetta escaped dying simply because Rory forgot to water down the stew as Mavis asked him to."

  "But I do no' think Jetta was mistaken fer Katie when she was pushed down the stairs," Cam said solemnly. "The attacker was too close to mistake her for anyone else."

  Blowing out a breath, Aulay turned and walked to the railing to peer at the tables below. The Great Hall was bustling now with activity, the tables full of people arriving for the evening meal, but hi
s eyes immediately found and settled on the women at the head table. They were gathered in a group, surrounding Jetta where she sat on the bench seat, and appearing to fuss with her hair.

  "Rory took Jetta's caul off to examine her head," Niels murmured, moving to stand next to him. "The ladies are now replacing it."

  "I thought she said her caul cushioned her head and saved her from harm?" Aulay said with sudden concern. He wouldn't have left her had he thought her wounded.

  "She did, and it did," Niels assured him. "But Rory checked to be sure."

  "Oh." He relaxed a little.

  "And she did no' get away completely without injury," Niels added, alarming him all over again, until he added, "she twisted and banged her ankle in the fall. Rory thought at first it was broken, but then decided nay. It hurts her to walk on it though. Uncle Acair had to carry her to the table."

  Despite having already known this news, Aulay scowled as he moved to the top of the stairs.

  Before he could start down, Niels asked, "What are we going to do about this latest attack?"

  "Aye," Dougall said, and added, "and how are we going to sort out whether Katie or Jetta was the target o' the arrow, and whether the stew was poisoned?"

  "None o' that matters," Aulay said firmly and swore every single one of the men gasped at his words like old women. Turning to face them, he pointed out, "Someone shot Katie with an arrow and attacked Jetta. Both of those are certainties. I want both women guarded night and day. I also want the passages and tunnel locked off."

  "Ye can do that?" Cam asked with interest.

  "Aye," Aulay said simply, not bothering to explain that the entrance at the cave could be locked, as could the entrance to the stairs from the tunnels as well as the entrance to the passages from the stairs. The ancestor who had built the castle and its tunnels had been no fool. He knew secrets got out and it was best to be able to lock off the entrances should anyone discover that particular secret.

  "We can split up," Cam suggested. "Half can help guard Katie and half to watch Jetta."

  Aulay shook his head. "I'll put four soldiers on me wife, and watch her meself as well. The rest o' ye stick to the original plans to guard Katie."

  When no one commented and they all just stared at him wide-eyed, Aulay frowned. "What?"

  "Ye called her yer wife, brother," Dougall said solemnly.

  Aulay stiffened and tried to think if he had, but then didn't care. "Mayhap I did, but it matters little, she is going to be me wife on the morrow if I can convince her to have me. I'm telling her the truth and asking her to marry me this night."

  "Aulay," Rory said with a frown.

  "I ken ye fear it could set back her healing," he growled, "but her being dead would set it back a hell o' a lot further."

  Rory's mouth grew tight. "And ye think marrying her will help keep her safe?"

  "It can no' hurt," he said grimly. "And if her family is somehow behind this, then aye, it might keep her safe."

  Rory raised his eyebrows. "I thought ye had no wish for her to marry ye merely to save herself."

  "I am hoping 'twill no' be for that reason," Aulay admitted solemnly. "But if 'tis . . ." He sighed and shrugged. "I would rather see her alive than hold on to me pride and see her dead."

  "But ye do no' even ken if marrying her will save her," Rory pointed out. "These attacks may no' be by her family. How could they ken she was here?"

  "They could have overheard Alick or Geordie asking questions about a ship that sank and suspected the mast she was on was found," he pointed out.

  "That's possible," Dougall said thoughtfully. "And then they need only have followed them home here to Buchanan to find Jetta."

  Cam snorted at the suggestion. "They would no' need to follow them anywhere. You boys all look alike, and what with yer mercenary work over the years, and ye each having financial interests that are so varied--Dougall with his horses, Niels with his sheep, Rory with his healing and so on," he said for example. "Everyone in Scotland kens a Buchanan when they see him."

  "There ye ha'e it," Aulay said quietly. "It could verra well be Jetta's family behind the attacks. Although I do no' ken why they'd want her dead if they were trying to marry her off to some murderous bastard," he added with frustration. Shaking his head, he continued on, "And I'll no' ken that until Jetta remembers. Mayhap telling her that her name is no' Jetta and reminding her o' what she said when we first found her will help her regain her memories."

  "Well I'd suggest ye wait to ha'e that talk with her until after the sup," Uncle Acair said, drawing their attention to the fact that he now stood on the top step of the stairs.

  Aulay glanced at him with surprise, wondering how much he'd heard.

  "Because Alick and the other men are back from the hunt, the maids are bringing out the sup as we speak and wee Jetta is hungry enough she asked me to come fetch ye," he announced and then arched an eyebrow. "Ye ken the lass needs to eat to regain her strength, and I'm thinking she'll need strength fer the conversation ye're planning to have with her."

  Aulay shifted his gaze to the table below and noted that the women had all sat down now. He could clearly see Jetta peering his way and the encouraging smile she was giving him.

  "Aye," he said, "I'll hold off until after the sup."

  "Warn me before ye talk to her," Rory said quietly. "And call me if ye need me."

  When Aulay nodded, Rory turned to go back into the room where Katie, Geordie and Conran were.

  The moment the door closed, Aulay turned to the other men and raised his eyebrows. "Is there anything else anyone can think o' that we need to discuss before we go down?"

  When everyone shook their heads, Aulay started down the stairs, his gaze seeking out Jetta as he went. She was listening to something Murine was saying now, and smiling widely. She had a beautiful smile. It was one he hoped to enjoy the rest of his life. If Jetta would have him. Unfortunately, he wasn't at all sure she would, and the worry that she might not was making his stomach roil. He had no appetite at all just now and would have preferred to drag her above stairs and get the coming conversation over with. But he would wait until after she'd eaten. She needed to eat.

  Chapter 12

  "So your maid, Joyce, stayed behind to watch the girls?"

  Jetta glanced up from her food to peer curiously at Saidh when Edith asked her that question.

  "Aye," Saidh said. "I wanted to bring them, but Alpin was harping on about dragging the babes across the country while so young, and what if there was danger and so on, so I finally gave in and agreed to leave them at MacDonnell with him and Joyce." She grimaced now and admitted, "It has only been a day and I already miss them."

  Murine grinned and admitted, "There was a day I was thinking 'twould be better were ye graced with lads only and no lasses." She shook her head and then added, "And then ye had trip--"

  "Just a minute," Saidh interrupted. "What do ye mean ye were thinking 'twould be better did I ha'e only lads?"

  Murine arched her eyebrows. "Do ye no' recall how ye explained the bedding to me the night Dougall and I married?"

  "Aye," Saidh said at once. "What was wrong with it? I thought 'twas brilliant."

  "Brilliant?" she asked with a snort.

  "How did she explain it?" Edith asked curiously from the other side of Jetta and Aulay.

  "She--Just a minute," Murine said suddenly and stood up to hurry away from the table.

  Jetta watched her go and then noticed that the men had all stopped speaking to stare after her too. She also noticed that Murine's husband, Dougall, was looking amused. It made Jetta suspect he had already heard how his sister had explained the bedding to his young wife.

  "Here we are!"

  Jetta glanced around at that announcement to find that Murine had returned. She had not reclaimed her seat, however, but had approached from the other side of the table so that they could all see her. The woman was carrying a loaf of bread and the biggest carrot she had ever seen, one that was so dirty it l
ooked fresh from the ground. It was also incredibly knobby and twisted, Jetta noted with curiosity.

  "Right, I shall explain it to Jetta, just as Saidh explained it to me," Murine announced with a wicked grin that suggested this would be fun. She then set down the carrot and bread and instead picked up her own and Jetta's wine. Handing Jetta hers, Murine lifted her own and announced, "Saidh seemed terribly thirsty and downed her own wine in one gulp that day, so . . ."

  Murine downed the drink in one long gulp and then set it down on the table with a grimace and said, "All right."

  Jetta merely held her wine and watched uncertainly as Murine picked up the carrot and loaf of bread. Holding up the loaf, Murine turned with it so everyone in the family could see, and then turned back to Jetta and announced, "This is you."

  "It is?" Jetta asked uncertainly.

  "Exactly what I said," Murine announced with amusement. "At which point, Saidh frowned at the bread, and then she did this." Setting the loaf on the tabletop, Murine took Dougall's sgian-dubh when he held it out and used it to slice the loaf in half. Setting one half aside, Murine then sliced a slit down the center of the soft part of the other where it had been separated from the first.

  Apparently finished, Murine straightened and held the half loaf up with the crusty side against her palm and the soft center with the slit facing Jetta as she announced, "This is you, and this--" she held up the rather large, knobby and very dirty carrot "--is Aulay."

  "Looks like Aulay could use a bath," Cam said with amusement.

  "Looks like he's spent time with one too many light skirts," Greer countered. "Are those knobby things supposed to be sores?"

  Murine grimaced and then glanced to Aulay and said apologetically, "The one Saidh used for Dougall wasn't quite as big, but it was even dirtier and knobbier."

  "As it should be," Aulay said mildly.

  Cam chuckled, and then raised and lowered his eyebrows suggestively and asked, "Aye, but how did Saidh ken how big a carrot she should use?"

  "She used to spy on us when we were skinny dipping as lads," Niels tattled with amusement.

  "I did no' pick the carrot," Saidh said with exasperation. "I just asked me maid to bring me a loaf o' bread and a carrot."

  "Enough," Murine interrupted the teasing and laughter. "No interruptions, please. As Saidh said, this is difficult enough."