Authors: Hannah Howell
So, Sir Payton had to die, decided Roderick, all regret vanquished by his own deeply rooted sense of self-preservation. And probably those two rather unpleasant-looking servants, too, Roderick mused. He grimaced as he realized the death toll was beginning to rise. A lot of very careful planning would be needed. The fault for that could be laid directly at Kirstie’s feet. If his cursed wife had just drowned as any proper lady would have, he would not have to be dealing with all these complications.
“I think the bastard is hiding her,” grumbled Wattie before shoving a hunk of cheese into his mouth.
When Roderick looked at the man, he wished he had not. Wattie had the manners of a pig, and Roderick suspected he might well be maligning the pig. Struggling to ignore the way Wattie chewed with his mouth open so wide it was a miracle the food did not simply fall out, Roderick decided it was time to start on Sir Payton Murray’s downfall.
Roderick nodded. “I believe he kens where she is, too. The mon was certainly trying to hide something and I feel increasingly certain it was my errant wife.”
“So, we go back and cut us a few throats?”
“A pleasant thought, but much too ugly. The mon is too weel known, too much admired despite seducing so many wives. His death would be carefully scrutinized. And, if my wife is found dead alongside him, I would become verra suspect indeed. Nay, we must proceed carefully, play a verra subtle game.”
“And what game would that be?”
“Since I believe he is the source of the rumors causing me such difficulty, I believe I will begin to give him a taste of his own medicine.”
“What good will that do?” asked Gib.
“It will leave him without any allies. By the time I am done, Sir Payton Murray will be fortunate if e’en one of his own kinsmen bothers to attend his funeral.”
“He is gone?” Kirstie asked the moment Payton let them all out of their hiding place.
“Gone from town and I am fair certain he willnae be using the dogs again,” Payton replied as Alice shooed the children away, herding them to her kitchen. “It wasnae easy to face the mon, to listen to his lies without acknowledging them as such.” He put his arm around her slim shoulders and led her out of the dark cellars.
“Ye dinnae sound verra certain of your victory o’er the mon. Nay as certain as I would wish ye to be.”
Payton sighed. He wanted to reassure her, wanted to make her feel safe. That would be a mistake and he knew it. Kirstie needed to know what he suspected and be fully aware of the dangers that still existed. If nothing else, such knowledge might make her more amenable, more ready to obey any commands he gave her.
Roderick had given no sign that he was suspicious, but Payton could not shake the feeling that the man was, or soon would be. The man could not have successfully hidden his evil for so many years without having some wits. Sir Roderick had erred in not seeing the threat Kirstie was and then by not making very sure she was dead. He would not make that mistake again. Nor would he wish any of her allies to live very long, either.
“Are we nay to dine with the others?” Kirstie asked, hesitating just inside Payton’s bedchamber door when she saw the food laid out on a small table before the fireplace.
After nudging her further inside his room, Payton shut the door and led her to a seat at the table. “Nay, not this night. Ye and I need to thrash out a few facts and rules concerning the trouble ye are in. If we had to weigh every word because we didnae wish to afright the children, we would accomplish verra little.”
“Oh,” She abruptly sat down. “’Tis bad, is it?”
He sat down and poured them each some wine. “It might be. I dinnae think he believed me.”
“Roderick called ye a liar?” Kirstie felt outraged over that insult to Payton, even though he had, indeed, been lying to the man.
“Nay, in truth, he was most apologetic. The problem is that the dogs led him straight to my door.”
Kirstie helped herself to several slices of roast lamb and an assortment of lightly seasoned vegetables. She was a little surprised that worry over Roderick did not seem to dim her appetite at all. It was probably because she had spent too much time over the last five years being hungry to allow worry or fear to stop her from filling her belly when food was at hand. She idly noted that being the bearer of grim news did not dim Payton’s appetite, either.
“Ye mean I spent the whole day locked up in that wee, dark room and he still kens I am here?” she asked.
“Aye and nay. As he stood there, I would say he believed me, believed ye may weel have drawn near to my door, but ye didnae come in and I didnae see ye. I am just nay sure how long he will believe it. If he has any wit at all and thinks too long on the matter, I fear he will decide I was lying.”
“He is clever when he wishes to be.” She finished off a thick piece of bread. “And his dogs are verra good hunters.”
“Who wouldnae follow the wrong trail.” Payton sighed and savored a mouthful of turnips. “So, if those dogs didnae lead him directly to anyone else’s door, he has to
wonder why they came to mine.”
“I suspect he will. So, the children and I should leave ere he comes back and brings more men with him.”
“Nay, ye and the children arenae leaving.” He held up his hand when she started to argue. “He must tread warily with me for all the same reasons I must do so with him. Aye, and a few more. After all, if he believes I am aiding ye in any way, then he will believe ye have told me everything.” He frowned slightly when she paled.
“Then he will most certainly want ye dead,” she whispered and then shook her head. “Nay, I cannae allow that. I foolishly thought that, because ye and Roderick were so evenly matched, that ye would be safe. I forgot, or chose to forget, how virulently he fights to keep his secrets. And, now that he believes we have met, he will be eager to silence ye.”
“Kirstie,” he snapped, grasping her by the wrist and yanking her back down into her seat when she started to rise, “ye chose me to aid ye in this battle. I chose to accept the challenge. I didnae accept it with any qualifications such as, if it grows dangerous, I will be done with it. Ye must cease thinking of leaving each time Roderick draws near to me.”
“But, I dinnae want ye hurt or killed or hunted.”
“Just ye and the bairns? Aye, he may have forgotten about the wee ones, but nay Callum.”
“Callum could stay with ye.” She knew her arguments were foolish, but fear for his safety forced her to offer them.
“He willnae and ye ken it. The moment ye cast me aside as your champion, Callum will step up to take my place. He will consider it his duty to help ye and keep ye safe. And, if ye are caught, he will try to rescue you. Ye ken it weel, lass, for all ye are struggling to deny the truth. The other truth ye keep trying to deny is that the moment Roderick learns that ye ken who I am, that ye might have confided in me, he will wish me dead. Ye cannae take the battle away from my door any longer, lass. If ’tis any comfort, love, Roderick would have cast a suspicious eye my way soon anyway, for he will track down the source of the rumors that begin to cause him so much trouble.”
She took a deep drink of wine as she thought over all he had just said. Kirstie admitted that she had boldly chosen him as her champion, but wavered over that choice at every hint of danger. She could not seem to make up her mind as to whether he was an ally or someone else she needed to protect. One chose a champion to fight a battle, not to stand at one’s side only to shoo him away once things grew dangerous. That was foolish. And so, she thought as she frowned at him, was that last thing he had just said.
“Ye wouldnae have started those rumors had I not told ye what Roderick was.” This time she held up a hand to stop his arguments. “I panicked. ’Tis as simple as that. The moment I approached ye, I put ye in danger. I must accept that and cease trying to halt what I started. I cannae. All I would do is separate the targets Roderick will take aim at and, in the end, that will probably aid him, nay us.”
“Now ye show some sense.” He briefly raised his goblet in a toast before taking a drink.
“Aye, occasionally I do so,” she drawled, “and ye would certainly think so this time as it means I agree with ye.” She ignored his grin. “Nay, we are in this together ’til the end and I shall try to cease trying to put all back as it was when I was the only one
Roderick wanted dead. In truth, it was ne’er only me, but Callum and, perhaps, e’en the younger children as weel. And, ’tisnae about us, either, but the bairns.”
“Aye, ’tis for the bairns.”
Kirstie sighed. “So, if Roderick decides ye were lying, that ye
are
helping me, what do ye think he will do next?”
“I have no idea.”
“None?”
“Weel, I am certain it willnae be a direct attack. Nay, ’twill probably be subtle.”
“I see. And as ye wait for this subtle attack, what am I supposed to do?”
“Hide.”
Something was wrong. Payton moved amongst the courtiers and richly dressed women and sensed a change in the air. His presence seemed to stir an uneasiness amongst some, a coldness amongst others. Only one or two women cast him a flirtatious glance. No man cornered him to garner a piece of the favor they all thought the regents had blessed him with. Since Payton doubted anyone had started to believe his denial that he had any special blessing or favor from those worthies, it had to be something else. It was increasingly clear that no one wanted anything to do with him.
Even as Payton considered cornering one of the people who had sought his favor only recently, he spotted Sir Bryan MacMillan about to leave the great hall. Although it felt strange to hurry through the crowd with no hindrance, almost as if people stepped aside for fear of accidentally touching him, Payton did not hesitate in chasing Sir Bryan down. The man was no gossip himself, but he heard a great deal of what was being said. Payton caught up with the man just outside the great hall. He noticed that Sir Bryan was not surprised to be accosted by him.
“Ah, good. I have been watching for ye for two days.” Sir Bryan caught Payton by the arm and led him down the narrow, torch-lit hallway. “We shall go to my room and talk.”
The fact that Sir Bryan had been watching for him made Payton tense with a growing concern. He felt the walk to Bryan’s room was painfully long, and the silence they maintained a little too ominous. By the time they reached the man’s room, Payton was eager to demand that Bryan tell him everything he knew. He held his tongue, however, as the man poured them each some wine, then directed Payton to one of two small benches set before the fire.
“It was, perhaps, nay such a good time for ye to be away from court,” Bryan said.
“I had business to attend to.” He had had safety measures to be plotted and enacted, as well as devising escape routes and seeking out secure hiding places, but he was not ready to tell Bryan that. “Being the eyes and ears of the Murrays at court doesnae put bread upon my table. I was only gone for three days. It takes that long for the Regents to decide and agree upon what color tunic the wee king ought to wear.”
Sir Bryan grinned and nodded, then quickly grew serious again. “Unfortunately, it takes but a day for gossip and rumor to spread and blacken a mon’s good name. Did ye nay notice a change in the air when ye arrived?”
“Och, aye. A bite of frost. So, someone seeks to tarnish my name?” Payton inwardly cursed, certain who it was, yet a little surprised that anyone would still accept the man’s word about anything.
“Aye. It seems Sir Roderick’s young wife isnae dead.” Sir Bryan’s green eyes widened slightly at the harsh curse Payton muttered, but did not comment on it. “He is most aggrieved that, after he endangered his own soul trying to hide what he believed was her suicide, he now discovers she but tricked him. His men espied her in town. She was followed to your house, yet ye denied ye had e’er met her. As he says, what is a mon to think, but that ye have stolen away his wife, that the two of ye planned it all so that ye might be together.”
“And none questioned this tale? None wondered if, mayhap, a mon I have warned so many about just might lie about me?”
“Sir Roderick strongly suggests that your foul campaign against him is born of the
fact that ye have always coveted his wife. And, let us be brutally honest, Payton, ye arenae innocent of the sin of cuckolding a mon.”
“True, but I have ne’er had to steal another mon’s wife and hide her away.”
“Nay, they come to ye most easily and readily. A fact that irritates many a mon, especially those who have a wife they believe has entertained ye in her bed or one who would like to. The tale caters to the envy and jealousies of far too many for them to discard it.”
“Despite the fact that the accusation falls from the lips of a mon who buggers little boys? Beats them? Has e’en killed some? They see that foul stain upon God’s earth as some font of truth, do they?” Payton quickly took a deep drink to still his tongue, but could tell by the look upon Sir Bryan’s face that he had already said too much to have it ignored.
“’Tis what ye implied before and Uven’s feelings about the mon caused me to heed the warning, subtle as it was, but are ye certain, Payton? Are ye verra certain? If ’tis only his wife who claims such things,” Bryan began cautiously.
“Nay, not just his wife.”
Payton realized he was going to have to tell the man everything. Roderick’s attack was a clever one, although Payton was surprised it had worked so well. In truth, he was a little surprised the man had done this, for Sir Roderick was a proud, arrogant man. Yet he was telling all who would listen that he had been cuckolded, that his wife had left him. It was, perhaps, a sign of the man’s desperation, but Payton was not in the mood to fully appreciate that possibility.
“Does it put in doubt all the warnings I gave about the mon?” he asked.
“It weakens them, but nay with the laddies themselves,” replied Bryan, and he sighed. “I think many of them kenned what the mon was, but didnae dare act so until we who should protect them started to acknowledge it. I think some were e’en asked directly about the truth of the rumors. So, nay, all your warnings havenae been ignored. Those who now feel the warnings were, as Sir Roderick claims, naught but ugly slander, probably didnae believe them to begin with or didnae want to. Yet, Payton, it doesnae matter much to his claim that ye stole his wife.”
“I didnae steal her. She came to me, along with five children she had rescued from her husband, plus one other she found later. A poor lad of but seven years who was beaten nigh unto death.” Taking a deep breath, Payton proceeded to tell Sir Bryan everything from the moment Kirstie had found him lurking beneath Lady Fraser’s window.
“Jesu,” Sir Bryan muttered when Payton finished his tale. “The mon wants gutting.” He frowned. “Yet, ye hold his wife from him. Nay matter what the reasons, that could cause ye a great deal of trouble if ’tis proven or that fool is believed. Unless ye can prove Sir Roderick has done all ye say, then ye become the one who has erred. Because of your reputation with the lasses, Sir Roderick doesnae have the same need to actually prove what he claims. Some of his kinsmen are here and they are already making some verra dire threats.”
“I cannae understand how it is his kinsmen havenae seen what he is,” Payton muttered.
“’Tis a difficult thing for people to accept. Yet, stealing a mon’s wife—”
“She isnae his wife!” Payton snapped, then sighed and nodded his acceptance
when Bryan moved to refill their goblets.
“They were married by a priest,” Sir Bryan said.
“I dinnae care if the pope himself said the words—she isnae his wife. He ne’er bedded her. Not once in five years. The marriage was ne’er consummated.”
“But, that could be the answer to this trouble. If ye bring her forward and she allows herself to be examined, once she is proven a virgin, it will weaken Sir Roderick’s claims against ye, and strengthen yours against him.”
“I wish I had thought of that.”
“Ye wish? Oh, dear.”
“Aye, she isnae a virgin now.”
“Ye seduced a virgin who had sought your protection?”
“Aye.” Payton shook his head. “I suppose that isnae much better than stealing a mon’s wife. But, ye havenae seen the lass. And, she was in my home for three weeks, tormenting me.”
“Tormenting ye?” Bryan asked, unable to keep his amusement out of his voice.
“Fine, I ken there is no excuse, though I had thought those might serve.” He smiled briefly when Bryan laughed. “She was in my home for a week ere I finally admitted to myself that I had to have her. Then she told me nay for a fortnight. And suddenly, she walks into my bedchamber and says aye. Weel, I am only a mon, ye ken.”
“Weel, we cannae use my excellent plan, that is certain. We shall have to come up with another. Mayhap ye should tell your family all about this. I am rather surprised ye havenae done so already.”
“I was afraid that, if I couldnae find some hard proof of Roderick’s crimes, all I would do is turn the wrath of his rather powerful family upon my kinsmen. By telling ye, I may have already risked that.”
“Their wrath is swiftly turning your way now. Roderick isnae openly asking for their aid, but they see his shame as theirs. I think the only reason they havenae showed up at your door to cut ye into wee, bloody pieces is because they are hesitant to start what could be a long, bloody feud with your kinsmen. I sensed that from the cautious way they questioned me about ye just yestereve.”
“I hope ye were appropriately outraged over this slur against me,” Payton drawled.
“Aye. I bristled most impressively at the heavily implied insult and strongly reminded them that the last thing ye needed to do was steal a woman for your pleasure,” Bryan replied with a faint smile, then grew serious again. “They are hesitant to act simply upon Roderick’s word. I got the feeling he isnae weel thought of by his kinsmen.”
“But that willnae stop them from avenging this insult.”
“Nay. I would guess ye have a sennight or less ere they bestir themselves to act.” Bryan stood up and patted Payton on the shoulder. “Go home, keep yourself out of sight for a wee while, and think of a plan. I wish I had more cunning, but I am a verra poor plotter. I will, however, keep an ear to the ground and alert ye to any approaching threat. And, if any of your other kinsmen come round, I will send them to you.”
“If they hear these rumors, ye willnae have to.” Payton finished off his wine and started to leave. “Ye watch your back. If Roderick e’en thinks I have told ye the whole story, he will want ye dead.”
“I will be careful. If naught else, the nightmares your tale will undoubtedly give me will remind me of the danger. And, ’tis my opinion, ’tis past time ye had some allies,
some who ken the full truth. Go, and come up with a clever plan. I will try to grasp at one myself, but I shouldnae hold out much hope.”
“Ah, dinnae belittle yourself, cousin. Ye are clever. Ye are just nay verra devious, which isnae such a bad thing.”
And devious was what he now had to be, thought Payton, as he headed home. He had slipped away from the castle like a thief in the night, which had galled him, but he knew it was the wisest way. If Roderick’s kinsmen came face-to-face with him, they might not wait to be shown some proof of Roderick’s claims. It might soothe his pride to stand fast and prove Roderick lied through some manly trial by fire, but he could also get himself wounded, even killed. Kirstie and the children needed him hale and ready to protect them. So, he would sneak around and try to think of some way to come at Roderick from behind.
By the time he entered his home, he was angry. Where were the people he had thought his friends? Payton could not believe how quickly everyone had turned against him, had distanced themselves. It seemed only Bryan, a kinsman only through marriage, was ready to defend him and stand by him. Striding into his ledger room, he poured himself a large tankard of wine and wondered if he had fallen too completely into the shallow ways of court life, into the ways of empty flattery and fleeting, false intimacy.
A pounding on his front door startled him out of his increasingly morbid thoughts. When Kirstie burst into his ledger room, he tensed. She looked afraid.
“Who is it?” he asked, setting down his tankard and walking toward her.
“I dinnae ken,” she replied. “I was caught out in the hall as the door opened and this was the closest room. I hope ye have a place for me to hide in here. Nay matter who it is, they cannae find me here.”
That was truer than she knew, but he would have to tell her all about the newest twists in their campaign later. Payton grabbed her by the arm, led her over to a heavy tapestry hung upon the wall, and pulled it aside. Behind the long tapestry was an alcove, just the right size for an armed man to hide.
“Ye have some verra odd little niches and rooms in your house, Payton,” she murmured.
“Stranger than ye ken.” He pointed to a piece of stone which stuck out just a little. “Push that in and a door will open behind ye. Hide in there if ye e’en think ye may be discovered here. Now, get in there.”
The moment she stepped up into the alcove and turned to face him, Payton moved to kiss her. She was just leaning toward him when she heard Ian arguing with some woman, the voices rapidly drawing nearer. Kirstie placed a hand upon Payton’s chest and scowled at him when, a heartbeat later, she recognized the woman’s voice. The startled look upon Payton’s face indicated he had not expected this visitor, but that only eased Kirstie’s annoyance a little. She could all too easily recall that, when she had first approached Payton, he had been about to crawl in this woman’s window and spend a long, lusty night in her arms.
“Am I to be stuck here whilst ye tryst with Lady Fraser?” she hissed.
“Dinnae be an idiot,” he admonished, then gave her a quick kiss before dropping the tapestry back down in front of her. “Do what ye do so weel—be verra still and verra quiet.”
Kirstie hastily swallowed a sharp curse. The sensible part of her knew Payton had
arranged no tryst, especially not here where he was hiding so much. When it came to the fulsome, fair Lady Fraser, however, Kirstie knew she could not be completely sensible. The woman had all Kirstie felt she lacked, such as a highly praised beauty and full curves. She could not fully banish the fear that Payton would look at his little dove Lady Fraser and wonder why he was bedding a scrawny crow.
“So, here is where ye are hiding,” said Lady Fraser as she flung open the door to the room and glared at Payton, ignoring the scowling Ian close at her back.
“M’lady?” Payton noticed Ian nervously looking around the room and reassured him with a quick glance at the tapestry before signaling him to leave. “I wasnae expecting ye. Have I been a callous swine and forgotten some assignation we arranged?”
“Ye are a callous swine,” she said as she marched up to him, “but, nay, no assignation was planned. Now I ken why. I tried to catch ye at court, but ye slipped away. Where is she?”
“She?” Payton began to think he had made a lucky escape when he had been drawn away from the woman’s window, for she was acting both jealous and possessive. He had obviously missed seeing this aspect of her character when he had considered having a liaison with her.