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After the wee Henry weasel left, Fraser glared at the cell door, then muttered a string of curses. If only Cyrus hadn't sent Irving and MacNeil, those two would yet live and Fraser would be nearly to Castle Rebbinglen by now.
Of course, Cyrus had only wanted to protect him.
Maybe Fraser should blame himself. His brothers had always told him his risk-taking would get him into trouble. He didn't want to believe them. He never felt more alive than when he was on the edge of disaster.
But now he was fully immersed in disaster. Cyrus didn't have enough men left to lay siege to this castle. He'd be forced to buckle under the bastard's demands. He and the two MacKenzie guards may have killed two of Henry's men, but the man had at least twenty to thirty more, that Fraser had counted.
He sat down on a rectangular stone block in the corner. This dungeon cell was cool, dank and musty. The only light came from a tiny window in the corridor. 'Twas far too small for a man to fit through.
Hell, what if he didn't survive this? He never thought about his own mortality. As far as he was concerned, no one could bring him down. But mayhap he'd been wrong.
The lovely face of a dark-haired lass popped into his mind. Would he ever see Lady Talia Murray again? He had not seen her in a long while. And as he'd told Cyrus, she was likely married to one of the MacKay clansmen. After all, she'd moved to their castle when her sister, Seona, had married Keegan MacKay.
Talia had only been eighteen summers when he'd last seen her, too young for him to dally with, especially with her being a virginal lady. Though Keegan was a good friend, he would've likely throttled Fraser if he'd seduced the lass. Or Keegan might even try to force Fraser to marry her.
Fraser admitted he had been a bit disappointed when she hadn't traveled with Isobel and Dirk to Castle Rebbinglen. But why would she? If she wasn't yet married, she'd likely stayed by her sister's side. And if she was married, she might have a bairn by now.
He arose and paced across the packed earth floor. Nay, he would focus on seducing other lasses and push Talia from his mind, as he had been doing for two years. He didn't want to be tied down with only one woman, at least not until he was thirty or thirty-five. He vowed to be the last of his brothers to take a wife. As long as Cyrus would marry and sire a few sons, Fraser had no need to.
However, when he had sat alone, observing his brother Shamus with his bride, Maili, he'd experienced a strange twinge. He was uncertain what it was—envy, loneliness? He shrugged, annoyed because 'twas an emotion he hadn't felt when he was younger. He had truly thought Keegan mad when he'd blatantly admitted that he wished to wed Lady Seona because of his deep feelings and devotion to her alone. But now, Fraser felt a hint of understanding.
Still, what did it matter at the moment? Imprisoned, he could do naught about going to visit Talia. He didn't ken how the present conflict would get resolved. No doubt Cyrus would protect him at any cost, 'haps even risk his own life in a rescue attempt. Fraser prayed it didn't come to that. The clan needed Cyrus far more than it needed Fraser or any of the other MacKenzie brothers.
***
THE NEXT DAY, CYRUS checked on James multiple times. Although Mistress Almsly had removed the arrow from his thigh and stopped the bleeding, James was fevered and in great pain. The various herbal tisanes she forced him to drink helped him sleep through most of it.
Cyrus had spent the rest of the morning in the gatehouse or courtyard, strategizing with the few able-bodied guards he had remaining, while Elspeth was doing some sort of bookkeeping in the study.
During noon meal, Reid rushed in the front door and toward Cyrus where he sat at the table with Elspeth. "Chief! A small army is approaching."
Cyrus shot up from his chair. "The MacKenzies?"
"Nay. Lowlanders."
"Damnation." Cyrus strode out the door and down the steps. "How many?"
Reid followed closely behind him. "At least two dozen."
"Hellfire." 'Twould be an uphill battle, being so outnumbered. Cyrus had faced similar odds before, but never while protecting a lady. He paused and glanced back to see if Elspeth was close-by. Indeed, she was only a few paces behind him. "Take your staff into the cellar as we discussed, including your two guards. Neither are recovered enough to fight."
"Of course." Elspeth rushed back inside, while he continued toward the gatehouse.
Mistress Almsly already knew, at the first sign of trouble, she was to bar the door of the room where she was tending to James. Moving him would cause him great pain.
In the gatehouse, Cyrus peered out at the road in the distance. "'Tis a larger force than we have."
Reid nodded. "'Haps four or five times as many."
Muttering a curse, Cyrus looked around for the bow and quiver but remembered they were in the hall. The quiver didn't contain enough arrows to kill all those men, anyway. He would have to use another tactic. His and Elspeth's cellar idea was probably the best one, fighting two or three men at a time in the narrow corridor.
"Reid, I want to post you and Norval by the gates. Keep an eye on the wood across the road, too. He could've divided his forces."
"Aye, Chief." Reid left the gatehouse.
A moment later, Elspeth ran up the steps.
Cyrus glared at her. "What are you doing here? You're to stay in the cellar with the servants."
"Nay! I won't leave you to fight them alone." Wide-eyed, yet determined, she stared out at the road. "If that's Henry, 'tis me he's come for."
Disbelief and outrage stormed through Cyrus. "You can't fight them! I have five soldiers and plenty of weapons. We'll take care of most of them. If we lose half our men, those of us left standing will retreat to the cellar and confront them in the narrow corridor, as we discussed. I've informed all the men of the plan."
Her anxious eyes pleaded with him. "I don't want you or your men to lose your lives fighting my battle."
He ground his teeth. Damnation, she was as stubborn as he was.
"MacKenzie!" The shout echoed from the distance.
The approaching party had halted about a hundred yards away.
"Go. Take care of the servants and your guards who are injured," Cyrus ordered Elspeth. "They need you. I'll deal with this weasel."
Thankfully, she hurried down the steps, while he turned his attention back toward his foes.
"I have your brother!" a man yelled from the distance.
"Fraser?" Cyrus muttered a series of curses. Squinting, he could barely see his brother's dark hair and plaid among the other men. He was on foot. Had they forced him to walk the entire distance?
The man in front had to be Dalacroy, but Cyrus needed confirmation.
"Who are you?" Cyrus demanded.
"The Earl of Dalacroy."
If the whoreson harmed Fraser, Cyrus would strangle him. Where were Irving and MacNeil? Scanning their ranks, Cyrus was unable to locate his guards. Had they been captured, too, or were they dead?
"Put down your weapons!" Dalacroy shouted, causing his fancy chestnut mount to dance about and snort. "If you wish to get Fraser back alive, you will send Lady Grey out here to me!"
"Leave the lady out of it! We'll fight man to man." From what Cyrus could tell, the young earl was short and scrawny, probably not a trained soldier.
"Nay. My quarrel isn't with you; 'tis with Lady Grey! She has several things that are rightfully my inheritance."
The man was crack-pated. Cyrus would have to deal with him carefully until Fraser was safely away from him. "Bring Fraser closer so I can talk to him!"
One of Dalacroy's guards dismounted, grabbed one of Fraser's bound arms and shoved him forward. As they walked closer, the coward used Fraser as a human shield. His brother did not appear to be badly injured, thank the saints.
"Are you well, brother?" Cyrus called.
"Aye. Don't give in to their demands!"
"Bring him back," Dalacroy ordered. "And send the jezebel out to me, MacKenzie."
"Bastard." Cyrus watched the guard shove Fraser back toward the gathering. "I'll exchange myself for Fraser," Cyrus yelled.
"Nay! As I said, your only option is to send Lady Grey out to me. You will then be free to take your brother home."
"Where are my two guards, MacNeil and Irving?" Cyrus demanded.
"Dead!" Henry returned.
"Nay." Feeling gutted, Cyrus clenched his teeth. Those two were like family. They'd fought beside him and protected him for many years.
"Just as Fraser will be if you do not meet my demands!"
"Your days are numbered, you wee viper," Cyrus muttered.
"Both your guards were killed in a skirmish. They shouldn't have challenged my men!"
The two of them, along with Fraser, would've been severely outnumbered. They likely had little chance of defeating so many. "Just be patient. You'll get what you're asking for," Cyrus shouted. Once he escorted Elspeth and Fraser safely to Castle Rebbinglen, he would return here with his army and see justice served. Just because the whoreson was an earl didn't mean he was above the law.
"Do not try any tricks or you will regret it. I can kill Fraser right now, break down those flimsy gates, and drag Lady Grey out by her hair if I so choose. You only have a few guards left. You are greatly outnumbered."
"I'll take these deeds out to him." Elspeth's voice came from behind him.
Cyrus jerked around. "I told you to go into the cellar. 'Tis not safe for you here!"
"Nor is it safe for you here," she snapped.
"Elspeth..." He was ready to give her a severe tongue-lashing, but she held up her hand, and he was shocked to realize that alone stopped him.
"I will deal with Henry," she said with calm determination. "I'm the reason he's here. I'm the reason Fraser was taken hostage, so I need to be the one to get him released."
"Are you mad?" Cyrus demanded.
She shook her head. "I have a plan."
"What kind of plan?"
"The reason I was in the study so long this morn is that I've been finishing faux copies of my deeds." She held up the rolled parchments, tied with a blue ribbon.
Surprised, he frowned. "Why?"
"'Twill buy us some time. They look very similar to the originals with a few key changes. Mayhap he will release Fraser if I sign them over. Then, we can go elsewhere before he realizes they're not real."
She had a brilliant idea, Cyrus had to admit. Mayhap the counterfeits would at least allow him to get her and Fraser back to Castle Rebbinglen. "Can I see them?"
"I'm growing impatient!" the whoreson yelled outside. "Your brother's life means naught to me!"
"You'll have to wait until she dons her cloak." Cyrus stalled for time, yet his gut knotted with the need to hurry and get Fraser away from the madman.
Elspeth removed the ribbon and spread the deeds out on the small table.
Cyrus moved closer to examine them, amazed at their realistic appearance. "They appear aged. How did you do this?"
"I used old, faded parchment. After the ink dried, I crumpled them a bit and rubbed the lettering with rough sackcloth so the ink wouldn't appear so fresh. For the wax seals, I used a small knife to carve them."
"I'm impressed by how authentic they look. I'll take them out to the knave and exchange them for Fraser." Cyrus rerolled the deeds.
Elspeth held out her hand. "I'll do that. I doubt he would harm me."
Annoyance grated at Cyrus's nerves. "Don't be naïve. He would love naught more than to kill you."
A loud crash sounded below. He spun to look out the window. Four of Dalacroy's men were ramming a log against the iron bars.
"They're breaking down the gates." He handed her the deeds. "After you sign these, leave them here on the table and go back inside, into the cellar, where you'll be safe."
"Nay, I'll give them to him myself. Besides, he will want to watch me sign them over to him." Her cloak swirled as she spun and hastened down the steps.
Fear for her life ripping through him, Cyrus followed her to ground level, then grasped her arm. "You're not going out there. You're going back inside the house." Cyrus picked her up and carried her quickly across the courtyard and up the entry steps. Once in the hall, he set her on her feet.
Defiance in her eyes, she backed away from him. "'Tis my fault Fraser is in such danger now. I will get him released. Henry won't kill me."
"Not until after you sign everything over to him, then he will be most eager to murder you."
"Mayhap I can talk some sense into him."
Cyrus scowled. "You don't even know the whoreson. Have you ever met him?"
"Nay," she admitted. "But we both knew his father."
"That makes no difference."
Another loud crash sounded and then swords clanged.
He glanced aside at his guard. "Sean, make certain she remains inside."
"Aye, Chief."
Cyrus drew his sword and turned to join the fighting in the courtyard. An archer appeared on the steps, taking aim. His instincts seizing control, Cyrus grabbed Elspeth, pulling her out of his line of sight. The arrow lodged in an overhead beam.
"I'm tired of waiting, MacKenzie!" Dalacroy was close outside the entry door, though they couldn't see him.
"Keep your men back, Henry, and I will come out!" Elspeth yelled.
"That's Laird Dalacroy to you, whore!"
Elspeth wanted to call the knave every foul name she could think of, but she restrained her tongue. "I will exchange myself for Fraser MacKenzie."
"'Tis the first sensible thing I've heard all day. I have sent for my best solicitor. Bring the deeds out here. We'll make all of the sales official."
"Sales my arse," Cyrus growled low, then yelled out the door, "You are taking the lady nowhere! She will sign the deeds over here, give them to you and you will return Fraser to us."
Henry chuckled darkly. "Nay, indeed. I'll hand Fraser over to you only after I have the deeds and Lady Grey firmly in my possession. I'll be taking both back to Wingate Castle. Get one thing through your thick head, daft Highlander—you are not in charge here. I am. "
Cyrus clenched his jaw. "The whelp thinks me daft," he muttered, obviously forcing himself to maintain his control. "He's going to suffer, I vow."
"He's an imbecile," she whispered, attempting to keep Cyrus calm so he wouldn't act impulsively. "And he's only trying to rile you. Your life is far more endangered than mine is right now."
"What will you do with the lady once she signs the deeds?" Cyrus called out to him.
"I will release her so she may live on the muddy streets of Aberdeen where she belongs. I'm not a murderer."
When she imagined such a fate for herself, Elspeth's stomach ached.
"I'm going to squash him like the wee bug he is." To Henry, he said, "That remains to be seen. Where are Lady Grey's guards, the ones who vanished from here several days ago?"
Henry laughed. "They were unhappy with their pay here, as well as the meager food and lodgings. They pleaded for employment on my estate, and I was glad to double their wages."
Anger boiled within Elspeth. She made sure all of her staff had food as good as her own, and comfortable, warm places to sleep.
"We ken what you did," Cyrus assured him. "Paying them to leave so the lady would be unprotected."
"'Nonsense. 'Tis not my fault the fallen woman is unable to pay her guards and staff. I'll give her ten quid so she can buy some bread for the remainder of her maids and steward."
Furious, Elspeth gritted her teeth. "If you don't kill him, I will."
Cyrus snorted. "I admire your fortitude."
She did see admiration in his eyes, along with extreme concern. How was it possible she felt closer to Cyrus than any man she'd ever met? She'd only known him a short time, and yet he fretted over her far more than anyone she knew.
"Go in and drag her out!" Henry commanded.
Dozens of running feet pounded over the cobblestones and up the steps, sending chills of dread over her body.
"Go!" His dark eyes intense, Cyrus pointed toward the cellar doorway.
She shook her head and dropped the rolled deeds into a large empty vase near the door. "I will meet my fate head-on."
The first sword-wielding soldier charged through the open doorway. In an instant, Cyrus spun and buried his sword in the man's gut, while dodging the blade swinging toward him. When that enemy fell to the floor, he stabbed his dirk into the second soldier's chest. Wanting to watch Cyrus's back, Elspeth grabbed a small iron candleholder.
Mayhem erupted as a dozen or more of Henry's men swarmed into the hall, engaging Cyrus's guards in battle. Fraser broke free from his captor and, though his hands were bound behind his back, he slammed his body into one of the enemies, knocking him down before he could stab Cyrus.
Four more soldiers charged in. Two kicked Fraser against the wall, then all four tackled Cyrus to the floor. Being smaller, they scrambled to hold him down. More soldiers joined them, striking and kicking Cyrus.
"Stop!" Ice water running in her veins, Elspeth dropped the candleholder and dashed toward them. "Don't harm him and I will give you the deeds!"
Henry strode inside like he already owned the place. He was a younger, shorter version of Alexander, with straight, medium-brown hair and thick brows, and yet the older man had never been as repugnant as his smarmy son.
"And I was told you were not MacKenzie's whore." Henry approached her with a nasty smile. "I knew 'twas a lie."
Disgusted by him, Elspeth slapped his face.
"Bitch!" He shoved at her shoulder, making her stumble backward. With quick footwork, she was able to remain on her feet.
"Leave her be!" Cyrus roared from beneath the pile of men holding him down. "Where is my brother?"
"On the floor behind you."
"Fraser?" Cyrus rasped.
"Aye." His brother's face was scrunched in pain.
"What did you do to him?" Elspeth glared at the bald guard standing over Fraser.
"'Tis only a broken arm," the man sneered. "Let me put him out of his misery, my laird."
"Nay!" Elspeth yelled. "Leave him be or you will get naught. And do not harm anyone else here."
"Tie those two up nice and tight, Balcot." Henry pointed at Fraser and Cyrus, then he turned to her. "Now, you jezebel, fetch the deeds from wherever you have them hidden."
"Your father was right about you."
"Oh? What did he say?" Henry snapped, then narrowed his eyes. "Not that it matters."
Ignoring his question, she asked one of her own. "Do you give your word that you will not harm any of these men?"
He cast a critical eye over them. "Aye. As long as they do not retaliate, and they leave here and hasten back to their barbaric Highlands."
"Do you also vow that you will release me unharmed after I sign the deeds?"
"Of course." Henry's expression brightened. He seemed a bratty, coddled lad who was getting his fondest wish.
Though she did not trust the miscreant's word, 'twas all she had to go on. She had to prevent him from harming the MacKenzies further. She turned and pulled the roll of faux deeds from the vase.
"Why on earth would you hide them in there?" Henry demanded as if he felt daft for not checking in there earlier.
"Because I wanted to." She would not explain herself to him.
"Give them to me!" He snatched the parchment scroll. "Tie up the rest of the MacKenzies. Their feet, too," Henry ordered his men, then unrolled the deeds and flattened them on the table.
As he studied them, she prayed he wouldn't notice that some of the wording had been subtly changed. She knew that after his solicitor inspected them, he would figure out her trick, and she might be forced to relinquish the real deeds. But she would rather lose everything she owned than to cause the death of Cyrus, Fraser or any of their clansmen. Life was far more valuable than property, but some people didn't see it that way. Certainly not greedy Henry.
Alexander used to complain about how Henry was lazy and had no scruples. He had also cheated and stolen from his father when he'd been a lad. Elspeth should've suspected such a miscreant could one day challenge her for the properties Alexander had gifted her with.
Henry scanned the pages through squinted eyes. "I'll have my solicitor examine them thoroughly. Then, I'll pay you two pence for each property, we'll sign the deeds, and all will be as it should." He grinned smugly as he rolled up the deeds. "Come. We'll have your horse saddled, and I'll escort you to Wingate."
"I'll simply sign them over to you now." She would try near anything to avoid becoming his captive.
"Nay, mistress. That would not do at all. You must sign them in the presence of the solicitor and my witnesses."
"What about my solicitor and witnesses?" she asked, stalling for time.
His steely eyes hardened. "Nay, I cannot allow that."
"Of course not."
Smirking, he motioned for her to proceed out of the room.
"You'll regret this, you whoreson!" Cyrus roared. "Mark my words."
"Oh, I think not. The courts will be on my side. They'll realize my father was not of sound mind when he signed these properties over to his whore and took them away from his son and heir. And do not malign my mother." Henry took his sword hilt and knocked Cyrus on the head with it.
"Nay!" Elspeth yelled, feeling sickened. "You blackguard!" She ran and knelt by Cyrus, slumped on the floor. She touched his face and smoothed his dark hair away from his forehead. Good heavens, he was knocked out cold.
Henry grabbed her arm and yanked her painfully upward. "Shut your mouth or I will give you to my men, all of them. Carry her outside, MacGirk, and tie her to a saddle, facedown." He shoved her toward the guard.
Appalled by his threat, she ran to the hearth and snatched the fire poker. She would not willingly walk into a trap where she might be raped by the lot of them. 'Twould likely be her tragic fate anyway, after she signed the deeds.
"Come now, wench." Henry chuckled. "Do you truly think you have a chance against two dozen soldiers?"
Her stomach aching, she glanced around. She alone faced Henry and his menacing lackeys. All the MacKenzies were tied up or knocked out, and her servants were in the cellar. She gritted her teeth in determination. "I will bash in several skulls before you drag me from this place!"
Grinning bitterly, Henry crouched beside Cyrus where he lay insensible upon the floor. He grabbed a fistful of Cyrus's long hair, yanked his head up and held a dagger at his throat. "You will come peacefully with me or your lover's blood will be spilled all over this hall."