Malcolm pursed his lips as he looked up, thinking. “Aye, it might work.”
“My brother will wear my mask until he is far enough from Kinrowan Castle. Then he will give it to Ramsay to hide. Malcolm will watch Duff leave Kinrowan.”
“How can that be, laddie?” asked Fergus.
Duff turned his back and reached for the leather tie. He lifted it off his face and rubbed his skin. Neither he nor Malcolm had shaved since the morning before. His dark stubble would cover his chin scars. He took a moment and turned to face them.
“Satan’s toenails!” Fergus peered at him, face white. “There’s two of ye!”
“I will be Malcolm of Kinrowan,” said Duff. “My brother will be Malcolm, Kiera’s husband.”
Fergus, Todd, and even Ramsay looked from Duff to Malcolm and back. Ramsay knew they were identical but had not seen them together, unmasked.
“How do I look, Fergus?” Duff strode across the room to Malcolm. They stared, eye to eye, and then turned to face the room.
“None will ken it,” said Ramsay.
“If we can get Kiera and the lad away ye mayna need to do this,” said Todd.
“I dinna wish to spend the rest of my days thinkin' of Ross kidnapping my wife,” said Malcolm. “He must be shown up badly enough that King James will finally stop him.”
“Stuffing the Lord of Kintail’s daughter in a cave is nay bad enough?” asked Fergus with enough sarcasm to sink a boat.
“Ross is married to Kiera’s older sister,” said Duff. “That was by the king’s order, to stop attacks between the two clans. It hasn’t worked. This might.”
“So ye’ll be sending the real laird to meet with Ross,” said Todd. “Duff will be Laird Malcolm here so all will think their laird allowed his brother to go.”
“They will learn the truth when we stand side by side with Kiera after Ross is vanquished. And Camden,” added Malcolm. “He is an orphan, aye?” He waited for the keeper’s nod. “He is now my foster son.”
“Our foster son,” said Duff.
“How will we get Malcolm, the real one, back from Ross’s men?”
“You ask the damnedest questions, marshall,” said Ramsay.
“And what is the damnedest answer?” demanded Todd.
They all turned to Malcolm. He sighed heavily. “I will find that out when I see Ross face-to-face.”
“Do ye think he’ll come?” asked Duff.
Malcolm nodded. “I canna see him missing the chance to walk into Kinrowan with Kiera.” He ran his hands through his hair, then clutched it with his fingers and scowled. “What will we do to get through the night?”
“I’ll get out my chessboard,” said Fergus. “Losing a few games will tire ye out so ye can sleep.”
* * * *
“Lady Kiera!”
Thinking the voice was from another dream of rescue, and having finally found an almost comfortable position, she didn’t move. The warm body beside her, did. Camden scrambled over her, bumping her ankle.
She inhaled a hiss as pain shot through her. She was awake. Far too awake for this early in the day. The cave was dark, but not black.
“My lady, ’tis the marshall! We must get out now, afore those toads come for us.”
Camden had started out calling the Rosses another word, one she’d heard her father use when his whittling blade slipped. She’d suggested ‘toads’ was better for mixed company. She turned around and crawled to the entrance on her sore knees. A boat with familiar faces bobbed below.
“Thank God, ye’re safe!” said Kinrowan’s marshall.
She didn’t know the man as he spent the day with the men and in the stables, and she spent her time with the women in the castle. But he had been pointed out to her. The guard with him also looked familiar.
“Can ye climb down, my lady?”
“Climb?” Her laugh sounded close to frantic, even to her own ears. “Nay, I canna climb down. But I shall scramble if you’ll try to catch me if I fall. I twisted my ankle last night and climbing up here made it worse.” She peered down. “The sea seemed far lower last night.”
The two men shared a chuckle. “’Tis called the tide, lass. ’Tis high now, so closer to ye. Can ye lower yerself, feet first?”
“I’ll stay here and have ye hold on to me,” said Camden.
The lad was half her height and less than half her weight. It was chivalrous, but not smart.
“Can you gather everything?” she asked Camden. “If it looks like we havena been here, and someone different is sent to fetch us, they may think they have the wrong cave.”