Fingal rose to his feet, saying, “Holy Mother of God, Niall told the MacLennan messenger he would ‘gladly accept the support’ Malcolm will send. Niall is only leaving a handful of men here. Malcolm could ride in with an army and be welcomed. I have to find Niall and tell him.”
“Wait,” cautioned Father Colm, putting a hand on Fingal’s shoulder. “Your brother is furious with ye and is not likely to graciously hear accusations against an old and trusted friend.”
“Father, I can’t let Niall ride off and leave Duncurra vulnerable to a siege.”
“Lad, if ye go to him now with these suspicions, he is likely to separate your head from your shoulders before ye can tell him anything. Can ye close Duncurra after he leaves, and defend a siege until he returns?”
“Duncurra can be defended for a short time with a small number of men. Now that Niall doesn’t trust me, it is unlikely the men left behind will follow my orders, particularly if they think the arriving army is Niall’s ally.”
“Is there someone else who ye trust from whom ye can seek help?”
“Laird Chisholm. I could reach his keep in a few hours, but if Niall finds out I’ve left, he will believe the worst.”
“If ye don’t, ye risk losing everything ye hold dear.”
Fingal knew the old priest was right. In the bustle of activity surrounding the preparations to leave the next morning, as well as the continued effort to bring as many of the clan as possible behind the walls at Duncurra, Fingal slipped out without notice. He rode as fast as was safe in the dark and reached Currancreag, the Chisholm stronghold, shortly after midnight.
Twenty Four
Laird Matheson returned from the hunt in the early evening. They had been successful and he was in a particularly good mood. Looking extremely anxious, Elspet approached him as he entered the courtyard.
“How is our stubborn visitor today?” he asked.
“Laird, I think ye have an unexpected problem on your hands. I tried to find ye so I could tell ye early this morning, but ye had already left.”
Tadhg raised an eyebrow at her. “Care to enlighten me now?”
“Why don’t men ever stop to think about the consequences of their actions? She is scared and has eaten almost nothing. This kind of upset could be disastrous,” she said, wringing her hands.
“Elspet, what are ye talking about?”
“Laird, I suspect your visitor is with child.”
Laird Matheson swore loudly and, rubbing his forehead, asked, “What makes ye think that?”
“I helped her bathe last night, and although she is very slender, her belly is rounding. I thought it possible, but this morning she seemed ill and unable to eat, which isn’t unusual if she is expecting.”
“Damnation. MacIan might kill me. Hell, I’d kill me, if I were him.”
“Laird, an upset the likes of this one could cause a lass to miscarry.”
“God’s mercy, Elspet, I know that.”
“Good. I’m glad to see ye are sufficiently worried, because I’ve done something ye may not like.”
“What have ye done?” he asked warily.
“Laird, I know ye ordered me to keep her locked in her chamber unless ye gave permission for her to leave, and I have never defied an order, but I reasoned that when ye gave that order, ye didn’t know about her condition. Laird, I was worried about her, and no matter how good your intentions were, if something happens to that lass or her bairn, well, there is no telling what Laird MacIan would do.”
“Ye didn’t keep her locked up?” Tadhg asked, but the relief was evident in his voice.
“Nay, Laird, I didn’t,” said Elspet, trying to appear contrite. “But I followed half the order. I told Hamish ye ordered that Lady MacIan should have an escort ere she left her chamber, and he has been by her side all day, as ye required.”
“Where is she now?” he asked wearily.
“I thought it best to keep her distracted. She had needlework packed in her bag. I gave her a few things she needed, so she spent most of the day in the great hall working on it. She is clearly uneasy still, but much less so than last night. Laird, she asked to speak with ye as soon as ye returned.”
“I will see her now,” he said, walking past Elspet to enter the keep. Then stopped and turned back to her. “Elspet, does Hamish know Lady Katherine did not have my permission to leave her chamber?”
“Nay, Laird, I didn’t mention that bit. I—ah—only told him ye wished her to be escorted.”
Tadhg chuckled, “And so I did.”
He continued walking towards the keep but Elspet stopped him again, saying, “Laird, there is one more thing ye should know.” At his expectant look, she went on, “It’s a terrible thing, really. I feel sorry for the wee lass, but while she was bathing last night, I noticed Lady Katherine’s back is covered with scars from a whip.”