Rescued by a Highlander(89)

He paced and paced for the next hour. Occasionally, he mumbled about his life.

“Maddie, you are so vile! I don’t know why your stupid father liked you so much. He should have liked me better. I am the one that was going to take over his lands. He should have trusted me most. Why did he no’ love me more? I deserved it. You don’t deserve anything. You were a stupid lass. But everyone always loved ‘dear Maddie’ better than me!”

“Och, and that is the best part of it all, Maddie! I am not really related to you. My mother made it all up. She lied to your father just to get me some land. But he was so drunk, he could not even remember what happened.” Kenneth shook his head and snorted over it all.

While he laughed, Alice peeked at Maddie and whispered, “I knew it. He is too nasty to be related to you.”

Kenneth whipped around to face Alice. “Silence, you stupid cow! Sweet Elizabeth is no longer here to save you from the beatings you deserve, or did you forget that?”

He paced again, dragging his fingers through his hair.

“This is taking forever. I cannot wait much longer. But I have waited this long, have I no’? What is a little more time? I have all the time in the world! I need to savor these moments. Take your time, wench!”

Kenneth raked his hands through his grizzled hair, tugging on the ends in frustration.

“Do you no’ see how funny it all is? I am the bastard, but I am the smart one. You are the noble born, but you are stupid! See how I have finally outsmarted you and the Grant, Maddie? I just had to be patient. Your husband can’t see anything right now, he is so worried about you. It was easy to sneak past them with a disguise.”

He marched back and forth while he mumbled to himself a little longer. He was truly mad after all these months. Maddie tried to think of some way out. Her brain felt like mush.

“You know I had to do it, Maddie. I just could not wait any longer to take control of everything. My mistake was no’ waiting for you. I should have dragged you into that building. But I became so excited, I could not wait. I had to set that fire when I saw both your parents enter that place. The opportunity arrived, I had to take it.”

Maddie gasped and stared at Kenneth.

“I could not risk their leaving. My mother told me to hurry up. I kept telling her to ‘shut up’ but she would not listen. Nag, nag, nag! That is all she ever did. That is why I had to get rid of her, too. And no one ever suspected me of anything. I got away with three murders!” Kenneth patted his chest in delight as he chortled.

“See how smart I am? Three murders! Never got caught! Just like now, I will get away from here, too. I will escape just like the last time. No one can outsmart me. I am the best.”

Maddie’s pains grew more intense and closer together. Alice and Brenna mopped her brow, worried expressions on both their faces. She wracked her brain trying to come up with a way to get Kenneth out of the room or to get someone else in, but to no avail. Kenneth denied every request they made. He continued pacing. Every once in a while, Kenneth stopped and stared at Maddie with a smile on his face. At one point, he leaned against the wall, and snickered with a snarl on his face as he stared at Maddie’s belly.

Finally, Madeline could take no more. She had to protect her bairn somehow. She would not lose this laddie, the bairn and Alex were her whole life. Madeline felt another pain coming, and she instantly knew what she had to do. She roared a blood-curdling scream that could be heard over half the valley.

“Scream all you want, Madeline. Nobody pays any attention to a woman screaming in childbirth.” he chuckled.

***

Alex, Robbie and Brodie all jumped when they heard Madeline’s scream. Alex and Brodie rushed toward the stairs.

Robbie appeared bewildered. “Where are you going? She is having a bairn. All women scream.”

Brodie looked over his shoulder at Robbie. “No’ Madeline, you fool, she never screams.”

Alex reached the door first and pushed on it. It was bolted from within.

“Open the door!” he bellowed. There was no response. “Brenna, open the door or I will kick it in!”

***

After he heard the pounding of footsteps on the stairs, Kenneth jumped around to the side of the bed. Brenna kicked him and scratched him, but he stabbed her in the arm. She screamed and tried to hit him. He grabbed hold of Madeline’s arm and pulled her over closer to him. Maddie slapped him but he threatened her by holding the dagger at her belly.

“Touch me again, and both of you die.”

She stopped instantly, knowing she had to protect the laddie.

Why wasn’t Alex inside yet? Still using her as a shield, he moved the dagger to her throat.