“I am sorry, Josephine,” he said softly. “I am sorry for the abduction, for taking ye away from Torridon so brutally. I did not even know my uncle had ordered that until we had left Torridon and de Reyne wasn’t with us. I suspected something was amiss and my uncle was more than happy to admit it.”
She continued to stare at the unfamiliar courtyard below. “It is not your fault,” she said. “You have been a true friend, Nicholas.”
Nicholas leaned against the wall, watching her. “As ye have been one to me, as well,” he said. “But I should have foreseen this. I know my uncle and I know he can be unscrupulous. I should have suspected he might have done something like this.”
“There would have been nothing you could do about it.”
“I could have warned ye.”
Josephine stepped away from the window. “Everything happened so quickly,” she said. “Even if you had warned me, I am not sure anything could have been done.”
Nicholas fell silent a moment, thinking of Torridon and the people there. People he’d enjoyed greatly in the short time he’d spent there. “What of Andrew?” Nicholas asked quietly. “Does he know you were taken?”
Josephine shrugged. “If he did not at first, I am sure he has figured it out.”
“He will not stand idly by while ye marry another.”
Josephine looked at him. Nicholas didn’t know that Andrew and the Earl of Annan and Blackbank were brothers and blood enemies. She was fairly certain no one had told him because the only person he’d really spent any time with at Torridon had been Donald, and Donald did not know the truth. But she knew she could confide in him and it would go no further.
“Nay, he will not,” she said quietly. “He will come for me and he will kill the earl.”
“Kill him?” Nicholas repeated. “It would do simply to take ye away from here. Killing an earl could be… complicated.”
That was true, but there was a reason for Andrew’s intent to kill Alphonse d’Vant. Josephine proceeded to tell him the entire story, starting from Andrew’s birth and continuing until The Red Fury came to Torridon. Nicholas was truly amazed and found himself gaping at the conclusion of the tale. He knew that Josephine and Andrew were betrothed, but the entire situation was so complex that it was almost unbelievable.
Now, he understood why she was so distressed and so completely unhappy. And he doubly understood why Andrew had to come to Edinburgh to kill the man she was betrothed to.
“That is the most incredible tale I have ever heard,” he said with awe. “They are brothers?”
“Indeed, they are.”
“Does the king know this?”
“I doubt it. But I suspect he will soon enough, especially when Andrew arrives.”
Nicholas could only shake his head, shock on his features. “Alexander’s betrothal has made it possible for Andrew to have more of a reason to kill his brother than ever before.”
It was the truth. “And now you understand,” Josephine said. “I am afraid, Nicholas. Afraid of the earl, afraid for Andrew, and afraid of what is to come.”
Nicholas didn’t say anything to that because he completely understood those fears. Truth be told, he was having some fear himself. This situation was deeper and more complex than he could have ever imagined. Finally, he went over to one of the chairs near the hearth and sat down.
“The earl is on his way to the castle, Josephine,” he said softly. “The chancellor sent word to him.”
Josephine looked at him with stunned horror. “When?”
“Possibly tomorrow. I am not sure.”
Possibly tomorrow. Josephine sank into the nearest chair, mulling that over. “Tomorrow,” she repeated. “I am not expected to marry him when he comes, am I?”
Nicholas could only shrug. He had no idea. His eyes reflected pity and compassion from his deep poet’s soul. He reached out and held her hand for a moment; a helpless gesture of support.
“Be brave,” he told her gently. “Andrew’s love for ye will make him the victor. I have no doubt he will win whatever battle ensues.”
Josephine looked at him. “I pray that is true,” she said. “But I have been told that the earl is a master swordsman. If Andrew wins, all well and good. But if Andrew loses, then I will kill myself. Have no doubt.”
Nicholas looked at her; his eyes silently pleading with her to reconsider. “He will not lose,” he said. “He is fighting for love. That is the greatest reason of all.”
She thought for a moment on his words, believing them as well. She believed that with all her heart. But there would be no fight should the king see Andrew when he came for her. In fact, it was imperative that the king didn’t see him at all.
“Nicholas,” she said. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Anything.
Her expression was serious. “When the time comes and the duel is at hand, you must keep the king occupied,” she said. “I fear that he will interfere and arrest Andrew. I could not bear it.”
“I shall endeavor to do my best,” he promised. “But until then, be strong. And I am at yer disposal.”
She smiled gratefully at him. “I am glad I have a friend in you,” she said. Then, she turned away from him dramatically. “Oh, Nicholas, why is the king surrounded by such good and noble men like you when he himself is a vain and self-centered child? Why couldn’t you have been king?”
Nicholas had often wondered that himself. “God has His reasons,” he said, moving for the door. “Ye must have faith, my lady. There is a reason for everything as it is.”
She turned to him, a smile on her lips. “You are a philosopher as well as a poet,” she said. “I think you would make a wonderful king.”
He returned her smile, falling under Josephine’s spell. He could see what d’Vant and the king saw in her. He paused by the door.
“Now that ye are properly dressed, would ye like to take a walk around the grounds?” he asked. “Edinburgh Castle is quite a place to see.”
Josephine nodded, turning away from the window and coming towards him. “I would,” she said. “It will help take my mind off what is happening around me.”
“Then that is the best reason of all.”
Nicholas would not soon forget the looks he received escorting the utterly lovely Josephine, for he had never felt so proud in all his life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
It was late in the afternoon, the colors of sunset stretching across a sky that had seen more than its share of rain as of late. On the muddy road below, Andrew and Sully had made excellent time, covering a great distance quickly. Neither had eaten since the previous evening, and they’d had very little to drink, but they weren’t hungry, nor did they feel thirsty.
They were focused on reaching Edinburgh Castle.
They did stop twice to allow the horses to rest and to drink. During these stops, they talked about small things; of future events, and other small talk. But during the second rest, Andrew talked of something not even Josephine knew of. It had simply never come up in conversation. It came about when the men were speaking of where Andrew and Josephine would live after they were married.
“Two years ago, I purchased a castle on St. Mary’s Loch,” Andrew said. “It sits on a rise overlooking the water and was built over the ruins of an abbey. It was in a deplorable shape when I purchased it from the Earl of Buccleuch, but the location is outstanding, in some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. There is a small village near it and the villagers are a good-natured and hearty bunch. When the purchase was complete, I set the villeins and about fifty soldiers to its repair last year. It should be nearly complete by now.”
Sully regarded him with some surprise. “I thought you were a vagabond,” he said. “I had no idea you had actually intended to lay down roots.”
Andrew grinned, lopsided. “I knew it would be wise to plan for a time when I could no longer lead my army,” he said. “That time comes to us all. Josephine will love Descanso Castle. It’s three
times the size of Torridon and the only fortress for fifty miles in any direction.”
“Sounds remote,” Sully sniffed. “Did you name it Descanso?”
Andrew nodded. “It means ‘rest’ in Spanish. And that is what I intend to do when I live there.”
Sully could well understand that. He pondered the castle in the Lowlands of Scotland, remote and rugged, and a thought occurred to him. “Andrew, if you kill your brother, you will inherit the title and the earldom,” he was thinking aloud. “Will you not live at Haldane?”
Andrew didn’t look too perplexed. “We can spend summers at Haldane and winters at Descanso,” he said. “Haldane is the family seat, but Descanso… that is mine.”
Sully was thinking other things, too, like Torridon and its future – he had always intended to return it to Josephine but if she and Andrew already had two homes, then he saw little point in returning Torridon to them. Perhaps he was destined to remain the Earl of Ayr, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
With a weary sigh, he stood up and went to his horse, tightening the animal’s cinch. “Come along, lad,” he said to Andrew. “Let us get on with retrieving your fair maiden.”
Andrew watched Sully for a moment. He knew that Sully had planned to return Torridon to Josephine as soon as the circumstances permitted, and he was sure that Sully was now confused as to whether or not he should. After all, Andrew would have two fine castles. What would he do with a third, even if it was rightly his wife’s? He sought to put Sully at ease.
“Sully,” he said as he stood up and went to mount his horse. “Keep Torridon for yourself and for Justine. It’s as much in your blood as it is in either of the ladies’. After Josephine and I are married, she will do well knowing you are taking good care of ‘her’ fortress.”
Sully gave him a lopsided grin as he gathered up his reins. “How did you know I was thinking about that?”
“Because I would be thinking about it.”
Sully simply shrugged as he mounted his horse. “We think alike, you and I,” he said. “If you wish for me to keep Torridon, then that is what I shall do. But the title goes with it.”
“I do not want that bloody title. I’ll have one of my own.”
Sully simply chuckled. Spurring their horses forward, they continued on their journey. They began to pass people on the road as they drew closer to Edinburgh; farmers with empty carts, merchants, and even a troop of traveling minstrels. One of the acrobats bent over backwards and walked along the road like a spider, bringing a hearty laugh from both men. Drawing closer to the city and watching the people was great entertainment, making a bright spot in a situation that lingered over them both like a storm cloud.
Darkness approached but Edinburgh was illuminated by thousands of torches and candles as the two entered into the city. Their focus was on the castle on the tall hill; they’d been able to see it for miles. It was a huge structure and was well-guarded, with only one road leading to and from it. It was a steep road, making the castle seem most inaccessible.
Now, the reality of the situation was settling as they arrived at their destination. Sully eyed the fortress, even from a distance.
“Have you any knowledge of the castle?” Andrew asked Sully.
Sully shook his head. “No, I have never been here.”
“Not to worry,” Andrew answered. “Let us find an inn near the fortress. It shall be ripe with information.”
They wound their way down the streets of dirt, noticing how the city closed up tightly after dark. It was quiet, too; virtually no sound emitted from the rows upon rows of dingy, structures. There was an eerie feeling to the streets, as if phantoms lurked in every corner. Darkness surrounded them.
Finally, they came upon an inn very close to the road leading up to the castle called The Falcon and The Flower from the sign over the door. They tethered their horses at the watering trough and carefully entered the dimly-lit establishment. One always had to be on guard when entering taverns because in cities like this, they were often filled with cutthroats and rabble.
But Andrew had no intention of dealing with men at that level; he was more interested in what the inn employees or regulars knew. He spied several whores near the rear of the establishment and that was exactly what he was looking for – who knew more about their surroundings than whores? He looked at Sully, who was evidently following the same train of thought. They were both looking at the same dirty women, and they nodded imperceptibly to each other. This was where they would start.
Andrew and Sully were not hard to miss. Andrew was as tall as a tree with rich auburn hair, and Sully was fair and handsome with his pale blue eyes. The two men lumbered over to a table and sat heavily, bellowing for ale.
A barmaid and three whores came on the run. They bumped and pushed into each other as they hurried to sit next to Andrew. As the barmaid sat down two tankards and smiled a buck-toothed grin, a red-haired, skinny wench smiled lasciviously at Andrew.
“What’s yer pleasure, beauty?” she asked.
Andrew gave the women his sauciest expression. “A drink and a woman,” he said. “What else did you expect?”
The women at the table laughed loudly, thrilled to perhaps be part of his plans for the evening. “Then ye’ve come to the right place,” the wench said. “We’ve got both!”
More laughter from the women as Andrew took a long drink of ale, smacking his lips with satisfaction. “Who do we see about renting rooms for the eve?”
“That would be Esme,” said a dark-haired whore.
“Get her for me,” Sully said, as he ran a finger along the woman’s cheek as she fled.
They drank and made small talk until the whore came back leading a buxom blond. The woman was a very large and very shapely woman with a strong Nordic look. Her blue eyes locked in on Andrew.
“Can I be of service, m’lord?” she asked seductively.
The whores all shot her the evil eye as Andrew stood up, outwardly appreciating the female form.
“My friend and I need rooms,” he said.
“I shall be pleased, m’lord, to escort ye myself,” Esme replied smoothly.
Sully could see what Andrew was up to. An innkeeper would know and hear more than most. And there was one sure way to retrieve such information.
“Thank you,” Andrew said, as he took a final swig and moved to follow the woman.
Sully made brief eye contact with Andrew as he left, and then turned his attention back to the three whores purring for his attention. He lit up with his handsome smile and turned on his considerable charm but, all the while, he felt he was being unfaithful to Justine. Normally, something like this wouldn’t bother him in the least, but he had a wife waiting for him back at Torridon. And she was a wife he was coming very much to appreciate, so he felt guilty for what he needed to do in order to help out Andrew. But he made himself a promise – other than flirting, he would go no further.
For Justine’s sake, he couldn’t.
As Sully fought off the amorous whores, Esme led Andrew up narrow stairs and pushed open a warped door. As Andrew entered the room, looking about him, she closed the door softly. She waited politely while he pulled off his mail and his sword; all the while devouring his long legs and tight buttocks with her eyes.
Esme, as the owner’s daughter, seldom attended the patrons herself, but she was going to make an exception in this case. This man was the most incredible male specimen she had ever seen. He moved with the muscular grace of a god. When he finally turned his gaze to her, she felt her insides turn to mush.
“Will ye be… needing anything tonight, m’lord?” The question was obvious.
Andrew took four steps and was on her, his hand entwined itself viciously in her hair and yanked her head back. His mouth clamped down so hard on hers that she uttered a small yelp of surprise. He kissed her roughly with no passion or emotion, and it was used purely for the fact that he wanted to discover everything she knew about the castle.
The w
oman was big, hard, and heavy as he took her to the bed. She was moaning and writhing, and was pulling at his hair as he ripped away her bodice and cruelly sucked on a nipple that was the size of a small apple. His hand went up her skirt to the most private of places, and began stroking her expertly.
“Esme,” he breathed. “Do you know anything of the castle?”
She squirmed. “Like what?”
“Daily business.”
She gasped as he hit a tender spot. “Mostly,” she said. “The soldiers come here all of the time.”
Andrew thought that might be the case. “And you see the business coming to and from the castle?”
“Always.”
“Were there any special visitors today?” he asked, his lips brushing against her hard nipples. “Did you see anything? Or… hear of anything?”
The woman parted her legs, begging for his male organ, but Andrew wasn’t even aroused. All he wanted was information.
“Such strange questions, m’lord,” she panted. “But I did see that a woman was brought in today.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because we are very close to the castle and visitors must pass by the tavern to enter the grounds,” she muttered, trembling when he rubbed her in just the right spot. “She passed by with one of the king’s knights. I’ve seen the man before; he’s Sassenach. And a large troupe of actors and musicians also came in today. Why? Are ye an entertainer?”
He didn’t answer her, but began to manipulate the sensitive nub between her legs. She bucked and cried, and Andrew felt oddly detached, watching as if he were a disinterested bystander. It was the most un-arousing thing he’d ever done.
“Where are the guests housed?” he whispered hotly in her ear. “Do you know?”
She cried out before answering. “My sister serves at the castle,” she groaned. “In the past, I think she has said visitors are in the residence to the south of the gatehouse. That’s where she works. But the entertainers are housed with the servants. Why do ye ask so many questions about it?”