Her Highland Protector (Scottish Highlander Romance) Read online

  “Her sister birthed a bairn, she did,” sobbed one of the women. “Me lass, she went tae see the wee lad. Now she be dead.”

  The mother broke into wails, her desperate crying, her grief, struck Myra hard. Even though the other two women tried to comfort her, she felt compelled to offer the sobbing woman what comfort she could. “I am so very sorry for your loss, ma’am,” she said, taking her by the hand. “God’s grace on her soul.”

  “Thank ye, mum.” The grieving mother’s hand gripped hers hard enough to hurt. “Ye be kind.”

  Kerr stepped up behind Myra. “Yer lass wi’ be avenged, I swear tae ye. We wi’ kill this monster who did this.”

  He pulled some coins from the pouch at his belt, and put them into the father’s hand. “Bury yer lass. We wi’ mourn wi’ ye.”

  The serf knuckled his brow again. “Thank ye, Laird.”

  He and the other turned the donkey around to walk back the way they had come, Myra’s hand pulled from the mother’s as she, too, turned to follow the cart. Feeling rooted to the ground, sickened by all that has happened, she watched until cart, serfs and their mounted escort were gone from sight. She felt Greer stand beside her, but she didn’t look at him.

  “We have to trap him, Greer,” she said, her tone hard, vicious as anger grew within her. “Let me be the bait. We have to kill him.”

  “We wi’ find a way.”

  Furious, Myra spun on him, including Kerr in her fury. “There is no other way. Let me draw him in, he wants to kill me. How many more innocent girls must die before you two do something?”

  “Myra, lass,” Kerr said, his voice gentle. “We cannae risk ye. I am wi’ Greer in this.”

  “I am not,” she snapped. “If you don’t do something, I will.”

  Striding away from them, stomping the grass flat in her rage, Myra stormed to the castle. Crossing the bailey, she found Idina there, watching her approach and not at all concerned about her anger. “What is it?” she asked calmly.

  “Another girl is dead and those men refuse to let me help them trap him.”

  “Wi’ yerself as the bait?”

  “Of course.”

  Myra eyed her when Idina remained silent, staring out of the bailey, and suspected she was about to get the same argument she received from Greer and Kerr. “What are you thinking?”

  “Ye make sense, Myra,” Idina finally replied. “Wi’ enough armed people aroond ye, we could kill him and be done wi’ it.”

  Myra stepped closer to her. “’We’?”

  Idina finally looked at her. “Aye. Ye think I be letting ye gae in alone, dae ye?”

  Some of her fury drained away, and Myra chuckled. “No, I didn’t.”

  She glanced around for anyone close enough to listen, and observed Greer, Kerr and Fiona continue on through the bailey and into the keep with only gazing at the two of them for a moment. She lowered her voice. “Do you think you, me and some of these women who have been training with knives can trap and kill him?”

  Idina stared out toward the meadow again. “Let us walk.”

  Myra fell in beside her as Idina strolled toward the entrance, nodding to a few of the clansmen who offered them quick smiles. “We need horses,” Idina said once they were a bowshot from the castle. “Most o’ these lasses cannae ride. We hae tae be further sooth where the lasses be killed. And we would need the right place where we hae the advantage o’ terrain.”

  Myra frowned thoughtfully. “If they haven’t learned to ride, it doesn’t mean they can’t. We can put them on horses and lead them. How many women are we talking about?”

  “At least six. Perhaps seven.”

  “That would be nine of us against one man. He will not be able to fight all of us.”

  “And we hae the advantage of surprise.”

  Myra sighed. “A pity we can’t draw a bow. Stick him full of arrows from a distance would keep us all safer.”

  “Aye. Except ye, the bait.”

  “I can handle him,” Myra assured her. “Unless he draws his sword, of course. But if he does, I can keep his attention long enough for you to plunge your daggers into his back.”

  “Ye set oan this?”

  Myra glanced up from the rolling moors around them and found Idina watching her closely. “I’m not set on anything except finding the means to putting Primshire down, Idina. By whatever means necessary.”

  Idina nodded. “Then we must practice, Myra. Nae just knife fighting but also fighting as a team. We must work together if we be wanting tae survive.”

  “I know. We could be in big trouble with Kerr and Greer if they find out.”

  “Then we be sure they dinnae.”

  ***

  Over the next few days, Myra and Idina selected the seven women that were not just the best knife fighters among all the women, but also the ones that kept their heads under pressure. After supper, they gathered in Myra’s chambers, lit by tallow candles and the fire on the hearth, Myra and Idina swore them to secrecy. One thing Myra had learned about the Scots by living among them – if one gave his or her word, it was kept.

  “Laird MacEilish and Greer will stop us if they find out,” Myra said, her tone a warning. “Now if any one of you is not willing to go through with this, speak now. It will not be held against you, but we would ask that you not say a word about what we’re doing.”

  “I be wi’ ye, Myra,” said Kelly, a dark haired villager who came to the castle for protection. “I want tae return tae me home.”

  “Me, as well,” added Eithne, “I be willing. I swear me oath now.”

  The other five – Morgana, Lina, Flanna, Donalda, and Carin – all swore their vows of silence, and assured Myra that they wanted to help kill the murderous Earl of Primshire.”

  “All right,” Myra said, sending Idina a satisfied glance, “now we have to practice to work as a team, and finalize how we plan to trap the Earl. Please remember he is a big man, strong and is evil. One blade will not stop him. We must all train together on how to bring a man like that down.”

  “Hamstring him,” Kelly suggested, making a gesture of swinging a knife across her body. “A man cannae fight from his knees. We o’erwhelm him, bring him doon.”

  “Good idea,” Myra agreed. “But remember, you have to get close to do that. We all have to get close to kill him, which adds to the danger to our lives. We know how to kill him, given what the men taught us. But we must know how to kill him while minimalizing the danger to ourselves. That is why we must train for any possible outcome.”

  Idina stood up to address them all. “We must practice our slash and dodge tactics, lasses. A man can fight from his knees, he be a danger tae us till he be dead. He can still use his sword, his dagger, keep us at bay. Surprise still be our biggest weapon – that and our courage, if we hae it.”

  Morgana glanced around at all of them. Her dark hair flowed down her back, and her brown eyes were huge, her skin pale. “I be afraid o’ this monster,” she said. “I be terrified. But I still be willing tae risk me life tae bring this evil man doon.”

  “Me as well,” Carin added. “I think we all be afraid o’ him. But he will nae stop himself.”

  Myra exchanged a glance with Idina, both understanding one another without words. Even outnumbering Primshire nine to one, their odds of all of them surviving entrapping and killing him were not good. Myra gazed around at them. “Ladies, we start in the morning. Now the men, including Laird MacEilish and Greer, are used to seeing us practice our knife fighting. We must conceal from them the real reason we are working together. But somehow, we must each take turns playing the villain, and how to bring a big man down quickly.”

  “Aye,” Idina said, glancing around at the faces. “What we dae wi’ stand out from them. If they ask, what dae wi’ tell them?”

  Donalda shrugged, her hazel eyes innocent. “Why we be just trying new ways tae fight.”

  Myra laughed out loud, clapping her hands. “Brilliant. Simple, and yet truthful. I for one am no g
ood for lying.”

  Carin spread her hands, palms up, her light blue eyes on Myra. “Ye hae said, Myra, that we need tae ride. I dinnae agree. The seven o’ us hae little tae dae here in the castle. We can say we be gone back tae our villages when we make our plans. We willnae be missed.”

  “You mean you walk south to our designated trap location?” Myra asked, her eyes narrowed. “But that’s dangerous.”

  “Nae in daylight,” Carin replied firmly. “We take provisions, we nae be questioned. We just nae arrive at the villages, mind ye. We hide and wait fer ye at the trap.”

  Myra glanced at Idina. “What do you think?”

  “Aye,” Idina agreed, “if the clan dinnae send an armed escort.”

  “They might.”

  Carin shook her head. “A few lasses hae already returned home by walking during the day hours. They hae nae escort.”

  Myra chewed her lower lip. “We don’t know how long we’ll be out there,” she said. “He may not take the bait for some time.”

  “Ye and I wi’ ride out each night,” Idina said. “We take provisions fer the others e’ery night. They stay oot, hidden from view, until we catch this bugger.”

  “And the villagers think we be at the castle,” Carin said, “while the castle think we be at the village.”

  “You and I have to find a way to ride out alone,” Myra said to Idina. “We have to find the right terrain for the trap that will also conceal these ladies from danger and near water. Greer will never consent to that.”

  Idina smiled gently. “He wi’ if we ask tae ride oot, but nae tell him why. We ride sooth, ride aroond until we find the suitable spot. Tae him, we just be riding.”

  ***

  Myra thought her gut would burn her up from the inside from the strain.

  She had never been good at keeping secrets, and here she was keeping several. Not just from Greer, whom she loved, but also from Kerr and Fiona, who had taken her in and accepted her without question. In Myra’s moral view, keeping secrets from those who had been kind to her was akin to lying.

  Yet, she also knew she had no choice. Praying for forgiveness helped her guilt, and the almost constant exercise that the nine women implemented in practicing their knife work helped her stress. Every woman played the part of the Earl, and was attacked in every scenario they could think of, and trained exhaustively to overcome his potential opposition. Myra and Idina rode out each afternoon with Greer and a small escort of armed clansmen, exploring the southern regions of the MacEilish lands without spotting a place where seven women could remain in hiding for at least a week.

  In her guilt for deceiving Greer, Myra paid extra attention to him, spent time in his arms, kissed him frequently and gazed into his loving green eyes, knowing that one day she might not ever again.

  “What is with ye, Myra?” he asked one night as she curled up in his arms in front of the blazing hearth in the vast hall. “Ye be behavin’ as though ye may ne’er see me again.”

  Feigning outrage while inwardly wincing, Myra glared at him. “Shouldn’t we always live our days as though they might be our last?” she asked.

  “Ach, lass.” He grinned and kissed her lips. “While we ne’er ken our last breath, we dinnae always hae tae live like that.”

  Myra relaxed in his arms, gazing at the fire. “I suppose not. But death is all around us, Greer. And with Primshire still killing, well, I guess I may be overreacting.”

  “Nay, lass,” he replied, nuzzling under her jaw. “Ye be right. Wi’ that devil out there, none be safe while he breathes.”

  A powerful impulse to tell him what she, Idina and the others were planning and training for overcame Myra. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Greer would never consent to using Myra, or any other girl, as bait, even if they did know how to defend themselves. Unless he and Kerr agreed to this strategy, the only option open to them was to attack the Primshire castle, and that would lead to war between Scotland and England.

  “Will you take us riding again tomorrow?” she asked instead.

  Greer nodded. “I wi’. Ye sure took tae ridin’ like a duck tae water.”

  “As a servant, I’d never be permitted to ride. I have such a feeling of freedom on a horse. Like I go anywhere I wish, or be anyone I wish.”

  “Aye. Ye dae hae some freedom when ye ride. But yer obligations bring ye back.”

  “How very true.”

  Riding the next day, Myra and Idina inspected potential locations to set their trap near the village of Coombs. As Primshire made this his hunting ground, Myra suspected this might be the best area to utilize, if they could find an excellent spot to hide the others. Walking her black mare behind Greer, with Idina beside her and the three clansmen following, she gazed around at the stunningly beautiful landscape.

  Idina caught her eye and jerked her chin. Myra followed her gaze, observing the tall hill with a spire of huge boulders crowning it. A narrow stream meandered at its foot, with thickets of bramble following its course. As a hiding spot for the women, it appeared to be ideal, as well as a good place for an effective trap. She met Idina’s eyes and dipped her chin in a single nod.

  Now to begin preparations to catch and kill a monster.

  Chapter 24

  Greer sensed Myra was up to something, but what it could be baffled him. He watched her practice her knife fighting skills with Idina and several other wenches from the villages, and while he could not complain about her growing skills, he suspected they trained for a specific purpose. But what?

  “She be doing well wi’ that blade.”

  Greer turned to find Jared at his shoulder. “Aye. She hold her own, she dae.”

  “They all learning tae be as dangerous as a wild cat. And these days they need tae be.”

  “I ken.”

  Greer returned to watching Myra, her movements quick, sure, as she closed in on Idina and slashed the other woman across her neck. The other women did as well, all but cutting Idina apart with their wooden blades. Then Idina fell to the ground, laughing, Myra, grinning, held her hand down to help her to her feet. The two embraced as the other lasses circled them around, also laughing and giggling like children.

  “They be right happy playing wi’ knives, eh?” Jared commented dryly. “Just wait till they be tried in real combat.”

  Greer eyed him sidelong. “And where wi’ we be, Jared? We be the ones tae protect them, and we cannae.”

  “Ye be right, o’ course. It is our duty tae protect the lasses. But at least if the bugger tries tae harm one o’ them, they hae a chance tae defend themselves.”

  “Aye.”

  Then, oddly enough, within a day, the lasses who spent so much time with Myra in training headed back to their villages. Greer, walking with Kerr and discussing what pastures the sheep and cattle should be moved to, caught a glimpse of the wenches walking south, bundles on their backs. He stopped. “Where dae they be goin’?”

  Kerr also paused and glanced at them. “They wished tae return tae their homes. I gae them me blessing.”

  “They think they can protect themselves against Primshire now?”

  “If they stay within the village they will nae hae tae.”

  Uneasiness filled Greer, yet he did not speak further on it. Instead, he continued on with their conversation, and tried not to worry over them. Kerr was right, they would be safe enough if they did not venture out onto the moors after dark. “The sheep be needing new grazin’ tae the west, Da. I wi’ hae the lads move them in the morning.”

  “Good.”

  At supper that evening, Myra shrugged off her friends’ leaving the castle. “They will be fine,” she said, then smiled. “I will miss them, though.”

  Greer held her hand under the table. “They will nae think they be invincible now, dae they? Wi’ their new trainin’?”

  Squeezing his hand, she replied, “It gives us all confidence, Greer. We realize that we can still be killed under the right circumstances, but at least we have a fighting c
hance if we are attacked.”

  While she did not exactly answer his question, Greer nodded, satisfied. “They show sense, lass. I hope ye dae as well.”

  Myra turned her face from him, and removed her hand from his. “You make me out to be some sort of fool, Greer.”

  “Nay, lass, ne’er that. But ye dae be headstrong and independent, and those two combined can lead ye astray. I worry aboot ye.”

  Her smile appeared strained and thin. “You don’t have to worry about me.”