Lured to the Night (The Brotherhood Series Book 4) Read online

  He watched helplessly as a tear ran down Isla’s cheek. “Perhaps it is the price I must pay for lying with a devil.”

  “No!” Ivana cried. “You must not say that. Never say that. You just need to rest for a while longer.”

  A light rap on the door disturbed them. Ivana went to investigate. She slipped out into the hallway for a time before returning with Leo.

  “There are men waiting outside in the bailey,” Leo said gravely. “Douglas told me you know them and that they live in the village.”

  Bloody hell. Ramsey could not have come at a worse time.

  “Did they say what they wanted?” Lachlan asked.

  “They want to speak to Miss Maclean. They swear they only wish to ask her a few questions about the death of their cattle and to know why she was prowling the village late last night.”

  Lachlan muttered a curse. “Tell them she is ill and cannot come down. Tell them she will send for them when she is more able to answer their questions.”

  Isla cleared her throat. “I am blind not mute, Lachlan. I can speak for myself.” She shuffled until she was sitting up straight. “Help me up. I must know if the cure has proved successful. If so, I shall go down to the bailey and speak to them.” She waved in the direction of the window. “Open the drapes and pull back the shutters.”

  Lachlan hesitated. “Let me speak to them first. I can’t wait to curl my fingers around their scrawny necks as a punishment for spreading their evil lies.”

  “Which is why I must go,” she said, patting the coverlet until she could feel the edge of the bed. “I’ll not have you brawling with your friends and neighbours.”

  Lachlan closed the distance between them. “Stay here,” he instructed though his tone was soft and calm. “I need you to get well. Let me go. Let me tell them you’re ill and you will call for them shortly.”

  She winced as she tried to move, her deep groan a clear sign she was still in some pain. “I don’t want to give them a reason to be even more suspicious of me. But perhaps you’re right. Inform them that I intend to address their concerns as soon as I am able.”

  Lachlan inclined his head, but upon realising she was not able to observe the gesture, he said, “Of course.”

  As expected, Lachlan stepped out into the bailey to find Ramsey, Fraser and Hendry waiting to speak to Isla. Hearing the creak of the oak door, they all turned to face him.

  “Lachlan.” Ramsey stepped forward, held his hands up in a sign of surrender. The man did not appear surprised to see him. “We’ve nae come to make trouble.”

  “Then why have you come?” He could not wait to hear their ridiculous accusations fall from their own mouths.

  “We want to speak to Miss Maclean.” Ramsey cleared his throat. It was the sound of someone wishing to disguise his embarrassment. “We want to ask her a few questions. We’ll nae keep her long.”

  Lachlan folded his arms across his chest to calm his temper. After everything Isla had been through he felt like tackling them to the ground and punching them until his fists were numb. “Were you the men who chased us through the forest last night?”

  “Aye.” Ramsey glanced back over his shoulder, jerked his head to Fraser. “But we were just protecting what’s ours.”

  “Someone’s been killing the cattle,” Fraser said. “We were out keeping watch when we saw Miss Maclean hovering near the field.”

  “She’s nae been seen about during the day for years,” Hendry complained. “There’s something unnatural about it all if ye ask me.”

  Lachlan raised an arrogant brow. “No one asked for your opinion. Perhaps you’ve been supping too much ale, and it has affected your judgement. Perhaps you have an ulterior motive and all your gossiping and scaremongering has led to an increase in trade.”

  “We know what we saw.” Ramsey countered. “We have a witness who says she attacked him in the forest.”

  Lachlan stepped forward and all three men shuffled back.

  “Are you referring to that pathetic story about the baobhan sith?” He laughed, although the sound revealed contempt rather than humour. “So you all believe in the silly stories your mothers told you when you were wee laddies so that you’d behave.”

  “She attacked a traveller,” Hendry said peering over Ramsey’s shoulder. “I’ve seen the scar myself.”

  Good Lord. They really had lost all concept of sense and logic. “And where is this witness, this traveller you speak of?”

  “He left. Och, the man couldn’t wait to get out of the village.”

  Aye. Probably because he’d been paid to lie. “Was this man travelling alone? Did he say how he managed to escape from such a vicious creature?”

  “Aye, he was alone,” Ramsey began, “but yer man was too scared to speak. He mumbled something about her being frightened of his horse.”

  Lachlan raised his chin. “So the man was scared for his life and yet he continued through the woods alone.” He chuckled. “And you all think Isla is a mythical monster, roaming the village at night to kill your livestock and attack innocent men in the forest.”

  The men frowned, looked at each other and then at Lachlan.

  Ramsey rubbed the whiskers covering his chin. “When ye say it like that it does sound absurd. But what other explanation is there? Since she married the stranger from abroad, she’s nae been the same.”

  “You’ve every right to be suspicious of me.” Isla’s croaky voice drifted out from the doorway.

  They all turned to face her. She hung back in the shadows, looked gaunt, far too pale. She had tied her unkempt hair loosely in a ribbon, gripped the corners of the blanket draped over her shoulders.

  “You’re not well,” Lachlan said, trying to keep the sense of panic from his voice. “You should stay inside where it is warm.”

  “I can manage. Come. Let me take your arm, Lachlan.”

  He marched over to her. “What the hell are you doing?” he whispered through gritted teeth.

  “I’m putting an end to this once and for all.”

  Fear dug its claws into his heart. “But what if—”

  She clutched his arm. “I am cured, Lachlan. There’s no need to worry.”

  Despite her words of confidence, he still held his breath and shivered with trepidation as she stepped out into the bailey.

  Ramsey exhaled in shock at the sight of her standing beneath the rays of the midday sun. He inclined his head. “Ye know why we’ve come?”

  “You must forgive me for not addressing you by name,” she said, her blue eyes flitting back and forth, failing to settle. “I have an illness that impairs my vision. It is worse when the sun is up. I’m afraid today is a particularly bad day, and I cannot see a thing.”

  Ramsey’s mouth fell open as he narrowed his gaze and stared at her. “We knew nothing of yer illness.”

  “I’m ashamed to say that my condition causes bouts of melancholy. To lose one’s sight, even temporarily, can be terribly debilitating.”

  “Can you nae see anything?” Fraser asked peering at her.

  “No. Not at the moment.”

  The men came to stand together, muttered and whispered amongst themselves.

  Lachlan pursed his lips to suppress a grin. Isla was smart, highly astute. Her declaration provided the perfect opportunity to address their reason for being caught in the forest.

  “We were out in the woods last night. I escorted Miss Maclean so she could take some air. The vicious rumours circulating the village had made her fear for her safety.” Lachlan’s tone brimmed with reproof. “In the dark her vision is a little clearer, and she insists on taking exercise. We stumbled upon the real culprit in Fraser’s field. We were chasing him when you saw us exit the forest.” Lachlan decided to exaggerate the truth to bolster her cause. “When you ran after us, I was forced to carry her as her failing sight made it difficult for her to keep the pace.”

  The men remained silent though he suspected their minds were busily engaged in trying to make sense of the
situation.

  “How long have ye been suffering with yer sight?” Ramsey eventually asked.

  “Three years,” she replied. “I can go for long periods without any symptoms, but then the headaches lead to a bout of blindness. I have been ill these last few weeks.”

  “Ask yourselves this, gentlemen,” Lachlan said, feeling no guilt or shame for supporting her lie. “What motive would Miss Maclean have for committing these abominable acts? Douglas Dougan cares for her like his daughter, and there’s not a man alive who doesn’t respect his judgement.”

  Well, unless Douglas had drunk more than his share of whisky, of course.

  The men muttered amongst themselves again before Ramsey said, “Then who would want to commit such cowardly crimes?”

  “Honestly. I have no notion.” Lachlan squared his shoulders and stood to his full height. “But someone in this village has deceived us all, played us for fools. And I’ll not rest until I discover who’s to blame.”

  Chapter 14

  After escorting Isla back to her room to rest, Lachlan rode to Carrick Hall to wash and change his clothes. Ramsey and the other men had appeared just as confused by the recent events, which led Lachlan to conclude he was missing a large part of the puzzle.

  Someone wanted to ruin Isla’s reputation, see her ostracised by her own people. But why? Whoever it was, their need must be great for them to commit such abhorrent acts. Creeping about at night to slaughter animals conveyed a certain desperation that spoke of depravity.

  You’re the only person I know with just cause to despise me.

  Isla’s words drifted through his mind. All her problems had begun upon his return home. Was it a coincidence? Did someone have a grievance against him and so chose to hurt Isla as a means of revenge? But Lachlan had never exchanged a cross word with anyone in the village, until now.

  By the time he strode into his father’s study, he was still just as confused.

  “Lachlan.” His father waved for him to come further into the room. “Dinnae stand there with the door open. It’s a sure way for a man to catch a cold. Come sit and warm yerself by the fire.”

  Lachlan removed his coat, moved the chair a little further back from the blistering flames before dropping into it with languid grace. “You’ll catch a sweating fever if you insist on keeping the room so hot.”

  “I’m just warming my bones.” He smiled as his gaze raked over Lachlan’s creased shirt. “Mrs. McTavish said ye didnae come home last night.”

  “I spent the night at Castle Craig. Isla had guests arrive unexpectedly and we were drinking with Douglas until the early hours.” He paused. “The guests came to inform Isla that she’s a widow. Her husband is dead.”

  His father’s green eyes glistened; his smile grew into a huge grin, and he clapped his hands numerous times. “If my legs were nae so cold, I’d jump up and dance a jig. That robbing bastard is dead. Forgive my lack of sympathy, but that’s the best news I’ve heard since I remembered where I’d hidden my bottle of rum.” His father stared at him. “Well? Does that mean yer might nae move to Edinburgh?”

  Lachlan stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his arms behind his head. He had denied his feelings for too long. “It means I’ll ask Isla to marry me.” The sudden rush of emotion almost choked him. “Of course, her husband’s death has to be registered legally. I believe the witnesses will need to visit the Commissary Court.”

  “So yer going to marry Isla Maclean,” his father said cheerfully. “All my prayers have been answered.”

  “If she’ll have me.”

  He wondered why his father hadn’t mentioned the strange talk in the village. Boyd hadn’t mentioned it either during the hours they had spent emptying the jug of whisky. It struck him as odd. Boyd knew of his attachment to Isla. The man spoke to Ramsey and Fraser on a regular basis, yet had not offered his assistance or suggested helping to prove her innocence.

  Suspicion flared.

  “Has Boyd mentioned that Ramsey lost a few cattle last week?” Lachlan straightened, feeling suddenly mistrustful of their loyal steward.

  His father shook his head. “Nae that I recall. But I hope Ramsey knows yer need to be quick about dealing with these things. Sickness can spread through a herd like a forest fire.”

  If his father was unaware of the conspiracy against Isla then perhaps Boyd was ignorant too. Lachlan instantly brushed the thought aside. Boyd spent too much time in the village not to have heard the gossip. But what possible motive could Boyd have for wanting to cause trouble for Isla?

  “I’m sure Ramsey knows what he’s doing,” Lachlan managed to reply, but questions over Boyd’s suspected duplicity plagued his thoughts. “Is Boyd in his office? He asked to speak to me regarding the repairs.”

  “He mentioned riding out to Crieff to see a fellow about mending the roof. He said he’ll nae be back before supper.”

  “Well, I should go upstairs and change my shirt.” Lachlan came to his feet. “Tell Boyd I’ll speak to him tomorrow.” He would make a thorough search of Boyd’s office before he left for Castle Craig. “I may take supper up at the castle tonight. Can I ask Mrs. McTavish to bring you anything?”

  His father nodded, his expression softening upon hearing his housekeeper’s name. “Tell her to come and speak to me about supper, only if she’s passing. I’d nae wish to ruin her daily routine.”

  Lachlan smiled. “Why don't you just marry her and be done with it? Then the woman can keep you company without you having to find excuses to justify her presence.”

  His father looked somewhat shocked as his bluntness. “Marry Mrs. McTavish? But after yer mother passed, I promised never to marry another woman.”

  “That was ten years ago. You’re both widowed and lonely. You deserve some happiness.”

  His father pursed his lips, his brows drawn together in thoughtful contemplation. “Would ye nae be bothered by all the talk in the village? Would ye nae think of it as betrayal?”

  “Me?” Lachlan put his hand to his chest. “Why would you care what I think?”

  His father shrugged. “Well, I know how yer missed yer mother and ...”

  Lachlan closed the gap between them and put a reassuring hand on his father’s shoulder.

  “My experiences over the last few years have taught me to listen to my heart not my head.” A sense of regret over his own foolish decisions infused his tone. “You must seize every opportunity presented. Marry Mrs. McTavish if it will make you happy.”

  As Lachlan turned to leave, his father called out to him. “Even as children, everyone knew you and Isla belonged together. It’s why I made the oath with Alistair. Some things are destined to be. It was just a matter of waiting for the right time.”

  “I know.” Lachlan raised his chin in acknowledgement, but he also knew he was damn lucky to be given another chance at happiness. “Shall I go and find Mrs. McTavish?”

  “Aye, lad. Tell her the right time is nigh. Tell her I’m done with waiting.”

  After relaying the message to Mrs. McTavish and then changing into clean clothes, Lachlan decided to search Boyd’s office. He had no idea what he was looking for, but his instincts told him something was amiss.

  The pile of papers strewn on top of the desk revealed nothing of interest. The battered oak desk was locked, and so he ran his hand along the underside of the top drawer hoping to find a key dangling from a hook. Nothing. He scanned the row of books lining the shelves in the tall case. Again, nothing captured his interest.

  Opening the leather-bound ledger, he examined the household expenditure for the last four weeks. He flicked back one month, then two. One entry caught his attention. The extortionate sum of six pounds and two shillings had been paid to a Mr. Stanthorpe for services rendered. Upon further inspection, Lachlan noted that the charge was made against replacing the rotten eaves in the stable block.

  It posed a problem on two counts. Firstly, the price of such a project would undoubtedly cost less than two pounds
. Secondly, Lachlan had recently conducted his own tour of the estate and noted the poor condition of the woodwork in the stables.

  There were other anomalies, too: other repairs charged to the estate, bills to labourers, excessive visits to the farrier. Together they totalled almost a hundred pounds, all spent in the last six months. If he searched other ledgers would he find similar entries?

  Locating the accounts for the last three years, covering the length of time he had spent in Edinburgh, Lachlan carried the pile of books to his room. He hid them between two mattresses, replaced the sheets and coverlet, locked the door and tucked the key inside the concealed pocket of his coat.

  He had one more call to make before he returned to Castle Craig.

  The ride to Comrie took thirty minutes. After being granted access to the parish records, he scanned the relevant page. The date of Isla’s marriage to Nikolai was seared into his brain. There could be no mistake. Finding no record of the marriage, he spoke at length to the minister. Confident with the minster’s reply, Lachlan began the journey back to Castle Craig feeling optimistic. Indeed, anyone passing him on the road would have wondered why his grin stretched from ear to ear.

  As he passed the lane leading down to the village, he stopped. Whilst the need to see Isla burned in his chest, he knew she would be resting. It occurred to him that Boyd really was an elusive fellow. He had no family, never spoke about himself. Their conversations often took place after more than one glass of whisky. Consequently, serious subjects gave way to jovial stories and village gossip.

  Boyd would not be back from Crieff until supper, which would give Lachlan time to pry into the steward’s affairs. As the landlord of the alehouse, Hendry knew more than enough about the private business of his patrons and so Lachlan decided to ride to the village and ask a few probing questions.

  Hendry’s main income came from renting rooms to travellers journeying down to the town. At night, the alehouse proved to be a warm, lively place where those who wanted to save on the cost of coal and candles could sit for hours sipping their ale slowly to make it last.