Part 14 (1/2)
”But I saw you two, Robert,” the boy insisted, ”and later on I saw Helen come back from the lochan.”
The grin left Robert's face. His eyes narrowed. ”What did you say, boy?” he asked threateningly.
Frightened, the boy took a few steps back. ”I saw you and Helen swim naked in the lake.” And then he ran away.
Betty overheard the exchange and quickly dashed into the hut. ”Robert's here and Donald told him that he saw you swimming with a man in the lochan.”
Helen blanched.
”You met Andrew again. Helen, what did you do?”
Before she could answer, Robert's angry face appeared at the hut opening.
”Get out!” he growled at Betty.
She left with a last worried look at Helen. He brushed past her and took Helen's wrists in an iron grip, shaking her. ”With whom did you swim in the lochan, la.s.s?”
”With n.o.body... Robert, let go! You're hurting me.”
She struggled to free herself. He tightened his grip.
”You're lying. Donald saw you with a man.”
”Donald is wrong. I was alone... Robert, this hurts!”
He pushed her roughly against the wall. She screamed frightened, as her head hit the rough wood. ”Robert, stop it! You've no right to treat me like this.”
”I've all the rights. We're betrothed, and you're cheating on me even before we're married,” he scowled, advancing again.
She tried to slip past him. He grabbed her arm, shoving her again sharply against the wall. Her face betrayed her fear and increasing anger. This seemed to stir him on even more.
”Who was it? Or do I have to beat it out of you?”
”You dare touch me and our wedding is off for good!” she hissed.
”Ha, your father's sure to back me up on this! You want me to tell him about you swimming with another man in the lochan? Naked? Did he have you?”
”I told you. I was alone. Donald is wrong. He was probably too excited to see me naked.”
”You're a liar!” he shouted. ”You can't fool me that easily. I know you saw another man, the same one you met at the dance. That's why you've been so strange lately.” He went to the hut opening, where he turned briefly. ”I'll find out. His days are numbered as surely as my name is Robert MacGregor. n.o.body steals my woman.”
He stormed out. Helen watched him hurry away in the direction of the clachan. Betty joined her again.
”Helen, why did you see Andrew again? And what did you two do at the lochan?” Betty looked at her reproachfully. Helen just stood there, her eyes empty, her hands hanging down, her body trembling. ”What are you going to do now? Robert is sure going to tell father.”
”Nothing,” murmured Helen. ”Andrew isn't coming back. They'll never find out.” Her voice sounded unsure in spite of the words.
”And what about you and Robert?”
Helen shrugged her shoulders.
”Do you love him at all?”
Again, Helen answered with a shrug. ”I thought I was fond of him, before Andrew came back... Now, I don't know anymore. All I know is that he frightens me when he has one of his bad tempers.”
”Oh, Helen! What have you done?”
Betty rushed to her and took into her arms. In the security of the embrace, Helen let go and sobbed.
Early next morning, Mary appeared on the s.h.i.+elings, her face somber, closed off. She did not greet her two daughters and her youngest son. Her only words were to order Helen to come with her to the clachan. On their way down, she questioned her daughter. But Helen insisted on her story.
”La.s.s, I know that you're lying. You've met with master Andrew up there again. One of the men has seen a lone rider heading into the hills each day, ever since Sunday. They'll be watching, and if he goes to the lochan again there will be a killing.”
He won't come again. They won't catch him, Helen tried to rea.s.sure herself, but deep down lingered the nagging fear that he might anyway. What then? Mother said there will be a killing. Oh no! Her heart was all of a sudden pounding away high in her chest. She said a silent prayer that he wouldn't come again. It did little to calm her fears.
She was ordered into the fields with the other women. They all seemed to watch her closely. Midmorning, her father dropped by. Helen braced herself mentally to be taken to task, but he only stared with a dark frown and told Mary that he and the boys were off. He did not say where, but there was a fierce look in his eyes.
Andrew was back at the lochan on Friday in spite of Helen's promise that she wouldn't come again. It didn't matter to him. Just knowing that she was close was soothing. He tried to read, but found it hard to keep with it. His mind tended to drift. At noon he took a few bites from the generous lunch the inn keeper had prepared -enough for two people. He read some more.
The faint noise of running feet made him p.r.i.c.k his ears. Helen? Was she coming anyway? He got up to meet her. As he came to the corner where he could see the path from the lochan, he stopped in disarray. Four men were running up-in front the young man who had put his hand so possessively on Helen's shoulder. He held a pistol. Close behind were Helen's two brothers and Dougal MacGregor. When they saw him, they yelled.
”Hoy, we caught him!”
”It's master Andrew!”
”A Campbell of Argyle. Get the b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
They were after him! It couldn't still be Dougal's oath to kill him? All at once, it dawned on him that they must have discovered his secret meetings with Helen. That's why her betrothed was here! Cold fear shot into his guts. He dropped the book and quickly retreated, looking for a speedy escape from the promontory. The boulders and loose scree on the steep slope behind the rock was tricky to negotiate, and the four would be upon him before he could reach the ridge above. He rushed to the edge of the rock jutting into the lake. The water was fifty feet below, dark, cold, ominous. Even if he survived the jump, he would never make it to his horse. They would catch him easily. He had no pistols to defend himself, not even his dagger. There was little else left but to let them take him. They would hardly kill me... or would they? fleetingly crossed his mind.
And then the first one came running around the corner, sneering: ”I've got you, you Sa.s.senach traitor! Messing with my woman!”
He raised his pistol and took aim. Andrew stared helplessly. The bullet hit his left thigh, and he staggered backward under its impact, an excruciating pain shooting down his leg. Dougal had his pistol out by then too. ”Jump” screamed his mind, and he went over the edge, while another shot rang out.
It felt eerie, as he tumbled head over heels through the air. Time seemed to have stopped. The shock of hitting the water was like jumping onto a hard rock surface from ten feet up. And then cold darkness engulfed him. He had forgotten to fill his lungs and almost immediately felt the pressure to breathe. He gasped. A few air bubbles escaped. Calm now he forced his mind as panic threatened to swallow him. He tried to push himself up to the surface, but the intense stab of pain in his left thigh made him freeze. The weight of his wet clothing pulled him down into the murky water at the bottom. The increasing urge to breathe burned like fire in his lungs. Frantically, he pushed himself up with his arms alone. Suddenly, the underwater entrance to the cave opened in front of him. Hanging on with a last effort of will, he pulled himself through and broke the surface with a desperate gasp. How sweet the air tasted in his lungs! He held on to the ledge in the cave, recovering his breath slowly. After a minute or two he dragged himself up and lay on the smooth rock, watching in dismay the blood ooze slowly through the hole of his leather breeches.
Shortly after midday, Dougal returned to the clachan, riding a horse. Instantly, Helen recognized Andrew's steed. She stared in disbelief, her heart cramped into a knot; she could hardly breathe. Each painful heart beat reverberated in her ears like the sound of drums. Why did he go back? He promised not to. Then she corrected herself. I asked him to promise me. He never did. Desperate, she needed to cling to hope. Father came back alone. Maybe he got away, or were the others digging his grave right now?
”Who was it,” asked Mary as her husband approached.
”Master Andrew-He must have returned to Killin, the traitor.” He stared at Helen with an angry frown. ”My own daughter secretly meeting with a Campbell of Argyle. Have you no sense of honor, child?”
Helen averted her gaze.
”Did you kill him?” questioned Mary.