Part 15 (1/2)

”My husband was unable to consummate our marriage,” I said matter-of-factly, feeling the rush of blood that would color my face. The lie was a bold one. It was not that Devon had been unable to consummate our marriage; the truth was that he had chosen not to. He had chosen not to consummate our marriage despite the fact that I had nearly begged him to make love to me.

”Sae yer marriage could be annulled?” he asked, eyes driving to my very core. ”I will find ye to be a virgin still?” he asked, eyes alight with excitement.

”Yes,” I admitted truthfully, shuddering about the idea of giving myself to this repulsive man.

”I'll warn ye not tae toy with me la.s.s. If I find ye damaged in anyway, rest a.s.sured that the McClain will be killed immediately and consequences would befall ye as well,” he hissed in response to my claim.

”I am untouched,” I volunteered the half-truth, knees quaking.

”Take the la.s.s to my chambers and have her prepared. If I find her to my satisfaction, I shall wed her at daybreak tomorrow. Make the appropriate preparations for the annulment,” he barked. Servants immediately began to spring into action, and a guard grabbed my elbow from behind.

He's bought my story. This could work!

”I'll have a bath first!” I demanded, catching the Laird off guard. ”And a proper gown.” I looked at him intensely, daring him to deny my request. I knew that these requests would buy the McClain men time. They needed time to figure out where Devon was being held and get into position to secure his release. ”And wine,” I added, needing to make sure that the most important part of our plan was carefully put into place. ”I would like to have some good quality wine,” I said, meeting Cameron's beady eyes.

”I see that ye are a demanding woman already,” he nodded in apparent approval. ”I like a woman who kens what she wants,” he said, motioning to his servants to get started meeting my list of requests.

I was motioned to follow a large man with red hair and a matching red beard by Cameron, and I followed rigidly, resisting the urge to look back and try to find Nathan. I clasped my hands firmly together in front of me as I walked after the man, concentrating on the way his kilt swished from side to side as I trailed behind him. My palms were sweaty and I felt like I was going to throw up from nervous antic.i.p.ation. I turned my mind inward, trying to focus on Devon, trying to feel his presence, seeking his comfort in this G.o.d forsaken place. I was terrified as the red haired man stopped in front of me an opened the large wooden door to a ma.s.sive chamber, extended his hand and motioned for me to enter.

”The things that ye requested will be here shortly,” he said dismissively, closing the door immediately after I entered the vast room.

I looked around the room, stunned by the riches that surrounded me. There was a ma.s.sive four poster bed, draped in a thick fur coverlet. I looked away from the bed, gulping audibly as I swallowed.

What if Nathan's plan doesn't work?

Within minutes, the bath that I had demanded arrived, as did the wine. I poured myself a gla.s.s of the ruby liquid, swallowing each sip slowly as I watched the maids fill the tub. I sat on a heavily upholstered bench looking blankly into the fire, completely consumed by my thoughts and fears. The maids finished filling the tub with hot water and I heard the thud of the heavy door as it was closed behind the last maid as she left the room.

I knew that I would not risk being caught naked in the bath, unsure of when the Cameron Laird would choose to enter his chambers. I set my gla.s.s of wine down and changed quickly into the new gown that had been hung on the armoire. It was a beautiful dress, but it did nothing to make me feel attractive. I felt dirty, sick with fear, and I again picked up my gla.s.s of wine, drinking deeply to calm my nerves. This was the only gla.s.s of wine that I would allow myself. I needed to think clearly if there was any chance that I might actually be able to pull off Nathan's scheme.

I surveyed the dress, reviewing Nathan's instructions. Cameron could not have provided a more perfect dress. The sleeves were full and ended at my wrists in slight bells. Perfect for concealing the poison that I intended to put into Cameron's wine. I reached into the pocket of my discarded dress and pulled out the small satchel that Nathan had given me earlier. I poured the powder into the bell of the right sleeve of my dress, happy with how easily it was concealed in the fabric and how well it was contained by the embroidery around the cuff of the dress. It would be easy to sprinkle the powder into Cameron's drink or directly into his mouth if need be. Nathan had a.s.sured me that the poison would take effect almost immediately, a fact that my life would be dependant on.

I paced in the firelight, back and forth, back and forth. I had tried in vain to settle myself, but my nerves wouldn't allow it. I worried about Devon's safety. I didn't even know if he was still alive. Thinking of his steady strength calmed me, settled me, and gave me focus.

He's alive. I can feel his presence here.

The door opened loudly and my eyes flew open. I was startled to see Cameron walking into the room. He closed the door behind him and walked briskly towards me.

”I trust that ye found everything tae yer satisfaction,” he said, glancing to the bath that admittedly looked untouched.

”Yes, it was fine, thank you,” I said, finding manners to be rather painful at the moment. I detested Cameron for what he was doing to Devon and found it challenging to remain civil with him.

”Let's get on with it then. Tae the bed with ye,” he commanded head motioning to the great fur covered bed looming in the center of the room.

This man had no shame. He thought that I was going to jump willingly up onto his bed?

”Excuse me, but consummated or not, I am a married woman. It would be a sin to lie with another man before my marriage with the McClain is annulled,” I said firmly, standing and crossing my arms in refusal.

The Cameron Laird sputtered, taken aback by my bold refusal. He was clearly not a man who was accustomed to being refused. ”I doona intend to take ye until yer marriage is annulled and we are properly marrit,” he said, trying to cover his blunder. ”I do however intend to check tae see if ye remain a virgin as ye say that ye are,” he said challengingly, beady eyes starting at me in a way that made me want to die of embarra.s.sment.

”And how do you plan to find out if I am a virgin still?” I questioned boldly, holding the gaze of his beady, hungry eyes.

A smile spread over his lips, which he licked in antic.i.p.ation. The man was foul, and the thought of being any closer than I already was to him made the bile rise in the back of my throat. He raised his right hand into a fist and then extended his middle finger. ”I plan tae check ye,” he continued to smile, driving his fist and extended finger up in demonstration of what he planned to do.

I swallowed hard, repulsed by the thought of this man touching me. My mind flashed back to Devon and to what his fingers had done to me the night before he left for battle. I needed to use the poison and use it quick. My mind raced, seeking to find a way to kill him before he had a chance to touch me.

I laughed nervously, catching him off guard. ”I am a lady, Cameron!” I exclaimed. ”Do you really think that I will hop up on your bed and spread my legs so that you can check to see if my virginity remains intact?”

”If ye seek tae marry me, tae escape from the b.a.s.t.a.r.d McClains, then check ye I will. I'll not marry a wh.o.r.e.”

”We had better start drinking then, because there is no way that I can allow you to do that while I am sober,” I said, pouring myself a full gla.s.s of wine, then filling another gla.s.s to offer to McClain. ”Maybe we can use this unique opportunity to begin to get to know each other,” I said, raising my eyebrow at him in invitation, gauging to see if he was going for my plan.

”If that's what it will take tae dull yer senses, tae make ye more willing, let's get on with it,” he said, nodding in approval.

I knew that it was now or never, and I spun around the table, turning my back to him, looking like I was setting the bottle of wine down and picking up the gla.s.s to serve him his wine. With my back turned to him, I tapped the bell of my sleeve, sprinkling the white powder into his winegla.s.s. I quickly swirled my finger in the red liquid, ensuring that the powder was completely dissolved before I spun and handed the gla.s.s to Cameron, taking my own gla.s.s of wine in my other hand. My heart thundered in my chest, fear and antic.i.p.ation consumed me and I hoped that my hands were not shaking too noticeably.

”To a new start,” I offered, clinking my gla.s.s against his, then hastily bringing my gla.s.s towards my lips and taking a deep drink of the wine. I inhaled sharply through my nose and swirled the wine on my palette before swallowing in a big unladylike gulp.

I watched Cameron nervously as his gray eyes surveyed me, I didn't see any sense of suspicion. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was probably so consumed with the idea of checking my virginity that he could think of nothing else. I watched as he took a deep swallow of the wine, and closed his eyes, savoring what I hope would be his last drink.

”Aye, this is good,” he nodded in approval and took another hearty swallow.

My nerves hung on the edge, antic.i.p.ating what I hoped would be a swift death at the hand of Nathan's poison. Just as Nathan had explained, Cameron began to cough as if something had become lodged in his throat.

”Are you alright?” I asked, feigning sympathy as I set down my wine gla.s.s on the small table next to the fire.

”Aye, just got some down the wrong pipe,” Cameron said, face flus.h.i.+ng with embarra.s.sment. He took another deep sip of wine seeking to clear his throat. His coughing became worse and I saw in his eyes the flash of recognition as he dropped his gla.s.s. The gla.s.s shattered on the flagstone floor, spraying my skirt with wine droplets.

”b.i.t.c.h!” Cameron said angrily through gritted teeth as he fell to his knees. He knew that he had been poisoned and grasped in vain at his throat seeking to stop the coughing and gagging that resulted from the poison. His eyes were wild with fear and he lurched towards me, grabbing onto the hem of my dress.

I kicked him away and backed into the far corner of the room, watching guiltily as he was consumed by throws of agony as the poison spread rapidly through his body. He began convulsing and he frothed at the mouth. I watched, stunned as his body began to quiet, and now was shaken only by occasional tremors. His eyes were open and gla.s.sy, but his chest still rose and fell spasmodically although his breathing was labored and irregular. Finally, his muscles clenched in a final tremor and he was silent, still. I walked cautiously over to him and knelt down, ready to spring back if he moved. I felt for a pulse and found none.

He was dead. I had killed a man.

I took a moment to collect myself and then coolly and mechanically followed through with the rest of Nathan's plan, just as I had been instructed. I knew that there was no time to waste. I would deal with the consequences of my actions later if I made it out of this situation alive. I a.s.sured myself that I had only done what was necessary for Devon to survive. I had chosen to take Cameron's life in an effort to save Devon's, and if this meant eternal d.a.m.nation, it was a price that I was willing to pay.

It took all of my strength to heft Cameron into the enormous bed. I removed his clothes and settled the fur comforter about him, making it look as though he was sleeping.

Alerted by the jingling in the sporran that I had discarded with his kilt, I found a large number of keys on an iron ring. I held the keys in my hand and said a prayer that one of them would lead to the place where Devon was being kept. I just knew that one of these keys would lead to Devon's release.

I surveyed the scene in the bedroom and tousled my hair in preparation for the next step in the plan. Holding the keys firmly in my hand, I walked confidently to the door and unbolted it. I opened the door and peeked outside, clearing my throat to draw attention of the guards. There were two of them, standing a ways down the corridor, heads bent in casual conversation. They heard me and walked briskly towards the chamber.

”Excuse me,” I said, looking down, feigning embarra.s.sment of a girl who had just been confirmed to be a virgin.

”Yes, mistress? Is everything alright?” one of the men asked urgently.