Page 4 of A Sinful Night with a Scot
Elsie then imagined what she and Laird Mackay must look like, she in her wedding gown, and he, broad as a house, in peasant’s clothes, with his arms wrapped securely around her, hiding the rope that bound them. His Viking-like looks were striking, as much as she hated to admit it, and thus, from anyone else’s viewpoint, they were a couple just passing through, travelling with their companion.
But she could not give up hope.
I have tae try. I must. I must or I might be dead by the time this day is through.
They passed more villagers, and Elsie tried again. The laird shifted and she jumped a little when she felt his lips against her ear.
“Continue what ye’re doing, and I’ll kill every single one o’ them, and then ye,” he whispered, his tone menacingly low.
She froze at his words, terror coursing through her. Had it been any other saying such dreadful things, she might have questioned their conviction. But this man already had blood on his hands, and thus, she had no doubt of his capabilities.
Could she really live with herself, being the cause of innocent people dying?
Indeed, she could not, and thus keeping her eyes straight ahead, she did not look at one other person. Soon enough, they were through the village and, passing the final house, Elsie nearly breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, however, she felt a hopelessness wash over her, for as they left the village behind, any chance of a quick escape or rescue faded with it. Her stomach clenched and her heart thumped at the thought of the fate that awaited her. She had hardly lived her life, and with the unknown ahead of her, and a feeling of unfulfilled sadness, she had to wonder if she would see another day after this one.
As the sun finally descended, the evening breeze brought with it a coldness and, involuntarily, Elsie shivered. A moment later, she found a blanket being tossed in her direction.
With her eyes wide with surprise, she glanced to her right. Laird Mackay’s companion looked at her and then nodded at the blanket. “Put it round yersel’.”
“What the devil are ye doing?” Laird Mackay growled.
“She’s cold,” his companion came back. His voice was calm, showing that he was not at all fazed by the laird’s anger.
“She’ll be a lot colder where she’s going,” the laird spat.
Elsie gasped at his words, for it was the first admittance of his plans. Fear soared through her, her pulse quickened, and, even with the blanket now wrapped around her, her body trembled.
She was going to die. Likely dumped into a shallow grave, her body covered with cold dirt, and then left to rot where no one would ever find her.
That had been his plan all along. For a while she had had a sliver of hope that, given he was travelling so far with her, he might only hold her captive. Now, she knew her fate. She would never see the light of tomorrow’s dawn.
Half an hour later, a fire in a clearing up ahead caught her eye. Several men were sitting around it, but turning and catching sight of them, they called out.
“It’s the laird.”
Elsie quickly realized that these were Laird Mackay’s men. Men who had been in the chapel, who had fought Laird Gunn and his men, while Laird Mackay had snatched her and escaped.
After dismounting, the laird grabbed her at the waist and lifted her down off the horse. Turning to his companion, he said, “Go and see the men, and get yersel’ something tae eat. Oh, and…”
The laird stepped away from her, and leaning into his companion, he whispered something in his ear.
His companion gave Elsie a long look before nodding and turning towards the group around the fire.
While earlier she had been resigned to the fact she would die, now her heart suddenly thumped in her chest again as she and the laird were left alone. Her body began to tremble as her thoughts ran through her mind.
This is it.He is sending his companion away so he can kill me here with nay one looking.
But as terrified as she was, Elsie grasped onto the last sliver of her pride. If she was going to die, she was going to hold her headup high, for she had done nothing to deserve such a fate. Jutting her chin out, she looked the laird directly in the eye, challenging him to do the same.
He gazed at her for a moment, and then took hold of the blanket she held tightly in her grip. Shaking it out, he then threw it around her shoulders.
Elsie was once again surprised, then her brow furrowed in confusion.
“Let’s go,” he growled, taking her by the arm and leading her around the camp, separating her from the others.
For a second, she had not understood, but clearly, she had got it wrong. The laird was not going to do the deed where she stood. Instead, he was leading her away from the others to kill her.
