Froste raised his hand, motionedtoward Bridgette, and barked, “Take her!”
“Graham!” Archibald thundered. “Bridgettewill be safe. I swear it. I’ve come to an agreement with Froste. She will go toEngland to marry one of his men.”
Marion could hardly believe herears. Why would Archibald do this? Why was he betraying them to Froste?
Bridgette was grabbed by one of theknights then, but she turned toward him and punched him in the nose. The manretaliated with a backhand that sent Bridgette to her knees by Graham’s horse.
Graham’s eyes blazed with hatred,which he turned on Archibald. “Why do ye betray yer own kind?”
“Because my own kind betrayed me.Alex’s father killed my own, and what did they do for me? Keep it secret. Lieto me for years. Leave me to feel shamed by my father. Have me do their biddingand never feel as if I truly belonged. Well, I’ll belong when I’m laird. Alexsent me out when MacLeod was at our hold to make sure none of Froste’s men werestill around, and fortunately for me, one was. I simply sent him back toEngland with a proposition for Froste.” Archibald gazed at the sky for amoment. “And the day Iain left for England I received word that it had beenaccepted. It was fate, aye, because that very day, I sent Froste’s messengerback to tell him to come for Marion, and I’d deliver her to him. The only thingI must still do is kill Iain, which will nae be hard.”
Graham spit at Archibald, andMarion’s temper flared, prevailing over her fear. “Traitor! Treacherous, filthytraitor!”
When Marion took a breath to saymore, Bridgette hissed at Archibald, and he flinched.
“What do you get from Froste inreturn for killing my husband?” Marion demanded.
Archibald opened his mouth as if toanswer when Froste roared, “Enough! You Scots try my patience. Put down yoursword and save the woman or you both die.” He grinned maliciously. “Well, Isuppose you die either way so it’s no matter to me.”
Graham looked down at Bridgette,and Marion’s mind raced. She had no doubt that Graham would give his life tosave Bridgette, but Marion had to try to save them both. If she could provide adistraction, perchance she could give Graham time to sweep down and grabBridgette. Then they could go for help. It was the only chance they had, andshe prayed Graham realized this.
When his gaze met hers, she triedto tell him what to do by looking from him, to Bridgette, to the road. Shethought she saw him nod but could not be sure.
The moment Graham’s weapon hit theground, Marion bolted for Froste and plunged her dagger into his leg. Howling,he kicked out at her, his foot connecting with her gut and sending her flyingto the ground. All around her, shouting broke out, and she saw Graham’s horsetake off with only Bridgette on it.
“Graham, no!” Marion yelled,knowing he’d done what Iain would have done. He’d sent Bridgette for help whilestaying to defend Marion.
Froste strode toward her, but shecould not scramble backward fast enough. He clutched her in an iron grip andjerked her about while barking at his men to kill Graham.
Archibald took off after Bridgetteas Froste’s and her father’s men circled Graham. Marion watched in horror asthey closed the circle. For one brief moment, he fought them off, and then oneof her father’s knights plunged his sword downward into Graham’s chest and hefell to his knees and then onto his back.
Marion was too shocked to scream,but even if she could have, Froste yanked her up onto his horse and started toride away. Marion kicked and screamed then and tried to claw his eyes, and justas she was attempting to grasp the dagger sheathed to his side, something hardhit her square in the back of the head and she disappeared into darkness.
She knew instantly by the rocking beneath her andthe smell of salt in the air that she was on a ship. What she didn’t know washow long she had been unconscious. Surely, it had not been long enough forFroste to have taken Dunvegan Castle. She also didn’t know if Bridgette had escaped.Her head pounded as she struggled to sit up, and as she blinked her eyes toadjust them to the brightness of day, a hand clasped her around the arm andjerked her all the way up.
Bile rose in her throat, and shehastily bent over and retched at her feet. When she sat up, a linen was thrustin her face. She wiped her mouth and met Froste’s gaze. “Where are we going?”she demanded.
“Where else but home?” He took along drink from a cup, then handed it to her.
Her first instinct was to smack itfrom his hand, but then she tried to calm herself. She may not get the offer ofdrink again. Taking the cup, she drank greedily of the strong spirits, coughingand sputtering as the liquid burned its way down her throat and to her stomach.
She swiped a hand over her wetlips. “Why are you taking me back to my father’s?”
“To marry you.”
“I’m already married,” shescreamed.
“Not much longer.” He tweaked hernose. “I’ve left four of my knights there to help the nasty Scot kill yourfilthy husband when he returns from visiting the soon-to-be powerless KingEdward.” Froste paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. Marion’s mind rushedthrough the possibilities of escape as her heart filled with worry for Iain.“Don’t look so glum, Marion. When your father is king, I’ll be a baron orpossibly greater. You will be respected and wealthy. And married to me. Yourstatus will be far superior to what you hold now.”
Marion pressed her fingers to herthrobbing temples to keep from screaming. Iain would come for her—if he had notbeen killed.No!Her mind refused to believe the worst. He would come,but she feared he’d never defeat her father and Froste. Their knights togetherslightly outnumbered his clan, and she didn’t think he’d be so foolish as tobring his entire clan and leave the castle vulnerable. Her father would havethe advantage of his castle to protect him if Iain tried to invade, too. WouldKing Edward help Iain? Or would he sit back and let Iain use his own men tofight what was ultimately King Edward’s battle?
Marion’s heart thudded with thefear that he would use Iain to weaken her father and Froste, and then—and onlythen—would King Edward help Iain. Her husband would be destroyed. Marioninhaled a shaky breath. So many in his clan would be killed.
She dug her nails into her palms tokeep from crying out. “What did you offer Archibald in return for hisbetrayal?”
“Why do you care?” Froste snarled.
“I would like to know what price ittakes to turn a Scot dishonorable,” she replied, choosing her words with careto bait Froste into telling her.
