Twenty-One
When Callum’s mother returned to the bedchamber after retrieving a refreshment for Brody, she greeted Marsaili with such a warm smile that Marsaili was immediately suspicious. She berated herself for feeling that way, though, as she had to learn that not everyone was out to harm her or use her, even if her own family had been.
Callum’s mother carried a tray with a goblet of wine and a repast of cheese and bread. She strolled into the room, shutting the door behind her with her foot. She skirted around Brody without so much as a glance, and then she set the tray on a table and brought Marsaili the goblet. Lorna thrust it toward her. “Drink. Ye must be parched.”
“Thank ye,” Marsaili said, taking the goblet. She was thirsty, but as she brought the goblet to her mouth to drink, an odd scent wafted toward her. Frowning, she inhaled deeply, her gut clenching at the faint rank smell. She sniffed again, noticing that Callum’s mother was watching her carefully. Marsaili had a vague memory of Maria once showing her the deadly berries of the poisonous nightshade, and she would swear it smelled like this. She lowered the goblet, her heart pounding, and moved to put herself between Brody and Callum’s mother. But as she did so, Callum’s mother withdrew a long dagger with a sigh.
“I was hoping,” she said, pointing the dagger at Marsaili, “that this would nae be difficult nor messy.”
Marsaili’s blood roared as she set the goblet down, not taking her eyes off Lorna. “Were ye intending to poison me with nightshade?” she asked, feeling almost numb with shock.
“Aye,” the woman said, nicking Marsaili’s chest with the tip of the dagger. “I tried to let ye live, and that was my mistake. I paid good coin to have that Black Mercenary take ye away.”
Marsaili gasped. “Ye hired Lucan?”
Callum’s mother nodded. “Aye. Did ye escape him, or did he simply take my coin?”
“Neither. Callum rescued me.”
“Callum is a fool,” his mother hissed. “He would throw away another good alliance for ye, and ye did nae ever even want him! Ye chose the Earl of Ulster!”
Marsaili frowned. “I did nae do such a thing. Ye were misled by my father, I’m certain,” she said, her palms sweating as she glanced toward the door, praying Callum would return, even though she had told him to give her time. She darted her gaze to Brody, who thankfully was playing by the window and seemed oblivious to what was occurring. She feared what would happen if she did not keep Callum’s mother talking, though. Her mind raced through what Callum had told her. His mother had told him that Marsaili had died, and Marsaili had assumed that her father had lied and told Lorna that was the case, but maybe Marsaili had it wrong.
“Did my father tell ye that I chose the Earl of Ulster over Callum?”
“Aye. So dunnae try to deny it. Ye bewitched my son!” she hissed. “Callum went to visit Edina and then to yer father’s castle for the Gathering, and when he returned, he had broken his vow to wed Edina and refused to mend the breach because of ye!”
“Callum broke his vow to wed Edina before he ever met me,” Marsaili said as calmly as she could.
“Lies! He tried to tell us the same ones, but I kenned better. He was obedient until he met ye! Ye were going to ruin everything, and ye did nae even want him!”
“Nay!” Marsaili shook her head. “I loved him! I love him still!”
“Dunnae lie to me. I wrote to yer father when Callum refused to wed Edina. I offered him an alliance and told him that Callum wished to wed ye. He wrote back and refused the alliance. He said ye would never wed the likes of Callum, and that ye chose the Earl of Ulster over my son.”
Marsaili gasped. “That is nae true! He lied to ye!”
“Even when he thought ye dead, he would nae forget ye,” Lorna continued, as if she had not heard Marsaili or simply did not care what she had said. His mother’s face was mottled red, and her eyes bulged. “Ye must leave! He is to marry Coira, and I will get the coin her father had vowed to give me. The Grant clan will be strong again. Everything I do is for my son and our clan, and yer presence threatens to destroy it all.”
“Oh, dunnae fash yerself,” Marsaili said and reached down to pick up Brody. “We will leave immediately!”
When she rose, Callum’s mother had the dagger in one hand and the wine goblet in the other. “Ye must die. ’Tis the only way. Drink the wine, or I’ll kill yer son.”
Marsaili found her voice with difficulty. “Then ye will murder yer grandson.”
Callum’s mother gasped and glanced at Brody. “Nay!”
“Aye,” Marsaili said. “Brody is yer grandson. He is Callum’s son.”
When the door to the solar slung open with such force the hinges rattled, both Callum and Brice gained their feet and withdrew their swords. Broch strode into the room, fairly dragging a blond-headed man behind him. “This Black Mercenary was caught on the stairs slipping up to the bedchambers.” Broch’s gaze fell to Callum as Broch shoved the Black Mercenary forward and then to his knees. He jerked the man’s head back, and only then did Callum see Broch had given him a beating in the face.
“He did nae wish to tell me why he was at the castle, so I had to be persuasive,” Broch said simply.
Callum glared down at the man, anger beating in his breast. “And what say he?”
“That yer mother hired him to come seize a woman.”
“Marsaili!” Callum cried out, something clicking in his mind. He shoved the Black Mercenary away and raced for the stairs with Brice close behind. Taking the stairs three at a time, he thought on how Lucan could have possibly entered the castle when he had come here. There had been no explanation, but now there was. His mother wanted Marsaili out of his life, and apparently, she would do anything to achieve her goal.
