Page 26 of Highlander’s Wrath

“I am perfectly capable of carrying the cream and the mail to his lairdship myself, Miss Coira,” the maid insisted. “And do I need to remind you that ‘tis not I who am bound to look after that naughty child, but you?”

Coira did not plan on entering into an explanation as to why she wanted time to look at the bundle of post before his lairdship got a chance to see it. She wanted no questions asked about the contents of her parents’ letter.

“Miriam! You will keep an eye on Master Colban while I take up the post! Do not make me ask you twice!”

With the two gateway guards and one maid to look after him, Coira knew Colban would have no opportunity to get into trouble, but she was appalled at her maid’s attitude. When she returned to London, the woman would have to be dismissed, preferably before she spouted forth the lies she so obviously believed about her mistress’s virtue.

She ran nimbly up the entrance stairs and across the great hall to the kitchen. After giving the cook the cream, she ran upstairs to her bedchamber and hid the letter from her parents underneath her pillows. Coira did not want Miriam knowing about the letter either. Only when she was sure there were no other letters for her in the bundle did Coira leave the small stack on the side table in the great hall and run into the courtyard.

It was eerily quiet when she went back outside. There was no sign of the post rider or the guards.

Of course! The guards will have gone into the sentry house to partake of their dinner, and the guard change has not yet come out to replace them. Thank goodness I had Miriam look after Colban and not the guards; I would not put it past the wee rascal to run off looking for deeper snowdrifts with which to make more snowmen when everyone’s back is turned.

The gateway swung slightly in the stiff breeze blowing down from the mountains. Its creaking set Coira’s teeth on edge. She could neither hear nor see any sign of Miriam or Colban as she walked outside the castle gates. As far as her eyes could see, the only things moving on the snow-covered heath were tufts of tall, yellowing grass tussocks, stiff and frozen under the winter winds.

A splash of color caught her eye, standing out from the whiteness of the snow as it did. She ran towards it, thinking it to be a part of Colban’s trews or winter coat sticking out of a snowdrift. The Barclay plaid was deep red shot through with green and blue.

I’m going to kill Miriam if she has left Colban alone to go off and get into mischief! He’s only a child and needs constant supervision, especially in such inclement weather.

Her thoughts froze as she got closer. What she saw lying in the snow was no Barclay plaid.

Miriam lay spread out on the ground, her throat slit with such force that the blood was steaming in the snow as it leaked out of her veins. Not far off, the post rider lay. Coira did not need to walk closer to know his throat was also sliced open, the gash glaring crimson in the bright wintry sunlight.

For one moment, Coira was as frozen as the icy tundra-like surroundings around her. Then, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her back into the castle.

Colban was gone.