Page 56 of A Flawed Scotsman

“Esme, it is me.” He barely got the words out when she hit him again. Her eyes widened. Finally seeing who she’d hit, she yanked the gag from her mouth.

“Where are they?” she said with a snarl and coughed.

Upon noting his sister was well enough to hit Ruari, Keithen sped off to find the other guard.

“I-I am not sure what is happening,” the farmer sputtered. “I will get ye water.” He then yelled to a woman who’d emerged from the house. “Get water, cloths.” Worry was etched on his face, the poor man confused and obviously fearful.

Ruari pulled Esme against his chest. “I thought I had lost ye.”

His feisty wife pushed away. “Ye should be going after them, not coddling me.”

“I will watch after her.” The farmer lowered to Esme just as the woman arrived with a pitcher of water. Her hands trembled so badly that water sloshed over the sides.

“Lady Esme. I cannot fathom what to say,” she said in a trembling voice. “Ye poor dear,” she continued while pouring water into a cup.

Feeling assured, Ruari ran to find Keithen. Around the back of the cottage, Keithen had the man pinned to the ground, sword to his throat. They’d obviously fought by the guard’s bloodied face.

“Tell him,” Keithen order. “Admit what ye did, ye coward.”

The man swallowed visibly and looked to Ruari. “We were the ones who almost killed yer wife. She was badly injured, and we thought she’d die. So we shot a second arrow into her so that she wouldn’t suffer…” he stopped talking when Keithen pushed the blade deeper into his neck. A trickle of blood dribbled from the spot.

“Then ye ran away like cowards, leaving a defenseless woman to die and letting the clan think it was the Mackenzies.”

“I accept my punishment. I can never face my father and guardsmen again.”

Ruari drew his sword and stalked to the fallen man. “Yer punishment is death.”

“No!” Esme, helped by the farmer and his wife, rounded the cottage. “His punishment will be to live with the label of a coward. Ten lashes and tied to a post for ten days in the center of the courtyard will be more than enough. Death would be too swift.”

It was evident that, like him, Keithen struggled to do as Esme asked. Ruari gritted his teeth and finally lowered his sword. “If ye even look at my wife, I will not hesitate to run ye through.”

“Get up!” Keithen ordered and prodded him with the tip of his sword. “Mount. We are returning to the keep immediately.”

The farmer and his wife knew better than to intervene. “Thank ye for sparing his life,” the woman said to Esme when Ruari neared to fetch her. “Ye are merciful.”

“She may be, but I am not,” Ruari told the couple who nodded in understanding.

Ruari lifted Esme into his arms and carried her to the horse.

“I can ride,” Esme said, but he shook his head, quieting her. “Ye remain pale and unstable on yer feet.”

He lifted her to his horse and mounted.

Esme relaxed against him. “I am also at fault, for not paying closer attention to my instincts. I felt something was wrong when they spoke to me and I ignored it.”

“It will be best for ye to rest and not think of it,” Ruari replied, unsure of what to say in that moment. His voice wavered at the last two words and Esme turned her head and laid it upon his shoulder.

“I knew ye would come for me and I was prepared to fight until ye came.”

He chuckled. “Ye hit me pretty hard.”

A shiver went through her and he knew she was considering the possible outcome. The two men meant to kill her and he knew that although they would think to have the light punishment of lashes, it was not to be.

Upon arriving back at the keep, with both guards in tow, they were allowed through the gates. Keithen instructed for the prisoners to be kept in the courtyard, while Ruari carried Esme inside.

She looked over his shoulder to the courtyard. “I do not wish to witness their punishment. I know it is customary, but I will not do it.”

“I insist ye remain in our chamber. Ye should bathe, have something to eat and rest. I will come to be with ye once this is all done.”