CHAPTER ONE
September 1608
Pluscarden Priory, near Elgin, Moray, northwest Scottish Highlands
“Phew, the weather is certainly warm for the time of year, even indoors,” Catriona Grant murmured to nobody but herself as she stood working at one of the herbarium’s long tables.
With a stone pestle, she pounded rhythmically at the fragrant clutch of fresh medicinal herbs in a large mortar, grinding them into a satisfyingly smooth, green paste. She enjoyed the work of preparing medicines and helping the nuns heal the sick as much as she did cool tranquility of the herbarium, where she could let her thoughts roam without censure.
So when that tranquility was abruptly shattered by a loud bang behind her, she dropped the pestle and almost jumped out of her skin. She turned and was taken aback to see the door flungwide open and none other than old Sister Mairi rushing into the room. At eighty-two and with a bad case of arthritis, the tiny woman was now bearing down on her at startling speed.
That was worrying, although not as much as the unfamiliar tight expression on the gentle old nun’s face.
Somethin’s wrong.
“Sister Mairi, whatever is the matter?” she asked, rushing to meet the woman. Mairi clutched her hands in her dry, papery ones and tugged at them, pulling her towards the door.
“Torcall Sinclair is the matter, lassie,” Mairi answered bluntly. “He’s somehow heard a rumor that yer braither’s got ye hidden here with us. He’s sent men tae find ye.”
Torcall Sinclair!
At the sound of the dreaded name, Catriona’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. The danger that had felt so distant only moments ago, almost forgotten after five years despite being the reason she was at the priory, suddenly leapt into life in front of her as if it were the monstrous man himself. Just the thought of him was so terrifying, her knees threatened to give way beneath her.
“Oh, dear God! Has he really come fer me after all this time?” she managed to gasp, for her throat was closing up in panic.
Mairi shook her head. “Nay, that accursed devil’s nae here himsel’ yet. But a rabble of his men have just ridden intae the courtyard out front, so he’s likely nae far behind.”
Cold with fear, she did not resist when Mairi gripped her arm with surprising strength and pulled her out into the long corridor outside. Turning right, she hurriedly started towards the rear of the building, heading for the far stairwell, towing Catriona behind her.
“Sister Glennis is goin’ out tae talk tae them, distract them while ye escape. Now, hurry up and follow me, lass!”
“Escape?” Catriona exclaimed, stunned. Familiar guilt stabbed at her, and she tried to slow and pull away from Mairi’s grip. “Sinclair’s men are here because of me. I’m the one puttin’ ye all in danger just by bein’ here. I’ll nae abandon ye after ye’ve all protected me fer so long. I must stay and help.”
But Sister Mairi would not let go and kept on dragging her forward. “Yer braither gave us strict orders tae get ye tae safety if Torcall Sinclair ever came here lookin’ fer ye. We’ll obey them, and so will ye. Now, hurry, lass.”
The mention of her brother and her longing to be reunited with him after five long years apart immediately overcame Catriona’s guilt at escaping and leaving the nuns to face Sinclair’s brutal mercies. Besides, she washonor bound to obey Duncan’s orders.
“Where are we goin’?” she asked, suddenly breathing in an acrid scent that caught the back of her throat. Glancing up, she gasped to see tendrils of smoke curling along the ceiling. Fire!
“Sister Mairi, there’s a fire!” she exclaimed, truly shaken by the reality of it.
But Mairi only gave a sharp nod in acknowledgement and continued on down the corridor, away from the encroaching smoke and the seat of the commotion.
“Aye, I expected as much, the wicked men have set the place afire. Even more reason to hurry now, lass,” she said matter-of-factly.
A few moments later, Catriona startled when the church bells next door suddenly erupted into a frantic cacophony, adding an air of alarm to the reverberating pounding coming from the front doors. Mairi, however, appeared not to hear them.
“What is that awful noise? It sounds like someone’s tryin’ tae batter down the front doors,” Catriona asked.
“That’s because that’s exactly what it is, lass. Sinclair’s men are impatient tae get inside and search fer ye,” Mairi replied.
Catriona went cold and quickened her pace. Sinclair’s men were breaking in to hunt her as if she were an animal!
By this time, the previously empty hallway had rapidly become a scene of chaos. Doors stood open along its length, knots of clearly agitated sisters and novices clustered around them. The anxious buzz of female voices joined the cacophony of steady thumping and a low roaring Catriona feared was the fire gaining ground.
“Dinnae stop,” Mairi told her, pushing through the bottleneck, keeping a tight hold on Catriona’s arm as she pulled her through the crush. They reached the end of the long hallway and veered off down the stairs.
From that point onwards, they steadily descended to the sub-basement, where the smoke had not yet penetrated. Eventually, they emerged onto a wide landing in front of the entrance to the priory’s crypt.
