She shook her head and dropped the rolled deeds into a large empty vase near the door. "I will meet my fate head-on."
The first sword-wielding soldier charged through the open doorway. In an instant, Cyrus spun and buried his sword in the man's gut, while dodging the blade swinging toward him. When that enemy fell to the floor, he stabbed his dirk into the second soldier's chest. Wanting to watch Cyrus's back, Elspeth grabbed a small iron candleholder.
Mayhem erupted as a dozen or more of Henry's men swarmed into the hall, engaging Cyrus's guards in battle. Fraser broke free from his captor and, though his hands were bound behind his back, he slammed his body into one of the enemies, knocking him down before he could stab Cyrus.
Four more soldiers charged in. Two kicked Fraser against the wall, then all four tackled Cyrus to the floor. Being smaller, they scrambled to hold him down. More soldiers joined them, striking and kicking Cyrus.
"Stop!" Ice water running in her veins, Elspeth dropped the candleholder and dashed toward them. "Don't harm him and I will give you the deeds!"
Henry strode inside like he already owned the place. He was a younger, shorter version of Alexander, with straight, medium-brown hair and thick brows, and yet the older man had never been as repugnant as his smarmy son.
"And I was told you were not MacKenzie's whore." Henry approached her with a nasty smile. "I knew 'twas a lie."
Disgusted by him, Elspeth slapped his face.
"Bitch!" He shoved at her shoulder, making her stumble backward. With quick footwork, she was able to remain on her feet.
"Leave her be!" Cyrus roared from beneath the pile of men holding him down. "Where is my brother?"
"On the floor behind you."
"Fraser?" Cyrus rasped.
"Aye." His brother's face was scrunched in pain.
"What did you do to him?" Elspeth glared at the bald guard standing over Fraser.
"'Tis only a broken arm," the man sneered. "Let me put him out of his misery, my laird."
"Nay!" Elspeth yelled. "Leave him be or you will get naught. And do not harm anyone else here."
"Tie those two up nice and tight, Balcot." Henry pointed at Fraser and Cyrus, then he turned to her. "Now, you jezebel, fetch the deeds from wherever you have them hidden."
"Your father was right about you."
"Oh? What did he say?" Henry snapped, then narrowed his eyes. "Not that it matters."
Ignoring his question, she asked one of her own. "Do you give your word that you will not harm any of these men?"
He cast a critical eye over them. "Aye. As long as they do not retaliate, and they leave here and hasten back to their barbaric Highlands."
"Do you also vow that you will release me unharmed after I sign the deeds?"
"Of course." Henry's expression brightened. He seemed a bratty, coddled lad who was getting his fondest wish.
Though she did not trust the miscreant's word, 'twas all she had to go on. She had to prevent him from harming the MacKenzies further. She turned and pulled the roll of faux deeds from the vase.
"Why on earth would you hide them in there?" Henry demanded as if he felt daft for not checking in there earlier.
"Because I wanted to." She would not explain herself to him.
"Give them to me!" He snatched the parchment scroll. "Tie up the rest of the MacKenzies. Their feet, too," Henry ordered his men, then unrolled the deeds and flattened them on the table.
As he studied them, she prayed he wouldn't notice that some of the wording had been subtly changed. She knew that after his solicitor inspected them, he would figure out her trick, and she might be forced to relinquish the real deeds. But she would rather lose everything she owned than to cause the death of Cyrus, Fraser or any of their clansmen. Life was far more valuable than property, but some people didn't see it that way. Certainly not greedy Henry.
Alexander used to complain about how Henry was lazy and had no scruples. He had also cheated and stolen from his father when he'd been a lad. Elspeth should've suspected such a miscreant could one day challenge her for the properties Alexander had gifted her with.
Henry scanned the pages through squinted eyes. "I'll have my solicitor examine them thoroughly. Then, I'll pay you two pence for each property, we'll sign the deeds, and all will be as it should." He grinned smugly as he rolled up the deeds. "Come. We'll have your horse saddled, and I'll escort you to Wingate."
