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If she'd been looking for a response, Murine certainly got that. The man closed the distance between them so quickly she couldn't even try to avoid the fist he slammed into the side of her head.
"Connor!" Montrose barked, catching his arm as he wound up for another blow. "She's annoying I know, but you'll not convince her to help us that way."
Murine cautiously lifted her head and peered up to see the fury disappear from Connor's face as if it had never been there and a crooked smile take its place. "Ye're right, of course. Silly o' me," he said lightly. "I fear I've always had a short temper." Turning back the way he'd come, he added, "Bring her along. There is much to talk about."
Montrose watched the man disappear into the trees and then let his shoulders drop with a little sigh. After a moment, he turned to scowl at her. "Watch your tongue around him. Be nice and sweet and agree with everything he says."
"Ye're afraid of him," she breathed with realization and noted the sudden tic by his eye.
"You saw him. Only a fool would anger him," he said grimly, hauling her to her feet again.
"I'm surprised ye ha'e the courage to blackmail him then," she said quietly.
"Needs must," he said grimly, urging her forward. "Besides, I only do it in writing. I wouldn't dare try it face to face. He'd kill me."
"Connor?" she said with feigned surprise. "Nay. He's no' a killer," she reminded him and kept walking when he paused abruptly. After a moment, he caught up and took her arm again, but they were both silent as he led her out of the trees and walked her across an overgrown field toward what appeared to be an old abandoned barn.
"Close the door and then put her with the boy," Connor ordered when Montrose led Murine into the building a moment later.
The door had been open when they reached it, but now Montrose paused to do as Connor had instructed. It was not a quick task. The door was hanging from one hinge and had to be lifted and shifted into place. It took Montrose several moments to manage it, and Murine took the opportunity to look around.
The lower part of the building was stone; the upper half, though, was wood and the ceiling was thatched. There was a torch stuck into a holder in the wall next to the door and a fire with a pot hung over it at this end of the building. Two barrels had been turned into furniture, one cut in half, the cut end on the ground so the tops could be used for seats. A second barrel had been cut apart as well, made short to serve as a table. There was a skin of what she'd guess was ale or wine on the barrel that served as a table, but that was pretty much it. The rest of the room appeared empty except for a pile of rags in the back right corner.
Finished with the door, Montrose took Murine's arm and urged her to the back corner of the building. It was darker than the front where a lantern and fire burned bright, but more than light enough for her to see that what she'd thought was a pile of rags on the ground was really a small, slim boy rolled up into a ball.
Montrose drew her to a halt beside the boy and Murine peered down with dismay, noting the lad's bruises and abrasions. She then turned a glare on her brother.
Montrose frowned and hissed, "He was not that bad when I left."
"What was that?" Connor asked sharply.
Forcing a smile, Montrose turned to say, "I was merely telling Murine that all would be well if she behaves and agrees to do as we ask."
"Hmm," Connor murmured.
Swallowing, Montrose turned back to Murine and hissed, "Sit down and try not to draw his attention or ire."
"Untie me," she hissed back.
Montrose hesitated, but then shook his head. Pushing down on her shoulder to force her to sit, he said with true regret, "I'm sorry. I daren't."
Murine watched him walk back to Connor with a sigh. She supposed it had been too much to hope that he'd turn on Connor at this point. It was obvious he was terrified of the man. She suspected he was regretting the part he'd played in all of this, but knew he would save his own hide first and at the expense of hers and Alpin's if necessary. Montrose was not much of a man.
A moan from the boy beside her drew her attention, and Murine turned to glance at him with concern. She'd thought him unconscious when she'd first noted his injuries, but if so he was regaining consciousness now.
"Alpin?" she said softly.
Another moan was her answer and then the boy blinked his eyes open and peered fearfully around.
"'Tis all right," she reassured him. "The men are at the other end of the building just now."
"Are you Lady Murine?" he asked, squinting at her through swollen and bruised eyes.
"Aye." She nodded and he closed his eyes unhappily.
"I was hoping they'd no' get ye," he said sadly, and then wiped at the tears suddenly coursing down his face and said, "I'm sorry, m'lady."
"'Tis all right," she said quickly, wishing she could hug the poor creature. "'Twas no' yer fault."
"Aye, 'tis," he muttered. "I tried to be brave and strong like Greer and not tell, but he . . . hurt me something awful."
Murine bit her lip, her gaze sliding over the injuries she could see. There weren't just bruises and abrasions, there were cuts on his skin as well as what she suspected were burns. Alpin hadn't given up the information about the passage easily or quickly.
"How did he ken about the passage to begin with?" Murine asked quietly, glancing toward the men at the other end of the building. Montrose and Connor were talking quietly and she wondered what about, but couldn't hear.
"When he asked me about secret entrances, I said there were none as far as I kenned, and he said Milly told him that there was and that she knew I kenned about it and how to open it," Alpin said wearily.
"Milly?" Murine queried.
"She used to be a maid at MacDonnell, but she was rude to m'lady one too many times in front o' m'laird. After the third warning, he found her a place with our neighbors, the MacKennas."
"I see," Murine murmured. Connor had obviously encountered the woman at some point. Perhaps he'd stopped the night at MacKenna on his way back from court. For all she knew he was good friends with Greer and Saidh's neighbor.
Her gaze slid to Montrose and Connor again and she shook her head, and asked, "Did he just get lucky in taking ye? Surely he did no' ken when ye'd be traveling, or even that ye were away from MacDonnell."
"Aye, he knew," Alpin assured her. "The escort m'laird arranged to take me home to me parents also delivered Milly to the MacKennas. She kenned I was going home and when me father's men would bring me back. I'm pretty sure she would ha'e told him." Alpin grimaced. "She never liked me much."
Murine's mouth tightened. She hadn't a clue what to say to that.
"Do no' worry," Alpin said suddenly, and when Murine raised her eyebrows in question, he assured her, "M'laird'll save us."
"I'm sure he will," she said solemnly. They fell silent for a moment and then Murine glanced toward the men again before commenting almost in a whisper. "Yer hands are tied in front o' ye rather than behind."
"Aye," he admitted, and then she saw him cast a nervous eye toward the men before he said, "If ye turn just a bit, and I turn just a bit, I might be able to untie ye."
"That would be grand," she said, flashing him a smile before she began to shift around in small, careful increments, checking to see if the men were paying them any mind between each movement.
"What do ye think they're talking about?" Alpin asked quietly as she felt his fingers begin to work on the rope around her wrists.
Murine shook her head, and then realized he would be looking at the rope and not her head and said, "I do no' ken."
"Do ye really not ken? Or are ye just saying that rather than worry me?" Alpin asked solemnly and Murine smiled wryly. He was a smart lad.
"I suspect Connor is trying to trick Montrose into revealing where my father's will is."
"When we first met the Englishman at the cave--"
"Ye were at the cave?" she interrupted with surprise.
"Aye. M'laird's men were searching the woods and outbuildin
gs. The cave was safer. But Connor did no' like it in there, so when the men began to move further out, he told the Englishman . . . Danvries?" he said uncertainly.
"Aye, Montrose Danvries," she verified.
