For one long minute Mackay could only stare at her. Then he leaped up with a look of fire in his eyes.
"I need some ale." He stepped to the door, intent upon calling to a servant. From below he heard the sound of laughter drifting from the great hall, where his men were gathered before the fire.
Below stairs, his men would not make him feel foolish for having nearly been beaten by a woman. Below stairs, there was the comradeship of men who had gone to battle together and had tales of bravery to share.
As a servant stepped forward, Mackay shook his head and sent her away.
For one long minute he turned and stared at the little female who taunted him, who infuriated him. With a look of menace he hissed,
"Much as I would enjoy watching you bathe and dress, I would enjoy a tankard or two with the men more." He strode to the door, then turned with a gleam of laughter in his eyes.
"Besides, my lady, I will have the pleasure of undressing you myself in just a very short time. And then we shall see who is the victor and who the vanquished."
He pointed to the white gown on the bed.
"Remember, woman, I want her to look like the bride Brice Campbell abducted from the altar. The bride Brice Campbell will never have for himself."
His words brought a terrible shaft of pain. But she must not let him see how easily he could hurt her.
Mackay gave a hollow laugh and turned away.
Through narrowed eyes Meredith watched as the door closed behind him.
In that brief moment she had noted the guards, whose presence would make her escape more difficult. But she was not about to despair.
There were still the windows. And if that attempt failed, she would find another means of escape.
As Holden Mackay"s booming voice rang through the hallway, she vowed that he would never hold her in this prison of horrors.
She touched a hand to the dirk hidden at her waist. And no matter what, she would never again allow him to sully her with his touch.
Chapter Eighteen
Brice and Angus lay on their stomachs on a ridge that afforded them a view of Holden Mackay"s fortress. For nearly an hour they had noted wery sign of movement outside the castle.
They had watched with great interest as a horse and rider approached the courtyard. The rider, a stooped old crone in a dark, shapeless cloak, had slid from the back of the horse and had been greeted warmly by the guards. A bundle had been removed from behind the saddle.
Within minutes the doors to the castle were opened to admit the rider and bundle.
While Angus continued to lie and watch, Brice got to his knees and kneaded the stiffness in his shoulders.
"I tell you the best way to attack is simply to storm the courtyard and kill the guards." Brice"s tone was harsh with determination.
Angus grimaced.
"The doors will be braced from within. "Twould take a battering ram to force them open."
"Every minute we wait is another minute of agony for Meredith."
"Aye." Angus noted his friend"s drooping shoulders. "Do you think I do not know? But there are only ten and two of us. There could be many more times our number within the castle walls. If we can surprise them, we have a chance.
But if the guards have time to shout a warning, all is lost."
"Aye." Brice stood, running a hand through his hair. "But with every pa.s.sing moment I grow desperate."
"I know."
Just then both men looked up as Alston hurried toward them.
"Two riders approach."
"Are they headed for Mackay"s fortress?"
"Aye, Brice. They are just below us on that ridge. See?" He pointed and the two men followed his direction.
Brice"s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then he turned to Angus and saw that he was smiling. Both men had come to the same decision.
"They are the perfect foil," Brice said.
"At all cost we must intercept them before they reach the fortress."
Alston"s lips curved into a smile beneath his bushy red beard.
"Leave them to me."
A few moments later, as Brice and Angus watched, the two riders were suddenly knocked from their mounts. There was a brief sound of a scuffle. And then the riders" clothes were being removed.
Within a matter of minutes Brice and Angus had exchanged clothes and horses with the dead men.
"You will watch until you see us enter the doors to the fortress,"
Brice instructed his men.
"Before the doors can be closed, you must disarm the guards and storm the castle. Else, all is lost."
"Aye. Have no fear." Alston looked around at the others who nodded and indicated their eagerness to attack.
"It will be done."
Meredith stood facing Rowena. She had managed to get rid of Holden Mackay. Now the only one who stood in the way of her freedom was this hunchbacked woman. She would bide her time and watch and listen. And when the time was right... Rowena dipped a hand in the water.
"Disrobe, my lady, and I will wash your hair and see to your bath."
For the moment, Meredith decided to go along with the woman"s wishes.
Slipping the dirk from her waistband she buried it beneath her folded cloak, then removed her shirt and breeches, carefully folding them as well.
As she crossed the room Rowena studied her with a professional eye.