“Our revenge would be greater than I ever imagined. I was, however, disappointed that Alida was ill and would not suffer as much as we wished her to, though Wilda did see that she suffered more than she needed to before she died.”
Sorrell shook her head slowly. “I cannot believe that you wasted both your lives to avenge a brutal man? How very sad for you both.”
Erskine backhanded her across her face.
Stunned for a moment, Sorrell shut her eyes and when the blood filled her mouth, she opened her eyes and spit it at Erskine. “Like father like son.”
“A compliment I’ll gladly accept,” he said and with the back of his hand wiped away the blood that had splattered on his face.
“How did you get Father Andrew to lie for you?” she asked, eager to know everything.
“You would think a holy man wouldn’t fear death, not so Father Andrew. Wilda told him she had been poisoning him and if he did this one thing for her, she would save his life. I suppose he thought to lie to appease her and reveal the truth after she saved him. A foolish thought. Sadly, he died unable to repudiate his lie.”
“And what of Lander and Coyle?”
“Lander served me out of fear, since I was the one that had his tongue cut out so that he couldn’t tell anyone that I’d been the one who sold Ruddock to the barbarians. Of course, I never expected Ruddock to gain his freedom. I had planned on buying him back when the time came. With that not a possibility, Wilda began planting doubt in Finn’s mind that all he had been told about his son could have very well been lies. Between the poison and believing the lies were false, Finn would trust only one person and send for him.”
“His true son,” Sorrell said.
Erskine grinned. “And he did just that. One problem I didn’t expect was Lander to fear Ruddock more than he did me. If Ruddock got a chance to ask Lander anything, he would confess it all. As far as Coyle, he collected information for me on Ruddock. Coyle learned from a thief called Daggit who once frequented this area that Ruddock was at the Clan Macardle. Not trusting Coyle completely, I sent Otis to keep a watch and prevent anything that would interfere with my plan.”
“Me,” Sorrell said, thinking the arrow she had thought meant for her husband had actually been meant for her.
“You,” he confirmed with a sneer. “Who would think a wee woman like you, with her endless chatter and questions, could destroy in a few short weeks what took me years to plan. You deprived me of making Alida’s family suffer the years of hell my family suffered. So, before I do to Ruddock what was done to my father and send him home to live in agony, a mere shell of the warrior he once was, like my father had been forced to do, Ruddock’s going to know that you will serve me, in every way possible, for the rest of your life while he lays unable to lift a hand to help you.”
“My husband will kill you,” Sorrell said with certainty.
“Your husband will do anything to save you. I saw for myself how much he loves you. He will surrender himself in exchange for your safe return home.”
“He wouldn’t be foolish enough to believe you would honor your word.”
“Love makes men foolish. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“You forget one thing,” Sorrell said.
“What?”
Sorrell smiled. “Ruddock is a barbarian too.”
“What’s taking him so long?” Erskine asked, pacing outside the hut.
“It’s only been two days,” Wilda said and laughed. “Or maybe Ruddock decided she wasn’t worth coming after.”
Wilda’s laugh sounded like a cackle to Sorrell. She did have to agree with Erskine, though. What was taking her husband so long? She was growing weak from barely given any food to eat and the food she was given she was barely able to stomach. A constant cold ran through her, chilling her down to her bones at times. Or it might have been the exhaustion she felt in her bones since Wilda had her doing chores from the time she woke until the time she dropped down on her sleeping pallet.
After the boat had docked, she was brought to this campsite. Temporary shelters had already been constructed and within an hour or so barbarians began to arrive until it seemed like an army had gathered.
Erskine had planned well.
When dusk settled for the second night on the land, Sorrell almost cried. She wanted her husband. She wanted to go home. She wanted to know Willow was all right. She wanted to stay strong. She wanted to survive.
A light snow began to fall and Sorrell prayed it wouldn’t turn into a storm or Ruddock wouldn’t be able to reach her.