By Honor Bound Part 29

Elen, hearing Macbeth's accusations, felt her heart nearly stop. She stole a glance at Fionna, who lookedunusually pale, with her lips pressed tightly together. Did Macbeth know that Patric had visited Alba andhad stopped at Kennoway to see Fionna? It was whispered that Macbeth knew everything thathappened in his kingdom. Had one of Fionna's people seen and reported Patric's presence?

What if Talcoran learned that she, too, had met with Patric? Would he ever forgive her? Consorting with traitors was treasonous activity, punishable by a hideous death. Elen felt the blood drain from her face at the horrible thought.

"Are you sick?" Gruach's hands steadied her, and her sharp voice brought Elen back to reality. Lulach also came quickly to her side, to lend her his supporting arm.

"Elen?" Talcoran started toward her, a worried look on his face."It's nothing. I'm fine now," Elen a.s.suredthem all."Are you with child again, cousin?" laughed Macbeth, his good humor restored by this diversion. "Withyour attentive husband, it is not unlikely." He paused suggestively.

"I-I'm not sure, my lord."

The king chuckled and turned back to his men, forgetting her. Elen saw Talcoran staring at her. He knew well enough she was not with child, for she had refused him the last two nights, pleading womanly indisposition. She lowered her eyes under her husband's dark, thoughtful gaze.

"Why does he do it?" Elen demanded. "Every time Macbeth and Conal are in the same room lately,Macbeth questions the poor man as if he were on trial. It's so unfair. You and I both know Conal is loyalto Macbeth. Macbeth should know it too, after so many years."

"But Conal's brother-in-law was not loyal," Talcoran answered her."How ironic," Elen murmured."What is?"She could not tell him. She was sure Conal knew nothing of Patric's most recent journey to Alba, whichshe was now certain had something to do with Siward's invasion plans, and which was the most probable cause of Macbeth's sudden enmity toward Conal.

"Elen, do you know something? Tell me." Talcoran shook her, frowning.

She could not meet his eyes. Guilt over the secret she had kept from him for so many months welled up, producing anger. She struck at Talcoran's hands, and pushed him away. "I know nothing."

"My dear love, I, too, am unhappy about this state of affairs. I am torn in two by it. Conal has been my friend for years, yet so has Macbeth. Elen, I feel certain you are hiding something from me. Tell me what it is and let me help you."

"I cannot. Just as men sometimes have divided loyalties, so have women."

"Your first loyalty should be to me." It was true. He needed her love and her wholehearted loyalty. It was as essential to him as his own loyalty to Macbeth, from whom he had had all his rank and riches, and whom he would follow to the end of life, always faithful. He would be faithful in the same way to Elen, if only she would talk to him, tell him what was troubling her. She would not. She only put her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder and held him tightly. They made a strange kind of peace, leaving their differences unresolved, and after they had agreed to quarrel no more they made love, and it was beautiful and inexpressibly sad, and when Elen slept at last, Talcoran lay beside her, longing silently for the honesty and trust they had lost.

Macbeth's quarrel with Conal mac Duff became worse. Macbeth would not leave it alone, but kept picking at Conal's pride with a tactlessness unusual in him.

Macbeth and a party of his friends, including Conal and Talcoran, rode out to hunt, taking a brief respite from the plans for war that now occupied most of every day. A short distance from the palace their way was blocked by a team of oxen struggling mightily to pull a heavily loaded cart up a hill. The royal party rode around the lumbering team. Macbeth paused, watching it.

"Do you need help?" he asked the driver.

"No, my lord. I'll do right well, thank ye." The man cracked his whip smartly over the animal's backs.

"A handy thing, a whip," Macbeth said cheerfully. "I have an idea. Let's harness Conal in place of the oxen, and see if he can do the job. I'd like to see you use the whip on him. What do you say, Conal?"

There was an astonished silence before Macbeth, laughing merrily, dug his spurs into his horse's flanks and rode on. His men trailed after him, watching each other with embarra.s.sed expressions. Talcoran, lingering behind the others, looked at Conal with raised brows.

"I'll not go on," Conal said. "That was one insult too many. It grows too dangerous here. He will never forgive me for being Patric's brother-in-law, nor believe I have had no contact with Patric."

"What will you do?"

"I'll go home to Fife and stay there. Fionna and I will be gone before you return this evening. I'll not go into battle for a man who thinks I'm a traitor. I'd have to guard my back as well as my "Farewell." Talcoran put out his hand, and Conal took it.

"Goodbye, my friend. We may not meet again. I am no traitor."

"I know that, else I would not take your hand. Good luck to you." Talcoran pulled his horse around and galloped after Macbeth.

Talcoran recounted the story to Elen that evening.

"Why does Macbeth treat him so?" Elen cried."Because Patric mac Keith has been seen in Alba." Talcoran's dark eyes impaled Elen on her own guilt."Macbeth believes Conal has met with Patric."

"Has he proof of that?" Elen's voice shook.

"No, but Conal's hasty departure from court has convinced Macbeth that Conal is in league with Patricand Siward. We are riding after him at dawn." Talcoran's face was pale under his tan."Dear G.o.d, help him and Fionna," Elen breathed. She put her arms around him. They clung to each other, knowing what would happen to Conal and his family were Macbeth to prove him guilty of treason.

The troop of men who rode into Fife with Macbeth returned two weeks later.

"Your friend Fionna is a remarkable woman," Talcoran said, unbuckling his sword belt. "Briga, bring me

some ale. Ava, I'll want a hot bath.""Is Drust safe?" Ava asked."Aye, wench, he's seeing to the horses and equipment. I have no doubt he'll find you as soon as he's finished. Now, fetch my water."

"Talcoran, tell me what happened," Elen demanded. She waited anxiously while he downed half atankard of ale at a gulp."That's good. It was a thirsty ride. Fill it again, Briga. I'm not teasing you, love," he said to Elen. "I just need a while to collect my thoughts.

So much has happened. Help me off with my boots."

Talcoran flung himself into his chair and stuck out one foot.

"Do you know what that wench Fionna did?""I would very much like to hear," Elen said impatiently. She knelt and tugged at Talcoran's boot."She shut up her castle, tight as a wineskin, and kept us waiting outside the gates for half a day. She would not even allow Macbeth's unarmed messengers inside."Then at evening she appeared on the walls. What a picture she made, with her red-gold hair and her bright green cloak blowing in the breeze. For such a little woman she looked right tall and royal that day.An admirable sight. She has courage." Talcoran paused to sip at his ale."But where was Conal?" Elen asked. "Wasn't he with her?""No." Talcoran laughed, remembering. "She was alone except for the captain of the guard.""Ciniod," Briga said softly, refilling his cup as she listened."Aye, Ciniod. Fionna stood there on Kennoway's wall, her captain at her back, looking down on us like some fierce warrior woman out of the old legends. Macbeth demanded that she open the castle gates to

us, and she refused. 'Not yet, my lord,' she said, and laughed at him.""Laughed at Macbeth?" Elen repeated in wonder. "Only Fionna would dare do that. What did Macbethreply?"

"He ordered Conal to come forth and meet with him. At just that moment a soldier ran up to Fionna and said something to her. We could hear her laughing.

"Macbeth called up to her again. 'You're mighty gay, he said, 'For a woman with a traitor's heart and a traitor husband.'

"We are neither of us traitors,' Fionna shouted down to him. 'We were your loyal subjects until you drove us away by your mistrust and your insults.' "

"That was brave of her." Briga, like Elen, had been listening breathlessly to this story. "What happened next, my lord?"

"Macbeth lost his temper," Talcoran told them. "He roared in a mighty voice, 'Send out your husband, lady, or by G.o.d, I'll tear your castle apart stone by stone until I find him!'

" 'You will not find Conal mac Duff in Kennoway, Macbeth,' Fionna told him. 'While I have kept you talking here, he has escaped through a secret pa.s.sage to a cave in the cliff. Do you see that little sail, far out at sea? There are my husband and our sons, fled safely to England. You yourself have driven them to Malcolm and Si ward.'

"I have never seen Macbeth so angry," Talcoran went on. "We stormed the castle that very hour, battered down the gates, and took it. Ciniod, the captain of the guard, was one of the first to be killed, and after he was dead, the others had little heart for fighting. It was only a small garrison, and we outnumbered them by a hundred or more They surrendered."

"What of Fionna and little Elen? How could Conal leave them alone like that?" In her concern, Elen could hardly frame the words.

"There was only room for three in the boat, and Fionna insisted the men go. She told them Macbeth would be merciful to a woman. I'm not sure she was right about that," Talcoran said. "So far, Fionna and her daughter are both alive and unharmed. But Kennoway Castle is no more. We camped nearby while Macbeth had it razed to the ground. He forced Fionna and young Elen to stand there, day after day, and watch it done."

"He is a cruel king!" said Elen angrily. That lovely spot in Fife, where she had walked listening to the sea' s wild song, and the gulls' crying, gone. It was hard to comprehend. "Cruel," she said again.

"Not at all," Talcoran insisted. "It was what they deserved for defying Macbeth and making him look foolish. It is not wise to play tricks on kings."

"What will happen to Fionna now?"

"There were those who advised that she and little Elen be put to death at once. There were others who did not agree."

"And which were you, Talcoran?"

"I remember when our son Colin was born," Talcoran answered. "When our Crania was born, Fionna was with you then, too."

"You don't believe this charge of treachery against them, do you?"

"No, I do not." Talcoran had an oddly mischievous look on his dark face. "Do you know, wife, I am homesick to see Laggan once more before I ride off to war. Shall we go tomorrow?"

"Laggan?" Elen was dumbfounded at this suggestion. "What has Laggan got to do with Conal mac Duff and his wife?"

"There is no time to explain now. We must join Macbeth in his chambers shortly, and I need a bath. Where is Ava with my hot water?"

Elen and Talcoran dined privately with Macbeth and Gruach. Macbeth was pleased with the success of his expedition into Fife, even though his princ.i.p.al quarry had escaped. He had confiscated all of Fife.

Conal's t.i.tle of Thane was now empty.

"I'll find someone to bestow it on once we have vanquished Siward," Macbeth said confidently. Heraised his golden cup to toast Talcoran. "You haven proven your loyalty once again, though Conal macDuff was your friend."

"I have considered your suggestion for disposition of Conal's wife and daughter," Macbeth went on. "

You are correct, my friend, when you say living hostages will be more useful against Conal than a dead wife he would want to avenge. I will not harm them, but I want them confined a safe distance from Fife, so they cannot be rescued."

Macbeth now turned to Elen.

"I am curious, cousin. Did Fionna say something to you when you visited her last August? Did yoususpect her loyalty and her husband's? Is that why you broke off your friendship with her so abruptly?"

Elen, taken aback, answered honestly and without thinking.

"I have never heard either Fionna or Conal say one word in opposition to you, my lord. I think you have been mistaken about them."

Macbeth regarded her coldly.

"Then what did you quarrel about?" When Elen hesitated, he barked, "Must I remind you that I am your king? Answer me, woman, and if you value your life and the lives of your husband and children, answer me honestly!"

"Will you become a tyrant, cousin?"

"If that is what is necessary to retain my throne against Malcolm and Siward, then yes, I will! You know something of what went on in that household at Fife, and I demand to know what it

is.

In the face of Macbeth's rage, Elen knew absolute terror. Her teeth began to chatter with a sudden chill. She saw Talcoran looking at her with unreadable eyes.

"Well?" shouted Macbeth."We quarreled about her brother," Elen quavered."Who?" Macbeth's anger seemed to grow at this answer."About Patric of Bute," Elen said, her voice a little stronger. "I was betrothed to him once."

"I remember." Macbeth's cold gaze was fastened on her face. "What about that d.a.m.ned traitor?"

"That's just it," Elen said, seeing her way out of the abyss that for an instant had yawned before her, andseizing it. "I said the same thing, that Patric was a traitor. Fionna took offense. She reminded me thatwhatever Patric had done, he was still her brother, and we quarreled about that."

"Is that all?" Macbeth's blue eyes narrowed, watching her closely.

"That is all, my lord. I swear it. I saw no sign that she approved of his treachery, only that she was deeply hurt and unhappy about it, and that she feared for his life, as any sister would."

"And you, Elen. You once loved the traitor Patric. How do you feel about him?"