Page 3 of Highland Flame

“Aye,” said Keithen. “All of us need to help my sister.”

“Of course, we will,” Red spoke up for the both of them.

“Red, ye go find the undertaker, and bring him here,” Keithen commanded. “Violet, ye fetch my wagon and a horse. We’ll load Yvaine’s belongin’s into the wagon tonight.”

“Wait!” cried Yvaine. “This is my home. I canna leave here. I have nowhere else to go.”

“She’s right,” said Red. “Ye canna expect her to leave her life behind.”

“Yer life as ye ken it, is over,” Keithen reminded her, bending down and closing the dead man’s eyes.

“The guild will allow me to take over the chandler business since I am now a widow,” Yvaine told him. “It is written so in the rules.”

“Aye, until the word gets out that ye killed him,” snapped Keithen. “Then what do ye think they’ll do? Yvaine, ye dinna have a choice. Ye need to leave town and ye need to do it tonight.”

“Willna people wonder why I am leavin’ before my husband’s body is even cold and in the ground?” Yvaine asked him.

“Aye, she’s right. That will only raise suspicion,” agreed Red.

Keithen let out a deep breath, looking back at the dead man once more. “Then we’ll bury his body at first light, but ye will leave right afterwards, Yvaine. We’ll tell everyone ye are too distraught to stay.”

“Where will I go?” Yvaine felt confused and upset, and so alone.

“Ye will go to Lanercost Priory to stay with our brathair, Gillies,” Keithen told her. “Ye will be safe within the priory walls, and yer bairn can be born there. Mayhap after a few years, ye can return once everythin’ blows over.”

“A few years?” gasped Yvaine. “That is such a long time. Besides, Gillies willna want me there when he finds out I am pregnant, and what I’ve done.”

“Then we willna tell him,” said Keithen. “We’ll only tell him yer husband died, and that ye need a place to go to mourn.”

“I still dinna like this idea.”

“Ye dinna have a choice,” her brother growled. “It is either that, or stay here and take the chance of being executed for what ye did.”

“Nay,” said Yvaine. “Never. I will go. For the sake of my unborn child. But what about the business? I canna just leave it.”

“Ye willna have to. Ye can take everythin’ with ye,” said Keithen, grabbing a blanket from the top of a trunk and throwing it over Dun’s body. “Ye can continue makin’ candles, but ye’ll do it at the priory instead.”

“I dinna even ken if Gillies will allow that. Or if he will want me there at all.”

“He’s yer brathair. He’ll do it,” said Keithen. “I’ll send a messenger there this night, tellin’ him to expect ye on the morrow. He is a monk and willna turn away anyone, especially no’ his own sister.”

“Ye’ll send a messenger? Who would go across the border to do that?” asked Violet. “We are Scots and no’ a one of us is goin’ to be anxious to go into English territory.”

“I’ll go to the castle tonight,” said Keithen. “The celebration will just be endin’ but everyone will still be awake. Lady Wren and Lady Clarista are both English. They’ll ken someone who can take the missive there for us.”

“Ye’re goin’ back to the castle?” asked Red, sounding interested. “Cam is still there. Mayhap I can come with ye, and see him one last time before he leaves for the Highlands.”

“Nay,” said Keithen. “Lassies, do as I say, and then get back to work.”

“Keithen, how will I get there with all my belongin’s and all by myself?” asked Yvaine, feeling worried about this plan. It was dangerous, and she was one woman. She couldn’t travel or cross the border alone.

“Dinna fash yerself. I’ll get ye an escort,” promised Keithen, wrapping the blanket around Dun’s body. “I’m sure Laird Storm MacKeefe will help us out since he is a fair man. Mayhap some of his warriors can take ye there safely.”

“I’m no’ sure,” said Yvaine. “What will I do there besides make and sell candles?”

“Ye can always take the vows and become a nun,” suggested Violet with a snicker.

“True,” agreed Keithen. “Perhaps livin’ the life of a nun will suit ye and also guarantee that yer bairn is raised well. After all, widows often join the Order, so it is no’ an uncommon thing to do.”

“Join the Order? Nay! I will never be a nun,” spat Yvaine, knowing that choice would mean she could never fall in love and have a big, beautiful family like she always wanted. Her eyes dropped down to Dun, seeing his partially covered face. Suddenly, guilt wracked her body. “However, I will spend my time prayin’ for forgiveness for killin’ a man.” Yvaine dropped to her knees, reaching out one shaking hand to pull the blanket over Dun’s face so she wouldn’t have to look at it anymore.

“Dinna tell me ye feel sorry for killin’ the bastard now,” spat Violet. “He deserved it!”

“Mayhap so,” mumbled Yvaine, staring at the lump under the blanket. “I may no’ have loved him, and we all ken he didna deserve love for what he did to me. But on the other hand, did he really deserve to die? Oh, why couldna he have died drunk in the gutter instead of by my hand? What did I do?”

“Yer only true crime was stayin’ with a man who abused ye, when ye should have left him years ago, so dinna start regrettin’ yer actions now.” Keithen pulled her to her feet. “I’ve got this handled. Now, all of us in this room must vow to never tell anyone that Yvaine killed her husband.” He looked over to the whores. “Is that clear? Do ye promise?”

“If anyone can keep a secret, it’s me,” said Red.

“I wouldna tell a soul about this if my life depended on it,” agreed Violet.

“Guid. Then everyone do as I told ye. At first light, I’ll have the undertaker bury the body. Then I’ll take Yvaine to the castle.”

“Aye. Everythin’ will be all right.” Yvaine said the words, but far from believed them. Nay, everything was not going to be all right, and she knew it. Even if this crazy plan protected her, it wasn’t going to be easy to keep it a secret for the rest of her life. How was she ever going to raise a child by herself in a monastery? And what would happen to her and her child someday if her horrible secret was ever discovered?