It wasn't her husband who concerned her, for, she thought smugly, he was quite unaffected by other beautiful women. But beautiful young girls attracted too many men, and invariably complications arose. She decided to give the open position to the widowed daughter of old Lord Kerr. The lady was a good woman, past thirty, and not particularly pretty.

Protocol satisfied, Patrick Leslie gave orders to his people to return to Glenkirk immediately. Then he set out alone for his castle. Cat already had a seven-hour start on him, and when he caught up with her, he wanted to settle their differences away from prying eyes.

As he rode he relived the previous night, seeing clearly now all the things his injured pride had refused to acknowledge then. Cat had begged him to take her from court, but he had begun to enjoy it himself, and had put her off. Ashamed of being forced into an intimate relationship with the king, yet equally fearful of his discovering that relationship, she had been helplessly caught in a trap. When he had walked into their bedroom to find the king fondling his wife's naked breasts, his reaction had been shock, followed by fury at his wife. How could he have misjudged her so? In all these years she had never given him reason to doubt her.

Now, looking back, he saw again her frightened white face staring out at him from the pier glass. Later, when they were taking turns raping her, he saw her leaf-green eyes mirroring shock, anguish, disbelief, and finally a blankness that was the most terrible of all.

Patrick Leslie rode steadily north and east, and as he rode he prayed that his wife would be waiting at Glenkirk. Another problem facing him was what to tell his mother and the children. They were all old enough to know something was wrong. He was grateful that his two oldest boys were in service. The younger children were easy, but he did not want to face his eldest son and heir. Thirteen-year-old Jamie Leslie adored his beautiful mother, and between them existed a special closeness. Cat loved all her children, but Jamie had always been her bairn.

When the towers of Glenkirk came into sight several days later the Earl kicked Dubh into a gallop, and the great black stallion, scenting home, responded eagerly. Patrick quickly sought out his mother. Margaret, the dowager Countess of Glenkirk, was still one of the most beautiful women in Scotland. Rising to her feet at the sight of her eldest son, she held out her arms.

"My darling! I didn't expect ye back so soon. Is aught amiss?"

He entered the security of that embrace and then, leading her over to the privacy of a windowseat, sat down with her. "I hae done a terrible thing, mother. A terrible thing to Cat. And I hae probably lost her." Kneeling, he put his head into her lap and wept. The sound he made was terrible-great, tearing sobs wrenched up from deep within him. His broad shoulders shook, and Meg Leslie, stunned, touched his head gently and said, "Tell me, Patrick. Tell me what ye hae done to Catriona."

Mastering his emotions, he slowly and carefully told his mother what had happened. Meg closed her eyes when he reached the part about the rape. "She must still have some feeling for ye, Patrick," said his mother, "for had it been me, I would hae stuck a knife into ye before I fled! And to answer yer unasked question-no, she is not here. What made ye think she would be?"

"Where else could she go, mother? Greyhaven? A-Cuil?"

"Nay. Heather was here yesterday, and said nothing. Ye may be sure that if Cat had gone home to Grey-haven her mother would have been all atwitter with worry, and told me. And she is not at A-Cuil. Cat's brothers have been up there hunting wolves, and came yesterday with Heather to bring me some skins."

"Then where is she?" he asked. "Christ in his heaven! Where has she hidden herself?"

"Ye want her back?" said Meg. "Why, Patrick? So ye may punish her further for not killing herself at James Stewart's first advance. Would ye hae preferred a dead and pure wife to a live, albeit slightly used one? God's toenail, my idiot son! It's nae as if James took the droit du seigneur of yer virgin bride! And why in heaven's name did ye assume her the guilty party? Undoubtedly because she is but a weak woman! Fool! Has she ever given ye cause for doubt? Never! She has been a loving wife since the day she married ye… though now I think perhaps she must have had a premonition of disaster when she tried to escape yer marriage. She's been a good wife and a good mother to yer six bairns." Meg stood up and paced furiously back and forth. "Ye dinna deserve her, Patrick! Now, get the hell out of my sight, my lord earl! I detest fools, and ye are a great fool! Ye disgust me!" Pulling her skirts back so as not to touch him, the dowager countess swept angrily from the room.

He stood where she had left him, thinking that he also disgusted himself.

"So ye found out," came his brother Adam's voice.

The earl turned. "I didna know ye were here," he said dully.

"Just arrived. I was on yer trail the whole way. Ellen came to see me before she left Edinburgh. How did ye find out?"

"I came back to Holyrood to find the king's hands all over my wife's naked tits. Did ye know? And Ellen too? Am I the only one at court who didn't know that the king was fucking my wife?"

"No one knew, Patrick, except Ellen because she is Cat's tiring woman and me because when James first delivered his ultimatum to Cat she came to me for help. I told no one, not even Fiona."

"My wife came to ye for help, and ye sent her into the King's bed? Was that yer idea of helping us?" Leaping the distance between them, Patrick Leslie hit his younger brother square on the jaw.

Adam staggered back. His hand came up to rub his injured chin. The earl advanced on him. "I'll kill ye for this, brother!" The younger Leslie's hand went to his dirk and, whipping it out, he held it before him. "For God's sake, Patrick! Listen to me for a minute!" The earl stopped. "James threatened to confiscate our estates and put us to the horn. He was all ready wi trumped-up charges, for he was determined to have Cat, and knew she would protect her family at whatever cost to herself. She was terrified. She didna want to lie wi the king, but neither did she want everything lost that was yers… or ours. It is not permitted for a woman to refuse the king, ye know that! And even if she had refused, Jamie would have taken everything. Then what would have happened to all of us? To Mother, and the bairns. Yes! I told Cat to yield! There was no other way. If ye had been in my position what would ye have done?"

Patrick's hands fell to his side. "Do ye know what I did to her, Adam, when I found her wi Jamie? I got drunk wi the king, and then we took turns wi her. All night, brother. Drink and fuck! Drink and fuck! She's run away from me, brother. I would gie my life to find her and beg her forgiveness!"

"Christ, man!" said Adam Leslie in shocked disbelief. "What a fool ye are! I dinna think she'll ever forgie ye for that, but I'll help ye to find her. God knows ye dinna deserve her. Where hae ye looked?"

"Our house in Edinburgh. Here. Mother tells me she's nae at Greyhaven, or at A-Cuil. She's obviously not in yer house, or ye'd hae told me. Could she hae gone to Sithean?"

"I'll ride over," said Adam, "ostensibly to bring Fiona's greetings to her parents. If there's been any word, our sister Janet will know and tell us."

But they soon knew that Cat was not at Sithean. Nor was she hiding in Crannog village with old Ruth. They had exhausted all the logical possibilities, and in the days that followed they checked back in Edinburgh with the Kiras. Cat had not withdrawn any of her vast funds, either in person or through an intermediary. The Earl of Glenkirk was becoming genuinely frightened. His wife has disappeared over a month ago, without a trace and without funds to sustain her. There were only two answers. Either someone was hiding Cat-and they could think of no one with whom she was that friendly -or else she was dead.

Chapter 24

FRANCIS Hepburn awoke at first light and lay quietly for a few minutes enjoying the silence before the birdsong. Turning carefully, he looked at Cat. She lay curled into a tight ball like a small child. In sleep she looked so innocent

Suddenly she awoke, opened her green eyes, and stretched. "Good morrow, my lord," she smiled up at him.

He smiled back, thinking how very much he wanted to make love to her now. "I hae a surprise for ye today, Cat. I'm taking ye riding."

A frightened look come into her eyes. "Patrick," she said.

"Patrick will eventually find ye, my darling, but 'twill be a long time before word gets to him, and then I promise to protect ye. Only someone who knows ye could tell him anyhow, and my people are loyal to me. They could see ye ride naked the length of the shire, and would nae admit to it."

She laughed. "All right, my lover, but I will need fresh clothes. Mine are worn, and I'd nae shame ye."

"Look in the trunk by the door, Cat I brought some things back from my last raid."

She admired the silk underclothes, several pairs of green trunk hose in finely spun sheer wool, and a half-dozen cream-colored silk shirts with pearl buttons. There was a soft brown leather jerkin with small buttons of polished staghorn banded in silver, and a wide brown leather belt with a silver-and-topaz buckle. It didn't take Cat more than a minute to realize that he had had the clothes made for her. She rose from the trunk and turned. "Yer so good to me, Bothwell," she said softly. "Thank ye."

He got up from the bed. "I'll get ye some water to bathe," he answered gruffly.

She blocked his way. Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed him. His hands stroked her long back, and her soft, silken buttocks. "Christ, you witch! Dinna tempt me now!" But he was already hard, hungry for her. Sweeping her up, he lay her back on their bed. His lips found hers again, and his body gently possessed her body. She sighed happily, and Francis Hepburn laughed low. "Little witch! Why can I never get enough of ye?"

"Or I of you, my lover," she murmured.

Afterwards they fell asleep, and it was not until the sun was well up that they awoke again. He brought water, and they washed, Going to the little trunk, she chose a set of lace-trimmed underwear, a shirt, trunk hose, the jerkin and belt. When she had finished dressing she found he wore a matching costume. Cat bound her hair back with a green velvet ribbon and, with a smile, Bothwell placed a small bonnet of Hepburn plaid on her golden head.

"Ye'll need new boots, lass." He dug deep into her trunk, and pulled out a pair. They were as soft as butter. "Ye'll find some silk and lace nightgowns in there too."

"How did ye do it, Francis? How?" She pulled the boots on.

"I'm the Wizard Earl, remember?"

Laughing, they descended the stairs and left the lodge. Cat's bay gelding, Iolaire, and Bothwell's great dark-red stallion, Valentine, awaited them. They spent the day riding the Northumbrian hills that separated Scotland from England. When hunger overtook them they stopped at a small cottage. The welcome was warm for Bothwell and his lady. Dark bread warm from the oven with fresh sweet butter, a broiled rabbit, and brown October ale satisfied them.

"Ye eat well here on the borders," Cat remarked to the woman of the house. She had a disturbingly familiar look.

"My father was the last earl, James Hepburn," laughed the woman, whom Bothwell called Maggie. "Cousin Francis sees we're well taken care of, don't ye, lovey?"

The earl smiled at Maggie. "I do, though keeping up wi Uncle James' obligations is a mighty task."

"Made greater," she shot back at him, "by yer desire to better his record."

They laughed. Francis kissed Maggie's cheek. Then he helped Cat into her saddle and, mounting Valentine, led the way back over the hills. He did not, however, take her back to the lodge. "I want to go to Hermitage," he said quietly. "‘Tis my home, and I want ye there. Will ye come wi me?"

"Yes," she answered him. "I am nae ashamed to be yer woman, Francis."

"I dinna think of ye as my woman, Cat. I think of ye as my wife… perhaps not in the eyes of your church, or the kirk, or even in the eyes of our fellow men. But as God created us, he meant us to be together. I intend that we shall be, my darling."

They rode proudly into Hermitage together, and Cat discovered that he had prepared for her, hoping she would come with him. The rooms of the Countess of Bothwell with its bedroom adjoining the earl's awaited her. They were newly refurbished with deep-blue velvet draperies and bed hangings, and a bedspread embroidered with the Hepburn lions in gpld.