“Ashley, ye cannae sit astride yer horse for that length of time! ’Tis much safer for ye and the babe to ride in the wagon.” The pained expression on Cailin’s face must have gotten to Ashley, because she finally gave in. Cailin picked her up and settled her next to the driver, but before he did, he gave her a very passionate kiss goodbye. Ashley held on to him tightly as if she didnae ever wish to let go.
“Ahem,” Robert cleared his throat. “Enough already, you two. It’s time for ye to be on yer way. Cailin, let go of yer wife. Ye’ll see her again, soon enough.”
“Is that a promise, Robert?” Ashley asked.
“Aye. I promise. I dinnae wish to be away from me own wife and family any more than ye wish to be away from yer husband.” Robert perused the courtyard and approached Maggie. “Maggie are ye sure ye willnae join the women? I’d feel better if ye did.”
“Aye, Robert. I’m the only one who can deal with Brielle and it will be better for all if I remain and fight her with my witchcraft.” Robert nodded his agreement and Maggie watched as he ensured all the wagons were secure and everyone was ready to leave. He kissed Irene and each of their children goodbye and then waved the wagons on through the gates.
It took some time for everyone to leave and those staying behind stood and watched until the very last wagon was out of sight.
“Robert, have you seen my Uncle Angus?” Maggie suddenly grew concerned. She realized that in all the upheaval, she hadn’t seen Angus since coming back with Dylan.
“Nae, lass, I havenae. Mayhap he has gone to his quarters to rest,” Robert suggested.
“It wouldnae be like him to miss all the commotion that’s been happening out here. I hope he’s not sick.” Maggieimmediately discounted the thought. It seemed more likely that his disappearance had something to do with Brielle and the idea terrified her. “Dylan, let’s go and see if we can find him.”
They headed off towards the barracks and straight up the stairs to the room Maggie had been sharing with Angus. Maggie knocked and stood for a moment with her ear to the door, and when she didn’t hear anything, she opened it. He wasn’t there.
“Where could he be?” Maggie asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like this,” Dylan answered.
Their room looked very much the same as it had earlier today. Nothing appeared out of place and although Maggie searched carefully, she couldn’t find any clues that would lead her to her uncle.
Dylan and Maggie hurried back downstairs and into the stable, in search of Angus’ horse. Much to their dismay, Archie still stood in his stall. The stable boys hadn’t seen Angus in quite some time, although they admitted they had been very busy preparing horses for the trip to Ewan’s and might not have noticed if he had visited the stable.
Robert had followed them and when he realized they still hadn’t found Angus, he tried to reassure Maggie. “I’ll have the castle searched, from top to bottom. We’ll find him.” He turned and strode away swiftly, calling to some of the men as he did so.
Distraught, Maggie slumped against a stall door. “We should never have left the castle this afternoon. If I had been here, this nae would have happened.”
“We don’t know anything yet, Maggie. There are still plenty of places he could be.”
“Do ye truly believe that, Dylan?” Maggie shook her head in disbelief.
“No, I don’t,” Dylan admitted. “I guess I’m feeling the same way you are. I suspect Brielle has him.” Dylan grabbed Maggieby the hand. “Let’s go. We can’t give up until we’ve searched everywhere.”
They joined the other searchers as they went through every room in the castle and every outbuilding. They even investigated the nearby crofter’s cottages and the path along the bluff. Nothing. Angus was nowhere to be found.
“What could she possibly want with Angus?” Dylan questioned, after they had exhausted their search efforts.
“I believe she kens it will hurt Edna… and me,” Maggie replied. She was having a hard time sitting still, anxiety pouring from her in waves. “I must find him!”I feel so helpless,were the words she didn’t dare speak aloud.Is there anything I can do to stop her? I dinnae even know where she is!
Dylan gathered her into his arms and held her close. Maggie could hear the steady rhythm of his heart beating in his chest and it gave her some comfort. In this moment, at least one thing in her life was steady and stable. She knew Dylan was there for her, no matter what. His presence helped her to deal with what was turning out to be the worst moment of her life.
When they had run out of places to search, everyone gathered in the courtyard. Robert, Cailin and Cormac tried valiantly to hide their distress from Maggie, but the distress of not knowing what to do next had overcome everyone. You could hear a pin drop in the courtyard, and that alone spoke volumes.
***
Angus awoke in a dark, dank cave, with no idea of how he had gotten there. “Where am I?” he croaked.
“Ye’ve finally awoken, and it’s about time” Brielle’s voice was harsh, the words spoken close to his ear. “Welcome to my home away from home,” she announced. She laughed low in her throatand Angus shivered at the sound. “Dinnae fear. I dinnae wish to harm ye—unless I be forced to.”
Angus didn’t respond to the threat, he knew there was no point in it. Instead, he concentrated on surreptitiously surveying the cave for an escape route. Light cast from a fire burning in the center of the cavern allowed him to see that they were apparently hidden deep inside a rocky hideaway. He couldn’t distinguish any daylight and had no idea whether it was night or day outside.
“Escape willnae be possible, my handsome one,” Brielle seemed to be reading his mind. She ran a sharp pointed fingernail through his hair, making him cringe. “Yer wife takes ye fer granted, doesnae she? She sent ye here to protect yer niece, with no care for what the outcome might be. All she cares about is the bridge, isnae that right?”
Was that right? The thoughts in his head were all jumbled as if he’d been drinking heavily, and listening to Brielle, Angus started to think that maybe she was right. Her suggestions played havoc with his rational mind and his emotions, and he wondered if what she was saying might actually be the truth. If he was honest with himself, he had wondered much the same thing of late. The bridge had become an obsession for Edna in recent years. She couldnae leave it for more than a day or two and even then, she worried endlessly about it. He loved Edna more than life itself, but lately, he had to admit he’d found himself wondering if she felt the same way about him, or if he’d taken a backseat to the importance of the bridge. “Nae. Edna cares for much more than the bridge,” Angus said with conviction.The spell Brielle’s put on me is what’s leading me to believe her lies.
