“Because I am verra good at it?” He grinned, then said seriously, “He stays to the shadows and is always looking around. E’en when he goes into the tavern. He sits in a shadowy corner, drinks, and watches everyone.”
“Ye went into the tavern?”
“Aye, they dinnae pay attention. Da didnae either. Too busy watching his own back.”
“It sounds as if he fears some trouble is headed his way.”
Colin grunted softly. “A lot of it, I am thinking. Nay sure he kens how to escape it either. He asked me yester eve if me and the lads had a good place to hide. I said, ‘Aye,’ even as I tried to think of a way to nay tell him where it is or then wondered if I should. He didnae e’en ask. Just told me, ‘Run for it when the trouble comes.’ Then he left. Didnae give me a chance to ask what he was talking about.”
“He ne’er asked me that,” Bethoc said, and realized she was not surprised that Kerr gave no thought to the safety of his daughters.
“I ken it. Was getting madder and madder about that but now ye ken. Ye and Margaret will run with us. Ye may as weel. We mean to go to your cave and hide.”
“Huh. Silly of me to think I had a wondrous secret place to go to.”
He laughed, stood up, and picked up Margaret with barely a wince, which she saw as a good sign. “Go. I will keep her with me and ne’er let her out of my sight. Go on now. Your mon probably needs some food by now.”
“He is nay my mon!” she said but Colin just laughed.
Bethoc stood for a whole minute before she gave up trying to resist the urge to run to the cave. It was clear to see that whatever shyness Margaret had suffered from had vanished and the child was happy to be with Colin. She went and gathered up some food, putting as much as she could spare into the basket and bag in case she could not get out of the house again for a while. With a last look to make sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, she headed out. This time she kept a close eye out for any sign of the men looking for Callum. She was especially careful as she entered the clearing.
Deciding it was all clear she hurried up the path to the cave. As she moved the brush, she frowned. Someone else had moved it. A tickle of fear entered her heart and she hurried inside. Callum sat on his pallet and smiled at her.
“Ah, ye are here,” she said, then blushed and turned to put the brush back in place.
“Aye. Where did ye think I might be?” he asked, still smiling.
She went over and sat down in front of him. “For a moment, I feared someone had found ye. I saw that the brush had been moved.”
“Ah. Nay. I emptied the slop buckets and cleaned up after Stormcloud.”
“I have brought ye more food. I am sorry I havenae been here much. Colin was”—she hesitated—“ill.”
He grasped her hands, stopping her fussing about with the food. “Tell me what happened. That time ye did run in before, I could sense something had happened, but ye gave me no time to ask. What has happened, Bethoc?”
“My mother had more babies,” she burst out, and then took a few steadying breaths. “Four over the years. The boys were planting some bushes and Kerr went mad. Truly mad. He tore them all up, screaming all the while, and when Colin complained, he beat him. If we hadnae all pulled him off I fear he would have killed Colin. I have ne’er seen him so maddened.”
“Over bushes?”
She suddenly stood up, tearing her hands free, and began to pace. “It wasnae the bushes. It was where they were digging. I always wondered how my mother could go so long without having a child. Grieved for her, thinking she may have nay carried some to birth, mayhap e’en because Kerr hit her and that brought on her loss. But, nay, she had babies. She had four and they were all buried in the area where the boys had planted the bushes. That is why Kerr went so mad o’er the planting of them. He was terrified of what they may have dug up. And then, after he left, Colin wanted to see what was buried there.”
“What made Colin think there was something buried out there?”
“Because Kerr wasnae sane when he attacked Colin. There truly was a madness to it, and he said something about ne’er digging there. He also seemed intent on killing Colin, which he has ne’er done before. In truth, Colin ne’er usually got more than a hard slap because he cannae always watch his tongue.
“Colin said there had to be something there that he didnae want them to find. So, after Kerr left, Colin wanted to see what was buried there e’en though he could barely stand. They propped him up against a tree out in the garden. The other boys then dug up all around the area and they found the four wee bodies.” She took a deep breath but it did nothing to stem the flow of tears.
“Come here, lass,” Callum said, and held out his hand.
Bethoc looked at that hand and she knew she ought not to take it even as she put her hand in his. He tugged her down next to him, on the side of his good leg. When he put his arm around her shoulders, she slumped against him. It was weak, she thought, but it was good to have the sympathy. Being held so close to him was enough to ease some of the ache in her heart.
“Four bodies?” he asked, giving in to temptation and resting his cheek against her hair.
“Aye. My sisters.”
“Ye are certain they are all girls?”
“Kerr wouldnae kill a boy. E’en Colin said that. Aye, they are all girls. And, save for one, I think they were all born alive. One was too small. It could have died simply because it was born too early. But it explains why my mother insisted I stay with her when she labored with Margaret. She clung to my hand. She knew. He knew too. He hung about until he kenned I was going nowhere and then left. He was angry, too. Mother was pleased.”
