“Brann,” he heard Ian call, his voice strained, irritated. “Where is Connell?”
Connell grimaced, knowing exactly what Ian and the others would ask the moment they entered his study. He grabbed another letter, hoping to appear bus to buy himself more time to come up with an excuse to their questions.
“I believe he’s in his study,” came Brann’s nervous voice. “The scouts arrived with the reports this morn.”
“Aye, we saw Gavin on the road, riding toward the village,” came Donald’s rasp.
“Were ye successful in yer endeavors?”
Grant chuckled. “Aye, we were successful, lad, though the laird did not have much on him. Gave him a fright though.”
“Aye, we did,” Donald laughed. “Ye should have seen his eyes. They were as wide as saucers.”
The men broke out into a fit of laughter, but all amusement was lost on Connell. They were nearly upon the study. The door was still open. Connell clenched his jaw as he stared at the letter in his hand, rereading a sentence for the fourth time. Still, he did not know what Gavin, the scout, had written, only that soon he would have to answer to Glenton. He frowned as he peered over the letter, finding Ian, Donald, Grant, and Brann filing inside his study. Logan and Glenton, however, were nowhere to be found.
“Where is Glenton?” Connell asked while setting the letter down on his desk. His brow furrowed as he looked at the men standing before him, their faces smudged with dirt from the road and their hair dark and tangled from lack of water or a decent bath.
Grant rolled his shoulders back, the joints popping with his movement. “Glenton and Logan spotted a stag last night.”
“And they didn’t return?” Connell asked, his stomach twisting with worry as he watched his men shake their heads. “Why didn’t ye search for them?”
Grant shook his head. “Glenton told us to carry on without them. Said, if he and Logan didn’t return it should be fine. That they had some business to attend to.”
Connell’s frown deepened. “But--”
“Were ye able to speak to the lass?” Ian rushed out while stepping forward.
Connell bristled and he watched Brann grimace, his head lowering while his hands grasped each other. Donald and Grant looked to one another when Connell didn’t answer, and they let out a long sigh in unison.
“I take it ye did not,” said Grant after a long silence.
“She innocent,” Connell said, forcing his voice even. “She truly knows naething.”
Donald’s head tilted to the side, his eyes narrowing as they scrutinized Connell. Connell stilled as those dark eyes watched him as if they were searching his soul. “And how do ye know?”
“I know,” Connell said between clenched teeth, finding it difficult to hold Donald’s stare. “I know, because I know her.”
Ian groaned while tossing back his head and scowling up at the ceiling.
“I take it there’s more to this story than yer telling us,” said Grant while crossing his arms.
“Aye, there is,” Connell whispered, his gaze finally lowering to the floor.
Ian shook his head. “I cannot take any more of this. Leave me alone with the lass. I’ll surely get something out of her.”
“She’s not here,” Connell said, louder than intended as he heard Ian step toward the door. The footsteps paused and he stiffened as he felt all eyes boring into him.
“And where, pray tell, is she?” Donald asked, his tone shaking and laced with anger.
“I-I,” Connell started as he slowly closed his eye. He leaned forward, his hands gripping his desk as he searched himself, trying to find a way to get his men to understand his reasoning. No matter the words he used, or the explanation given, he knew he would be punished for breaking their trust, for allowing her to escape. “I let her go,” he finally said.
Silence greeted him. For a moment, he wondered if he had imagined their return. He could not hear a single sound of breath or a rustle of movement. He opened his eye, finding Donald, Grant, and Ian staring at him, wide eyed, as if he just told them he was a ghost wandering the highlands for all eternity. Brann still stood in the corner, not having moved, his hands in white knuckled fists.
“Ye what?” Ian hissed while taking another step forward, his right eye twitching.
“Tis what I said.” Connell straightened himself. He pushed back his shoulders and jutted out his chin, ready to fight them if need be. “I let her go.”
“Why?” Ian shouted while rushing forward and grabbing Connell by his collar. “Why would ye do such a ridiculous thing?” Ian shook Connell by his leine, but the man was not as tall or as strong as Connell.
