If Isla had imagined she could not feel worse about her failure to assist her beleaguered brother, two days later—day twenty-three of the siege—she found out she was very wrong.
She and Ewan were at the table, sharing a breakfast of oatmeal, toasted bannocks, and strong tea, when Colin came in to give Ewan his morning report. After greeting them both, at Ewan’s invitation, the captain took off his cap, sat at the table, and accepted the mug of tea Isla poured for him.
“So, anythin’ tae report?” Ewan asked as he finished eating and pushed his dish aside, leaning his elbows on the table.
In reply, Colin reached into his coat and drew out a folded paper. “All quiet and in order, except for this,” he said, placing what Isla could now see was a letter on the table in front of Ewan. Ewan picked it up and examined it curiously.
“What is this?” he asked. “How did it get here? I’ve nae seen that handwritin’ before.”
But Isla had, and she felt the blood drain from her face in shock. As Ewan carefully slit the letter open with his dirk, she raised her mug to her lips and hid behind the rim, hoping to conceal her alarm. For the handwriting belonged unmistakably to Gregory, and the only possible reason she could think of for him writing to Ewan was—she felt queasy just thinking of it—to surrender.
Colin shrugged. “Unfortunately, I have nay idea who brought it. Someone left it stuck in the gatepost at the main checkpoint overnight. The guards say they saw naethin’, so I put them both on kitchen duty for the rest of the week, the useless buggers.”
“Well, well, well, a letter from the enemy, eh?” Ewan said, smiling. “Looks like we’ve succeeded in persuadin’ Galbraith tae give up the fight and make peace with us.”
Isla’s stomach plummeted to the floor as she watched him unfolding the single sheet of paper and starting tae read. Sure he was about to announce Gregory’s capitulation, she was confused when instead of doing so, her remained silent. As he continued reading, his smile faded, his forehead creased into a frown, and his lips pursed.
Finally, he tossed the letter over to Colin, saying, “What the hell is this? Is it some kind of ruse, d’ye think? A trick of some sort? What can he mean by it?”
Poised in a state of painful expectation, Isla took firm hold of her own wrist, to stop herself from ripping the letter from Colin’s hand, so galvanized by fear and curiosity was she to know the contents.
This must be it. This is the end. What else can Gregory be writin’ about but surrender?
Colin finished reading, lowered the letter, and looked over at his commander, his puzzled expression matching Ewan’s. “Well, if ’tis a ruse, I dinnae ken how Galbraith figures he’ll benefit from it,” he said. “’Tis very off indeed.”
“I wasnae even aware the man had a sister,” Ewan replied. Isla’s mouth went suddenly dry, and the hair stood up on the nape of her neck as she struggled to hold her tongue and remain in her seat. Gregory was not writing about surrendering at all—he was writing about her disappearance! She had forgotten all about that!
Ach, he must be worried sick by now,what with me vanishin’ just when Ewan’s army arrived in Waverley Forest, and now, havin’ the enemy camped on his doorstep and nay sign of me. What must he be thinkin’?
She was stabbed by guilt for adding to his woes.
She was soon to find out what her brother was thinking, for Ewan picked up the letter and scanned the lines once more. “He demands tae ken if I’ve breached the castle somehow and kidnapped her, the cheeky bastard. What sort of a man doeshe think I am? I dinnae go about kidnappin’ innocent lassies,” he said with obvious disdain. But then his eyes darkened as he added, “Unlike some of the others he associates with.”
That caught Isla’s attention. She wondered, scrutinizing his face for clues, what he meant. Who could he be referrin’ to? She was at a loss, and so she brushed the question aside for the moment, to be quickly subsumed by guilt once more at the worry she was inflicting on Gregory.
“He clearly believes I’m holdin’ her captive, though why he imagines I’d waste time sittin’ out here if I could use her tae get him tae surrender is beyond me. He must be so worried about her, he’s nae thinkin’ straight.”
Isla noticed that he spoke the last sentence with a peculiar note of sympathy in his gruff voice. It suggested he felt sorry for Gregory, but she knew that could not be right. Should he not be pleased that the matter of his sister’s mysterious disappearance was weighing on his foe as well as the siege? The worry was a sign of weakness, was it not?
“Well, I dinnae have her, and I have nay idea where she could be,” Ewan said at last, setting the letter down and swallowing the last of his tea.
“So, what d’ye want tae dae about it,” his captain asked.
“Colin, I cannae just ignore this. The lassie could be in real trouble. She could be dead even. What if brigands have captured her, or Allan’s holdin’ her? I wouldnae put it past the connivin’dog. She’d be a useful bargainin’ chip tae coerce Galbraith intae doin’ what he wants. But the man seems tae genuinely care about his sister.”
“Aye, and like ye said before, Allan will have spies out, watchin’ what’s happenin’ with the siege and all. Maybe one of them has got hold of her,” Colin suggested.
“Aye, maybe so,” Ewan said, getting up, his expression dark. Much to Isla’s frustration, he picked up the letter from Gregory and stowed it inside his coat, preventing her from reading it herself. Colin rose too and donned his cap. What Ewan said next took Isla completely by surprise. “I wantae set up a couple of search parties tae look fer the lassie.”
She was surprised when Colin simply nodded. However, he did add, “If ye’re sure, but ye ken we need every man we have here I case anythin’ happens, eh?”
Isla noticed the strange look Ewan cast his captain and was even more taken aback when he replied, “There’s a moral element tae this, Colin. The lass is innocent. ’Tis the right thing tae dae, tae try tae find her and return her tae her braither unharmed.”
“Aye, I understand,” Colin agreed with what Isla thought was unusual compliance as the pair strode to the entrance of the tent.
But before they could leave, Isla, eaten up with curiosity, found she could hold her tongue no longer. “But why would ye search fer this sister of Galbraith, and if ye find her, send her home tae him? Why would ye want tae aid the enemy like that?” she asked.
Ewan paused by the entrance and looked over his shoulder at her. “Because if it were me own sister who was missin’, then I would hope someone would dae the same fer her,” he answered. “And he is me enemy fer only as long as he decides tae be. Allan is me only true enemy.” Then, he opened the tent flap and disappeared outside, followed closely by Colin.
