“For Robert?” He looked at her strangely, and she blushed scarlet. “It’s how the family refers to him.”
He didn’t say anything. Though he knew he could trust her, he was under orders to keep his mission a secret.
But she’d already put most of it together. “The Irish soldiers …” Her voice dropped off. “You are to bring them to him. When?”
“Tonight.”
Her eyes widened. His sentiments exactly.
“What if you are late?”
“That’s not an option.”
He felt her eyes on him. “I see.”
He knew she realized what it meant: an attack was imminent. “I don’t need to tell you what is at stake.”
She shook her head and fell into a contemplative silence.
He waited as long as he dared. With only an hour of daylight left, he helped Ellie into the skiff and rowed back to the bay, staying close to the shoreline and carefully checking before rounding any blind curves.
It was deathly quiet as he pulled the skiff around the headland into the mouth of the bay. The fires that had been lit on the beach still smoldered, and the deathly scent of smoke tinged the tangy sea air. The bay itself was empty, with not a single fishing boat in sight. He swore, realizing what must have fueled the fires. His situation had just gotten even worse. The English were taking no chances. If he was still on the island, they were going to make sure it stayed that way by burning any method of transport off the island.
Though he knew it was implausible that his men hadn’t been found, he half expected to see Domnall wander out of the cave. Hell, right now he’d even welcome Randolph’s grousing.
But no one came to greet them.
It was eerily quiet, the heavy mist thickening the still air in a drizzly cloud.
He pulled the skiff onto shore and ordered Ellie to stay in the boat. That she didn’t protest told him she understood why.
He passed the charred remnants of a few fishing boats as he made his way up the shore. From the number of footprints in the sand, it appeared that the English had descended in force on the beach. His men would have had some warning, but against so many the battle would have been brief. He suspected they’d hidden in the cave, waiting to attack if necessary.
His suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when he found the first body at the entrance to the cave. A few feet beyond were two more. Death was nothing new to him, but the pain of losing a man never lessened.
He bit back his rage and braced himself for the worst, expecting a slaughter. But surprisingly, he didn’t find any more bodies among the scattered belongings of his crew.
What the hell had happened to them?
He walked back to the beach, the gravity of the situation hitting him full force. As much as he was worried about his men, his first concern had to be his mission. He needed to get to Ireland to meet the McQuillans, and at the moment he didn’t have men or a boat. He also couldn’t be sure when the English would be coming back, which meant he needed to leave here as soon as possible.
Ellie was watching him intently as he approached. He read the question in her eyes and told her what he’d found.
“What about the others?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“And Meg?”
“That’s where I’m going now.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“That’s not a good idea.” There was no telling what he’d find.
Ellie squared her shoulders and got that stubborn nursemaid look on her face. “I don’t need you to protect me.” Undoubtedly realizing how ridiculous that sounded in light of what they’d just been through, she amended. “Not from this.” She gave him a pleading look. “Please, Meg is my friend, too.”
He held her gaze and nodded. Meg’s house was dark as they approached, and Erik wasn’t surprised to find it empty. Hoping that she’d retreated inland when the English arrived, he suggested that they continue on to the next holding.
