Meg must have seen them approach and raced out to greet them. Ellie had tears in her eyes as Meg folded her in her arms, relief that he shared.
“Thank God,” Meg said. “I thought they’d found you, too.”
“What happened?” Erik asked.
Meg told them that the ships had arrived not long after they left. She claimed there had been at least a dozen of them, and they’d circled the island. “It’s almost as if they knew you were here,” she said.
He’d reached the same conclusion.
As he suspected, Meg said there had been a warning but not enough time for the men to attempt to escape. The English had come in full force. Meg had watched from the cliff as the English searched the beach, and, eventually, as they led the men from the cave.
Erik frowned. It wasn’t like his men to surrender. Highlanders fought to the death.
Meg must have guessed his thoughts, because she said, “I saw Thomas talking with their leader.”
Randolph surrendering, now that made sense. Meg went on to explain how the soldiers had gathered up the villagers and questioned them, searching every house.
“You are all right?” he asked.
She nodded. “They didn’t harm any of us.” A puzzled look crossed her face. “The English commander wasn’t as bad as most.”
Erik was relieved but surprised. It wasn’t like the English to show such restraint, especially for harboring fugitives. “Mybirlinn?” he asked.
“Taken,” Meg said.
Erik’s mouth fell in a flat line. He would rather have seen it burned than captained by an Englishman.
“I need to find a ship right away.”
Meg shook her head. “There is nothing left. Not even a fishing boat. They burned them all.” She explained how the fishermen from around the island were gathered at the church in the village, devastated by the English soldiers’ cruelty in destroying their livelihoods. Erik vowed to make sure that every one of those boats was replaced. But first, he had to figure out a way to get out of here.
“They were looking for you,” Meg paused. “And the lass.”
Erik swore. He glanced at Ellie and noticed that she’d paled.
“Me?” she intoned, eyes wide.
“Not by name,” Meg assured her. “Just that Hawk was with a lass.”
His stomach dropped as the implications hit him. “How did they find out?”
Meg shook her head. “One of the men or villagers must have told them.”
Erik tried to control his anger. If the English knew about Ellie, they could use her as a weapon against him. It shocked him to realize how effective a weapon she would be. The thought of her in danger turned his blood cold.
“I don’t think they’ve given up looking for you,” Meg said. “They’ll be back.”
“I plan to be long gone by then.” His best bet—his only bet at the moment—was the old skiff. To make it seaworthy, he was going to have to improvise. But he didn’t have much time; it was already almost dark. “I’m going to need your help,” he said to Meg.
She grinned eagerly. “Just tell me what to do.”
He explained what he needed, and Meg returned to the croft to gather help and supplies.
“What can I do?” Ellie asked.
He turned, seeing that she was watching him with a determined look on her face. What he wanted to do was lock her away somewhere safe—preferably a high, impenetrable tower—until this was all over. But he had a feeling she wouldn’t agree to that, even if it were possible. She had that I-intend-to-help-and-you’d-better-not-try-to-stop-me look on her face.
“I don’t suppose you’ve noticed a nice high tower around here, have you?”
