Chapter Six
Lindsey lay in adreamy slumber, neither wide awake nor quite asleep.A restlessnesstrembled through her.Jamie’s kiss had disturbed her far more thanshe cared to admit, even to herself.
There was something so unsettling about thisgiant of a man who had burst in upon her calm, well-ordered life.He was a contradiction.How could a man known as the HeartlessMacDonald, who was known to be ruthless in battle, show suchtenderness when he held her?Yet beneath that tenderness she senseda very carefully banked tension, as though he held his emotions intight control when he was with her.She shivered.Aye, he was not atender man.And, she reminded herself, she must never forget thathe had used her to get to her family.
How odd that her father had trusted himalmost from the beginning.Even her brothers, usually suspicious ofstrangers, had begun to warm to him.She was puzzled by her ownbehavior.Never before had she allowed a man to take such libertieswith her.She should have plunged her dirk into his heart.
With a sigh she touched a finger to her lipsand felt the familiar tingle.The mere thought of Jamie MacDonaldbrought a rush of heat through her veins.
Beside her she heard the faint snap of atwig.In her dreamlike state she imagined that the man whose kisshad her so unsettled was returning for another taste of her lips.With her mouth curved into a smile she opened her eyes.The smilebecame a gasp of horror as she saw a hideously ugly man with oneeye covered by a bloody patch reaching for her.
Before she could scream a hand covered hermouth.She struggled to evade him, but he had the advantage ofstrength and surprise.By the time she was fully awake andfighting, a rough cloak was pulled over her head, muffling hercries.
A second pair of hands reached for her andshe was tossed crudely over the back of a waiting horse.As theanimal raced across the uneven terrain, she was jostled like a sackof grain.
* * *
In the predawn darkness Jamie sat up,wondering what had disturbed his slumber.He thought he had heard,in the mists of sleep, the half-strangled cry of a morning bird.Rubbing his eyes, his gaze scanned the circle of sleeping figuresaround the fire.Nothing seemed amiss.
He paused a moment to study the plaid thatcovered Lindsey.As he stared he felt his throat go dry.There wassomething wrong with the mound where Lindsey lay.It did not move.It was as still as death.
Getting to his feet he spanned the distancebetween them and knelt beside the plaid.Lifting it, he saw thatseveral blankets had been mounded beneath to give the illusion of asleeping body.He let out a shout that had the entire companystruggling to their feet and reaching for their weapons.
“Lindsey is gone.”Jamie stood, unaware thather plaid was still clutched in a death grip in his hand.
“Gone?Where?”Murray Gordon was the first onhis feet.
“I know not.I heard something, a cryperhaps.And when I checked, Lindsey’s blanket was empty.”
Neal sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes, thenglanced at the empty place next to him.“Ian MacPherson is alsogone.He was sleeping here beside me.”
There was a sudden hush among the assembled.Jamie’s hand clenched into a fist at his side.Why had he notvoiced his concern earlier?He had sensed that the man was not whathe appeared to be.
Murray exploded with a furious oath.“If thelout has harmed our Lindsey...”
“Mayhap they have just slipped away for amoment together,” Donald said with a hint of a smile coloring histone.“It is what I would do if I were MacPherson.My sister is,after all, not hard to look at.”He turned to Jamie.“Lindsey willhave one more reason to dislike you, Jamie MacDonald, if you haveembarrassed her by alerting all of us to her little tryst.”
“Nay.This is no lovers’ stroll in themoonlight.’Twas made to look as though she was still here with us,to keep us from missing her until her captor had made good hisescape.”Jamie glanced beyond the handsome young man to where oldDouglas Gordon stood alone.The older man’s face revealed his innerturmoil.It was he, after all, who had insisted upon bringing thelass along on this dangerous journey.
“Aye.I agree with Jamie MacDonald,” Douglassaid.“This is no lovers’ tryst.Our Lindsey is not like otherwomen.She would ne’er go off with a stranger.Especially the likesof Ian MacPherson.”
Jamie felt his face flush for a moment at thethought of what he and Lindsey had shared just hours ago in themoonlight.
“Then where has she gone?”Robbie’s eyeswidened with sudden fear.The poet was unaccountably lost forwords.
“Who would want to hurt her?”
His words brought fear to everyone in camp.Afear that sliced like a razor.
“I know not.But this much I know.”Jamie’seyes blazed.His voice was low with fury.“I will find him.Andwhen I do, he will pay with his life.”
Douglas put a hand on Jamie’s sleeve.“Lindsey is our kin, lad.We will go.And we will find her.”
Jamie lowered his head, unwilling to let theolder man see how strongly he felt about this matter.But he shookhis head firmly as he said, “Nay.’Tis my fight as well.You arehere at my request.I am responsible for you.All of you.”
For a moment the old man studied him closely.It was obvious that Jamie was as distraught as he over their loss.“Murray, Donald,” their father called.“You two will ride with meto the south and east.Robbie, Neal.You will ride with JamieMacDonald to the north and west.”
Jamie gave him a grateful nod.
