“Tell me where she is!” Daniel yelled in his face once again as he pulled a dagger from his belt and held it to the man’s throat. ‘Tell me where she is ‘afore I cut yer insides out, ye bloody bastard!” He could feel the anger bubbling up in his chest as he stared at the man’s terrified face.
“Please, Daniel, I didnae mean for things to go this far.” Ewan’s eyes were filled with panic. “I havenae delivered the letters because I regret getting involved with George,” he suddenly blurted out. “I never wanted anyone to get harmed. Look…” He carefully reached into his belt and retrieved the notes. “I didnae deliver them because I’ve been struggling with what to do.”
Daniel hesitated for a second before snatching the letters away and crumbling them in his fist. “Then why did ye get involved with George in the first place?” he angrily asked as he gripped Ewan’s shirt and lifted his head off the ground. “Did I nae pay ye enough?” he growled, baring his teeth at the man he had trusted.
“Ye paid me more than enough, Me Laird.” Ewan whimpered in pain as Daniel bore down on his chest. “I met George one day in the orchards ‘afore he came back to the castle. He convinced me that I needed more in life an’ that he’d be the one who would show me how to become wealthy.”
“So, ye started stealing from me despite the fact that ye earn more money than any other man in me employ.”
Daniel tried to hold back and hear what the man had to say despite the fact that he felt like pummeling him into the ground.
“Aye, Me Laird,” Ewan said as he closed his eyes. “I’m ashamed of the fact that I let meself be led astray when I kent what was right all along.”
“What do ye expect me to do with ye now?” Daniel hissed as he searched his face.
“I wouldnae blame ye for killing me, Me Laird,” Ewan said honestly and opened his eyes to look at his master. “I have betrayed yer trust an’ put yer wife in danger. For that, I deserve to die.”
“I willnae do ye the kindness of taking yer life,” Daniel uttered coolly and let go of the man’s shirt, letting his head fall to the ground. “Show me where the cottage is, an’ I’ll let ye go,” he said as he straightened his back and stood.
“Really, Me Laird?” Ewan scurried to his feet. “I dinnae deserve the mercy yer showing me right now.”
“Ye dinnae deserve to live,” Daniel said bluntly. “But ye dinnae deserve to die either. I willnae do ye the kindness of taking yer life. Now, where is she?”
“The old woodcutter’s cottage,” Ewan quickly confirmed what Avery had said. “George has been staying there while we came up with the plan.”
“Bloody bastards,” Daniel swore under his breath. He couldn’t believe that a man he had trusted would use buildings on his own estate to come up with a plan to abduct his wife and her sister. The sheer audacity of the man made him want to wring his neck. “Leave ‘afore I change me mind,” he barked at Ewan. “Leave an’ never come back. I never want to so much as see yer shadow ever again in me life.”
“Aye, Me Laird!” Ewan said before quickly scurrying away and disappearing into the bushes.
Stopping himself from going after the man, Daniel uncrumpled the notes in his hand and opened one, holding it up to the moonlight.
I’m sure that you will be wondering by now what has happened to your precious Melissa. I can assure you that she is in fine fettle and will stay that way unless you fail to meet my demands. I shall be requiring half of everything you own if you ever want to be reunited with your precious wife.
In case you get any funny ideas, don’t think that I will hesitate to make good on my threats.
George.
Ripping the note into thousands of tiny pieces, Daniel roared in anger and rushed toward his horse. The sooner he got to Melissa, the sooner he could put the whole ordeal behind him and have her back in his arms.
22
Melissa was thirsty and tired, and her wrists were burning from trying to free herself. The ropes her father had once again tied around her wrists were very quickly drawing tiny trickles of blood. She was happy that Avery had escaped, but she felt more alone and uncertain about her future than ever before.
“I hope Avery is all right and managed to get back to Darragh and Daniel,” she muttered to herself, for lack of anything better to do.
Her father had alternated between napping and keeping an eye on her for the past two hours, leaving her bored and frustrated as she thought of ways she could escape.
The door suddenly burst open, making her wince as she flinched and drew away. Any sudden movements she made allowed the ropes to cut even further into her skin.
“Here’s your food!” George stomped back into the cottage with a sadistic grin on his face and tossed an old bannock at her head. He laughed as he sunk into one of the chairs.
Her stomach growled with hunger as she realized how hungry she was. She hadn’t eaten since her breakfast with Daniel. Her stomach began to growl as she thought of the sweet and slightly tangy cherry jam.
“I can’t believe Avery got away,” George bellowed as he lowered his face into his hand and shook his head. “But I guarantee you that you shall not.” He stood and paced around the cottage aimlessly, the veins in his neck bulging with rage.
“Papa,” Melissa said sweetly, a potential escape plan brewing in her mind, “I need to empty my bladder. Can you please let me out so that I can get some relief?”
“You are not going to move from that spot!” George spat. “You can put any ideas you may have right out of your head, young lady!” He seemed to revert back to addressing her in the way he had done in the past, giving her a slither of hope that her plan could work.
