“Nay.” Ewan shook his head. “She told us to take the cattle to the next farm and stay in the village, but I couldn’t leave the sheep, now could I?”
Rory could strangle Catriona for going alone. He turned to glare at the horizon. Where in the hell was she? And why would she send the servants away?
His worry over his sister spilled over into anger when Sybil appeared beside him. “I told ye to stay put.”
Sybil merely raised an eyebrow.
“Catriona left ye a message,” Ewan said.
“A message?”
“She said that if ye came, I’m to tell ye not to worry, that she’s gone somewhere safe.” The lad scrunched his face up again with the effort to recite the message. “She’ll come find ye at Castle Leod once she hears you’ve returned.”
“Somewhere safe,” Rory bit out. “What kind of message is that?”
“Ye did a fine job remembering all that,” Sybil said to Ewan, then she took Rory’s arm and started walking him back toward Curan. “Your sister has lived here most of her life, has she not?”
“Aye,” he snapped.
“Then she would know where she would be safe,” Sybil said. “Or would ye say she’s prone to foolishness?”
“Not before this,” he said. “She’s always seemed a sensible lass. Wise beyond her years.”
“Then try to have some faith in her judgment,” Sybil said, patting his arm. “I doubt she’s changed since ye last saw her.”
“She’s my responsibility,” he said. “Brian is dead because I failed him. Icannotfail my sister as well.”
“Ye didn’t fail your brother.”
“I did.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to take my anger out on you.”
“You’re a good man to care so much for your sister,” she said. “Not all brothers do.”
“I wish I knew what made Catriona so afraid to be at Killin that she would send the servants away and flee,” he said. “It was always safe here.”
“Someone else came looking for her right after she left,” Ewan piped up behind them.
Rory spun around to face him. “Who was it?”
“I didn’t know him, so I stayed hidden behind the cowshed.”
“That was wise.” Rory rested his hand on the lad’s shoulder. “Did ye get a look at him?”
“Aye. He was huge,” Ewan said, rising on his toes and stretching his arm up. “And he was marked by the devil.”
“Marked by the devil?” A wave of cold fear for his sister ran through Rory, but he kept his voice even. “Ye mean he was pockmarked?”
“Aye,” Ewan said.
“That was Duncan of the Axe.” Praise God Catriona was gone before he came. What was Hector’s henchman searching for? “Has anyone else come?”
“I’ve kept watch on the house,” Ewan said. “No one’s come since him, except for you.”
“I appreciate ye keeping watch, but I don’t want ye here alone,” Rory said, leaning down to look Ewan in the eye. “Take the sheep into the hills and stay there until the others return to the farm.”
“Can we still stay here tonight?” Sybil asked. “I admit I was looking forward to sleeping in a real bed.”
“Duncan did a thorough search, so I don’t believe he’ll come back.”And Rory sure as hell was not going to be chased from his own home by one man.
