That sounds exactly like Andrew.
“When I realized that ye were his sister, I couldnae keep from lookin’ at ye. Ye are exactly as he described.” His voice caught a little, and Eleanor could not help but wonder if he was being sincere. He certainly spoke as if he had been a friend to Andrew.
“And ye thought he might be there?” Eleanor asked, turning back toward him.
“Aye.” Hamish nodded again.
Callum folded his arms and ran his tongue over his lips, still seeming as if he did not believe a word that the man was saying. “Enough to send secret notes?”
Hamish grimaced. “When I saw ye in the hall, it was clear that ye didnae trust me, lass. And I ken very well that ye still wonder if I wasnae involved in yer father’s death, me laird.” His eyes seemed to fill with sadness as he spoke.
Feeling her cheeks fill with color, Eleanor once again averted her gaze. He was not wrong. She had been suspicious of him from the moment that she had laid eyes on him. His gaze had been so intense that she had almost been frightened. But it now seemed as if he had been recalling Andrew the entire time. She felt slightly foolish for making a snap judgment about whether the man was telling the truth.
He continued. “I feared if I approached ye directly, ye would think I was merely another man tryin’ to interfere. Or worse, ye would think that I was somehow involved in his disappearance.”
“So ye decided to behave like a spy?” Callum asked dryly, still not swayed by the man’s words.
Hamish winced once again. “When ye put it that way, it sounds considerably more foolish, me Laird.”
“It was foolish,” Callum barked again.
“Aye, it was.” Hamish hung his head in shame. “But if I were not innocent, me Laird, would I have been waitin’ for ye here in the study? Would I have not denied everythin’ and made sure that I wasnae here when ye returned?”
Silence filled the room, then unexpectedly, Hamish looked toward Eleanor, his face filled with sorrow and regret, while his voice was sincere. “I am sorry, lass. When I heard Andrew was missin', I kept thinkin' about that conversation. The ruins seemed important to him.” He shook his head. “I truly believed there was a chance he might be there if he was hidin’.”
Eleanor studied him; she saw no deception inside of him, only regret. “He isnae there,” she said quietly.
“Nay?” The older man's expression softened. “I am sorry for raisin' yer hopes.”
The room fell silent once more.
Callum finally exhaled through his nose, and the tension in his shoulders eased slightly. “Next time ye discover a clue,” he said firmly, “ye bring it to me.”
Hamish nodded immediately. “Aye, me Laird.”
“And ye certainly do not send secret messages to guests in me castle,” his voice was sharp, yet it lacked the conviction that had been there before.
“Understood,” Hamish answered with military precision.
Callum stared at him another moment before finally turning away.
The confrontation is over.
Eleanor let out a deep breath that she had not realized she had been holding. It had all seemed so sinister to her, yet it had only been an old man who had wanted to help in the best way that he knew how.
As Eleanor moved toward the door, Hamish spoke again. “Lass?” She paused. “If Andrew is alive, he will ken ye never stopped lookin' for him.” The words struck her harder than she expected, and for a moment, she could not speak until she offered him a nod. “Thank ye.”
As she stepped into the corridor, she felt Callum fall into step beside her.
Neither spoke immediately until Callum glanced down at her. “Ye alright?”
The simple question warmed her far more than it should have. “Aye,” she said, unable to think of anything more eloquent than that.
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment. “Good.”
For the first time since leaving the ruins, Eleanor felt some of the weight lift from her chest. Andrew was still missing. The mystery remained unsolved, but she was no longer facing it alone.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
