Page 55 of A Scot to Wed

Katie watched the two men as they spoke back and forth, feeling as though they should be out looking for her brother, not discussing things.

“Easy, lass.” Evan rubbed circles on her back, most likely feeling the tension in her body. “We’ll find him.” He turned back to Alasdair. “Has the entire castle been searched?”

“Aye.”

“Then ’tis time to search the grounds. Send out a group to scour the area. Look for prints, any sign that a struggle took place.” This was Laird MacNeil in action. He gave orders and directions like a warrior chief on a battlefield.

“Oh God,” Katie moaned. “Ye do think Richard has him, dinnae ye?”

“It doesnae matter what I think. We need to make a thorough search.” He took her cold hands in his warm ones and kissed her knuckles. “We’ll find him.”

“What can I do?” She pulled back and glared. “And dinnae be telling me to sit quietly and wait, because I have every intention of joining in the search.”

“Aye. I agree.”

“Ye do?”

“Aye.” He reached out and ran his finger down her cheek. “Once we have yer brother back and safe, we will speak of things that need to be said.”

…

Evan didn’t want to frighten his wife any further, but his biggest fear was Lord Armstrong had grabbed the lad and was now headed back to Stirling. Once he got Katie busy organizing the women to do another sweep of the castle, Evan headed to the stable.

Mr. MacDuff greeted him as he entered. “What’s happening up at the castle? I see people scurrying about, and ye look verra worried yerself.”

Evan headed for his horse. Perhaps Gavin had decided to take a walk to the village, which wasn’t likely, since he kenned he was supposed to stay with Alasdair. Hopefully, the lad was holed up somewhere in the castle practicing with his dirk, hoping to surprise his sister with his growing skill. “Aye. Gavin cannot be found.”

“The wee brother of yer wife?”

“Just so. They’ve searched the castle and all the grounds, but he’s nowhere to be found.” Evan reached for his saddle and slung it over his horse.

MacDuff shrugged and wiped his hands on a cloth. “Well, ye won’t find him searching the castle, since the lad took his favorite horse for a ride not twenty minutes ago.”

Evan stopped in the middle of tightening the horse’s saddle straps. “Did ye see anyone else lurking about as he left? Someone who ye dinnae ken? Never seen before?”

“Nay. The lad was excited about riding by himself. I asked him if he had permission, and he said aye.”

The lad said he had permission? Evan ground his teeth and anticipated the paddling the lad would get. “Thank ye.” He hurried back to the castle, shouting over his shoulder. “Finish tacking my horse, and tack my wife’s also.” There was a good possibility that Gavin had decided not to wait until the morn to ride by himself. The lad could be merely enjoying a ride while the entire castle was in a panic.

Although the lad would end up with a paddling, Evan hoped he’d just gone riding, rather than the horrible thought that Armstrong had the lad and was headed as far away as he could get.

“Katie,” he shouted, barely making it past the doorway to the castle. “Where are ye?”

Katie leaned over the bannister at the top of the stairs. “What is it? Have ye found Gavin?”

“Nay. Come down and meet me at the stables.” He turned and left as quickly as he’d come. By the time he reached the stable, MacDuff had the two horses tacked and ready to go. Evan led them outside just as Katie was running toward him.

Evan lifted her and tossed her onto her horse. “MacDuff says Gavin took his horse out about twenty minutes ago.”

“By himself?”

“Aye.” He flung his leg over the horse and kicked the animal’s sides. “With any luck he’s merely taking a nice ride for himself and is in no trouble at all.”

“Ach. If he’s just taking a ride, he is in trouble, I can assure you,” Katie shouted over the thundering of the horses’ hooves and the whistle of the wind as they headed toward the village.

Once there, they took a quick look around but didn’t see either Gavin or his horse. They hadn’t seen any sign of him on their way to the village either.

Katie’s shoulders slumped, dejection written on her face. “I kenned it was too easy.”