Page 16 of The Return of the Heir

Gwendolyn?Alastair inhaled sharply, his muscles stiffening warily as his gaze flew to the young woman’s face. “Gwendolyn is alive?”

“Aye.”

The news brought the same bittersweet sensation to his chest as it had when he’d first seen Gwendolyn, barefoot, her clothes torn, and her hair in disarray, amongst the ruins of her village. In the days following her disappearance on their wedding day, he’d been desperate to find any evidence to suggest she might still be alive. He’d searched the shores of the loch for hours, he’d prayed to a god who rarely listened to his pleas, he’d fought his own brothers when they’d begged him to acknowledge the truth—that she was dead. “Where is Gwendolyn?”

“The man who captured us took her. He’s forcing her to haunt the castle just like the Grey Lady.”

Alastair stepped closer. “The Grey Lady is dead. You said Gwendolyn was not.”

The girl flinched against the wall. “Don’t hurt us.”

Alastair mentally cursed and forced himself to step back. The things these three must have endured over the years. . . “I promise never to hurt you.” In a calmer voice, he asked, “Do you know who locked you in here?” He crouched to his knees, looking into her eyes. He had to gain her trust.

“Garrick MacDonald.”

“Nay,” Rowena gasped from behind him. “It can’t be true. Not Marcus’s clan.”

“He told us his name on more than one occasion. ’Tis Garrick MacDonald. I promise you.” The girl studied Alastair’s face. The fear in her eyes faded, and she offered him a faint smile. “I remember you now. Gwennie told us stories about you over the years, about the day you two were supposed to marry. The day Garrick kidnapped all of us. She called you her grá geal.”

Her bright love?“Why would Gwendolyn consent to playing the part of a ghost?”

“Garrick threatened to kill me if Gwennie didn’t do as he asked.”

Alastair tensed. “Where is Garrick now?”

“When he heard someone coming, he fled,” the boy said.

The villain who almost crushed his sister with the armoire belowstairs.

“Alastair, if what they say is true, it’s more important than ever to get them out of here before he returns.” A tremor sounded in Rowena’s voice.

Alastair turned to his sister. She must be devastated by the news. “I’m sorry, Rowena—”

Her features were tight as she shook her head. “My feelings on the matter are unimportant at the moment. Let’s get them out of here. We can work through the rest later.”

She moved to the girl’s side. “If you are Gwendolyn’s sister, then you must be Arabella.”

Arabella offered Rowena a weak smile. “That’s right.”

Rowena turned to the boy. “And you must be Samuel.”

“Aye,” he said, straightening. “We want to leave, but what about our sister?”

“I’ll send my men to search for her, and I’ll have several come to the tower to await Garrick’s return.” Alastair held a growing ferocity in check. There would be time later to vent his anger over what the MacDonalds had done and continued to do to his family and their allied clans. In that moment, Alastair was suddenly grateful to have been named clan chief. His father’s brutality had not stopped the feud between the MacLeods and the MacDonalds. He’d hoped diplomacy would be the answer, but perhaps it was time to take a subtle and more clandestine approach to ending the conflict once and for all. With the help of his own brothers, the four of them might finally succeed in bringing peace to the Isle of Skye.

“As long as you include me in your search, then Arabella and I agree. Set us free.” The boy stepped towards them, causing his chain to rattle against the floorboards in an eerie echoing noise.

Rowena drew a tight breath. “That’s the sound we’ve heard coming from the tower for years. Everyone was always so afraid of that eerie rattling. We always assumed it was our mother showing her anger over being trapped in the tower.”

“The Grey Lady was never trapped in the tower,” Samuel said. “I think she stayed to protect us from Garrick.” He stretched out his leg. “Release me first so Arabella can see there is nothing to fear.”

Alastair lifted the axe and swung it hard, severing the iron shackle from the chain.

Samuel stumbled to his sister’s side and took her hand. “There is nothing to fear. Be brave and let’s go find Gwennie.”

At Arabella’s nod, Alastair repeated the process. Once the prisoners had been set free, they stumbled towards the doorway. Samuel was able to walk with a slight limp on the leg that still held the heavy iron band. Arabella, however, stumbled and fell. She was so frail and weak.

Alastair knelt at her side. “Would you let me carry you down the stairs?”