Page 85 of Claimed Highland Brides

“I am looking for directions if I may?” Delwyn continued unperturbed. “Would you happen to be heading towards the goldmines?”

“What’s it t’ye?” the man spit onto the ground, not far from Delwyn’s feet.

Calmly Delwyn continued “Well, I was hoping to catch a lift.”

The man’s frown deepened.

Delwyn hastened to stick his hand in his purse and emerge with a coin. “I can pay you.”

The man’s face brightened. “Fine, ye can sit in th’ wagon.”

Delwyn beamed. “Thank you.” He handed over the coin and settled himself on the wagon, as the man urged the donkey to resume its slow plodding up the hill. Delwyn breathed a sigh of relief and pushed away the thought of how he would get back for later. At the moment, he had what he needed. A ride to the mines and perhaps means to find his sister.

Once they got closer to the mines, Delwyn looked up at the hills in surprise. This gold mine was not what he was expecting. The hill was cut up in large gullies and channels. As he looked up further he could see a dam at the top of the hill. Several men were busy all over the hillside and at the river flowing along at its bottom. Those at the bottom had pans in their hands or were standing over large makeshift wooden tables digging through boxes of soil and fine rock.

Delwyn’s sharp eyes looked back up the hill. He noticed the remains of several old gullies that had been formed from water released from the above dam that had poured down the hill laying bare the rocks and soil underneath.

He walked towards the hill and was immediately stopped by one of the men.

“Och, ye cannae be jes walking aroun the mine! Tis nae safe, ye fool!” The man who had spoken stepped forward and held his hand out to stop Delwyn.

Delwyn stopped in front of the man and offered him an interested smile. He could not help but to stare at the man. He was covered from head to foot in dirt. There was no color to his hair, his skin, nor his clothing. Only his bright blue eyes had any color and right now they looked alarmed.

“Forgive me,” Delwyn said with a nod of his head. “I am most interested in this-”

“Och, I am sure ye are and I ken that ye are a Sassenach just from the look of ye. Even before ye opened yer fool mouth.” The man scowled at him. “Take yerself away from here. Ye’ll nae be getting any part o our gold!”

Delwyn frowned and decided to try another tactic. “I am not interested in your gold, sir. I am looking for my sister.” He swallowed, hoping the truth would give him the answer he needed as to his sisters’ where-abouts. “She was brought here, by a man. She is English like myself. Have you seen her, perchance?”

The dirt covered man stared at him aghast. “Do ye see any women folk here, ye glaikit mon?”

“Perhaps your village?” Delwyn asked hopefully.

The man laughed and wiped at the dirt on his nose with an even filthier finger, smudging the dirt across his already dirt stained cheek. “I think I would know if there was a Sassenach woman in the village!” The man coughed and spit out a mouthful of dirt near his feet. “Ye cannae git to the village anyhoo.”

“Why not?” Delwyn asked, trying to hide his frustration.

A shout from above them on the hill caught both of their attention.

The men working the hill channels as well as at the base near the river began scrambling like ants, running everywhere.

“That is why,” the man said loudly as chaos increased around them.

“What is going on?” Delwyn shouted as he turned back to see the man frantically gathering his tools. Delwyn grabbed the man’s arm before he too ran like all the other men.

The man angrily shook Delwyns’ hand off of his arm.

“Git yerself oot of the way, Sassenach!” He pointed to the top of the hill. “They are releasing the dam to cut a new channel! Ye musnae be in the way or ye will be caught in the water and mud tearing down the hillside and ye’ll surely die!” The man started to run but looked back over his shoulder at Delwyn. “No one will care to dig out a foolish Sassenach!” he hollered as he ran away.

Delwyn had no choice but to quickly get as far away from there as possible.

He also realised that without any answer as to where his sister was, he knew what he must do.

He must pursue a betrothal to Jamesina.

He smiled grimly as he ran his hand through his black hair. He would not admit to himself how he felt about this.

* * *