Page 35 of Highland Dove

“But for how long can I keep it from him?” The man’s eyes darted back and forth.

“Ye willna need to do it much longer, I promise ye.”

“What do ye mean?”

“The less ye ken the better for now. I’ll be back. Now please, keep this a secret.”

She threw her cloak around Emmaline and snuck her back to her room. Once inside, she lit a candle. “Ye stay here and ye should be safe,” said Mari.

“But what if someone comes while ye’re gone?”

“They willna come in here. I just got over bein’ infected by hogweed and they are afraid.”

“Thank ye, Mari. Duncan would have been proud to ken ye helped me.”

“Duncan and Angus are alive,” she told her, watching the hope light up in the woman’s eyes.

“Please, tell me ye are no’ jestin’?”

“Of course no’. And I have so much more to tell ye, too. I’ll return with some food and ale, and we will talk. I’m goin’ to need yer help if we’re goin’ to assist Duncan in reclaimin’ MacLean Castle and takin’ the position of chieftain and laird.”

Chapter 12

Two days later Mari hurried from her room with a small piece of parchment clasped in her hand. Since seeing Angus in the dungeon had not been successful, she had to handle things on her own. There was one way she could think of to get a message to Duncan and she was kicking herself that she hadn’t thought of this sooner.

Turning the corner of the mews, she accidentally bumped right into Baldair. “Och, I’m sorry,” she said, trying not to make eye contact. She didn’t want him to figure out what she was up to.

“Where are ye goin’?” he asked.

“I’m goin’ . . . to the well,” she said, her eyes settling on the well outside the mews. “I’m thirsty.”

“Well, be sure to stay inside these walls,” he reminded her. “Eideard will have my head if ye disappear.”

As he headed away, Mari called out. “How is the medicine workin’? Is it healin’ Eideard at all?”

“Nay,” grumbled Baldair. “I dinna understand it, but he’s actually gotten worse. His body is an itchin’ mass of –” He shuddered at the thought, stopping in midsentence. “He’s in worse shape than before and canna even get out of bed he is so miserable.”

“So sorry to hear that.” Mari smiled inwardly. Success. “It might take a little time to work, but just keep puttin’ the oil on him. The more ye use, the faster it will heal him.”

“Aye,” he said with a nod and left with his head down.

Mari slipped into the mews to find Harris tending to the birds.

“Mari,” said the man, looking up. “Is everythin’ all right?”

“So far, so guid,” she told him, hurrying over and picking up Lancelot. “Lancelot, I need ye to deliver a message for me,” she said softly to the bird, tying the note onto its leg.

“What are ye doin’?” asked Harris.

“Lancelot is goin’ to take a message somewhere for me. These doves are like homin’ pigeons, ye ken.”

“I ken. Duncan trained them to fly one way, and only to yer clan. Is the message for yer faither?”

Mari walked over to the door with the bird in her hands, kissing it quickly. “Go, find him,” she whispered, hoping that Duncan would see the bird and know she sent it. There was no other way right now of getting a message to him.

“Nay, Harris. I was sendin’ a message to Duncan. Sit down and I’ll tell ye everythin’. Mayhap ye can get some of the others to help us in reclaimin’ the castle.”

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