Page 51 of Tempting the Highland Captive

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Lucas watched as Ron rode away from the castle and all that he loved. Lucas did not believe that the man he had come to consider to be a friend, could have truly hidden himself so well as to be a spy. He knew that Ron had loved Amelia with all his heart. He could not believe that it had all been a conspiracy. Deciding, he called for his horse and followed Ron at a safe distance just out of sight. If Ron returned to Rossell lands, then Lucas would know that he was not the man he had thought him to be, but if he went elsewhere, Lucas would be able to report as much to Amelia.

They rode for some time through McAlpine lands. From what Lucas could surmise it appeared that Ron was headed toward Cameron lands. Is he returning tae his maither’s people? I did nae believe that he had any further connections there. The Cameron laird had been at the meeting but had not acted as though he recognized Ron or his name. Lucas decided to continue following him to make certain that Ron did not change course. The lad rode with dropped shoulders as if hunched over in pain and despair. Lucas could not blame him for that. He himself was having a hard time keeping his own emotions in check.

When Ron crossed over into Cameron lands, Lucas paused still on McAlpine lands weighing the risk of following him further versus the Lady Amelia’s need to have her best warriors around her. Just as he was about to turn back, a group of men sprang out of the trees as if they had materialized from the very air itself. Before Ron had time to defend himself, he had a sword to his throat. “Cameron Kyall Rossell, ye have been summoned before yer faither, the Laird Rossell.”

“And if I refuse?” Ron asked, clearly already knowing the answer form his tone.

“Then I have orders tae slit yer throat,” the Rossell warrior sneered. “And glad I would be tae do it.” It was clear that the man did not like Ron.

Ron sat there and thought about it for a moment, clearly weighing whether death was preferable to the pain he now suffered. Lucas was not about to let them kill the lad no matter what unfortunate events had separated him from McAlpine protection. He contemplated whether he could take on all the men there with Ron’s help, but before he could act, the leader of the group reached out and hit Ron over the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him unconscious. The man pulled Ron over the front of his saddle and turning his horse, raced through the forest toward Rossell lands.

Lucas, in turn, wasted no time in following them to ascertain where they were taking Ron’s unconscious form. Once the brigands crossed over into Rossell lands, it became much harder to follow them. Rossell warriors were patrolling their lands thicker than Lucas had ever seen them. Unable to get through to the Rossell stronghold where he assumed they would take Ron; Lucas wheeled his horse about and raced toward the castle to inform the Lady Amelia of her husband’s abduction. What he had just witnessed was more than proof enough for her to understand that Ron had not been working for his father to undermine the clan. They were going to need the help of the visiting lairds to save him. If they kill the lad afore we can free him from their grasp, I will kill the bastard Rossell with my own bare hands!

* * *

Amelia sat in her bedchamber staring blindly into the flames. She had cried until her eyes had run dry and there were no more tears to be shed. She had barred her door, not allowing anyone to gain entrance. She knew that she had left her guests in the care of Father Jacob and the elders, the latter being just as confused if not more so than she was, but she could not bring herself to care. She had been betrayed in far more heinous a fashion than she could have ever imagined. She could not bring herself to be hospitable no matter how desperately she needed the lairds’ help to keep her people safe. She had surrendered everything to her people. They could wait a few more moments to allow her to mourn in private.

She had been an idiot to trust a man. Her own father had taught her that no man, including family, could be fully trusted. She had thought that Ron was one of the exceptions, like Lucas and Father Jacob, but the priest himself had proved to be less than trustworthy in the matter. Father Jacob had attempted to speak with her about it, but she had refused banning him from the upper levels of the castle. I should have killed Ron and his faither where they stood and been done with it. Even as she thought it, she knew that she could never do such a thing. She loved Ron, even now, and could never have harmed him. I have acted the fool. She was angry, bitter, and heartbroken beyond anything that she had ever felt before.

A ruckus in the corridor, the sound of boots pounding heavily on the stone floor, of Lucas’ voice shouting out orders, brought her out of her dazed state. Rising from the chair by the fire, she walked over to the bedchamber door and unbarred it. A heavy fist pounded on the bedchamber door, and she opened it to find Lucas wild eyed, face flushed, standing in the corridor. “My Lady, Ron Kyall has been taken prisoner by the Clan Rossell!”

Amelia snorted in disbelief. “Another o’ their subterfuges nae doubt.” She shook her head and went to close the door once more.

Lucas stuck his foot in the door to keep it from closing. “My Lady, this is nae subterfuge. They hit him.”

“Why should I care what the Clan Rossell do with their own people?” she asked bitterly, her usual generous spirit drowned out by her anger and sorrow.

“My Lady, they plan tae kill him!” Lucas’ voice left no room for doubt.

Amelia looked up and met his eyes for the first time and saw the undeniable fear and concern that haunted him. She had expected Lucas to respond to Ron’s duplicity with violence, but he had not. That made her stop and think. If Ron were truly guilty of espionage and subterfuge, Lucas would have been the first among them to remove Ron’s head from his shoulders. “Ye followed him?”

“I did.”

“Tae spy upon him?”

“Tae prove tae myself that he did nae intentionally aid his faither in hurting ye.”

“He did nae travel tae Rossell lands o’ his own accord?”

“Nae, he had just crossed over in tae Cameron lands.”

“His maither’s people?”

“Aye, and that is where he was taken by force. It was a large band o’ warriors who took him. They were anticipating a fight. He was nae conscious when last I saw him.”

“Ye ken for certain that they plan tae kill him?”

“I heard the threat spoken with convincing force, my lady.” He must have seen Amelia warring with her pain and doubt for he reached out and took her by the shoulders. “He is innocent o’ all, but his attempts tae protect ye, My Lady. His love for ye and our people is true. I saw it in his eyes.”

“As did I,” Father Jacob spoke from behind him. He had violated her order to remain below stairs. “I heard his confession, My Lady. He has had nae part in his faither’s ill dealings. It was I who advised him tae keep his own counsel so as nae tae cause ye any further worry before the meeting o’ the lairds. He was going tae tell ye the truth as soon as the meeting was over.”

Amelia’s head and heart were torn. She did not know who or what to believe, but there was one thing that she knew for certain. She did not wish for Ron to die. She was angry with him, livid, but she could not imagine a world wherein his heart no longer beat. “How do ye plan tae liberate him? Rossell is nae a fool. He will plan for yer attack.”

“Aye, his men were guarding our border with them,” Lucas agreed. He proceeded to inform Amelia of everything that he had seen and heard from beginning to end.

“I cannae believe that I am saying this, but I wish that Ron were here tae plan the strategy,” Amelia murmured disgusted by the entire ordeal.