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Evan noted the horses outside. He entered the inn, pushing the door open easily. The tables were filled with people who were drinking and murmuring quietly. Evan wondered if one of them might be Ro, but he couldn’t see Amelie. On the other side of the room was a staircase that led to a higher level. The atmosphere was not raucous, but that was to be expected considering it was still daytime. Frankly, Evan was a little surprised to see as many people in the inn as there were, but he supposed that they likely didn’t have anything better to do with their time. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, and it seemed to seep into every part of the bar.

The innkeeper was a burly man with a scowl. He frowned as Evan and Stephen walked up to him.

“What can I get for ye?” he asked.

“Actually I’m hoping tae find someone. I heard there’s a merchant here, name of Ro. He hae some goods that I’m interested in acquiring. Dae ye know where he is? I’m hoping I managed tae catch him before he moves on.” Evan said. The innkeeper regarded him with a suspicious eye.

“I’m afraid I dinnae know anyone of that name,” he said.

“Oh, really? Perhaps ye would recognize him. He may hae a companion with him, a lass with blonde hair, a quiet girl,” Evan said. There were many other effusive ways he could have described Amelie, but he didn’t think they would lead him to the truth. He got a feeling that the innkeeper was hiding something, but he couldn’t be sure what it was.

“Cannae recall her either. Perhaps ye hae the wrong village. Still, can I interest ye in some ale?” the innkeeper asked.

“Aye, that ye can,” Evan said. He placed a couple of coins onto the bar. The innkeeper swiped them up and then served them a couple of mugs of bitter ale. Evan carried them to a table in the corner and took a seat that gave him a view of the entire inn.

“I dinnae understand, why are we staying here if they are nae here?” Stephen asked.

Evan made a motion with his hand for Stephen to keep quiet. “I dinnae know what, but that man is hiding something.” He sipped the ale and arched his eyebrows. The taste was far from pleasant. “And I hae a feeling it hae tae dae with the merchant. There’s something nae right gaeing on here. Listen, gae check on the horses quickly and then come back. Make sure they’re well-fed. We could be staying here for a while,” Evan said. Stephen nodded and rushed outside, almost crashing into a table as he did so. Evan remained hunched forward, pretending to stare into his ale. Really, he lifted his gaze and looked up towards the bar. He glanced at everyone in the bar, checking to see if they were suspicious. They all seemed to be keeping to themselves, not seeking to cause any trouble. He wondered what their reaction would be if they knew that he was the Captain of the Guard. Inns like this tended to attract people of ill repute, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if he learned he was sitting among a den of criminals.

His gaze lingered on the innkeeper, who currently had his back turned to the bar. There was no other inn in the area. Evan couldn’t believe that this merchant wouldn’t have come here, even if just briefly. Merchants liked to make themselves known as well. He wouldn’t have been the shy, retiring sort. But if he had been there, then why was the innkeeper being so mysterious? Evan didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but his instincts told him that something was amiss. Amelie had come here and she was nowhere to be found, and this concerned him.

Stephen returned shortly. “The horses are fine,” he said. “How can ye be sae sure that the man is lying tae us?”

“It was in his eyes. As soon as I mentioned the merchant and Amelie he looked away briefly. Ye hae tae watch people carefully, for they can give away a lot with the way they act. Look at him now as well. He’s been keeping busy ever since we hae sat down, as though he’s trying tae convince us that it’s business as usual.”

He then watched as the innkeeper took a bottle into a room next to the bar. The room was dark and cast in shadow. Evan furrowed his brow. He had assumed the room was a storeroom of sort, but why would he take a single bottle into a storeroom? The only explanation was that somebody was back there, but who? The innkeeper took a while to return, and when he did he had a shifty look on his face. He ran his hand through his hair and then started polishing the bar vigorously. Evan watched him intently. There was certainly something suspicious about this place, and he wasn’t going to leave until he discovered what it was.

“Stay here. I’m gaeing tae hae a look around,” he said, rising from the table. He was gone before Stephen had a chance to stop him.

Evan walked outside and pretended to focus on the horses. Through the window, he had a direct line of sight to the innkeeper, who was looking directly at him. Evan patted his horse and then moved around the building, looking up at the high walls. When he stepped back he could see through some of them, although he could only look at the ceiling in the rooms behind the windows. Other rooms had their curtains drawn, making it impossible to see through.

He walked slowly around the perimeter until he reached the other side of the building, where the storeroom and bar were located. There was a small window at the rear of the storeroom, which was open. He crouched low and pressed his back to the wall, not wishing to be discovered. He kept his breath shallow and his brow was knotted. There were low voices in the storeroom, mixed with laughter.

“I cannae believe ye won again,” one voice said.

“The gods must be with me taeday,” the second voice replied.

“Aye, well I hae a feeling they’re with all of us. I cannae believe that lass walked here all by herself. It makes me think I’ve been daeing something wrong all these years; why hae I been trying tae steal things when I could hae just waited for them tae fall intae my lap?” both men laughed at this.

“Well, she’s hardly the smartest lass there hae even been. Poor thing; being in that nunnery hae probably left her dim-witted. What can she learn about life in a place like that?”

“I bet she’ll learn quickly enough,” there was a sinister tone coating the man’s voice. It made Evan’s stomach twist into a tight knot, and he glowered. “I wonder if the French know any different tricks from Highland girls.”

“I would nae worry about that, I doubt he’s gaeing tae let ye try,” the other man scoffed.

“Oh, I dinnae know about that, I hardly think Munro cares about her. Once he’s gotten all he can from her I’m sure that he’ll share her. We can all hae a gae at conquering France,” they laughed again, cackling like demons. Evan’s face paled. There was no doubt at all that the girl they referred to was Amelie, an angel whose wings they sought to rip away, whose halo they wanted to shatter, and whose innocence they wanted to scatter into the wind like dark ashes.

And it was all because of Munro.

The mention of the name made Evan shudder. His hands clenched into fists and he gritted his teeth. For a long time, he had been searching for that man, the prodigal heir to tyranny. There had been no mention of him. Evan had assured Pascal that there was nothing to fear from Munro any longer, but he had been wrong. Clearly, he should have searched harder. He should have been more diligent. He should have known that Munro wouldn’t have just disappeared. If so, then Amelie would never have been captured. It was all Evan’s fault, and if a hair was harmed on Amelie’s head…the fury of a thousand incandescent suns burned inside him and he was tempted to get some fire and set this inn alight, but for now he remained prudent.

“I’m just glad she showed up. I was beginning tae think that this plan was never gaeing tae bear fruit.”

“I know ye were, and ye should hae kept yer tongue quiet. I would nae gae angering Munro. He’s just like his Da. He’s a man ye want tae be on the right side of, because if ye end up opposing him…” the man trailed away, but Evan could imagine the look on his face.

“We all want the same thing, foreigners driven out of the Highlands. When he’s back in his rightful place we’ll hae all the wealth we could ever need.”