“Thank you for bringing this to us, Father Caleb,” Donal said drily. “In your own particular way.”
“The least I could do,” Caleb said, bowing his head to his meal. The rest of the meal passed in relative quiet, with the men asking polite questions of Caleb about how things were in the village… but Helen could tell from the looks on their faces that they were worried about what he’d said about the group of fishermen who were out to stalk and possibly hurt the Monster. She was worried about it, too. From what she’d heard, it was a gentle creature that wasn’t interested in hurting anybody. And from a more practical perspective, what if it was already doing its best to keep them safe from whatever had been attacking the fishermen? What if they hurt it — or worse, killed it — and then it was unable to keep back the worst of the thing that was really attacking them?
Father Caleb made his goodbyes not long after, stiff and overly formal to the very end, and once he was gone from the hall, Helen could feel the men relax… and lean in to discuss in earnest what he’d said about the fishermen. Niall was furious — she could feel the tension in his body and felt briefly grateful that Eamon had toddled off to play with some of the other children who lived in the castle. He had a way of picking up on his father’s tension and acting up in response — they really are so alike, she thought with a mixture of amusement and dismay.
“Right. What are we going to do about this?” Malcolm wanted to know.
“I’m going down to the village to give Perry a piece of my mind, for a start,” Niall said in a low voice, the anger vivid on his face.
Helen cleared her throat. “Why don’t I go with you?”
He looked up at her, surprised. “Why?”
To stop you from making the problem worse, she thought irritably — and she caught a sympathetic flash of eyes from Anna, who clearly knew exactly what she was thinking. Feeling grateful for the support, she cleared her throat. “Two heads are better than one. And besides, I haven’t seen the village yet. I’d like to visit.”
“Perry’ll be less likely to pick a fight with a lady present,” Donal pointed out, looking at Niall. “And I’ve had far too much experience with these women from the future at this point to think that she’d be anything less than a significant asset to your mission down there.”
“Aye, that she would,” Niall said, almost cracking a smile as he looked at her.
She fought the urge to blush. Keep your mind on the mission, she told herself firmly. No sense getting distracted by some handsome man when there were such awful things going on…
“What would happen if these men did try to attack the Monster?” Malcolm asked, leaning forward.
Donal sighed heavily.
“Well, thankfully she’s a difficult creature to find if she doesn’t want to be found… and if they go with iron, which they probably will, she’ll steer well clear. But on the off-chance they do track her down and hurt her… well, I’ve seen her attack men before. They don’t tend to fare well.”
“And the last thing we need is a bunch of men killed by the Monster,” Niall said irritably. “Even if it is in self-defense… that’s not how the villagers are going to see it.”
“So — best case scenario, they don’t find her. Worst case scenario, they find her and hurt her. Or, they find her, and she hurts them.”
“And if they’re hunting her at night, as they probably would — even if they don’t find her, it’s possible that whatever is actually responsible for the disappearances might find them…”
An ominous silence fell. Niall was the one who broke it, a resolute look in his eyes. “So it’s clear that this is a damn fool idea on Perry MacCullen’s part. I’ll do my best to talk him out of it tomorrow. Even if it means laying him up for a few days,” he added under his breath.
Donal suppressed a laugh.
“No violence, alright? It wouldn’t look good for the Harbormaster from the Keep to be beating up civilians, alright?”
“I can’t make any promises,” Niall said darkly. But he dropped his shoulders when Donal fixed him with the kind of steely glare Helen’s father had always used to threaten her brothers into behaving themselves. “Alright, alright. I won’t harm the damn fool, alright? For all that he’s threatening all our lives,” he added irritably.
There was a tense atmosphere as they headed back down the steps, Eamon half asleep on Helen’s shoulder and Niall clearly lost in thought about his old friend and what he’d threatened to do to the Loch Ness Monster. As they headed across the docks back to Niall’s quarters, Helen hesitated, gazing out across the quiet waters of the Loch. Was she out there, the Monster? Did she know there were men who wanted to harm her? She wished she could warn her somehow — let her know to hide away from human beings, at least for a little while.
All they could do was hope that Perry MacCullen would see sense.
Chapter 21
The next day was blustery and overcast — but that didn’t sway Niall at all. Anna had agreed to look after Eamon for the day — he was fond of her little daughter Gwyneth, and the two children could play together. Eamon was excited about the playdate — and more excited about spending the whole day careening about in the castle. For all that he loved swimming and roaming about on the shore of the Loch, he seemed to love the idea of getting into mischief in the castle just as much. They dropped him off with Anna after breakfast.
“Now you behave yourself, alright?” Niall said firmly, bobbing down to Eamon’s level. The little boy nodded solemnly. “You’ve got to set a good example for Gwyneth, because she’s younger than you.”
“I’ll teach her everything I know,” Eamon said solemnly. “I’ll teach her swimming and climbing and fighting and —”
Anna laughed. “Sounds like you two have a busy day planned. Best of luck in the village today,” she added, looking at them both. “Keep an eye on him, Helen.”
“Will do.” Helen grinned, ignoring the wounded look Niall shot her. “I’m a little worried about the horse part, if I’m honest.”
“Oh, it’s easy. Just sit still and don’t fall off.” Anna grinned. “Safe travels.”
Then they were down in the courtyard, and Niall was leading two horses from the stables — one white, one brown, both giving Helen the kinds of beady-eyed looks that suggested they knew how unfamiliar she was with horses. Still, it sounded straightforward enough, and they wouldn’t be travelling any faster than a walk — and once Niall had helped her awkwardly climb onto the brown horse’s back and showed her how to hold the reins, she was feeling cautiously optimistic about the journey. They walked slowly toward the gates as she got her balance on the horse, and one of the guards lifted the gate for them, seeing them off with a cheery wave.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Niall asked as they headed across the land bridge. Neither of the horses was perturbed at all by the height, but Helen resisted the urge to look down, not wanting to see the waves lapping around the rocks down below.
“What secret?”
“I don’t like horses much either,” he confessed, grinning at her. “I’m much more comfortable on a boat than on a horse.”
“Why didn’t we sail to the village, then?”
“Because it’s a way inland. And I wanted to visit Maggie’s on the way back, too.”
Helen’s eyes widened. She’d been wanting to see the old woman since she’d gotten better from pneumonia. “Great! I should have brought her something… some thanks for healing me.”
“Oh, if she wants something she’ll tell you, don’t worry.” Niall chuckled. “Old Maggie’s very good about asking for what she wants. But she’d be pleased you were thinking of her.”
It was a very nice ride, despite the unpleasant weather. Helen was beginning to realize that the weather in Scotland was bad the vast majority of the time — people just got on with their lives regardless. There was something refreshing about that. Sunny days would come and go, sure — but people would be getting on with their lives regardless. She adm
ired that and resolved to add a bit of that kind of attitude to her own life.
They rode past a tiny little cottage with a thatched roof, deep in the trees — she peered at it curiously, but Niall kept riding on, promising that they’d return to visit Maggie later that afternoon. “She prefers people not to visit in the mornings,” he said once they’d passed the cottage. “I think it’s because she likes to sleep in.”
Helen giggled, thinking of the little old woman tucked up safely in bed. “That’s fair enough.”
They talked and laughed as they rode. It was nice to be out of the castle, looking at new things — and Helen was realizing that horseback riding wasn’t as difficult as it had been made out to be. The placid brown horse under her was taking very good care of her — his rollicking gait was comfortable, and she liked the warmth of him under her legs. Niall even taught her the basics of sitting to a faster gait — it was harder work, but she got the hang of it quickly.
“I’ll be an equestrian in a few weeks,” she said proudly as they settled back into a walk.
Niall grinned, clearly pleased with her progress.
But the positive vibes began to fade when they reached the village. Helen could tell straight away that something was wrong — could tell from the guarded looks they got from people as they rode through the streets. She was fascinated by all the tiny cottages and their thatched roofs, the cobblestone paths that wound through town, the busy people heading this way and that — but her attention was quickly drawn from those to the group of men who surrounded them, each of them holding a spear.
What was going on?
“We’ve been expecting you,” came a familiar voice, cold and cruel. Helen looked to the front of the group — sure enough, the short, dark-haired man she’d seen that day on the docks was standing there, his spear pointed straight at Niall’s horse. “Thought you might come down and try to throw your weight around.”
“Perry, we can talk about this,” Niall said, and she could hear him controlling his voice, keeping himself calm. It was almost working… it was her training that let her hear the anger, simmering underneath all that calm. “Don’t be a fool.”
“A fool, is it? A fool, to protect myself and my friends from the monster that you and your mates up at the castle keep as a pet? We see through you,” he sneered, real anger on his face. “We know what you’re up to, and we’re tired of letting the Sept run things around here. There’s a wild animal in that Loch that’s been doing harm, and we intend to put it out of its misery.”
“You can’t,” Niall said flatly, his eyes burning. “You’ll all be killed, for a start —”
“By the monster, or by its keepers?” Perry snarled. “We grew up together, Niall. I’d have thought you’d have more loyalty to your friends. But it’s clear you’re more interested in keeping your murderous pet safe.”
“For the last time, the monster didn’t harm anyone,” Niall said through gritted teeth. “If anything, it’s protecting us from whatever’s out there —”
“Oh, it’s protecting us!” An ugly chorus of boos went up amongst the group, and Perry shook his spear toward Niall’s horse, causing it to shuffle nervously backwards. “Funny how its protection looks an awful lot like murder. I don’t think my brothers felt very protected when they went missing.”
Niall went very still. “Your brothers?”
“Aye, they’re both among the missing. Not that you noticed,” Perry snarled. “Too busy with your cronies… with the witches up at the castle. I see you’re keeping company with one,” he added, giving Helen a cold glance. “Well, you’ve made your choice, Niall, and you’re not welcome in this village until that Monster’s dead. Do you hear me? We’re in charge now.”
Helen shivered, wishing very much that she had her service pistol at her side, for all that she hadn’t been carrying it for years. Something about a mob of angry men really made you wish for something that would level the playing field a little. “Niall? Maybe we should go.”
“Listen to me, all of you,” Niall said, glaring around at the group. “I know you feel strong all together like this. I know you’re frightened, I know you want something to lash out at. But the Monster isn’t responsible for this. She’s not violent — not unless she’s provoked. And if you go after her with spears and swords… she’s going to kill you.”
“Like she killed my brothers? Get out of here, Niall, before we take you and your woman and use you for bait,” Perry snarled.
Niall lingered for one long moment — and Helen cried out as she saw Perry take a step forward, jabbing up at him with his spear. Thankfully, his horse shied away at the crucial moment, and the spear hit nothing but air — still, Helen knew an intended blow when she saw one. Niall could see it, too — she saw the anger on his face, saw his hand move toward the sword at his belt.
“Niall! Let’s go,” she said sharply — and thankfully, he wheeled his horse around and followed her out of the village, the jeers and shouts of the men following them all the way out of town. Niall was riding in silence — she could almost hear him grinding his teeth with fury, and gingerly, she urged her horse to move a little faster to catch up to his. Both the horses seemed unsettled and nervous, shifting around as they walked, and that energy was clear in Niall, too.
“Sorry about all that,” he said finally, breaking a long silence.
She exhaled a little. “It’s alright. They were goading you. I understand getting angry.”
“They’re all going to get themselves killed,” he muttered, eyes fixed on the horizon. “They won’t see reason — I tried my best to explain… Nessie’s not a vindictive creature,” he explained, finally turning to Helen so she could see the frustration and worry on his face. “She’s a good creature — she eats fish, she keeps to herself, she occasionally rescues drowning women from the future…”
Helen couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I know. I know. You and Eamon have sung her praises plenty.”
“I don’t want her getting hurt.” Niall sighed. “And those idiots might just get lucky and stick a spear in her side. And what I want even less than that… is what happens once she decides that they’re not on our side. I’ve seen her eat men before,” he said bleakly. A shiver ran down Helen’s spine. “A while ago now… the witch hunters Malcom spoke of last night came sailing across the Loch to attack the castle. Nessie took great big bites out of their boats, picked them out of the water. She knew they were the enemy, so she took care of them. And if she decides that these men are our enemy… well, they’re not long for this world. And Perry might be an idiot and a braggart, but he doesn’t deserve a death like that. Nobody does.”
Helen sighed, her mind racing. What could they do about this? What possible way was there to convince the men not to go after Nessie? “The only way to stop this, as far as I can tell,” she said carefully after she’d given the matter some thought, “is to figure out what’s really causing the disappearances. Perry’s grieving his brothers — he’s scared, angry. He needs something to hate, something to be angry with. If we can give him the real culprit… well, he’ll channel his anger away from Nessie.”
“And probably do something else stupid and reckless,” Niall muttered.
“That’s up to him. At least an innocent creature won’t be hurt that way.”
“Okay. You’re right. We have to find this thing.” He took a deep breath, getting control. “But how?”
“I’m an investigator,” she said simply, spreading her hands. “I know a little something about crime scenes. This one’s pretty big,” she added, looking out over the Loch. “But we may as well start.”
He sighed. “You really think you can find something that will convince those men not to go hunting for Nessie?”
“I don’t know. But I can try.” She looked up at the sky. “And there’s a good few hours of daybreak left. Why not start now?”
Niall smiled at her for a moment. “I’m glad you’re here, Helen Washington.”
So
am I, she thought simply, for a moment unable to think about monsters, or vigilantes, or disappearances. So am I.
Chapter 22
They started their search on the bank of the river a few hundred yards down from old Maggie’s cottage. It was slow going at first — Niall wasn’t sure what they were looking for, and she had to shoo him out of the way, insisting he walk behind her while she scanned the sand and rocks for any sign of a disturbance.
“Blood would be useful,” she said, eyes narrowed as she examined the ground. “Footprints, unusual materials like fabric or flesh… really anything that looks like it shouldn’t be here.”
“I found a stick,” he offered. She suppressed a laugh.
“Does it look like it should be here?”
“It’s driftwood.”
“Probably not, then.” She heard him drop it, and chuckled. “Just — you bring up the rear, okay? I’ll check the beach, you double-check it. Just make sure you don’t get confused by my footprints,” she added, taking a careful step.
“I’m not stupid. Just big,” he added, taking a careful step. “And not accustomed to beachcombing.”
“Yeah, well, never too late to learn,” she murmured, glancing back up at the horses.
“You’re better at horse riding than I am at crime scene investigation,” he pointed out.
She laughed. “You sound like Eamon! Be patient.”
So they passed the afternoon, scrutinizing each inch of sand. Exactly how useful this activity was, she couldn’t be sure. There was a lot of shore to Loch Ness, and this was just one tiny stretch. But it felt good to be doing something, to be examining the ground, using those old skills, stretching the muscles… and she could tell it was good for Niall, too, to be doing something concrete in the service of solving the mystery, however unlikely it was that it would help. And it was nice to spend time with him, just the two of them. He was good company, good conversation… and the weather had even cleared up, gracing them with a little bit of sunlight.
Needed By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (Highlander Forever Book 5) Page 13
