Alex was going the opposite direction from Wabi, towards the path that led through an area known as Tate's Hell. It was probably more legend than truth, but the old folk told stories of men going into the woods there and never being seen again. Alex wasn't much on legends without proof, but he knew the area was especially wooded, and hunters talked of hearing howling at night, but never were able to find any animal that made that particular sound. More legend for sure, thought Alex. He also knew there was a loch somewhere deep inside the forest. He, himself, had never traveled through there before, but thought that might be the way Warwick would have come. It was actually the shortest route, but again, most folk that knew about it used one of the other paths.
When Warwick had left Alex's fire, just a couple of nights ago now, he was certainly drunk enough to have lost his way, and could have easily taken the wrong turn in the dark in his state. Yes, he most probably did get lost in Tate's Hell.
Alex made his way through some of the thickest brush and woods he had ever tried to go through. He swatted at flies, midges and some of the biggest ants he had ever seen had crawled up his legs.
"Jesus! I've seen ants before, but ye bunch are twice the size of any I've ever seen!" He brushed them off, but they left some stinging in their wake.
By late afternoon, Alex was pretty sure Warwick had not come this way after all. The Highlander was a fairly decent tracker and he had yet to find any tracks.
"Well, then, I'll go back and make another stop at the castle, just in case someone there has learned anything. Maybe Clint and Winston will have some news." Zeus shook his withers and snorted briefly.
Alex had just come along the bank of the loch which was, indeed, very deep inside the woods. He stopped, dismounted, and walked to the edge. He let Zeus have a drink and he bent down and washed his face in the cold water. His reflection showed him that he was in need of a haircut and shave. Well, they would just have to wait. He stood back up and pulled the horse away from the water, ready to ride again. But, as he pulled, Zeus shied away and let out a cry that Alex had never heard from the animal.
"Whoa boy. Whoa now! What's got ye so riled up?" Zeus was very even tempered and not a horse that spooked easily.
Alex stood very still and listened. He heard nothing for several minutes. Then, an eerie sound got his attention — a mournful howl coming from somewhere across the loch. The horse stomped and jerked back again, as if trying to get away from the sound.
"Hold on. Hold on, now." Alex tightened his hold on the reins and pulled the horse's head down so he could stroke his forehead.
"Easy boy. It's just a coyote, or wolf. Nothing to worry about. Easy now."
He took a short cut, he hoped, around the west side of the loch and came out close to the water on the other side. As he got to the edge of the loch, Zeus suddenly reared and before he could even think straight, Alex was surprised to find himself flying through the air and landing in some very cold water. He spouted out a string of expletives that Mam would have boxed his ears about had she been there.
"Damnation! What's go into ye?" he yelled at Zeus. Then, once again, the howling came riding on the wind. And now it was much closer.
Alex was about waist deep in the water and began to work his way back to the shore. But, something was holding him back — his feet wouldn't budge. He struggled another moment, then realized the more he tried to lift his feet, the farther down he was being pulled. He knew continuing to struggle would only make things worse. But, by heaven, how was he going to get out of here? And the water was freezing!
"What the hell?" He had pulled many sheep from a bog, and it was a slow, tedious, process. He also had lost a few to the bogs.
"Think, Alex! Think! That's what yer good at. What's yer strategy for this situation?"
But he found he couldn't think. Not about a solution to his problem anyway. For some reason, he found himself thinking about Caitlin. He still pictured her back in the cave, serving him tea and cakes. She was smiling and telling her "story," and she kept pushing that hair back up. And her voice was etched in his brain. All this brought a smile to his face and caused an ache in his heart. He could almost feel her. And her scent seemed to float across the water and surround him. He felt that her very spirit was here.
"Jesus, man! Now yer going to start hallucinating?" Shaking his head, he tried to focus again on his predicament.
"Well, she's not here with ye old boy. So, if ye want to see her again, then ye'd better get yerself out of this bog. Just relax. Try to get Zeus to come over. Get the reins. Get Zeus to back up. BE CALM!" His internal dialogue was working overtime, and so was his anxiety.
Zeus was still standing at the edge of the loch. Alex executed a short, quick whistle.
"Hey now, Zeus, come. Come boy."
Zeus snorted, but only moved a few feet closer, still out of reach for Alex to reach the reins. Meanwhile, Alex felt himself sinking deeper and deeper. Jesus! How had he gotten into this situation?
But, this Highlander didn't give up on much of anything that was important to him. As he lay there pondering his next move, Zeus suddenly walked into the loch and waited as if Alex were just there enjoying the water.
Alex reached out, took the reins and gave them a quick jerk. Zeus began to back away, slowly pulling Alex out of the boggy loch. And, for just an instant, the scent of lavender — Caitlin's scent — was even stronger.
"Good fellow. Good fellow." Alex finally extracted himself from the water and washed as much muck off as possible. But, removing the muck didn't remove the cold that had seeped into his bones.
"Whew! Well, old man. Guess we can add another chapter to the legend of Tate's Hell. But don't bet on anyone believing us!" For a second his mind wandered off again — had it been Caitlin that he felt back there in the bog? He mounted up and gave the horse a quick slap on his neck.
"Let's get out of here." And they quickly departed Tate's Hell, leaving it to someone else to create the next chapter of the legend.
CHAPTER 54
When Wabi left the castle on foot, it was at his own choosing. He could have taken any horse from the stables, and actually Jack had tried to get him to do just that.
"Wabi, here, use one of the horses. Ye'll make a lot more time on horseback than foot. No use walking when ye can ride."
"Ah, well, thanks, but I prefer going on foot. If I need to get anywhere quickly, then I'll manage to do so."
Jack had already seen enough unexplained occurrences that he knew better than to ask any more questions.
"Yessir. If that's what ye want."
Wabi had walked all day on the path that ran along the eastern side of the village, but like Alex, he had not seen any evidence that led him to believe Warwick had traveled this path either. In fact, Wabi didn't think anyone had been down this way for a long time. Grass was not matted from use, and nature had been undisturbed. He was actually glad to see that. So, having not found Warwick, he decided to head back to Skye. As he had told Alex, he felt Caitlin was in good hands with the MacKinnon brothers, so it was probably best that he went home. He knew that Owl would keep him informed about any events that may need his attention.
He sat down by the path and enjoyed one of the apples he had brought from the castle. The fruit trees at the castle orchard were still producing, but someone needed to prune them. Of course, now, Wabi wasn't sure anything was going to be taken care of at the estate.
He was looking forward to a dinner with Mrs. Favŕe and getting back to his own bed where he knew old Groucho, his favorite feline, would be resting at the foot. The old cat had traveled with him in many lives and would do so again. There was some comfort in knowing that old fellow was always with him.
CHAPTER 55
Jack made short order of getting Caitlin, Millie and the babe ready for travel. Millie had packed what food she could gather quickly, took a few clothes from her aunt's wardrobe and some blankets for the cart where Caitlin and the child would try to stay warm. The horses were we
ll rested and had been enjoying the warmth of the stables, as well as the very fine rations of oats and hay they'd been given.
Jack had traveled this path many times and knew every turn and twist it took to get back to the sheep farm. Going on horseback, with Alex, it was not a difficult trip. But with two women and a child, it could be trying and dangerous.
He was glad to have the wolf with them. He had watched in awe when Willie had come flying across the stable, leaping from the floor and, with canines flashing, latched his humongous jaws onto Campbell's neck. Of course, the soldier was already dead, but just seeing that magnificent animal in action had reinforced Jack's respect for him. It was easy to see why Caitlin kept him at her side.
Millie's husband could be on their heels any moment now, and Jack wanted to put some distance between them and this man. How had Millie ever gotten herself involved with such a man? There was much he didn't know about this woman, certainly. But, what he did know was to his liking and his instincts told him she was worth protecting. But, he had just learned that Millie wasn't just "Millie," she was Lady Millie!
"Jesus, man! Do ye know what yer doing?" he muttered to Goliath as they hurriedly moved along. And he thought Alex had a difficult undertaking! Whatever might occur, however, it was not lost on him that when Millie looked at him her face softened and she obviously found something that pleased her also. And the feel of that small babe snuggling close to him was not forgotten, either.
At the moment, however, his mind needed to focus on getting higher up the country and getting to the sheep farm as quickly as possible. He knew they would have to stop when night came, and try to keep warm the best they could. If they could make the edge of MacKinnon land, they would stay in the crofter's hut on the edge of their property. He and Alex sometimes used it when they went down to market and were too tired to complete the journey home. There were several huts, and they were pretty basic. But the hut would shelter them, and they could have a fire there. Traveling in the dark with your brother was dangerous also, but he would never attempt it with the ladies and child. He smiled to himself. Whatever would Da say when he showed up with two women and a baby in tow?
* * *
Caitlin had never felt so helpless. For someone who prided herself on taking care of others, here she was lying flat in a pony cart depending on someone else to get her to a place of safety. She had been independent all her life, thanks to Uncle Wabi's help and upbringing. She had fought off the mad soldier, with Willie's help, of course, and found her own dwellings, and provided for herself fairly well. But, she had to admit she needed Alex, Jack, and Millie. And she would really like to see Alex. Where was he? Had he found Warwick? Something inside her refused to believe that anything had happened to him. She just believed she would feel it. She would know somehow.
At the moment, she hoped that Alex came across Warwick quickly and was able to stop the fool from causing more disasters. But, what if Warwick killed or hurt Alex? She was unwilling to entertain that thought.
CHAPTER 56
Lord Edward Warwick tried to raise up from the hard ground on which he found himself.
"Oh good God! Where am I? What day is this?" he muttered as he tried once more to sit upright. His head seemed to be heavier than his entire body and the throbbing inside increased with every heartbeat. As soon as he was able to rouse himself enough to get on all fours, he immediately regretted it, for severe nausea set upon him at once. Retching with every movement of his body, he concluded that if he would just stay perfectly still, then he might survive, but had some doubts about it. So, he lay back again on the cold ground.
Venturing to slowly look about, he was relieved to see his horse was tied over in the trees near where he was lying. He didn't remember much about the previous evening, but apparently there was some alcohol involved. Even he recognized this was becoming a destructive habit of late, but he could change that whenever he wished. So he thought.
Finally, the nausea seemed to have spent itself and he attempted to sit up and order his thoughts. Yes. He had been traveling last night. And it was extremely cold with a snowstorm blowing like all blazes. He remembered seeing a fire somewhere in the distance and had ridden toward it, hoping to find some shelter and warmth.
"I was driving a coach — my coach! Why was I driving? Where was my coachman?"
He couldn't remember everything about that particular part of the evening. He knew he had met someone, a man, who refused to drink with him, stupid man. But, he had warmed himself and then continued. And he remembered paying someone for a horse. Why? Where was he headed? Where was his coach?
Thinking for another minute, he took a deep breath, trying to fight off another wave of nausea that was threatening to wash over him. But it passed.
"Ah, yes, I'm headed to the Black Isle, where Millicent would have gone. She's got no other place to go, but surely, she would have guessed I would follow her up here. I don't care about bringing her back with me, but my son will go back to Warwick Castle where he belongs!"
Of course, he reasoned, Millie did not know he'd taken care of the Scotland estate business. However, by now she would have discovered both her grandmother and aunt had been murdered.
"I'd do away with you too, you miserable woman, if I could get away with it!" he said as another nauseous wave hit him. But, Sinclair would never stand for him getting rid of Millie, so he would just make sure she was cooped up in some keep far away from him and his son.
Warwick was also aware that Millie was no fool. She would eventually suspect he had arranged for these murders, but she wouldn't be able to prove it or do anything about it, so he wasn't greatly concerned.
Realizing he couldn't recall some events of the previous evening, he decided to stop thinking about that. He would go into the village and get a feel for what was being said about the Cameron women, then would work his way to the estate and Millie. Some food would be in order, and he needed to find another source to refill his flask. It was totally empty at the moment. Groaning with the effort, he got on his horse. This horse was certainly not what he was accustomed to. Why had he bought him? Again, he just let it go and began the last leg of his journey.
Warwick rode through the village to the east end, where the tide brought in the loose seaweed and any number of dead crustaceans, filling the air with a pungent, salty scent. Not everyone appreciated this smell, but Warwick had grown up on the coast and found it nostalgic.
Stopping at the livery, just a block from the inn, the Mermaid's Harbor, he dismounted and saw the stable boy come running over. Warwick was quite certain it wasn't every day the livery had a visitor such as he, dressed in fine clothing and the best boots. Of course, the stable lad would be hoping for a coin or two, thought Warwick. And at times he had been known to be generous, so he would be sure to give the boy his due.
As Warwick opened the door to the inn, a young lass took his greatcoat and hung it on a peg by the door. She led him to a table close to the fireplace. This was the best thing she could have done as he felt his very bones had frozen, sleeping on the ground with his coat over him. Of course, the snow had pretty much stopped when he got off his horse last evening, but still a small sprinkling of it covered him when he awoke this morning.
"I'll take some coffee if you please, lass."
The girl curtsied, not knowing what else to do, and replied to the gentleman.
"Of course, sir. We have the finest cook in the village working here. And Miss Ethel's coffee is the best, if I say so meself."
"Ah, sounds as if this establishment must have a fine cook, then." Warwick was trying to make conversation with this young girl, knowing she might be a good source of information.
"Aye, sir. Miss Ethel was the cook at the Cameron estate 'til just recently. After her husband passed some two years ago, she had to take care of herself. But after that business at the estate, she come here to the Inn, and the innkeeper is ever so glad to have her. Why, our business is much better now that she's here."
'Oh, to be sure, sir," answered the girl.
"Then, I'll take some poached eggs, sausages, some grilled tomatoes, bread with butter, and some beans on toast, along with the coffee." Lord Warwick was accustomed to having the best of everything, so expected the same from this establishment. The skinny little lass flexed her knees and fled to the kitchen. She placed the order with Ethel and took a large mug of coffee out to the "gentleman." She, too, hoped for a little extra coin coming her way.
As she was pouring his second cup of coffee, the "gentleman" began asking her questions about the village, her family name, how long had she lived here, and any local gossip she may have heard.
The lass answered as best she could and, without thinking, she all but blurted out what had occurred at the Cameron estate.
"An awful happening, sir, just an awful thing!"
"What awful happening would that be, lass?"
"Oh, sir, I probably shouldn't be talking. Miss Ethel will skin me hide!"
"Oh, now, surely, it's not as bad as that."
"Oh, aye, sir, it 'tis!"
Dropping her voice to a lower tone, so as not to be heard by everyone she continued.
"The mistresses, both of them, was found dead in they beds!"
"What? You mean someone killed them?" asked Warwick, as if he couldn't believe such a thing was possible.
"Aye, both of them, sir. And no one knows who did it! We all be right scared, too!"
He shook his head as if gravely concerned.
"Certainly, you would be. Such a tragedy for the family I am sure. Are there other family members still living there then?"
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