Thankfully, he wasn’t as smart as he thought he was. He rode his horse into her old yard, dismounted first, before pulling her down. He grabbed a rope from the back of his saddle and headed into her cottage.
Had she been the one doing the kidnapping, she wouldn’t have taken her prisoner to a familiar place. Nay, she imagined she would have gone somewhere far away and strange. But then Thomas McGregor was meaner than he was smart. As far as she was concerned, he made a terrible kidnapper.
Once inside the small cottage he glanced around for a spot to tie her to. Realizing what he was doing, Orabilis said, “If I were ye, I’d tie me to the ladder.” There really wasn’t much left inside the cottage after the fire. Though she and her sisters had cleaned out the cottage, had scrubbed the walls and floors, they had yet to replace any of the furniture.
“Shut up ye little shite!” he growled at her.
Orabilis shrugged her shoulders as if she didn’t truly care what he was doing. Thomas continued to look around the space. “Ye might also consider the barn,” Orabilis said. “There be lots more things to tie me to in there.”
“I said to shut up!” he growled again. Soon, he gave up looking for a perfect spot and ended up doing what she had suggested in the first place. Thomas shoved her down onto the floor. He took the rope and looped it around her waist twice before tying it off to the ladder.
Nay, he was not a very good kidnapper at all.
* * *
Alysander, Connor, and McCullum warriors were thundering across the countryside in search of Orabilis.
Less than a quarter an hour before, Connor had stormed inside the McGregor home to tell Alysander that his youngest daughter was missing. Moirra went as white as a sheet and nearly fainted from fear while Alysander nearly fell to his own knees. Connor explained things as he knew them to be at that moment, but Alysander didn’t need to guess who had Orabilis. He knew.
Thomas McGregor.
They left Moirra in the care of her three oldest daughters and twenty of the McCullum warriors to guard them and were soon off in search of Orabilis. With each beat of his heart, his fury grew. Thomas McGregor was proving to be far more than just a liar. He was downright dangerous.
It had been one of their warriors who had first caught sight of the little blue slipper, which was quickly followed by the pouch. By the time they found her woolen, Alysander was certain he knew where Thomas was heading.
“Yer daughter be right smart,” Connor shouted over the rumble of hoofbeats.
Alysander was too furious to think of anything but getting to his daughter and ending once and for all, the life of Thomas McGregor to be proud. Later, much later, after he had his daughter back and Thomas’ head on a pike, he might take a moment to think on how smart she was to leave a trail.
* * *
They hadn’t replaced the ladder yet, which was good for Orabilis. ’Twas also fortuitous that Thomas was more focused on the impending arrival of Alysander than he was on his captive. He paced back and forth in front of the door, mumbling and muttering incoherently to himself. Only occasionally did he glance at Orabilis.
He began to seem much different than the Thomas she had known her entire life. The more he paced, the more his eyes changed. She couldn’t quite name what was different about them, just that they weren’t the same. Soon, those eyes looked glassy, like her mum’s had looked when she was ill with the fevers.
That was when Orabilis began to grow afraid, for the first time in a very long time.
Dealing with a stupid man was one thing. Dealing with a man who was stupid and dangerous? That was different.
She felt her bravery begin to waver the more he mumbled and cursed and paced.
How long had they been gone from the farm? Had anyone realized yet that she was missing? Had Wulver gone back to the McGregor farm yet? Would they find the trail she had left behind?
Fear grew and grew. It wasn’t long before she felt the need to pee, but was too afraid to ask for permission to go out of doors. Nay, the longer they were there, in the tiny cottage, the more frightening Thomas became and the more terrified she became. Would they ever get here?
Twenty-Four
No matter how hard she tried, Orabilis couldn’t stop a tear from trailing down her cheek. It seemed as though they had been in this cottage for hours and hours. Mayhap no one had realized yet she was missing. Mayhap Thomas was going to lose his mind waiting for them. Mayhap he would kill her before anyone got here to rescue her.
’Twas still daylight so mayhap they hadn’t been here as long as it felt, but she was certain that they had been here a very long time. Her stomach hurt, from worry as much as needing to pee. If she didn’t get out of doors soon, she was going to make a mess on the floor.
She was trying to muster the courage to ask to go out of doors when she thought she heard thunder rumbling in the distance. Thomas heard it too, for his head perked up and he stepped out the door and looked off to the west. A moment later, he darted inside and hovered over her, his eyes dark and glassy. “If ye so much as utter a single sound, I will cut yer throat from ear to ear!” he whispered, his voice harsh and menacing.
Orabilis nodded her head rapidly in affirmation.
Thomas left her there and went outside, closing the door behind him.
The moment he left, she felt some of her bravery return.
* * *
Thomas was standing just outside the door to the cottage when Alysander, Connor and the others came racing into the yard. He didn’t so much as move a muscle as the yard quickly filled with angry McCullum men.
“Where is she?” Alysander yelled as he dismounted and headed toward Thomas.
“Where be who?” Thomas asked, feigning ignorance.
Alysander stopped just a few feet away, the vein in his neck throbbing as he unsheathed his sword. “Ye ken bloody well who! Orabilis!”
“I’ve no’ seen her since I left me farm earlier,” Thomas told him.
“Ye lie, McGregor. Ye took her. Where is she?”
“I told ye I do no’ ken where she be. Mayhap Almer Wilgart took her,” Thomas said, trying hard to act as if he truly didn’t know.
Alysander paused briefly as he studied Thomas closely. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of Almer taking Orabilis.
Behind him, Connor and a few dozen men dismounted and began spreading out across the yard. Some of them went into the barn to search for Orabilis.
“We all ken Almer be no’ of sound mind,” Thomas suggested. “Mayhap he took her to get back at ye and Moirra. Who kens what a man like that will do.”
Something in Thomas’ demeanor, something about the look in his eyes, told Alysander that the man knew more than what he was letting on. While there was a distinct possibility that Almer had Orabilis, it was just as likely that Thomas was involved.
“She is no’ in the barn!” someone called out from behind him.
Alysander continued to study Thomas, not taking his eyes off him for even the briefest moment.
“Step aside, McGregor,” Alysander ordered.
Thomas shrugged his shoulders and took a few short steps to the side. Thomas still had his sword sheathed but that didn’t mean he could be trusted. Alysander hurried toward the door and flung it open. Just before he stepped inside, Thomas McGregor lunged at him, shoving him inside the cottage and to the floor. The wind was momentarily knocked from Alysander’s lungs when he landed face first on the floor, with Thomas on his back.
* * *
As soon as Thomas had shut the door behind him, Orabilis was able to wiggle her way out of the rope. With no idea what Thomas had planned, she had scrambled to the other side of the room and hidden herself as best she could behind the door. She was able to hear Alysander and Thomas quite clearly and when Alysander ordered Thomas to step aside, she scooted further away for she didn’t want the door to crash into her.
Then she saw Alysander fly into the room, face down, with Thomas on his back. When she saw the flas
h of metal in Thomas’ hand, she acted quickly and without much thought. With her hand wrapped tightly around her sgian dubh, she stood and flung herself onto Thomas’ back and plunged the blade into his shoulder with all her might.
Thomas let out a scream before tossing her off his back. She landed hard, banging her head against the stone floor. The pain was instant and dizzying. Quite suddenly, everything around her grew fuzzy and distorted, then black.
* * *
As soon as Connor realized what was happening, he bounded into the cottage, with his sword drawn and at the ready. He was about to plunge his sword into Thomas’ back when Orabilis flew from behind the door. He couldn’t very well do anything but watch as she thrust her little sgian dubh into Thomas’ shoulder. But as soon as Thomas threw her off his back and sat up to bury his own blade in Alysander’s back, Connor could finally react.
His blade hit his mark, just under Thomas’ right shoulder blade. It tore through skin, flesh, and muscle, scraping against a bit of bone, before making its way through and out his chest. Blood trickled down his back and a moment later, when Connor removed the blade, blood began to pour. A heartbeat later, Thomas slowly fell sideways onto the floor.
Thomas McGregor was dead.
Epilogue
Almer Wilgart was unwilling to bring charges against Connor McCullum for the death of Thomas McGregor. With more than one hundred witnesses — many of whom threatened to slice him into tiny bits of flesh to feed to scavengers — how could he? The only thing that brought him any amount of satisfaction was knowing that as soon as Moirra and Orabilis were well enough to travel, the whole lot of them would be leaving Glenkirby forever.
Due to their strong desire to leave, it took less than a day for Deirdre to declare both Moirra and Orabilis fit for travel. At Connor’s kind invitation, Deirdre agreed to go north with them, under the pretense that Moirra or Orabilis might still need her. Alysander thought mayhap it had to do more with the way Connor and Deirdre kept looking at one another when they thought the other wasn’t looking. A romance was rapidly blossoming between the two of them, even if they were not quite yet ready to admit it.
William, James and Phillip were now left with all the McGregor lands, and then Moirra’s after she agreed to sell it to them at a fair price. Though they were sad to see Moirra and her daughters leave, they were even more reluctant to have their only blood sister go as well. Each man made open promises that if anything happened to Deirdre, there would not be a safe place on God’s earth for anyone to hide from their wrath. There wasn’t a man among the McCullum’s who didn’t believe them.
It took ten days of slow riding before they finally arrived at the McCullum keep. Although Alysander had Connor’s word that the only person who held any sort of ill-feelings against him for Hugh’s death was dead, “Unless ye want to count all the hearts ye broke whilst ye were here,” Connor teased, “ye needn’t worry.”
Alysander was still leery about his return. The moment they crossed the small creek that divided the keep from the glen, his unease increased tenfold. Moirra, who had ridden the entire journey in front of him, with his arms wrapped protectively around her, could feel his tension rising. “Remember, Alysander, that things are no’ as they once were. Besides, ye have me and Orabilis to protect ye,” she jested. Somehow, that did lighten his apprehension and worry.
The clan came out to cheer the safe return of their men. The courtyard was filled with McCullum clansmen, women and children, all smiling and cheering openly. Alysander believed their happy greeting was meant more for Connor and the other men than he and his new family.
Archibald, his second eldest brother, was there to greet all of them as well, though in truth, he was mightily surprised to see Alysander. After dismounting, Alysander kept a protective arm around his wife as he offered a guarded smile to his brother. Archibald was having none of it. A clearly relieved and joyful smile erupted on Archibald’s face as he wrapped his arms around Alysander and lifted him off his feet. “Och! I thought I’d never lay me eyes on yer sorry hide again, brother!”
Archibald, who never really understood his own strength, nearly squeezed the life out of Alysander. After several long moments, he finally set Alysander back on his feet and looked him up and down. “Yer sober?” he said with the most confused expression on his face.
Alysander’s face burned red for a moment. “Aye, I be sober. Have been fer months now.”
Archibald raised a disbelieving brow as he scratched his beard covered jaw. “Months?”
“Aye, months.”
“Be it a woman?” Archibald asked.
Alysander laughed heartily at his brother’s keen assessment. “In truth, it be five women.”
Archibald’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. “Ye’ve a harem?”
Alysander smiled slyly and shook his head. “Nay, I’ve a wife and four daughters,” he said as he stepped back to his wife and motioned for their daughters to come forward.
Archibald stared in utter disbelief at the sight before him. Alysander McCullum, not only married, but appearing quite happy about it, and now, the father of four daughters.
Alysander, Moirra, and her daughters settled into life at the McCullum keep with only a few minor hiccups. The first being when Orabilis discovered the armory. The second being when Mariote became smitten with one of the warriors. But all in all, their first week at the McCullum keep was a whirlwind of excitement and relief.
Archibald would often catch sight of his brother and the bonny Moirra together, all atwitter and blissfully happy. He still couldn’t quite believe his drunkard of a brother, the one they thought would die in a drunken brawl before he ever took a wife, was now happily married. On several of those occasions, Archibald would declare, “Ye? Married? With four daughters?” he shook his head, as if he were still unable to wrap his head around the news. “Next ye’ll be tellin’ me the bloody English have set David free!”
A week later, they received two letters. The first from William McGregor letting his sister ken that Joanna had delivered another boy. He was quite healthy and possessed a good set of lungs. They named him Alysander.
The second missive was from Finnis Malcolm.
We have just received most glorious news. At the time I write this letter to ye, our beloved King is on his way to Stirling Castle.
The English have finally set him free.
About the Author
Suzan lives in the Midwest with her verra handsome carpenter husband and the youngest of their four children. They are currently accepting monetary donations to help feed their 17-year-old, 6’3”, built-like-a-linebacker son.
They live in a quiet little hamlet where the only traffic jams are caused in the very early morning hours when they have to wait for the wild deer and turkeys to cross the road.
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Also by Suzan Tisdale
The Clan MacDougall Series
Laiden’s Daughter
Findley’s Lass
Wee William’s Woman
McKenna’s Honor
The Clan Graham Series
Rowan’s Lady
Frederick’s Queen
The Clan McDunnah Series
Caelen’s Wife - Book One: A Murmur of Providence
Caelen’s Wife - Book Two - A Whisper of Fate
Caelen’s Wife - Book Three - A Breath of Promise
Moirra’s Heart Series
Stealing Moirra’s Heart - Part of The Highland Winds Collection and now as a single novella.
Saving Moirra’s Heart - Book Two of the Moirra’s Heart Series
With Dreams Only Of You
The Legend of the Theodosia Sword
You will find a list of upcoming books at my website, www.suzantisdale.com
Complete Collection ("Moirra's Heart Series: The Complete Collection (The Moirra's Heart Series Book 3))
Moirra's Heart Series: The Complete Collection ( Moirra's Heart Series: The Complete Collection (The Moirra's Heart Series Book 3)) Page 24
