Alasdair grew serious and placed his hand on Evan’s shoulder. “It might do you well to go see the lass. Women need a bit more care than yer horse, ye ken.” With those words and a wink, he left the library.
Evan frowned. Katie was growling at people and stomping about? She had been fine when he left her earlier that morning. He shrugged. Either Alasdair was taunting him or whatever was the problem, he would most likely only make it worse if he sought her out. Instead, he would begin packing for the trip home.
Evan didn’t see Katie until supper that evening. As he entered the Great Hall, she was speaking with Meggie, waving her arms about, seeming to give the maid instructions. He approached the table where they sat and joined them. “Good evening, lasses.”
Katie turned toward him and gave him a bright smile. “Good evening, husband.”
Evan huffed. So much for Alasdair’s concern earlier. There was nothing wrong with Katie, and she even looked verra happy to see him. “Did ye get the things done I told ye to do?”
Katie’s bright smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl. “I did what I needed to do to prepare for our departure.”
Satisfied that she’d done as she was told, he nodded and poured himself a glass of ale. “Today being Thursday, I’m planning on leaving Saturday. So be sure to get everything finished so there’s no delay.”
Before Katie could respond, Alasdair sat alongside him and began to speak. The serving girls arrived in the Great Hall with platters of vegetables, roasted game, haggis, baked apples, and oatcakes. Evan piled his plate, ravenous from the day’s work. He rarely ate anything between breaking his fast and supper, so it was always a big meal for him.
The Stirlings and MacDuffs who ate in the Great Hall with the family had begun to mingle quite well together. Evan was satisfied that all would be well when they departed. Ian MacDuff would take care of things, Evan would receive his monthly reports, and he could concentrate on his own clan.
“Ye better make some inquiries to find another healer. Poor old Mrs. MacCabe was counting on ye to help her out.” Evan poured another glass of ale from the pitcher and studied Katie.
She stared for a few moments, her eyes snapping. “I have taken care of that already, my laird.” She turned to Meggie, giving him her back.
Her tone and expression gave him pause. Had Alasdair been correct and there was something troubling her? He smiled, thinking that since this appetite had eased, ’twas time to turn his attention to another appetite. Whatever the problem troubling his wife, a hardy tup would calm her. He tapped Katie on the shoulder. “Once yer finished here, lass, I would have ye meet me up in my bedchamber.”
She gave him a curt nod and returned to her conversation with Meggie. Gavin wandered over and squeezed between Evan and Katie. “Can we go riding after supper?”
Evan ruffled the lad’s hair. “Nay. Yer sister and I have business we need to take care of upstairs. But I will take ye for another ride in the morn.” Seeing his annoyed little face, Evan added, “A mon dinnae fuss if he cannot have his way. Ye would be better served with making sure whatever you want to take to Argyll is packed and ready to go.”
“Aye,” the lad said, dragging the word out.
About twenty minutes passed before Katie joined Evan in his bedchamber. She arrived looking flustered and annoyed.
“What’s the problem, lass?”
“The paper I brought with me. I can’t find it.”
“Paper?” He walked toward her and drew her into the circle of his arms. “Let’s forget about papers and packing and enjoy a bit of time in the bed.” He nuzzled her neck, kissing the soft skin under her ear. “Whatever is missing ye can find tomorrow.”
She drew back. “Nay. I’ve already looked everywhere and can’t find the paper I brought with me from Stirling.”
Evan’s heart thumped, a sense of disaster on the horizon filling him. “What paper is that, lass?”
“The one that proves my family owns this land.”
He stepped back and scrubbed his face. “Ye dinnae need to keep looking for it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I burned it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
All the blood left Katie’s face, and she gripped her stomach. “Ye burned it?” She barely got the words past her stiff lips.
“Aye.” Evan ran his fingers through his hair. “Ye dinnae need it any longer. Ye are married to me now and dinnae need to claim this land.” When she continued to stare at him, he added, “’Twas verra little chance of that paper proving yer ownership, anyway.”
“Ye burned it?”
“I had a pile of papers I no longer needed and burned the lot of them. Yer paper was one of them.”
Katie sat on the bed and stared into space. “You burned it.” She shook her head. “That paper was passed down for generations. That was the verra reason I came to Fife.” She jumped up and began to pace. After a few strides back and forth, she stopped and stared at her husband, whom she was about to throttle. “Ye had no right to burn that.”
Evan drew himself up. “I am yer laird.”
“No! Ye are an arse,” she shouted at him. “Ye are overbearing, arrogant, high-handed, and pigheaded.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “Ye are correct. Ye are my laird. But ye are also my husband, who should have some respect for me. Even if ye dinnae love me, ye could at least consider my feelings.”
Apparently, given his reaction to her words, love was not something he had expected to ever happen. He sucked in a deep breath and stepped back as if someone had thrown a fist to his gut. “I care for yer feelings.”
“Nay! Ye care for nothing but duty and responsibility. Ye toss out orders like I am yer servant. Ye give me no credit for having a mind of my own.” She walked toward him and waved her finger in his face. Despite the difference in their size, he edged back. “Ye forget that I took care of my own clan for years. Raised my brother, tended to the sick, delivered babies, moved my entire clan across the country for a better life.” She stopped, swiping at the tears sliding down her cheeks. She collapsed on the bed. “Ye’ve taken everything from me. Even my brother.”
The silence that followed her outburst was broken only by Katie’s heavy breathing and muffled sobs. Evan remained where he stood, and she did not look in his direction. She was tired, so verra, verra tired. Instead of the joy in having someone to share her burdens, it appeared her marriage was to be no more than her bowing to all of Evan’s wishes and having no say in anything.
After all, he was her laird.
Feeling years older, she stood and walked to the door.
“Where are ye going?” Evan’s words were soft, almost a whisper.
“I dinnae ken. Somewhere. Anywhere but here.” She passed through the door and closed it, the latching falling into place the only sound in the corridor. She felt empty, as if her life’s essence had been sucked from her.
She’d held on to that paper for years, always hoping she could claim the land and have something to pass on to her brother. Since the Sterling land and home was falling apart, she’d held tight to the idea that she could give him a good life with the clan here, and he would reap the rewards. Something much better than what her da had left his only son.
Nothing.
She entered one of the bedchambers that was now empty since one of the Stirling families had moved to a cottage. The bed had no linens, but she didn’t care. She was too weary to look for a maid to bring her what she needed. The room was cold, also, with no fire burning.
She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. What was she to do now? She was married to a man who would always think of her, and treat her, like a child. She kenned that a lot of marriages were that way, but when she thought of a husband—which was rare, since she hadn’t had many suitors—it had been someone who would honor her opinion, consider her ideas, treat her like a partner.
She’d thought Evan would consider her such. After all, he’d said he admired her determination and bravery.
She turned on her side and placed her folded hands under her cheek. In two days time, they would leave Fife and travel to Evan’s lands in Argyll. She would be introduced to his clan members as his wife. But not as anyone who mattered. The worse part of the entire mess was she’d realized only this morning that she had fallen in love with the big oaf, despite his treatment of her like a bairn.
Now when she thought about her husband and her future, her heart hurt.
The door opened and Evan barreled through it. “Is Gavin here with ye?”
She jerked up at the intrusion. “Nay. I haven’t seen him since supper.” She rose from the bed and hurried toward him. The expression on his face scared her more than his words. “Is he missing?”
“Aye. It appears so.” He rubbed his eyes with his fists. “Alasdair sent word that shortly after we left, the lad told him he needed to use the privy. He never returned.”
Katie took a deep breath. “Of course yer brother checked the privy to see if he was still there.”
“Aye. He has several people searching the castle and grounds. He sent someone just now to our bedchamber to see if Gavin was with us.”
Katie gripped her middle, a wave of terror washing over her. “Richard has him. I ken he does.”
Evan wrapped his arms around her and drew her to his warm chest. The thud of his strong heart eased her fear a bit. Despite all the horrible things she had lashed out at him about, he was protective, strong, and caring. He might not ever love her or treat her as she would like, but he would never allow her or her brother to be harmed.
“We must help with the search.” She pulled away from him.
They hurried down to the Great Hall, where Alasdair was tossing orders out to a few men. He turned when Evan approached him. “I dinnae ken whether the lad was taken before he reached the privy or not. But there were too many people about between here and the privy.”
“What have ye learned?” Evan asked, keeping his warm hand pressed against Katie’s lower back. If it wasn’t for his contact, she would have been screaming and running in circles, pulling her hair out. He was truly her anchor.
Alasdair shook his head. “Unfortunately, nothing, except he is not where he said he was going to be. We sent someone to yer room as soon as we determined he was missing.”
Katie watched the two men as they spoke back and forth, feeling as though they should be out looking for her brother, not discussing things.
“Easy, lass.” Evan rubbed circles on her back, most likely feeling the tension in her body. “We’ll find him.” He turned back to Alasdair. “Has the entire castle been searched?”
“Aye.”
“Then ’tis time to search the grounds. Send out a group to scour the area. Look for prints, any sign that a struggle took place.” This was Laird MacNeil in action. He gave orders and directions like a warrior chief on a battlefield.
“Oh God,” Katie moaned. “Ye do think Richard has him, dinnae ye?”
“It doesnae matter what I think. We need to make a thorough search.” He took her cold hands in his warm ones and kissed her knuckles. “We’ll find him.”
“What can I do?” She pulled back and glared. “And dinnae be telling me to sit quietly and wait, because I have every intention of joining in the search.”
“Aye. I agree.”
“Ye do?”
“Aye.” He reached out and ran his finger down her cheek. “Once we have yer brother back and safe, we will speak of things that need to be said.”
…
Evan didn’t want to frighten his wife any further, but his biggest fear was Lord Armstrong had grabbed the lad and was now headed back to Stirling. Once he got Katie busy organizing the women to do another sweep of the castle, Evan headed to the stable.
Mr. MacDuff greeted him as he entered. “What’s happening up at the castle? I see people scurrying about, and ye look verra worried yerself.”
Evan headed for his horse. Perhaps Gavin had decided to take a walk to the village, which wasn’t likely, since he kenned he was supposed to stay with Alasdair. Hopefully, the lad was holed up somewhere in the castle practicing with his dirk, hoping to surprise his sister with his growing skill. “Aye. Gavin cannot be found.”
“The wee brother of yer wife?”
“Just so. They’ve searched the castle and all the grounds, but he’s nowhere to be found.” Evan reached for his saddle and slung it over his horse.
MacDuff shrugged and wiped his hands on a cloth. “Well, ye won’t find him searching the castle, since the lad took his favorite horse for a ride not twenty minutes ago.”
Evan stopped in the middle of tightening the horse’s saddle straps. “Did ye see anyone else lurking about as he left? Someone who ye dinnae ken? Never seen before?”
“Nay. The lad was excited about riding by himself. I asked him if he had permission, and he said aye.”
The lad said he had permission? Evan ground his teeth and anticipated the paddling the lad would get. “Thank ye.” He hurried back to the castle, shouting over his shoulder. “Finish tacking my horse, and tack my wife’s also.” There was a good possibility that Gavin had decided not to wait until the morn to ride by himself. The lad could be merely enjoying a ride while the entire castle was in a panic.
Although the lad would end up with a paddling, Evan hoped he’d just gone riding, rather than the horrible thought that Armstrong had the lad and was headed as far away as he could get.
“Katie,” he shouted, barely making it past the doorway to the castle. “Where are ye?”
Katie leaned over the bannister at the top of the stairs. “What is it? Have ye found Gavin?”
“Nay. Come down and meet me at the stables.” He turned and left as quickly as he’d come. By the time he reached the stable, MacDuff had the two horses tacked and ready to go. Evan led them outside just as Katie was running toward him.
Evan lifted her and tossed her onto her horse. “MacDuff says Gavin took his horse out about twenty minutes ago.”
“By himself?”
“Aye.” He flung his leg over the horse and kicked the animal’s sides. “With any luck he’s merely taking a nice ride for himself and is in no trouble at all.”
“Ach. If he’s just taking a ride, he is in trouble, I can assure you,” Katie shouted over the thundering of the horses’ hooves and the whistle of the wind as they headed toward the village.
Once there, they took a quick look around but didn’t see either Gavin or his horse. They hadn’t seen any sign of him on their way to the village either.
Katie’s shoulders slumped, dejection written on her face. “I kenned it was too easy.”
“Aye, but that’s the way he started out, so it wasn’t false hope.” They made another sweep of the area, calling out for the lad, then stopped in front of the Hare and the Hound Inn.
“I’m thinking Richard headed right to Stirling with Gavin. We’re probably wasting our time searching in this area,” Katie said. “’Twould be best to return to the castle, gather some supplies, and travel to Lord Armstrong’s home.”
Evan pondered on that for a while. Something didn’t seem right about that plan. The man had managed to come up with a forged document to get Katie to marry him, which told Evan he was much too smart to do what they expected. He shook his head. “Nay.”
“Nay?”
“Nay. That is exactly what he expects us to do. He kens that we will assume he has Gavin and will race off to Stirling.”
“Are ye saying ye think he might have gone in another direction? If that is the case, we have no idea where he went.” Katie’s voice raised, the panic she’d been holding in rising to the surface.
“Calm down, mo ghràdh. What I’m thinking is he will stay in this area, hi
ding in plain sight, as it were.”
“What do ye mean? I’m too rattle-brained to follow yer words.” The poor lass was pale as new milk, and from the way she kept licking her lips, dry-mouthed from fear. He was certain she was strung tight as a hunter’s bow, and if he wasn’t careful, she would snap, which would only make things worse.
“If Armstrong lingers not far from here for a bit, he can give every one of us time to race off, and get out of his way. Then, when he feels enough time has gone by, he will start out for Stirling, kenning we would not be on his trail because we are in front of him.”
“Do ye think he’s that smart?”
“Not smart. Devious.”
Katie stared at him, her eyes moving as if in thought. “Aye. I agree.” She took a deep breath and said, “What do we do first?”
Evan jumped from his horse and reached up to help her down. “First we visit all these stores and ask about any unfamiliar mon buying supplies. If he is holed up somewhere close by, he would need to feed himself and yer brother.”
They began their search at the most obvious place, the general store. The cheerful shop held every sort of item a household would need, from iron skillets to dried fish. The comforting smell of herbs hanging from the ceiling scented the air. Large wooden barrels of flour, sugar, and coffee had been lined up in rows from the front door to the counter, creating aisles for a shopper to browse through.
Every wall held floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with jars and bottles of various items. The worn wooden floor creaked as he and Katie made their way to the counter, where a large mon with a white apron around his middle wrapped a parcel for a woman with two bairns clinging to her legs.
As soon as the woman left, the mon turned to him and Katie. “And what can I get for ye on this fine day, my laird?”
“We’re looking for information,” Katie blurted out.
The man’s brows rose at her abruptness. ’Twas unlike Katie to not at least acknowledge a person and offer a word or two of conversation. However, being aware of how upset she was, Evan took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze.
A Scot to Wed (Scottish Hearts) Page 17
