Chapter Fifteen
Beth leaned against the slimy cold wall, tired, but unable to sleep. She’d lost count on how long she’d been in the dungeon. It seemed like forever, but was most likely two or possibly three days. It was too dark to tell if and when day had passed into night, so she couldn’t be sure.
The sound of footsteps told her the man was here to bring her food and drink. It amazed her that despite what had happened to her and the horrid place in which she found herself, she was able to eat what the man brought.
The door opened and he stepped in, carrying the usual mug of ale and the sack with her food inside. Too weak to get up, she watched as he placed the candle he always carried down and handed her the mug.
Grateful for the liquid, she downed it. “I need more ale or I will die. If Lady Chisholm doesn’t wish me dead, one mug of ale a day is no’ going to keep me alive.”
He had become more communicative with each meal he brought her. “I will bring a larger mug next time.”
Beth gingerly climbed to her feet. “Do ye realize ye will be punished for this? And Lady Chisholm as well?”
The man backed up and shook his head “Nay. When Lady Alice becomes Laird Mackenzie’s wife, no harm will come to her mam.”
“And what about ye? The charges against ye will be as harsh as hers and ye have no connection to Lady Alice to save ye.”
He handed her the sack. She wanted to keep him talking, maybe find a soft spot in the man. “And even if you doona suffer charges, what is yer benefit for doing this? Has she promised ye coin?”
He leaned on one foot, then the other, as if anxious to leave. “Lady Chisholm’s maid, Meggie, is my woman. Her ladyship said she would see that we got one of the bothies to live in and both of us will work for the castle when Lady Alice marries the laird.”
Beth closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Just standing in her weak condition had black dots forming in her eyes. She sat down and looked at him. “What is yer name?”
He shifted again and narrowed his eyes. “Joshua.”
“Do ye have a job here now?”
“Aye. I work in the stables and the garden.”
She stared at him for a minute. “Ye say Meggie is yer woman. How would ye feel if she was treated this way? Kidnapped, locked up in a dungeon?”
He thought for a minute. “I am sorry to have done this to ye, but Meggie is determined that we marry and have our own home.”
Beth shook her head. “And for the rest of yer life, ye will do what Meggie wants, even though it could cause ye harm in the end?”
Just as she imagined her comment had him thinking, he said, “I needs go now. I will bring more ale later.” With those curt words, Joshua left, locking the door behind him.
Beth peered sadly at the empty mug and pulled out bread, cold meat, and cheese from the sack. No apples today. She sighed and ate slowly, her dry mouth making it hard to swallow.
She shuddered and shook her foot when what felt like a critter bit her toe. Placing the sack in her lap, she lowered her head and cried. The only thing keeping her alive now was the knowledge that Daniel would be frantic looking for her. Hopefully, he would find her before she died.
Please Daniel. I doona ken how much longer I can survive this.
*
“Who goes there?” One of the guardsmen on the ramparts shouted to Gregory and the three men who came with him as they arrived at Castle Grant.
“Gregory Mackenzie, cousin to Clan Chief Daniel Mackenzie to see Lady Grant.”
Silence followed for a few minutes, then the same man called out, “What is yer business with my lady?”
“I have a message from her mother, Lady Munro.”
That must have thrown the man into confusion. Silence followed.
After waiting a several minutes, the castle drawbridge descended and a young woman came hurrying down the steps of the keep and into the outer bailey.
Gregory and his men rode over the drawbridge, the horses’ hooves clattering. There was no mistaking the woman holding her skirts as she ran towards them was Lady Alice’s sister, Lady Grant. Both were pretty, blonde, and curved in all the right places.
She ran up to them as they dismounted. “My guardsman said ye have a message from my mam?”
“Aye. But first I must ask ye if yer sister, Lady Beth Munro is here?”
The lass turned pale and shook her head. “Nay. Is she supposed to be?”
A man strode up to them. “What is this business with my wife?” He placed his protective arm around Lady Grant’s waist and moved her slightly back.
“I represent Clan Chief Laird Daniel Makenzie—”
“That is where my sister and parents are right now.” She turned to her husband and frowned before turning back to Gregory. “Are they no’ there?” she asked.
He could hear the slight panic in the lass’s voice.
Her husband hugged her closer and said to Gregory.
“Ye and yer men are welcomed into our keep.” Before they took one step however, he said, “Please leave yer swords here in the outer bailey. ’Tis a practice with everyone who comes to Castle Grant unexpectedly. ”
Gregory nodded and he and his men all withdrew their swords and other weapons and handed them to two guardsmen who stood behind them.
They followed Laird and Lady Grant to settle at a large table in the great hall. Lady Grant called for a maid to bring food and drink.
“I am hardly able to control myself. The last I heard from my sister, she and my parents were headed to Castle Leod where there was a potential betrothal. Why do ye think she is here?”
Gregory went through the story of Lady Beth’s disappearance, the notes to Daniel and Lady Munro and the laird’s insistence Lady Beth had already accepted his proposal and would not have scurried off to her sister’s home.
“So what ye are telling me is my sister is missing,” Lady Grant said, raising her chin, reminding him of Lady Beth.
Gregory hesitated but there was no reason to falter. “Since Lady Beth is no’ here, then I’m afraid, aye, she is missing.”
The lass sucked in a deep breath and turned to her husband, tears beginning to run down her face. He reached out and gathered her into his arms.
Laird Grant looked at Gregory as if he was the one who had something to do with the disappearance of Beth. Hopefully the laird was not of the “kill the messenger” persuasion.
Mugs of ale and a platter of dried meat, cheese, bread and butter was placed in front of them by two serving maids.
The interruption gave Lady Grant a moment to compose herself, and she said, “How is my mam?”
Gregory shrugged. “Concerned. She also is of the mind that the notes were fake, but she agreed with Laird Mackenzie that someone should travel to Castle Grant and make sure.”
“What are they doing in the meantime?” Lady Grant wiped her nose on a linen cloth and shook her head when her husband pointed at the food.
Gregory and his men filled their metal plates with the offerings. “Laird Mackenzie was going to take the trip here, but since he was so convinced that Lady Beth would no’ be here, he asked me to take the journey so he and his men could do a thorough search at our own keep.”
Lady Grant looked over at her husband, determination in her face. “I am going to Castle Leod.”
He did not hesitate. “Nay.”
“Aye.”
The laird sighed. “Alisa, ’tis a two or three day journey. By the time ye get there, ’twill most likely be over and yer sister safe.”
The lass glared at her husband. “I am going. My sister is missing and my mam must be beside herself. And if all is well when we get there, which I pray it will be, we can attend her wedding.”
The laird’s tightened lips softened and he reached out his hand to cover his wife’s. “Aye. We will both go. The little ones will be fine under their nurses’ care.”
Lady Grant slumped in relief.
As much as Gregory didn’t wish to get right back on a horse, he knew Laird and Lady Grant would want to leave as soon as possible. “May we borrow a few of yer horses? Ours are all worn out.”
*
Daniel rode to the village on Atlas as though the demons of hell were after him. He had to find Beth, and soon. Every time he thought about the missive Abraham had handed him, he grew angrier.
The king was at Invergarry Castle, home of the MacIntosh clan, where one of his sisters lived. His note said as long as he was this far north, he wanted to visit Castle Leod and congratulate the new bride and groom.
It was a three or four day trip, depending on how much equipment and supplies they carried with them and how many men rode.
Daniel had no doubt that the king was checking to make sure the wedding had taken place. The elders were pushing hard for him to marry Lady Alice. They intended to present the Laird and Lady of Mackenzie to King George II when he arrived.
If Beth was not found before the king arrived, there would be no Lady Mackenzie to present to the king.
The man had given him a choice of two lasses, and he’d done what was commanded—he’d chosen one.
’Tis true he didn’t make the deadline of marriage by Beltane, but once Beth was found he would be sure to have an immediate ceremony.
His fear of the king’s wrath was nothing compared to his fear for Beth. Where the devil could she be?
There was no doubt in his mind now that he loved the lass. He’d been attracted to her from the time when her mam had insisted she remove the hideous costume and she’d returned as one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen.
Her sense of humor, determination, helpfulness, and kindness pushed him further into love. As well as her sense of adventure and intense intelligence. He would have her for his wife and whoever kidnapped her—and he had his suspicions—would be punished.
He rode to the village and began questioning everyone he saw. No one had seen Beth or anything untoward. His men had been here before while Daniel had scoured every inch of land within miles of Castle Leod. Every standing structure had been searched.
After getting nowhere with his questions, and feeling frustrated, he went to the tavern for an ale.
One of the serving lasses, the daughter of the tavern owner, approached his table with a mug of ale. “Where is that sweet lass we saw ye with at the Beltane celebration?”
Daniel perked up. “Have ye seen her?”
The lass shook her head. “Nay. No’ since Beltane. Is she no’ here with ye today?”
He shook his head and drank half the mug of ale. “Nay. Have ye seen her in the last couple of days? Since Beltane?”
She frowned at him. “Nay. Is the lass missing?”
“Aye. If ye hear anything at all, please send someone to the castle. The word is that she may have decided to visit her sister at Castle Grant.”
She nodded as one of the customers summoned her. “If I hear anything I’ll let ye ken.”
He finished his ale, and left, his frustration growing to unmeasurable heights.
God’s bones, he wished the king would stay out of his affairs.
Out of all Scotland’s affairs. ’Twas bad enough to make the edict, then send him two lasses with the command to “pick one” like he was buying a horse, set a pointless date, and then decide to travel to Castle Leod to make sure the deed was done.
’Twas no wonder there was talk of another uprising against the English. Highlanders wanted to govern themselves, not be told what to do by a British king.
None of that mattered now, however, since his greatest concern now was the safety of Lady Beth Munro. His intended wife. The more time she was missing, the more frightened he became.
She could not have disappeared into thin air. Again, on his way back to the stables, he stopped at each vendor and shop with a friendly reminder to send word to the castle if they learned anything.
He waved at Freda as he left the bakery. She turned as Enoch joined her in the front of the store. “Was that the laird again?”
“Aye.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “I have no idea what is going up at the castle, but I doona remember a time when Laird Mackenzie looked so frantic.”
Enoch picked up the leftover loaves of bread, which they would use the next morning to make the squares of bread pudding that were so popular with their customers.
“Mayhap we should have told the laird about the man from the castle who comes here for a loaf of bread every day, then buys cheese from Farmer Malcolm’s wife, heads to the village tavern and leaves there with a heavier sack. Then he heads back to the castle. It doesna seem enough to feed the keep.”
Freda shrugged. “Mayhap he doesna get enough to eat at the castle. I doona see what that would have to do with the sweet lass disappearing. However, the next time he comes to the village, I will mention it to him.”
She and Enoch began to clean up the work area as well as the store front.
Freda watched Laird Mackenzie at the stables as he settled on his horse and left the village, heading to the castle.
His sad demeanor saddened her as well.