Chapter Sixteen
“But Laird, the king is arriving. We have no choice. He expects to meet the new Lady Mackenzie.”
Daniel looked Morgan in the eye. “I doona understand why ye doona understand me. I will no’ marry Lady Alice. I will find Lady Beth and marry her. I doona care if the king comes to the castle, or if God himself makes an appearance.”
“Laird, ye are becoming unhinged. The clan needs the support of the king,” Abraham said.
Weary and tired, Daniel banged his fist on the table in front of the three old men. “Doona push me. That is all I have to say about this.”
Daniel turned and stormed from the room, slamming the door so hard that it rattled the walls. ’Twas time to dismiss them. He didn’t need advisors.
*
Lady Chisholm stood in a shadow against the wall after watching the laird leave the meeting with his advisors. He’d been so angry he didn’t see her, which was perfect because she wanted to speak with the elders without the laird knowing.
Hearing voices from within, she stopped before knocking on the door, listening to what the men said.
“’Tis time to have the chatelaine prepare for the wedding,” one of the men said.
Another one spoke. “Between Laird Mackenzie and who?”
“I doona ken. But there will be a wedding tomorrow no matter who stands before Father Matthew.”
The three elders remained silent after that, so Lady Chisholm knocked softly on the door. After they allowed her entrance, she walked into the room and took a seat in front of the table where the men sat.
“Lady Alice is quite anxious to get the wedding underway since Lady Beth has apparently left the castle. I ken the king is on his way and I doona want The Mackenzie to have problems with the monarch.”
The one she knew as Abraham leaned back in his chair. “And how is it ye ken that Lady Beth willno’ return before the king arrives?”
She shrugged, attempting to appear indifferent. “No more than anyone else in the castle kens with men running all over the place looking for her. And it has been days.”
After a few moments of silence, Morgan said, “We have decided to go ahead and set a wedding up for tomorrow. We expect our king to arrive in a day or two. I suggest ye get yer daughter ready to marry the laird. We canno’ continue to wait for Lady Beth to appear.”
Lady Chisholm hopped up, smiling brightly. “I shall speak with my daughter immediately. I will also offer yer chatelaine, Louise, my assistance with planning the wedding festivities.”
Abraham nodded and waved her off.
Finally, things were going her way. She would get Alice’s gown that they’d brought with them freshened up and pressed.
Back when they had received word from the king that Alice would be one of two choices for Lady Mackenzie, she’d had no intention of the laird choosing anyone else besides her daughter. And quickly.
She’d seen it as an answer to her prayers. Alice would become the laird’s wife and there would be plenty of money to support her and Lord Chisholm.
And the little romance Alice was having with that common man would come to an end.
She hurried up to the bedchamber to which Alice had been assigned. “Get up ye lazy lass. I have great news for ye!”
Alice rolled over in the bed. “I doona feel so well.”
Lady Chisholm strode over to her daughter and bent over. “That is yer own fault for getting yerself in this mess.” She stood and placed her hands at her waist. “Ye will marry the laird tomorrow.”
Alice shot up from the bed. “What! He doesna want to marry me. He wants to marry Lady Beth.”
“Ye ken she has disappeared. She’s run off because she doesna want to marry him.”
Alice threw the bedcovers off and sat up. “I doona want to marry him either.” She pulled on a dressing gown, rubbing her hands up and down her arms against the chill in the room.
“And we all ken Lady Beth is missing,” she continued. “If she did run off on her own, Laird Mackenzie will find her and convince her to marry him. I just need time.”
“There is no time, young lady. The king arrives in a day or two and expects to see the laird married to one of ye.”
Alice crossed her arms over her chest and sat on the bed. “It willna be me.”
Lady Chisholm reached out and pulled her daughter forward by her hair. “Aye, it will be ye. I’m trying to get ye out of the mess ye got yerself into. Now get dressed and meet me in the great hall. We have a wedding to plan.”
*
Gregory, along with Laird and Lady Grant, rode into the outer bailey shortly after sunrise. It had been a gruesome trip back from Castle Grant. They had selected three of the sturdier horses from the Grant stable for the trip.
At Lady Grant’s insistence they only slept for a few hours and took short breaks through the days mostly to give their horses a rest.
“Is Lady Beth here?” she asked as Laird Grant helped her from her horse.
The stable lad shook his head. “Nay.”
The poor lass looked as though she would collapse. “Where can I find Lady Munro?”
Gregory waved at a maid. “See that Lady Grant is taken to her mam’s bedchamber. Also have food and drink brought in for our guests.”
Rubbing his hand over his face, he left the couple in the great hall, Laird Grant appealing to his wife to have something to eat before she sought out her mam.
Gregory went in search of Daniel.
He found Daniel in his solar where the laird was attempting to drink himself into a coma.
Gregory grabbed the mug of whisky from in front of his cousin, took a jug of cold water from the table, and poured it over his head. “Ye need yer senses if ye’re going to find the lass.”
Daniel shook his head, water from his hair flying in every direction. “Nay. Were I no’ a gentleman, I would put Lady Chisholm on the rack and get answers from her.”
Gregory settled in the chair across from him. “So sure ye are that she has something to do with Lady Beth’s disappearance?”
Daniel rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “Aye. ’Tis impossible that Beth changed her mind, and since ye are here in front of me without her, I assume she was no’ at her sister’s keep as the note stated.”
Gregory nodded. “Laird and Lady Grant traveled back with me. Beth’s sister is verra concerned and wanted to offer comfort to her mam.”
Daniel looked out the window at the sunny day. Not very sunny for him. “And Lady Chisholm was much too quick to confer with the elders about Lady Alice being the chosen bride. Like she kenned that Lady Beth was well-hidden or, I pray not, dead.”
Gregory winced at Daniel’s statement. “From what I heard in the bailey just now, the king will probably arrive some time tomorrow. Lady Chisholm is planning a wedding. What do ye plan to do?”
“I doona care about the king. Beth has been missing for days now.”
Daniel laid his head on his desk and within minutes he was snoring. Gregory assumed the man hadn’t slept more than a few hours since Lady Beth had disappeared.
He left the room and quietly closed the door.
*
Later that day, Daniel awoke and, feeling gritty and still tired, walked to the loch where he removed his clothes and dove into the cold water. It startled him awake better than anything else would have done.
He swam until his muscles ached. He eventually climbed from the water and shook himself off like a wet dog, then dried his body with his clothes, putting the damp articles back on.
He continued his search for Beth, frantically turning over every rock, and climbing over every decrepit bothy and abandoned wagon on his land. He called her name until his throat ached.
The sun was making its descent in the western sky as he made his way back to the keep. Gregory stood at the end of the drawbridge, his hands on his hips. “Cousin, I am becoming concerned for yer mind.”
From what he could see when he entered the keep, Lady Chisholm was driving everyone crazy planning a wedding that no one wanted.
He’d heard the staff felt a liking for quiet Lady Alice, but they all loathed Lady Chisholm who had made it clear she would take up residency once her daughter was married to the laird.
Lady Chisholm stood in front of him, blocking his way. “’Tis about time ye returned to the keep, Laird. Ye are getting married tomorrow, hopefully before the king arrives. There are things ye need to do and decisions to be made.”
Holding himself from pushing the woman out of the way, he said, “There will be no wedding tomorrow unless Lady Beth is standing beside me. I doona ken how many times and how many people I need to say this to.”
Her jaw tightened. “The king arrives tomorrow.”
“Then let him marry Lady Alice.” He moved away from her, before he put his hands on the woman, something he never did in his life and ever expected to.
He was near the steps to the upper floor when a young maid came racing down the stairs. “Lady Chisholm!”
“What!” Her snarl had the maid backing up.
“Lady Alice is gone.” The young girl stood wringing her hands.
Daniel burst out laughing as he turned toward the stairs, wishing with all his might that this nightmare would end.
*
Alisa sat on the floor, her head on her mam’s lap. “I doona understand. Where can Beth be if the laird has searched everywhere in the keep and the Mackenzie lands?”
Lady Munro ran her hand down her face. “My mother’s instinct says she is somewhere in this castle.”
“This is truly frightening,” Alisa said.
Her mam sighed. “Aye, and there are those of us who believe Lady Chisholm has something to do with it.”
Alisa looked up at her mam. “Has she been questioned?”
“Extensively, but she holds that he kens no’hing about Beth’s disappearance.”
Alisa thought for a minute. “What about the notes that were left? Could you tell if it was Beth’s handwriting?”
Tears appeared in her mam’s eyes and she blotted the corners with a linen she carried.
“I showed them to yer da and we both agreed it was an imitation of her handwriting.” She smiled softly.
“The laird took one look at the note that was left for him and he announced it was a fake. Since I doubt he had time to study her handwriting the short time we’ve been there, it makes me wonder if there is something between them I don’t ken about. ”
“Then this was planned for a while if someone had the time to practice her handwriting.”
Her mam smoothed her daughter’s hair from her forehead. “I am verra afraid daughter. I fear I haven’t prayed hard enough.”
The yelling and screaming coming from the great hall was loud enough to reach Alisa and her mam. “That sounds like Lady Chisholm,” Alisa said.
“Now what?” her mam muttered. “The woman is such a difficult person.”
As they descended the stairs, Lady Chisholm’s hands were fisted in Laird Mackenzie’s léine. “Ye must find my daughter. The king will arrive at any time.”
He disengaged her hands from him. “Ye must be out of yer mind. Lady Beth has been missing for days and ye want me to spend time looking for yer daughter?” He leaned in close to the woman’s face. “Especially since I believe ye ken where Lady Beth is.”
Lady Chisholm covered her face with her hands and wailed. “Ye must find her. She’s to marry tomorrow.”
Shaking his head in disgust, Daniel walked out of the keep.
Lady Chisholm turned to the group who had gathered. “My daughter is missing. Someone must find her.”
No one spoke or moved.
A man’s voice called from the outer bailey. “The king has arrived!”