Chapter Nineteen
After getting Beth bathed and into a clean, fresh nightgown, and changing the bedding to avoid infestation, Lady Munro and Lady Grant’s husbands persuaded them to return to the great hall for supper.
When the men suggested Daniel join them as well, he refused. “Have someone send up food. I am no’ leaving until Beth wakes up.”
Emma had said there were no serious injuries, but the lass had suffered insect and rodent bites. She also needed food and drink. He’d attempted to feed her broth and ale. Sometimes she would sip it, but never seemed to fully awaken.
Instead of meeting with Joshua downstairs in the great hall, he sent for the lad to present himself to Lady Beth’s bedchamber.
Gregory stopped on his way to supper and spoke to him about King George.
Apparently the king was insulted because he’d sent an order for Daniel to meet with him to explain what was going on, but Daniel refused and sent word to the king he was more than welcome to come to Beth’s bedchamber to meet with him.
The lad crept into the room looking quite unsettled. “Laird, ye wished to speak with me?”
“Aye, lad. I would like the entire story of how Lady Beth ended up in the dungeon, and why ye chose to tell me about it after she’d been there for five days.”
The lad looked as if he was about to bring up his last meal onto his shoes “Lady Chisholm’s maid, Meggie and I had formed an attachment.”
When it seemed the lad would stop, Daniel shrugged and waved at Joshua to continue.
“She brought me to see Lady Chisholm one day and she asked me to take Lady Beth to a hiding place and once Lady Alice married the laird,” he gulped, “um, you—she would see that Meggie and I would get a small house and permanent jobs.”
Daniel ran his hand down his face. “So ye sold out yer laird for a bothy? And a job? Even though ye already had a job in the stables?”
The lad grew even more pale.
“Did ye then leave Lady Beth there to starve? Did ye no’ worry about her in that cold dark place?” He could feel his temper rising as he spoke with the lad.
“Nay!” He cried. “I went every day and brought her food and drink, and the last two days I went in the morning and then in the evening. At that point I had to sit there and make sure she ate.”
“What made ye decide to tell me?” Daniel was having a hard time understanding this lad. Was he evil? Greedy? Caring?
“I went to see Meggie to tell her that Lady Beth was growing weaker every day and asked when would ye marry Lady Alice so we could bring Lady Beth up.”
“I never had any intention of marrying Lady Alice.”
He nodded. “I dinna ken it at the time. Lady Chisholm made it sound like ye wanted her daughter, and Lady Beth was only a distraction, and once she was gone for a day or so, yer wedding to Lady Alice would take place.”
Daniel thought for a moment about the treachery of Lady Chisholm. “Did Meggie agree with ye then to release Lady Beth?”
Joshua remained silent for a moment. “I never got to speak with her about that.”
Daniel raised a questioning brow.
“I found her in her bed with another mon.”
*
Beth opened her eyes at the sound of Daniel’s voice. “Daniel?” She didn’t recognize herself, so raspy was the noise coming from her throat.
His large body moved across the room to the bed in seconds. “Beth.” He took her hand in his and closed his eyes. “Ye’r awake.”
“Am I still in in the dungeon? Is that Joshua’s voice I hear?” Fatigued from just that bit of conversation, she closed her eyes again.
“Nay, my love, ye are no longer in the dungeon, I carried ye to yer bedchamber. Joshua led me to where ye were.”
She closed her eyes and kissed his knuckles where he gripped her hand so tightly. “I ken ye would come for me.”
He smiled softly at her. “I will ne’er leave ye and always come for ye. I love ye, Lady Beth Munro.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “I love ye, too.” She smiled at how easily those words came from her thick throat. “Can ye help me sit up? I would like to have a drink.”
Daniel turned to Joshua. “Ye can leave me now. Go to the kitchen and have a maid bring up food and ale for Lady Beth. However, do no’ return to yer duties in the stables. Remain in the great hall.”
Joshua paled again, and nodded. “Aye, Laird.”
Daniel placed his hand under her back, the warmth from his hand soothing her body which still felt chilled from her time in the dungeon.
Once she was settled against several fluffy pillows, Daniel sat alongside her and smiled in that special way, and cupping her face in his hands, appeared about to give her a kiss when the door burst open and her mam and sister raced into the room.
“’Tis true?” Beth’s mam asked. “Beth is awake?”
Beth smiled at the disappointment on Daniel’s face. He moved back, allowing her mam and Alisa to sit on the edge of her bed.
He smoothed the hair back on her forehead. “I will return in a little bit while ye visit with yer sister and mam. I need to speak with the king and settle his ruffled feathers.”
Beth reached out and grabbed his hand, her eyes full of tears, suddenly very frightened. “Please doona leave.”
“I willna be long, and then I will stay with ye all night.” He looked at Lady Munro. “Please doona leave Beth by herself. I won’t be long. Try to get her to eat.”
Mam wiped the tears from her eyes and took Beth’s hand in hers. “Ye will be fine until the laird returns.”
She nodded, feeling verra strange about him leaving her. Hopefully as time passed, she would get over this distress of being without him.
The door to the bed chamber closed and her mam squeezed her hand. “I was so verra worried about ye, daughter.”
Alisa took her other hand. “We just now heard that ye were awake.” She shivered, “I canno’ imagine what ’twas like for ye there in the dungeon.”
Her mam’s lips tightened. “I kenned all along that Lady Chisholm had something to do with it.”
“And now Lady Alice is missing,” Alisa said.
“What!”