Chapter Four
MacLeod Keep was similar in size to Hartsmoor Castle. It loomed tall and foreboding as the traveling party that escorted Moira for her visit approached.
It took a lot of convincing and begging to her parents for them to allow such a visit. Many messages were sent back and forth betwixt the two clans. Promises were made that no harm would come to Moira and Seema while they visited.
She had no doubt about that. The MacLeod weren’t a cruel clan. And while she didn’t think they and the Harts would ever be allies, they had come to a truce. One of many, of course, but neither clan had attacked the other in recent years.
Anna was waiting in the courtyard when they arrived. A huge smile splitting her face as she clapped her hands excitedly, hopping up and down.
When the carriage came to a stop, Moira jumped down and the two girls embraced. Errol was also there. Standing stoically to the side, watching them with a scowl on his face, saying naught.
She dropped into a curtsy in greeting, and then Anna grasped her hand and pulled her inside. Seema did her best to keep up.
“I cannae believe yer parents allowed this,” Anna exclaimed. “It has been much too long.”
“Me either.” Moira giggled. “’Twasnae easy. But I’m here. Though ’tis only for a fortnight and a half.” She dropped her voice. “Then I must return for a cousin’s wedding.”
“Who?”
“’Tis one of the southern Hart cousins.” She sighed. “I dinnae ken why I must go. I have ne’er met her.”
Errol entered, his cousin Robbie behind him glaring at Moira.
She shivered. He’d come to Hartsmoor afore, accompanying Laird MacLeod and Errol on their visits. He had a fierce look to him, and Moira wasn’t convinced that the man actually kenned how to smile.
“Ignore them,” Anna said. “Let us go up to my bedchamber and ye can tell me about yer plans.”
Anna’s bedchamber was on the second floor, to the right, and all the way down the hall.
A bed, piled high with throws and furs stood in the center.
A trunk at the foot of the bed was covered with a heavy blanket.
The fireplace burned bright, the high flames licking up the stone hearth and disappearing up the chimney.
A wooden table with chairs was set near a tapestry covered window.
“Yer trunk will be brought up soon, unless ye need it afore then?”
Moira waved her hand in dismissal. “Nay. No need.”
They both sank onto the bed in a fit of giggles. “I am so glad ye are here.” Anna sat up straight, a kenning look widening her eyes. “Does this visit have aught to do with yer letter asking for Errol’s help?”
She should have kenned that it wouldn’t take long for Anna to question her about that. Her friend was way too curious to let something such as that go without addressing it.
“I met him in the woods,” Moira confessed.
Anna’s eyes rounded. “Ye didnae!” She exclaimed.
“I did! No’ purposely though. Well, I was planning on finding him, but he found me first.”
“He hasnae mentioned any such meeting.”
Moira giggled. “I’m sure he hasnae.”
Her friend grew serious. “So,” she looked around the room as if someone was there listening to their conversation and lowered her voice. “What is it that ye need Errol’s help for? That yer brothers couldnae assist?”
“A treasure map.”
Anna cocked her head. “Ye jest.”
“I doonae. I found it hidden in the wall when I was putting the Hart annals to order.”
Anna stood and paced the room. Then stopped in front of Moira. “So why would ye need Errol for that?”
With a sigh, Moira pulled the map from her pocket and unfurled it so Anna could look at it. She pointed her finger to a corner of the map.
“This part takes place on MacLeod lands. Without Errol’s help I would ne’er be able to get to it.”
Anna took the map and studied it, turning the paper and looking at it at different angles. “I wonder what the treasure is?”
“I dinna ken. It just says coins and a Hart family legacy.” She shrugged. “I havenae any idea what that could be. Or why my family’s legacy would be located on MacLeod land. But mayhap it could lead to peace.”
“Hmm.” Anna’s teeth caught the corner of her bottom lip as she studied the map further. “That is an interesting turn of events. It doesnae make any sense truly.”
“Exactly. Our families’ pasts are quite tumultuous, though I dinnae ken why. I’ve e’en asked my father why, and he didnae have an answer he could give.”
A knock sounded and a maid entered, carrying a tray of dried meats, crusty bread, and honey mead.
“Laird MacLeod has insisted that ye eat after yer long journey.” She curtsied and left the room.
As if on cue, Moira’s stomach rumbled loudly, and both girls laughed out loud.
They moved to the table and Anna poured two cups of the sweet drink.
Moira drank deeply, not realizing how thirsty she was. Then she broke off a piece of bread and slathered it with fresh-churned butter. It was divine.
“I am still amazed that ye managed to convince Errol to help ye. How did ye do it?”
“I had to promise to share half the treasure with him,” Moira grumbled.
Anna dipped her head to hide her smile. “That sounds like him.” She straightened, growing serious. “Now that ye are here, how do ye plan to treasure hunt? That map seems to take ye further away from not only Hartsmoor, but also MacLeod Keep. It goes deep into the Highlands.”
“Aye,” Moira sighed. “’Twould be so much easier if I were a man. Then I wouldnae need to explain where I was going to be for e’ery minute of the day. But alas, I dinnae have such luxury. I will figure it out, though. I must.”
“Whate’er ye need me to do, I will do it. Ye ken that, aye?”
Moira nodded thinking of how she could pull off such a feat. She was grateful to have such a good friend as Anna. There was no doubt that her friend would indeed do whatever it took so that she could go off on this adventure with Errol.
Because that’s what it was. An adventure.
One that, once solved, hopefully both lairds would understand why she’d taken such drastic measures.
Though her reasoning wasn’t completely selfless.
Aye, she wanted peace betwixt the clans, it would benefit all of their people.
No more deaths from the fighting. Nor any more burned crofts and crops.
No more stolen cattle and sheep. To have the answer from the past to whatever it was that caused the strife betwixt them solved, would be a blessing.
But, selfishly, she wanted unobstructed access to her best friend.
They ate in silence for a few moments until Anna suddenly slapped her hand on the tabletop.
“I’ve got it!” She exclaimed excitedly.
Moira looked at her questioningly.
“I ken how to get ye and Errol on yer way.”
“Aye? How?”
Anna nodded. “We can travel north. The weather has started to warm. A trip to take in our lands and enjoy some fresh air.”
Moira frowned. “How does that help?”
“It gets us away from here and headed in the correct direction. Da will ne’er let ye both leave together for no reason. Howe’er, if ye and I are traveling, he will insist Errol attend to us.” She shrugged. “Probably Robbie as well.”
Moira shuddered. She wasn’t happy with the addition of Robbie. He kept it no secret that he did not appreciate her presence at MacLeod Keep. She couldn’t fathom how he would react to being forced to attend her travels.
Anna clapped her hands. “This will be such fun.”
Moira wasn’t so sure, but she was happy they had a plan.
*
Two days later, Moira was on a horse, Anna on her own horse at her side. Errol and Robbie rode ahead of them, both wearing frowns that said they would rather spend their days doing anything else than the trip that lay ahead.
Seema and Fina rode behind them, chattering away. She was glad to see that the two of them got on well together.
Moira studied Errol from behind and she wondered if he could feel the heat of her gaze on his back. His broad shoulders created an impressive visage. He sat tall atop his black horse with the perfect circle on its flank as he stared straight ahead and lead them out of the gates of the keep.
Surprisingly, it didn’t take much to convince the laird to allow them to travel together. Moira had the suspicion that it was in the way Anna asked. Being the only lass in the family, Moira could see how all the men practically tripped over their own feet to do her bidding.
She couldn’t relate to that type of treatment. She was far from being the only woman in her family, and thankfully, her mother was still with them.
Anna losing her mother at birth weighed heavily on the men in her life. They all tried to make up for it by giving her whatever she wanted.
“This is verra exciting,” Anna said as she brought her horse close to Moira’s.
Moira smiled at her best friend, and her brows drew together. Anna’s color didn’t look quite right. Her skin had turned pale, and she appeared tired.
“Are ye well?” Moira asked, concern lacing her voice.
“Aye. Why do ye ask?”
Moira got the impression that Anna wasn’t being completely truthful. But she didn’t want to push her friend if it was naught, so she waved it off. “Just making certs.”
They rode deeper into the woods, Errol and Robbie ignoring them and their conversations. Their eyes were constantly scanning the woods for any trouble. Just because they were on MacLeod lands didn’t mean that there weren’t people with ill-intentions lying in wait.
Looking over at Anna, Moira’s concern grew. Her friend’s color had completely drained from her face, and she was barely staying astride.
“Errol,” Moira called out. “We must stop.”
“We still have a way afore we arrive at our first rest spot,” he said gruffly.
“Yer sister cannae wait that long.”
He didn’t look back. Just kept moving forward and Moira thought he wouldn’t respond.
“She will let me ken when she needs rest,” he called over his shoulder.
“I dinnae think she is capable, she really—”
Just then Anna listed off her horse, falling to the ground below.