Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Morning dawned. Maura was still asleep and every bit as alluring as Dugan had found her last night, but at least his reason had returned. So had his anger.
He got up from his chair and stretched, and made a point of avoiding looking at her. When he thought of her sweet kisses, ’twas far too easy to contemplate abandoning his ransom demand.
He picked up his maps and left her sleeping while he went into the room where his men had slept. He wanted—needed—to consult with them.
Needed to put some space between himself and Maura before his anger could dissipate.
The men were all awake, and Dugan went directly to a table that stood by the window. He cleared everything from its surface and spread out the section of the map that showed Loch Monar. “Come here, all of you.”
“What is it, Dugan?” Lachann asked.
“What does this look like to you?” He pointed to Loch Monar.
“ ’Tis Loch Aveboyne,” Conall replied.
“No,” Lachann said. “ ’Tis more the shape of Loch Monar.” He pointed to another blue shape. “This is Aveboyne, north of Monar. See how much longer and narrower it is.”
“Aye,” Dugan replied. “Look closely at Loch Monar. Do you see any sign on this map that the gold might be hidden there?” Dugan stepped back and let the others study the document, hoping one of them would take note of the green mark.
The men shook their heads, all but Bryce. “Dugan, you do’na mean this green splotch of ink at the wee neck of land on the north shore?”
“ ’Tis naught but a blur of ink,” Lachann said, and Dugan heard a fair degree of incredulity in his tone. “Dugan, this is just the blue of the loch, blurred away from the main part.”
Conall frowned, lowering his head even closer to the map. “Mayhap not, Lachann. This is definitely a mark made in green paint, Laird.”
“Well, I am fairly sure this is Loch Monar, and the Duke of Argyll asked a few pointed questions about it last night,” Dugan said. “I think he’s heard of the gold and he intends to look there for it.”
The men were silent as they considered Dugan’s words.
“Just because Argyll believes it’s there doesn’t mean it is, Dugan,” said Lachann. “This mark ... Well, it looks like naught to me.”
Dugan rubbed the back of his neck. The green spot was hardly the beacon that should draw him to Loch Monar.
“Well then, let’s find Loch Nan Eun. ’Tis another spot Argyll mentioned.” Though Dugan believed ’twas just a distraction from the site Argyll really believed in.
“I see naught,” Conall said.
Bryce shook his head.
“Dugan, I don’t think we can put all our hopes in this spot,” Lachann said, pointing to the green mark at Loch Monar.
“Nor I,” said Bryce.
Dugan let out a long breath. According to Maura, the gold was located elsewhere. Could he believe her?
Could he risk following Maura into the highlands merely because she claimed she’d figured out the key to the map and knew where the gold had been hidden? Or was she leading him on in the hope that his ransom plan would fall apart if she was not at Braemore when the baron arrived?
He should have known from the moment he’d seen Lady Maura facing down that ram by the waterfall that she was a force to be reckoned with.
Dugan could not help but hope he wasn’t about to make an even more serious error in judgment, worse than the enormous mistake he’d made the night before. As much as he did not like it, the lass belonged to Kildary. He’d been a fool to touch her.
A fool to want her.
But even now, he could not regret one moment that he’d spent in her bed. He wanted her still, wanted to wipe away the sheen of tears and kiss away the hurt expression in her eyes.
But he could not.
“Lachann, go to Caillich’s stable and try to get a look at Argyll’s baggage. See if you can determine how many men he brought with him and whether they have carts with shovels and picks.”
Lachann nodded and went to follow his brother’s orders. The other lads left to find Archie and hunt down some breakfast while Dugan shaved and washed and made himself ready to face Maura.
He admitted she had a very good reason to lie about discovering the key to the map. They both knew a delay in their arrival at Braemore could negate Dugan’s ransom demand. If Dugan did not produce his captive when Kildary or his men arrived at his keep, he might well forfeit the ransom.
On the other hand, if she helped him find the gold, she would be free to make her way up to Loch Camerochlan and take her sister wherever she decided to go.
Dugan didn’t want to give her to Kildary, but he surely did not care to think of her traveling all the way to Camerochlan alone, and then leaving Scotland for good.
Kieran and Calum would make haste in their journey to Cromarty to deliver the ransom demand, and Kildary or his men would leave immediately for Braemore. ’Twas what Dugan would do if his own bride were threatened.
But perhaps Dugan could delay Kildary at Braemore. It would take some days for the baron to travel all the way from Cromarty to the western highlands ... By the time he arrived, Dugan might already have the French gold in his possession.
Dugan decided on a plan as he folded his plaid about his waist and fastened his belt. He would send Bryce to placate Kildary while he and the other men accompanied Maura to the location where she believed the gold was hidden. If they did not find it—well, then they would hurry back to Braemore and turn her over to Kildary.
Not that it would be easy, for Maura was certain not to cooperate.
There was no room in Maura’s heart for any fondness toward Laird MacMillan, in spite of what had transpired between them in her room the night before. Perhaps because of what had happened. She was so embarrassed to have bared not only her body, but her soul to him.
And he’d handed it right back to her when he declared there was no change in his plan to ransom her.
She’d been right to keep her knowledge about Loch Aveboyne from him. She prayed she would be able to find the loch, for ’twas the only chance she had for getting away from Lord Kildary and on to Loch Camerochlan.
Dugan must have significant doubts about Loch Monar actually being the location of the gold, because now he’d decided to trust her. Well, not actually trust her. ’Twas clear by his cold manner this morn that he had no particular liking for his predicament. She knew his preference to send her to Braemore had not changed. Their intimate interlude meant naught.
And so it would mean naught to Maura.
She had to get her hands on the other sections of the map, though, and try to make out the rest of the words that were etched on them. Perhaps Loch Aveboyne was not actually the location. Perhaps the rest of the message indicated that the gold was miles away from Aveboyne. Or sunk in the middle of the loch.
But at least she was not doomed to become Kildary’s bride. At least, not yet.
“Which way, Maura?” Dugan asked. His voice slid through her like warm honey. But she resisted any softening toward him.
“Where is Bryce?”
“I asked you a question, woman.”
She straightened her shoulders and bolstered her resolve. He would not intimidate her. “We travel northwest, as before.”
It was early, and no one but servants were about the castle bailey. The sun had not even crested the mountain peaks to the east, but Calum, Archie, and Lachann had already saddled their horses. They took their leave and rode down to the gates rather than waiting for Dugan and Maura.
Dugan set his jaw as he took her traveling bag from her, but something caught his attention as he tossed it onto the back of his saddle. “Wait here,” he commanded. “I mean it, Maura. Do not step away from this spot.”
Dugan hurried away toward the chandler’s shop across from the stable where a young maid—hardly more than a child—was hauling two heavy buckets, one in each hand. Maura’s heart clenched when she noticed the lass’s limping gait, and when she stumbled, Dugan lurched ahead to catch her before she fell.
He righted her and took the buckets from her hands. He carried them into the shop, and Maura could not help but defy his command and approach the building when she heard low voices coming from inside.
“Are you such a neep, chandler, not to see how your lass struggles?”
“And who are ye to tell me m’ business?”
“I am laird of the MacMillans”—Dugan tipped slightly forward at the waist and pointed at the chandler—“and I’ll tell you what you clearly need to hear, man.”
“Get out of my shop.”
“Get the lass a cart so she can pull the buckets from the well rather than spilling half the water over the ground and herself.” By his tone, ’twas clear Dugan would not brook any argument.
“I do’na need ye t’ tell me—”
“Aye, you do. You’ll have a more efficient shop if you provide her with the tools to perform her tasks.”
An intense wave of emotion came over her as she watched the interchange between Dugan and the chandler, but Maura had no time to think about Dugan’s actions when he turned to leave the shop. She gathered her wits and hurried back to where he’d left her, standing beside his horse.
Their departure was delayed yet again by Bryce’s arrival. Dugan took the man aside and spoke quietly with him, then returned to Maura.
“Come on, then,” he said, lifting her up to his saddle.
He mounted behind her and they followed the path his men had just taken, with Bryce alongside them.
Maura had to remind herself to breathe. The man who would hand her over to Baron Kildary without a second thought had dashed to assist a lame child-servant who was no one to him. Until now, Deirdre Elliott’s husband was the only man Maura had ever seen come to Rosie’s aid. And Dugan had done even more for this child he did not even know. He’d admonished the lass’s master to accommodate her shortcoming.
She wanted to turn right around and kiss him.
But that would not do, not at all.
They began their day’s ride as Maura considered what Dugan intended to do. It seemed he was going to follow her directions and hasten to the site where she believed the gold was hidden. In the meantime, he would send someone—Bryce—to Braemore to await Kildary. He needed someone to placate the baron if he arrived at Braemore before Dugan returned with Maura.
He wasn’t willing to trust in her completely.
In spite of that, Maura could not ignore the soft warmth that came over her when she reflected on Dugan scolding the ignorant chandler for giving his crippled servant tasks she could barely perform.
It occurred to her that he would treat Rosie fairly, too—if he ever met her.
He said naught as they rode through Caillich’s gates and circled ’round the walls of the castle, and Maura tried very hard to forget about the intimacies they’d shared. But that proved to be more difficult than she wished. Especially when he sat so close, his arms ’round her, his breath warm on her ear.
She had to guard her heart, for she found herself falling a little bit in love with him, and that would never do. A highland laird would never ally himself with the daughter of a lowland lord, especially a man like Lord Aucharnie. ’Twas best to keep her head and do what she must in order to get to Loch Camerochlan and Rosie.
“Exactly where are we headed?” he asked her as they caught up to his men, waiting just outside the gates.
His men exchanged puzzled glances and it was obvious to Maura that Dugan had not told them of her stipulation—that she would take him to the gold without disclosing its location.
“We need to ride toward Loch Monar,” she replied, ignoring the others.
He turned to look sharply at her. “Maura—”
“ ’Tis not there. But that is the direction, Dugan.”
Maura had not known the location of Loch Aveboyne until Dugan had pointed it out on the map, and now that she knew where it was, especially in relation to Braemore, she felt she’d be able to use the situation to her advantage, even if they didn’t find the gold. While the men searched for the gold, Maura could slip away and go to Loch Camerochlan—which was somewhat farther north—without Dugan.