Chapter 26
The tip of a cane rattled the desk, just inches away from Callum’s nose. He flinched, jerked upright, and found himself glaring straight up at his grandmother.
“I thought that would get yer attention,” Sophie sniffed. “Ye have been in here all day, without so much as pokin’ a nose out of doors. Supper will be served in a few hours.”
Callum sighed, rubbing his face. He pushed his work aside and leaned forward, rubbing a fingertip over the dent Sophie’s cane had made in his desk.
“Ye are afraid I’ll be late for supper?”
“Nay, actually. I came here to speak to ye because Melody’s nae been seen all day. She did nae come to breakfast and ate nay midday meal. Kat’s seen neither hide nor hair of her. I sent Jane to rifle through the keep to find her, and if Jane could find her, then she is nae here.”
“Of course she’s here, Grandmother.”
Sophie rattled the tip of her cane on the desk again. “She is nae. Ye arenae listenin’ to me.”
Callum bit his lower lip hard. “Listen, Grandmother. I’ve nae seen Melody since we parted ways after that wretched council meetin’.
I told her the full truth. I told her about Fletcher, Elsie, and…
Alexander. She was shocked, as ye would imagine, but I’m sure she understood now why we cannae be together, and why I cannae have a new heir. She understands.”
“She understands? It’s ye, lad, who understands nothin’. She has nae been seen. Do ye nae think that what ye said made her want to leave? If ye have driven her away…”
A tightness formed in Callum’s chest, making him swallow hard. He curled his fingers into fists, deliberately avoiding his grandmother’s eyes.
“If she chooses to leave, then I support her,” he responded. “It would be best.”
Sophie stared at him, her face wrinkling up into a frown.
“I daenae understand ye, Callum,” she said at last. “Ye had everythin’ ye needed just within yer grasp, and ye let it slip away. Why?”
Callum clenched his jaw. “I’ll say the same to ye, Grandmother, as I did to Melody. I daenae want a bride.”
“I did nae speak of what ye wanted. I spoke of what ye needed.”
He struggled to find a response to that. Before he was obliged to find something to say, running footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. Jane appeared in the open doorway, out of breath.
“Lady Sophie, I have discovered somethin’,” she panted.
“Let me guess,” Callum said tartly. “Ye have found her. She’s here. Was she in her room this whole time?”
Jane offered him a blank stare. “Nay, me Laird. She’s nae in her room. Her things are not missin’, so I daenae believe she has packed up and gone. Her horse, Faun, is missin’ from the stables.”
Sophie glanced sharply at her grandson. “Ye gifted her Faun? Elsie’s old mount?”
Callum cleared his throat. “It does nae matter. Well, then, has she simply gone for a ride, Jane?”
“Well, I spoke with the groom,” Jane explained, still struggling to catch her breath. “He said that she departed with Thomas early this morning.”
Callum rose slowly to his feet, frowning. “What? Why?”
“I could nae find out. But they left the keep early this mornin’, and have nae returned.”
A worrying, prickling feeling gusted down Callum’s spine. He swallowed thickly, forcing himself to breathe in and out. Sophie glanced at him, chewing her lower lip anxiously.
“Callum? What’s all this? What does it mean?”
“It means that Thomas has blamed me for years for the death of his daughter,” Callum muttered grimly. “And now he sees a chance to get his revenge.”
White-faced, Jane let out a gasp. Sophie glanced between her and Callum.
“But do ye believe that Thomas would do such a thing?” she whispered.
“I daenae ken what to believe now, Grandmother. Jane, go ahead of me to the stables, and get the groom to saddle up Thunder for me.”
Jane nodded again and hurried off down the hallway once more. Callum made to stride after her, but Sophie grabbed at his arm with gnarled, weak old hands.
“I daenae believe that Thomas would do somethin’ terrible to Melody,” she whispered. “Grief paralyzes folks. It doesnae spur them onto vile deeds.”
“Aye, perhaps so, but is grief not connected to anger, bitterness, and resentment?”
“Thomas cares for ye, lad, nay matter what ye say.”
“Me brother cared for me, too,” Callum shot back, gently untangling his arm from Sophie’s hand. “Or so I thought. Grandmother, I will see ye soon. Pray for me, eh?”
Thomas’ cottage had seen better days. The cottage had once been a sweet, cozy place, with ivy rambling over the front door, the thatch clean and neat, and a pretty kitchen garden sprawling around it.
Now, there were holes in the thatch. The ivy had taken over, choking the whole building. The chimney was crooked, and the garden had long since been taken over by nature once more. Thomas himself did not live there.
After his wife’s death, he and Elsie had come to live at the keep, traveling back only occasionally to maintain their cottage. They had tenants at one point, but Callum had no idea what had happened to them.
He reined in Thunder, slipping hesitantly down from the saddle. Should he call out? No, that seemed like a bad idea. Why should he give Thomas a warning? There was no sign of a horse, or Faun, or Melody. In fact, if he’d only been riding past, he would have assumed that the house was abandoned.
Inching hesitantly down the pathway, Callum moved his hand to rest on his sword hilt.
Without warning, the door swung open. Thomas appeared in the doorway, muttering to himself.
He clutched a broomstick in one hand and a clump of old leaves in the other.
Tossing the leaves out onto the pathway, he began to sweep off the doorstep.
He froze at the sight of Callum, glancing up at him in surprise.
“Oh, Callum. I did nae expect to see ye here.”
Callum swallowed thickly. “What are ye doin’, Thomas?”
“Sweepin’ out the place. I’ve let it go to rack and ruin, have I nae?
Me Helen would be furious. She loved this cottage.
It was always too small for Elsie. What a life I’ve had, eh?
” he added, chuckling bitterly. “Tryin’ to please me wife, who wanted to live here and have a small life, and tryin’ to please me daughter, who wanted to go to the keep and see me as councilor and herself as Lady MacDean.
I did manage to keep them both happy, in the end.
I’m glad Helen never saw Elsie die, or the wee babe.
I should come back here, should I nae? I’m nay great councilor. Another could take me place…”
“Nay, Thomas, that’s nae what I mean. Where is Melody?” Callum’s grip tightened around the hilt. “I ken that she came here.”
Thomas blinked at him. “Well, I thought ye might. She must have gotten back to the keep at least half an hour ago.”
“I daenae understand. Why did she come here?”
“I invited her, of course.”
“Why? Why, Thomas? Was it to tell her what a terrible husband I’d make? To convince her that she should go back to England?”
Thomas flinched, blinking. He stared up at Callum, a frown forming between his brows.
“I did nae tell ye of this, because I wanted to speak to her privately,” he said at last. “I willnae lie, Callum, I was furious when I learned that ye planned to wed again. And another marriage of convenience, too. I kent that ye were nae in love with my Elsie, but ye did care for each other, and that was all that mattered to me. I was so angry, so…” he broke off, squeezing his eyes closed.
“I spoke me mind at that council meetin’.
But as it was endin’, I saw her look at ye.
I saw ye look at her, and it was… it was somethin’ I hadnae expected.
So, I invited Melody here to tell her the truth. ”
“The truth? She already kens it. About me brother, about Elsie…”
“Nay, nae that truth,” Thomas interrupted. “I wanted to tell her about ye.”
Callum had not expected this. He flinched, eyeing Thomas warily. “And what does that mean?”
Thomas shrugged. “It means that ye are a worthy man. That ye have suffered, and suffered for too long. For years, I was happy to have a companion in me own grief, but since that English lass arrived, I have been thinking differently. A wee lassie like that, changin’ her own life so drastically in the way she did.
It’s impressive,” he added, with a huff of laughter.
“She is impressive. So I wanted to tell her nae to let go of ye. To persevere with ye and with the clan. She said she would, and she left.”
Callum exhaled raggedly, scraping a hand through his hair.
“That’s nae what I thought ye were goin’ to say.”
“I imagine nae. But that’s the truth. As I said, she left some time ago,” Thomas answered, shrugging. “I ken she didnae get lost, because Angus was takin’ her back.”
Callum paused, an icy dread creeping through his limbs. “Angus?”
“Aye. He accompanied her. I suppose it was for the best. Are English ladies nae meant to be chaperoned all the time?”
Callum swallowed tightly. “Which way did they go?”
“The usual road,” Thomas answered, frowning faintly. “The ground is soft, so ye should be able to track their steps.”
“Thank ye,” Callum answered, turning to hurry back down the path.
“Oh, and Callum?” Thomas called.
Callum glanced back over his shoulder. “Aye?”
“Ye daenae need it, but ye have my blessin’. To wed her, I mean,” Thomas answered, and offered a faint smile.
Despite the pounding of worry at the back of his mind, Callum smiled back.
“Thank ye, Thomas. That means a great deal.”
“Down this way, lass,” Angus ordered briskly.
Melody paused. “Are you sure? I know we did not come this way. We ought to have been able to see the keep by now. We are lost, I think.”
In truth, she’d thought they were lost hours earlier. When Angus insisted they step off the wide pathway and head into the forest, less than half a mile from Thomas’ cottage, she’d known it was the wrong way.