Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“She still isnae back?” Margo asked, cupping Eleanor’s cheeks between her palms.
“No,” Eleanor said, sniffling. It had taken Margo nearly five minutes to calm her sister down enough to get her to speak. “I thought she would after I went to have supper, especially after you told me that she was seen following around Laird MacLeod.”
“We will find her,” Margo said, swallowing down the frustration that had begun to build in her chest. She turned and caught Tilly’s eye. “Could you have the servants begin the search?”
“Aye, me Lady,” Tilly said, glancing toward the window. “I will tell them it is of utmost importance that we find the wee thing before the sun sets.”
“It looks like it is going to storm again,” Eleanor whimpered, her eyes closing as tears tracked down her cheeks.
“We willnae let her be caught in the storm,” Tilly promised before she turned and rushed out of Margo’s quarters.
“We will find her,” Margo said again, the despair on her sister’s face only twisting her frustration further.
She had been willing to deal with Cameron’s confusing behavior when it only affected her, but now that Eleanor was crying, she felt herself getting angry.
While he hadn’t abducted the kitten, he’d known that she was following him around.
When she’d gone looking for him earlier, she’d been unable to find him.
It had been wrong of her to assume that he was keeping an eye on the tiny creature.
Instead, he’d lost her and did not seem to care one bit.
“You stay here,” Margo instructed Eleanor, using the sleeve of her gown to dry her sister’s cheeks. “I am going to speak with Laird MacLeod. Perhaps he can tell me the place that he saw her last, and I can start my search there.”
“I’ll come with you,” Eleanor said, trying to stand up when Margo stepped away.
“We still do not know how she escaped,” Margo said as she gently pushed Eleanor back into her seat. “You should stay here and make sure we do not lose another. Once we find the missing kitten, we’ll work on a solution to keep them in place now that they’re moving around more.”
Eleanor nodded, shifting her attention to the kittens that were sleeping after their evening meal. She kept her mouth stubbornly closed, and it tore at Margo’s heart. Her sister was trying to keep herself from crying.
And this is all because Cameron MacLeod didn’t pay enough attention to the kitten following him.
As Margo stormed out of her quarters, thunder rumbled in the distance. It made her frustration feel even sharper, as though she could slice through the frantic energy that was brewing in the castle. The poor cat was probably frightened, and if the skies opened up, she would freeze.
“Cameron,” she said as she threw open his study door, not bothering to knock before she entered. “I pray that you have the gray kitten hidden away in here.”
“Nay,” he said, raising his eyebrow at her. His calm, handsome face only served to make her angry. “She stopped followin’ me midday. I assumed that she had returned to her siblin’s.”
“She is too small to find her way through the winding corridors!” Margo exclaimed, stomping across the room and stopping in front of his desk. “If you weren’t going to keep a close eye on her, you should have returned her to my quarters. Eleanor is beside herself with grief!”
“I dinnae think that she would lose her way,” he replied, the petulance in his voice making her even more furious.
She did not know why, but something inside her broke. It wasn’t just that he was careless with the kitten. Every slight inconvenience against her bubbled up to the surface, and she could no longer hold herself back.
“I was always responsible for my sister when we were growing up,” she began, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “Our father was not interested in raising us, and after our mother died, he became even more apathetic. It was only me and Eleanor looking out for one another.”
Across the desk, Cameron leaned forward. His forearms rested on the surface, and his hands were folded together like he was paying respectful attention to what she was saying. His eyes never left her face, and she felt her irritation reach a fever pitch.
“And even though it was awful, we knew how to deal with it!” she continued frantically.
“I am constantly confused, and I do not know what you want from me! I am grateful you brought Eleanor here, but I am so upset you allowed that kitten to get lost! I cannot remember the last time I saw her as happy as she is when she is caring for them. Perhaps you did not know, or perhaps you purposely neglected that tiny creature’s well-being.
But it does not matter what your intention was; the outcome was the same! ”
“Margo, I—”
“I do not have time to stand around and argue,” she said, not allowing him to get another word in. “The sun is going down, and there’s a storm rolling in. If the kitten is outside, she could die. I will not let that happen!”
Then, she turned around and left, her gown fluttering around her ankles.
As she rushed through the castle, she passed by maids and servants searching every inch of the space.
She knew that the sight should make her feel more relaxed, but something in the pit of her stomach told her that the kitten wasn’t in the castle.
If she had been, Margo was sure they would have already found her.
The second she stepped outside, rain began to fall. It wasn’t the same angry storm from a few nights ago, but she could tell by the way the coastline was quickly darkening that it wouldn’t be this calm for long. She was in a race against time, and the kitten’s life was on the line.
“Baby!” she yelled, cupping her hands together as she ran toward the gates. “Come here! Let me bring you inside before the weather gets worse!”
Though she didn’t ask about Cameron’s daily activities, part of her knew that he had gone to the village. If the kitten followed him, she could be anywhere between the castle and the sea. Margo refused to think about what it would mean if she didn’t find her.
As she ran further into the woods toward the cliff, the weather worsened. Lightning cracked, and thunder rolled as sheets of rain fell from above. It felt as though the cliff was warning her, telling her to stay away.
I cannot. I cannot return to the castle without the kitten. No matter what happens.
As she pushed further forward, the rain lashed against her face and arms. Her gown was soaked through to the skin, and she could barely see through the water sluicing over her eyes.
As lightning struck close by and thunder nearly shattered her eardrums, she tucked herself between two enormous rocks, covering her head with her arms.
“Please be safe,” she whispered, a desperate prayer to any saint that would listen. “Please let the kitten be safe. And please let both of us see tomorrow morning. Let the tiny soul be a proper Robinson Crusoe.”
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, sending off words that she could only hope were heard by a higher power. The storm raged around her, only getting worse with each passing second. Though tears pricked her eyes, she refused to let them fall. She would not let herself be overcome by despair.
When she finally let her eyes close, she could have sworn she heard her name in the wind. Lifting her head, she looked around, her heart hammering as she searched for the source. Though she had a sinking feeling she was losing her mind, or that the Land was speaking directly to her.
“Not right now,” she groaned, hiding her face between her knees as a shiver wracked her icy body.
“Margo!”
This time, she knew she heard her name. The voice was deep, familiar. And, when Cameron called for her again, she nearly stopped breathing.
“Margo!” Cameron called again, his voice booming above the sound of the storm.
As soon as she had left his study, Cameron had arranged a proper search party for the kitten. Margo was right after all; his own carelessness was the reason the kitten went missing. When he rushed to find her, his staff had reported that she’d left the grounds.
“Margo!” he called again, jumping off of his horse when he spotted a flash of her soaked gown. “Where are ye?”
“Cameron?”
Her voice came soft and hesitant, seemingly carried by the flash of lightning that highlighted the spot he’d been watching. She was standing now, holding a hand across her brow to shield her eyes from the torrential downpour. The realization that he’d found her brought forward a rush of emotions.
Relief and anger battled inside him in equal measure as he slogged through the muddied earth. There was something else beneath it all, something warm, covered up by the more familiar feelings. He pushed it aside, putting his hands on Margo’s shoulders when he reached her.
“Margo,” he said, fighting down the desire to lecture her about leaving during the storm, or coming to the cliffs on her own, or roaming the lands without a light in the darkness.
He could hardly believe she had endangered herself for a kitten. Then again, he remembered the fierce determination in her eyes when she had stood up to him in his study. Much as he wanted to vent his fear and anger on her, he would not.
“Come. I’ve brought me horse,” he said gruffly, pulling her from her hiding place.
When she was free, he put his hand on her lower back, needing to feel that she was here and alive. Through the fabric of her gown and corset, he could feel just how cold her skin was. It made his heart clench painfully in his chest.
“Why did you come?” she asked as they approached his horse. Her footsteps slowed, her body tensing up as though she were just now realizing that he was touching her. “After my behavior in your study… You…”
“Come now,” he insisted, the front of his sweater starting to wiggle. “We must get ye out of the rain. Ye’re freezin’.”
“Cameron,” she said, slipping away from his grip and staring up at him with her arms crossed over her chest. “Why?”
Her mouth was set in a severe frown, a line of indignation formed between her brows.
Rain dripped down her face, caressing the curve of her cheek.
Each flash of lightning illuminated her face, making her beauty even more striking.
As thunder rolled above them, angry and demanding, he felt himself being drawn in even closer.
Before he could answer, lightning struck again, making her pale skin glow. Then, the tiny, fury-gray head he’d been trying to conceal popped out from beneath the layers of wool he was wearing. Margo’s eyes flitted from his face down to the kitten she’d been willing to risk her safety for.
“You… you found her?” she asked, her voice shaking as though she couldn’t allow herself to believe what she was seeing.
“Aye,” Cameron said, leaning down so she could stroke the kitten’s head. The tiny creature began to purr, seemingly pleased to be reunited with Margo. “I found it.”
For a long moment, she stayed there, rubbing her forefinger against the soft fur. She was so close, and Cameron had to resist the urge to pull her against his chest and shelter her from the storm. The only thing stopping him was the kitten between the two of them.
“Where was she?” Margo asked, finally withdrawing her touch, though she didn’t drop her hand.
The storm around them seemed to calm. Rain still poured, but the lightning and thunder sounded as though they were getting further away. The need to get back inside was still pressing, but it no longer felt like a matter of life and death..
“The beast,” Cameron said, grunting as the kitten worked herself free from beneath his sweater. She dug her claws in, perching herself on his shoulder and looking down at Margo from her vantage point, “was hidin’ from the thunder beneath me blankets again.”
A laugh of pure relief fell from Margo’s lips.
He frowned down at her, pulling his shoulders back to make himself look bigger.
The kitten on his shoulder adjusted her stance to keep from falling off.
The sight only seemed to deepen her joy, and despite his best efforts, he found himself sharing in her laughter with a soft smile.
“Why did ye nae wait?” he asked, trying to take control of the situation. It was clearly out of his hands, though, especially as the kitten nuzzled against his cheek. “Must ye always be so reckless?”
Margo only seemed to laugh harder, her hands wrapping around her stomach to hold onto her sides. Through her giggles, she asked, “She was in the castle all along?”
He was fully smiling now, his attempts to hide it completely useless. The sound of her laughter was the sweetest he’d ever heard. Even though it was entirely at his expense, he didn’t want her to stop.
I’d make a fool of meself every day if I kent it would make ye laugh like this.
The thought rushed through him unbidden. It didn’t wipe his smile away, though. He didn’t think anything could.
“I ken, I ken,” he grumbled, his voice not carrying any heat. “A big Highland warrior bein’ used as a kitten’s perch. It’s very funny.”
“It is,” Margo said, slowly rebuilding her composure.
She closed the distance between them, her smile so wide it made the apples of her cheeks round with delight. He watched as she reached out toward the kitten. But she did something unexpected.
Instead of reaching for the kitten again, her fingertips gently brushed against his forehead as she swept his long, rain-soaked hair from his face. His breath caught, something low and possessive rumbling in his chest. When she didn’t pull away, his eyes fell shut for a beat.
Saints, give me strength.