Page 41 of A Highlander's Bride

Daniel leaned forward, his fists leaning on the table. “I will no’ marry Lady Alice. Although I have no way to prove it, as I said, I believe in my heart Lady Beth’s notes to her mam and myself are fake.”

“If ye believe that, should ye no’ be on yer way to Castle Grant and fetch yer bride?”

Daniel sighed. “I just said I believe them to be fake. However, just to make sure, I sent Gregory to Castle Grant.”

Richard glared at him. “We have no idea what the king has planned for the Mackenzies if ye ignore his edict.” He waved his finger at Daniel. “Ye might be making a big mistake. I say accept Lady Alice. No’ everyone gets to marry who they want to.”

Frustrated and getting nowhere with the men, Daniel turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

He left the keep and headed to the stable.

After questioning James, one of the stable lads, he learned that Gregory and a few other men had left for Castle Grant and several men had gone to search the area for Beth.

He also asked if a horse was missing. James seemed insulted that an animal could be missing and he hadn’t notified the laird.

It was time for him to join the hunt. He had places that he and Beth had been to that the others would not necessarily know about.

With a heavy heart, but a strong determination, he headed out of the castle.

*

Beth had criedall the tears she thought could come out of her body. She even wondered if she was damaging herself since she’d had no water and couldn’t afford to use up what she had with tears.

Daniel, please, listen to me. I love ye and I want to marry ye. We’ll have bairns, and a wonderful life. Please don’t fall for Lady Chisholms’ plans, whatever they might be.

She really had no way of knowing what she’d told Daniel to go along with her plan.

Why was the woman so determined to have Daniel marry her daughter? It was obvious to anyone who had spent an hour in both their companies that Alice had no interest in becoming the laird’s wifeand he had no interest in her.

She laid her head down on her raised knees and tried to sleep. It might help pass the time. But for what? Would Lady Chisholm leave her in here forever to waste away, die of thirst, and be eaten by vermin?

Beth awoke with a start. Someone was outside the heavy door to her room. “Hello?” When the noise stopped, she said, “Is someone there?”

The door slowly opened and a man walked in. She was pretty sure he was the man who had dragged her on this journey to hell. Was he here to finish the job. Kill her?

She climbed to her feet. “What do you want?” Her voice was gruff, dry, painful when she spoke.

He walked a few feet toward her and she backed up. “Her ladyship doesna want ye to die.”

She wiped her nose with the edge of her bedding. “How nice of her to be so considerate. If she is so concerned for my welfare, why do ye no’ bring me back upstairs?”

He shrugged. “She has her reasons.” He held out a mug of some type of liquid and a sack. “Here.”

She took the sack and mug from him. “Is this poisoned?”

“Nay. I said she doesna want ye to die.” He turned to leave.

“Wait!”

He stopped and turned back to her. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her.

“Y’er the one who dragged me down here, waving a knife in my face.”

He said nothing, which was no surprise.

She was about to tell him how serious the charges against him would be once she was released, but she didn’t trust him not to kill her, despite what he’d said.

She turned her back on him and returned to her corner that she had cleaned out as best she could with part of the bedding.