Page 52 of A Highlander's Bride

Daniel gritted his teeth. “I doona care how long it takes or what effort or expense is involved. Just save my…” The words became trapped in his throat, as if he were choking. He turned, and headed to look out of the window so Emma couldn’t see his tears.

*

Lady Chisholm snarledat Meggie. “I thought ye said yer lover was to be trusted!”

Her maid cowered in Lady Chisholm’s bedchamber as the woman came at her with a fire iron in her hand.

Gregory Mackenzie had just left her bedchamber after telling her she was under house arrest for abducting Lady Beth Munro.

“I am Lady Chisholm, I canno’ be held in house arrest,” she’d blustered to Gregory. “I fear the laird has lost his mind.”

The man turned from her in disgust and left the room. Meggie walked the outer area of the space, trying her best to avoid the crazed woman.

Lady Chisholm was angry that no one seemed to be concerned thatherdaughter was missing. If that lass had left the castle to meet up with that lover of hers, she would see her left without any help orsupport from her parents when it all fell apart.

Support? Since the laird had recovered Lady Beth there would be no wedding between him and her daughter. They would now live in penury. Or worse at the behest of her husband’s relatives, who despised her.

Someone would pay for this. Either her daughter, her lover, her maid, or theidjitlad that Meggie had told her was a man who she had under her control.

Chapter Nineteen

After getting Bethbathed and into a clean, fresh nightgown, and changing the bedding to avoid infestation, Lady Munro and Lady Grant’s husbands persuaded them to return to the great hall for supper.

When the men suggested Daniel join them as well, he refused. “Have someone send up food. I am no’ leaving until Beth wakes up.”

Emma had said there were no serious injuries, but the lass had suffered insect and rodent bites. She also needed food and drink. He’d attempted to feed her broth and ale. Sometimes she would sip it, but never seemed to fully awaken.

Instead of meeting with Joshua downstairs in the great hall, he sent for the lad to present himself to Lady Beth’s bedchamber.

Gregory stopped on his way to supper and spoke to him about King George. Apparently the king was insulted because he’d sent an order for Daniel to meet with him to explain what was going on, but Daniel refused and sent word to the king he was more than welcome to come to Beth’s bedchamber to meet with him.

The lad crept into the room looking quite unsettled. “Laird, ye wished to speak with me?”

“Aye, lad. I would like the entire story of how Lady Beth ended up in the dungeon, and why ye chose to tell me about it after she’d been there for five days.”

The lad looked as if he was about to bring up his last meal onto his shoes “Lady Chisholm’s maid, Meggie and I had formed an attachment.”

When it seemed the lad would stop, Daniel shrugged and waved at Joshua to continue.

“She brought me to see Lady Chisholm one day and she asked me to take Lady Beth to a hiding place and once Lady Alice married the laird,” he gulped, “um,you—she would see that Meggie and I would get a small house and permanent jobs.”

Daniel ran his hand down his face. “So ye sold out yer laird for a bothy? And a job? Even though ye already had a job in the stables?”

The lad grew even more pale.

“Did ye then leave Lady Beth there to starve? Did ye no’ worry about her in that cold dark place?” He could feel his temper rising as he spoke with the lad.

“Nay!” He cried. “I went every day and brought her food and drink, and the last two days I went in the morning and then in the evening. At that point I had to sit there and make sure she ate.”

“What made ye decide to tell me?” Daniel was having a hard time understanding this lad. Was he evil? Greedy? Caring?

“I went to see Meggie to tell her that Lady Beth was growing weaker every day and asked when would ye marry Lady Alice so we could bring Lady Beth up.”

“I never had any intention of marrying Lady Alice.”

He nodded. “I dinna ken it at the time. Lady Chisholm made it sound like ye wanted her daughter, and Lady Beth was only a distraction, and once she was gone for a day or so, yer wedding to Lady Alice would take place.”

Daniel thought for a moment about the treachery of Lady Chisholm. “Did Meggie agree with ye then to release Lady Beth?”