Page 88 of Taming the Heiress
"Sir Frederick," Meg said quickly.
"He's the one. He said he saw you both on the mainland and that Dougal Stewart would know that he and the other gentlemen were going out to inspect the rock today. He said you might be along later, Mr. Stewart. A good thing I was still in Tobermory, fetching the mail from the mainland steamer, so that you did not have to hire a fisherman to take you over to the hard place," Norrie added pragmatically.
"I'll go with you out to the rock," Meg told Dougal firmly.
"You will not, Meg," he answered.
"Meg, is it?" Norrie asked mildly, hand resting on the rudder. He smiled a little. "If you're calling her Meg, you are now good friends, I am thinking." His blue eyes glinted.
"More than good friends, sir," Dougal said. "And she's not going out to the rock."
"I am," she said. "I must."
"Well, everyone wants to go to the rock. Wee Iain was a happy lad because Sir Frederick let him sail with them—"
Meg gasped. "Iain is with them?"
"What the devil!" Dougal growled.
"Ach,the young one came with me to Tobermory this morning, and he wanted to ride the steamer ship back again, since all the men were on it, so he and Fergus went with them. Sir Frederick said it would be all right and that we could all trust him with the care of the lad."
"Thank God Fergus is with him, at least," Dougal murmured.
"I am going out to the rock with you," Meg said, and she looked at Dougal. "And no doubt of it."
"Aye, then," Dougal agreed, frowning, while Norrie grunted in amusement. Meg realized with relief that her grandfather did not suspect Frederick might scheme to harm anyone.
She reached over to clasp Dougal's hand, his answering grip strong on her gloved fingers. They rode in silence, the waves splashing against the sides of the boat as Norrie shifted the rudder to speed them through the currents.
She drew a deep and anxious breath. Ahead loomed the long, distinctive shape of Sgeir Caran. As they drew closer, she saw the dark shapes of men moving about on top of the rock, although she could not identify anyone from this distance.
Soon Norrie took up the oars to guide the boat slowly and carefully through the treacherous path of the reef as they approached Sgeir Caran from a southerly direction. He concentrated on his task, and no one spoke. Meg watched the powerful surges and eddies as the water sliced and swirled through the maze of upthrusting and submerged rocks, and she glanced anxiously at Dougal. He smiled, quick and somber, and squeezed her hand.
* * *
The black bulk of the rock soon loomed over them, blocking much of the daylight in its shadow. Norrie drew in beside the quay, boat rising and falling with the slop of the waves. Two men came down the steps to assist them, one of them Alan Clarke.
"Hullo!" Alan said heartily as he assisted them onto the stone quay. "It's good to see you, Miss MacNeill! What a pleasant surprise." He turned to Dougal. "You're back just in time, sir."
"I know," Dougal said as they climbed the steps cut into the rock. Norrie came with them, as well, refusing mildly to turn back to Caransay; Meg realized that her grandfather's acute perception and natural curiosity had alerted him to the tension that she and Dougal felt. "I hear we have visitors."
"Oh, them," Alan said. "They want only to look at what we're doing. Thinking of contributing to the funds for this lighthouse and future projects, so it's a verra good thing."
"Indeed?" Dougal turned to look at Meg, who frowned.
"Though it's an inconvenience to have them here at such a time," Alan continued.
"Such a time?" Dougal asked. "I assume you've been working on the repairs following that gale just before I left."
"Aye, we've cleaned up a good bit o' the damage and repaired what we could. We've retrieved all but one of the stones that were swept into the water, and that one is roped and ready to bring up. But there is a problem with the rock beneath the water, sir," Alan said. "Evan Mackenzie went doon the deep to check the rock after our repairs—we were bringing up those dressed stones that fell, too—and he discovered a crack in the foundation stone."
"What!"
"Aye, sir. A sizeable fissure, from what he says. He'll be glad to see you're back, as will the rest of the men. Evan has been anxious to go doon to have a better look at it and to begin measures to shore it up. I hope you recovered some funding. We'll need it. Evan thinks we're going to need to build a sea wall."
Dougal swore and began to ask Alan further questions. As they reached the topmost surface of the rock, Meg felt the wind push over the plateau, whipping her cloak and skirt.
Evan Mackenzie called a greeting and hastened toward them, and Dougal ran to speak with him while Norrie, Alan, and other members of the work crew gathered around.
