Page 61 of The Highlander's Captured Bride
Joining her on the bed, he pulled her into his side and kissed right on her temple, “Dinnae ye fash yerself, love, I’m sure they will be found alive.”
With her face buried in his chest, he did not hear her say anything but felt her soft snuffles and felt guilt. He should have never left her alone knowing that she was feeling the same fear he was muddling through. He couldn’t leave her there alone anymore.
“Come with me,” he said. “Ye’re staying with me until all this is sorted out.”
She shifted, “I want to but—”
“I dinnae care what anyone will say,” he cut in. “Our faithers are out there missing. Anyone with a seed of compassion and empathy will realize we need each other to lean on.”
Hesitantly, Violet pulled away only to reach for the unpacked sack of clothes at the side of her bed. She was not objecting and her quiet compliance encouraged him. Stepping off the bed, he took her with him through the door. The guard did not look surprised nor was he objecting when he saw Violet fitted under Ethan’s arm.
“She will be staying with me, Mister MacTyre,” Ethan said calmly.
“Aye, Master MacFerson,” the guard bowed, “I wish ye all be best.”
Violet mustered a thin smile, and Ethan used his free hand to shake the guard’s, and then, they were off to his room. One or two people passed by them on their way but, though their curiosity was shown on their faces, no one asked. Ushering Violet in had the tight knot of trepidation in his stomach unraveling somewhat.
While he was expecting her to take a seat, Violet toed her shoes off, dropped her sack at the side of his bed and went to lay on it, curling slightly into herself. Seeing her so lost and helpless, Ethan felt pain ricocheting from his middle to the ends of his body and back again. He took his shoes off, as well, and joined her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her middle and pulling her to rest on his chest.
“Tell me what’s on yer mind,” he whispered.
Her hand rested on his, was telltale cold and clammy, “What if he’s…dead, Ethan?”
The words were said quietly but came with a heaviness that added more to the worry resting on his chest. There were no words he could say to alleviate the same fear they were both feeling. Even if he tried, the words would fall hollow.
“I feel the same, love,” he replied. “I wish I can tell ye otherwise but I cannae.”
She shifted to face him and the look in her eyes had him wondering what more was going through her mind, but she voiced it before he asked. “Ethan, I’m really afraid but…” she worried her lip, “I have faith that me faither wouldnae leave yers to die. I ken he took him away to draw out the killer.”
Her words stirred a line of thoughts to run through his head, but even before he examined them, he felt admiration warm his chest. Even with all the trouble surrounding them, Violet still had the presence of mind to think through this muddle and find some sort of explanation. If what she was saying was right, her father would have taken his to a secure location to hide and as he raked through his mind…he knew where it could be.
A long time ago, his father had told him and his brother about a hiding-place in the mountains that had been used as a munition hideaway during the Bishop’s War. Then, as time passed, the place was used as a hiding place for the deserters of the civil war that was headed by Alasdair MacDonald, seventy-four years ago.
There was a high possibility his father and Mister MacFerson had run off there, but he did not dare speak it, in case Violet’s hopes were raised and his suspicions were wrong. The problem was, that cave was at the base of Ben Cruachan Mountains, a full three days ride from the castle. Could he leave Violet alone for that time, and on a weak hunch no less? If he rode hard, he could get there in less than two days, and be back in another two days' time.
“I can see that as something yer faither would dae,” he admitted while running a soothing hand up and down her back. “T’would draw him away from the castle where, and seeing as he dinnae get me faither, it would lure him away from harming others.”
She pressed closer to breathily whisper, “I daenae like this.”
“Neither dae I, but we can only hope for the best,” Ethan replied tucking her under his arm.
The only thing he wanted to do was to fold her under his arm and shield her from the world, making do on the promise to her father, to protect her. It was moments like this he realized, under all that armor of strength and wisdom, she was still very frail. Staying there, with her close, he listened as her breath evened out and she fell asleep.
“I made an oath to yer faither and mine, to stay by yer side, to protect ye,” he murmured in her ear.
Forgive me when I go, I’m sure ye will be safe here under me uncle’s and the guards’ watch, naything will harm ye here, I’m sure of it.
22
Something’s nay right…
Violet felt the dearth even before she woke up, and when she did swim to consciousness, she realized—Ethan was gone. It was barely sunrise, but the spot on the bed where he had rested was already cool.
Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes to clear the lingering haze of sleep and looked around the room. Yesterday, when she had done so, all she had wanted to do was rest and distance herself from the worry about her father being dead. Now, when her attention was still somewhat distracted from her worry, she saw her surroundings.
The bed she lay on was large, at least thrice the size of the simple version she had in her visitor’s room, and a thin carpet was under it. A massive fireplace was at the end of the room with three comfortable, padded chairs facing it. A few wooden trunks were neatly lined up at the other end and thin curtains fluttered over the open windows. Her eyes landed on the large table near it, the basin resting atop it and next to it was her sack.
Sliding out of the bed, she rested the tips of her toes on the carpet and found it to be soft, like lamb’s wool. Still concerned about where Ethan was, she went to the table and found cool washing water inside it. After rinsing her mouth and face, she put on a simple blue cotton frock and considered where to find Ethan.
