Page 69 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
But what she did not realize, as she walked away, was that the two men eating at the table on the other side of the tavern should have been very familiar to her. One was a young soldier sweet on Betty with whom she had exchanged words on several occasions when he found an excuse to hang around the castle.
The other, however, was more pressing and more well-known. When she thought back later, she’d remember and wonder how she did not recognize him. That sandy hair, the gray eyes, and the light, quirky smile that were the trademarks of the young soldier’s commander and Nathair’s best friend, William Candlish.
And he’d served as a witness to everything.
19
The Discovery
Nathair had just finished paying a visit to the village headman when one of the young soldiers who remained in their tattered army ran up to him, out of breath.
“Me Laird!” the boy huffed. He had to stop to swallow some air, his hands resting on his knees as he caught his breath. Nathair waited patiently, wondering exactly how far the soldier had run, and why his need for urgency. “Me Laird, the Commander…”
Nathair stiffened. “William? Has something happened to him?”
The soldier took another deep breath, shaking his head. “Nay, nay, at least—I dinnae think—he’s been lookin’ for ye all mornin’, Me Laird. He’s got us scourin’ the village tryin’ to find where ye are.”
That is very…strange.
“But I told Magnolia where I was headed before I came out to see Ewan. Didn’t he ask her? I’d have assumed she would be the first he’d seek out.”
The soldier paled, just a little. “Well, Me Laird, ye see, the thing is…I dinnae think he wants Miss Leighmoore to ken whatever it is he has to say.”
“What? Why?” Nathair demanded. That made no sense. William had been one of Magnolia’s most stalwart supporters since day one. What could he possibly want to keep from her so badly?
With an uncomfortable shrug, the young man said, “Can I just take ye to the Castle? He’s waitin’ there as we speak.”
Nathair shook his head. “I have obligations to finish. Head back and tell him we can meet in me private study for luncheon. I promised Johnstone’s widow I’d visit, and I cannae just abandon her.”
The young soldier nodded and ran off, and Nathair watched him go. As he walked towards the bereaved woman’s house, though, much was playing through his mind.
What could possibly be such an emergency? And what does it have to do with Magnolia?
* * *
Magnolia and Elaine were drawing together in the breakfast room when William walked in, pale and disheveled. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
“Uncle William!” Elaine called out, excited as ever. She got to her feet and hurried to his side. “How are ye?”
Magnolia smiled, too. “Greetings to you, William. What a pleasant surprise.”
What was more of a surprise was the venomous dark look he shot in her direction. That, and how, though he hugged Elaine tightly, he did not even acknowledge Magnolia beyond the glare.
“Have ye seen yer Dadaidh, Elaine?” he asked. His usually cheerful voice was dull and flat and hard, and it felt like he’d withdrawn all the cold air from the room. “I need to talk to him.”
Elaine shook her head. “He said he was goin’ out this mornin’ because he had important Laird duties. Do ye want to see the rabbit I drew?”
“Later,” William told her, leaning down to kiss her hair. “If ye see him, tell him I need to speak wi’ him urgently, will ye?”
“Oh, he went down to the village to—” Magnolia started but was rewarded with nothing more than another dark look.
“I was actually talkin’ to Elaine, Miss Leighmoore,” he said stiffly.
Miss Leighmoore? What happened to Magnolia?
“Is everything quite all right, Commander?” she asked, switching back to his title too, responding to her own confusion with propriety.
He just grunted, then turned to Elaine once more. “Tell him I was lookin’ for him,” he said again. Then, without another word, he straightened and walked quickly out of the room.
