Page 6 of Kidnapped By her Highland Enemy
Angus looked up, his thinning brows furrowing. “Who’s gone?”
“Yer daughter, sir,” the war chief said. “Our men were tending to a fire in the back fields, set by the damned Barclays we’re sure, and when we went to check on yer daughter, we only found her pack of riverbank. Her maid is gone too.”
The cup in the laird’s hands met the far wall with a shattering crack. “Those mangy, milk-livered bastards!”
As the laird made to get up, a messenger ran into the room, his face white with fear. “Me laird, this was sent for ye.”
Snatching the piece of parchment, he read. “A traitor from yer home is planning to kill ye on behalf of Laird Barclay. Get ye into hiding.”
Fergus’s eyes narrowed as his hand dropped to the pommel of his sword. “What?”
Balling up the note, Angus lobbied it at the messenger. “It’s too late. They’ve acted and since they couldnae get me, they got me daughter. Those scunnered sacks of shite have gone too far now. We are atwar.”
3
The brine of sea salt tickled Maisie’s nose. Stirring, she felt the tickle of an unfamiliar sheet brush across her nose and then, as she made to call for Heather—the memories of being thrown on a strange Scot’s shoulder jolted through her mind.
Gasping, Maisie shot up, grabbing at her clothes and finding only her stiff, dried shift. A fearful shudder ran through her, and she gently rose up from the slender cot and went to the latched window. Looking out she saw nothing but dark blue water, which surely flowed to forever, there being no end in sight.
“Where am I?” she breathed out, confused, while looking to where the blues of sea and sky met.
Her eyes dipped to the lower level—and saw only about a few feet of land, ten or twelve before a stark drop to the sea. There was no way to escape from this point.
She took a deep breath of the salty sea air and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the waves as they crashed onto the shore. What was she to do now? Maisie felt ill; she wanted to go home. Even though there was little comfort there, she did not know what horrors she would endure here in the clutches of her captors.
Is Faither searching for me? Surely he realizes that I am missing by now.
A great flock of white sea birds suddenly startled her as they flew over the longship, their shrill cries breaking into her thoughts. She shielded her eyes from the sun and gazed up at them, watching as they soared high into the endless expanse of blue sky, then one by one dove back down to the surface in search of fish for their morning meal.
Suddenly, her stomach grumbled angrily, reminding her that she had eaten little since the day before.
“Ah, yer awake,” a familiar—and infuriating—voice said from behind her.
Spinning, Maisie looked around the room, trying to spot anything she could use as a weapon, but found nothing. The chamber was quite bare, leaving only the cot she had slept upon and a few chests shoved up against a far wall.
Pressing herself against the shuttered window, she balled her fists to the side and notched her chin up. “Who are ye and what do ye want with me? Where am I?”
“Now, what would be the reason in telling ye that last bit?” he said while entering, his emerald eyes glimmering but staid. “I am Lucas McCormack, Laird Barclay.”
“Ye!” she spat, furious that he was one of the dastardly enemies. No, hewasthe dastardly enemy. “Me faither will have yer head on a pike when he comes for me.”
“He can try,” Lucas said easily while ruffling his light, flaxen, golden hair. “But I doubt he’ll win.”
She bristled, “Are ye always this…thisarrogant?”
“Aye,” he shrugged.
“What do ye want?” Maisie’s fingers flexed on the wall. “Why are ye doing this?”
“Why nae?” he asked. “It’s another way to show yer faither me clan is nae to be trifled with.”
“To this length?” Maisie said in disbelief. “To take me from me home? Why do I nae believe ye?”
To her irritation, he held her gaze without any faltering. “That’s up to ye. Trust me words or nae.”
“Where—” she looked around. “Where is Heather, me maid? What have ye scurs done with her?”
“What do ye ken we’ve done with her?” Lucas asked lightly, too lightly for Maisie’s peace of mind.
