“No, love. It was during confusion such as this when Darcy managed to get to ye before.”
“He isn’t likely to do that again.”
“Still, I won’t take any chances.”
“What if I stayed in Rowan’s chamber, with my mother and Katherine? Niall has a guard placed there for Katherine. Quinn and Peadar are there as guards, too. I will be safe.”
Tadhg considered this. The afternoon was pressing on and there had been no signs of Finola. If night fell without finding her, he feared for her safety. “Please, Tadhg, ye must find her.”
“So be it. Ye will stay with your mother, under your brothers’ protection. Promise me ye will not leave their sides for anything. Do ye hear me? Nothing.”
“I promise.”
Tadhg escorted her to Rowan’s chamber. He also extracted promises from Quinn and Peadar that she would never be out of their sight. He kissed her soundly before leaving to rejoin the search.
She hadn’t seen Rowan since the attack and the sight of her huge, strong brother, normally so full of life, lying pale and still in the bed nearly undid her. She sat next to him on the bed, holding his big calloused hand in her small ones. Her mother dozed in a chair but Katherine sat on the other side of the bed, watching quietly. “He is so strong. He will get better. He will get better, won’t he?” she asked Katherine.
Katherine smiled warmly, saying, “Aye. I think he will. He stirs more often and seems to come closer and closer to being alert. His body just needs time to recover.”
“He is a good brother. Since Mama is asleep, I can tell ye, he was so excited to come here. He wanted a chance to make his own way, to be more than just one of the younger MacKenzies.”
“I know he did. He is a good man and an excellent guardsman. Niall thinks very highly of him.”
“Was he happy about this wedding? When Da announced it, he seemed resigned to it. I hoped he would be as happy as I am.”
“None of us have much say in who we marry, do we? Tadhg is lovely. I had no doubt he would be a good husband for ye.”
“I thought he kidnapped ye, how could ye know such a thing?”
Katherine’s musical laughter filled the room. “Aye, he did. But even though he believed Niall was his enemy, he treated me with kindness and respect. He listened to me when I believed something was wrong. If he could be that considerate of an enemy, he must surely treat a wife with great care.”
Mairead smiled. “Aye, he does.”
“But Katherine, ye didn’t answer the question,” her mother said.
“Mama, I didn’t know ye were awake.”
“Clearly. But I was aware Rowan looked forward to making a life here, sweetheart. The question remains, was he looking forward to his marriage?”
Katherine smiled sadly. “I don’t think so. He accepted it as we all do. He intended to try and build a good life with Eara, but no, I don’t think he was particularly pleased about it.”
“I didn’t think so. He was fond of Sine. He had met her several times over the years and was quite taken with her, but Lachlan wouldn’t agree to that betrothal.”
“Was Sine fond of him?” Mairead asked her mother.
“I don’t know, pet. However, she seemed distraught over his injury. Perhaps she does harbor a fondness for him as well.”
Rowan stirred. “What has happened?”
“Rowan, son, ye are awake!” Brigid exclaimed with joy.
“Someone struck ye in the head, Rowan, but ye will be fine,” Katherine assured him.
“My lady, the pounding pain in my head is enough to tell me I was struck. What I want to know is what happened to Eara?”
“Don’t worry about that for now, pet. We have to get ye better.”
“Mother, I know Eara—well, I’ll just say she didn’t want this marriage, but ye talk as if it is off. Is she the one who struck me?”
“Nay, love, we don’t think so. We don’t know who is responsible for injuring ye, but aye, the wedding is off. Eara—”
“—was in love with someone else,” he finished his mother’s sentence.
“Aye, love, that has become obvious. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m just glad we learned the truth before the wedding.”
~ * ~
Darcy and Rafer found the trail of a single horse north of Loch Craos and followed it eastward into the forest.
“I’m not sure how she could have slipped away on horseback without anyone noticing her,” Darcy observed.
“Well, perhaps someone helped her,” said Rafer.
“Perhaps. A horse’s trail is certainly easier to follow than a lass’s on foot. It makes me wonder whose trail they found heading westward.”