Page 44 of A Highlander's Vow

“Emma must have been busier than I thought,” Gregory said. “I dinna realize the Gunn men had so many injuries.”

Just then Emma walked down the steps from the first floor and headed toward the kitchen.

Gregory frowned at seeing Emma, since he assumed she was with Megan. He stood and walked through the great hall and caught upwith her in the kitchen. “Did ye leave Megan to watch the injured?”

Emma looked up at him, confusion on her face. “Megan left me a few hours ago.”

Gregory’s stomach muscles tightened. “What do ye mean? I thought she was with ye helping out?”

“Aye, she was, but she left when ye sent the warrior to bring her to ye.”

He frowned. “I dinna ken what ye mean. I dinna send anyone for her. Who was this warrior?”

Emma shrugged. “I doona ken. There are so many warriors. I doona ken them all.”

“What did this warrior say?”

“He approached Megan and said ye wanted him to bring her where ye were.”

His heart began to pound. “How long ago was this?”

Beginning look very nervous, Emma said, “Right after the Gunn and the Sinclair left.”

Oh no.Gregory turned on his heel and strode back to the great hall. He stepped up to Daniel. “They took her.”

Daniel jumped up, spilling his ale all over the table. There was no reason to ask who. “When?”

Gregory waved his hand. “Hours ago. Emma said a warrior—who, she dinna ken—came to her bothy with orders to bring Megan to me.”

“Search the keep and castle,” Daniel shouted to everyone in the great hall. “Megan Mackenzie is missing.”

“I doona ken how they got her out.”

Daniel placed his hand on Gregory’s shoulder. “She may still be here. Perhaps they hid her and are waiting for the keep to settle down before taking her away.”

The laird shook his head. “That sounds ridiculous even to me.”

Men scattered from the great hall. The search was on.

*

Megan had beentied to a tree near where Anthony and the hated Gunn had made camp. Thankfully, the pain in her head had subsided so she could at least think about her dilemma.

Obviously, the warrior who came for her in Emma’s bothy was not one of the Makenzie men. Since she was not familiar with them all, she didn’t know he was not one of them.

She also thought about the hole in the castle wall. She’d walked around the castle many times, both with Gregory and Beth, and never saw a hole before. Had it been dug out of the wall recently, and for the purpose of dragging her away?

She’d also come to the conclusion that the so-called attack was to allow a distraction while they dragged her off. She and Emma had questioned the indifference of the battle. No Mackenzie injuries, which was good, and only a few Gunn injuries, with one somewhat serious warrior who was giving Emma a hard time.

Sinclair walked over to her and squatted in front of her. “Ye shouldn’t have run from me, lass. Ye were promised to The Gunn and our trip to Edinburgh to see the king will straighten it all out.”

“Ye can make all the betrothal agreements ye want to, Anthony, but Gregory and I are legally married by the church. This is a waste of time.”

Anthony’s face softened for a minute. “Did they hurt ye lass? They were told no’ to cause ye any harm.”

Megan shifted. “Well if ye consider being dragged through a brick wall and then hit o’er the head with something strong enough to knock ye out, then yer men dinna obey yer orders.”

Ignoring her remarks, he stood. “We’ll be cooking rabbits that my men have caught. I will see that ye get some food.”