Page 5 of The Best of Madeline Grant

“Out there, my mama told me to come get the laird. Something’s happened. They are hurt!”

Brenna shouted orders to several of the guards, instructing them to go after Alex.

Madeline’s head reeled with the possibilities. She grabbed Tommy by the shoulders. “What happened?”

“Jennie,” he cried. “Jennie and wee Emma. They disappeared into a hole!” He pointed out the gates.

Madeline’s heart lurched. Her stomach was in her throat, but she scrambled after the lads, rushing through the gates.

“What happened?” Brenna shouted out after them. “Where are they?”

“In a hole! A sinkhole just opened up in the ground where they were playing and they both fell into it.”

Madeline found Emma’s mother sobbing in the middle of the meadow. Several clan members were ushering everyone away from the site.

“Stay back, stay back or you will collapse it on top of them!”

“They both fell in the hole,” someone else said, “but only Emma is crying. We cannot see them, and Jennie doesn’t answer.”

Maddie’s heart stopped beating. How could they just stand around while the lasses’ lives were clearly in jeopardy? Jennie could have hit her head. Emma may have broken her leg. Both of them could be bleeding profusely. When she glanced back at Brenna, she saw the raw fear in her friend’s eyes.

“Go in after them!” Brenna shouted as Robbie arrived and assessed the situation.

“We can’t do that, my lady,” said one of the men Madeline recognized from the armory. “The hole is too small for any of us and I will not send another child down there. It is in danger of collapsing as it is.”

“We need to wait for the laird!” someone shouted. “He will know what to do.”

“We sent the guards to fetch him, but we cannot wait for him. It could be too late by then,” yelled another.

Emma’s mother, Moira, collapsed to the ground sobbing. “Oh, my bairn, my wee bairn. Someone help her!”

Robbie walked up to get a better look at the scene of the accident, then made his way over to Brenna. “It is small, Brenna, too small for any of us. I heard faint crying, but I think it is Emma. She sounds far away, so it must be deep. I called out to Jennie, but there was no response.”

He turned to one of his men and sent him back to the keep to retrieve ropes.

“I will go down,” Maddie said. “I am sure I will fit.”

“You may fit. You are slimmer in the hip than many, but it is no’ safe. We must find a solution that does not jeopardize any more lives.”

Maddie’s hands fisted at her sides. “Robbie, either one of the girls could be bleeding to death. We cannot risk the wait. I can handle it. Lower me down. You can help me.”

“Nay, Maddie, Alex would have my hide. We will wait for the rope.” Robbie’s stern look forced Madeline to turn away in frustration. Clearly, he would not listen to reason—there was no choice but for her to act on her own.

In the confusion, Robbie would have to turn away at some point—and in so doing, he would give her the time she needed. She could not stand idly by. She would make her way down the hole as soon as she had the chance. Perhaps she could help the girls climb up. Determined her plan was sound, she waitedimpatiently. The instant Robbie turned toward his guard, she darted forward, ignoring the yelling. Judging the fit, she lowered herself into the opening and let go.

As she plummeted into a world of darkness, her body curled into a ball, she roughly rebounded off the dirt and stones on the side of the hole. She finally landed an eternity later, and a loud snap reverberated through the chamber as she braced her landing with her left arm. Sharp pain ripped through her, so she drew her left hand in close to her chest.

She lay unmoving for a few minutes to get her bearings. When she finally pushed herself upright, her chest heaved from exertion and pain. Drawing on her inner strength to overpower the pain, as she had done so often with Kenneth’s beatings, she maneuvered around the bottom to feel for soft bodies. There was nothing but dirt. Soot and grime covered her face, but she brushed it away with her right hand to improve her vision. Her breathing slowed enough to allow her to listen for sounds. Finally, wee Emma’s hiccupping sobs broke through her concentration. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized the hole was much wider at the bottom than it was at the top, and they were so far down there was barely any light.

Once she finally found Emma, she held her right arm out to the lass. “It is all right, Emma, come here,” she said softly. Emma waddled toward her and fell in her lap, wrapping her arms tightly around Maddie. Hugging and soothing her as best she could, she continued to search the shadows for Jennie.

Emma appeared to be only shaken from her fall. There was no warm liquid indicating fresh blood, and Emma did not react with pain to any of Maddie’s touches.

Scooting along with Emma on her lap proved difficult, but Maddie persisted—she knew the wee one needed the comfort of her touch. As she moved to the right, she noticed a small mound. Sliding over to the mound, she reached out carefully to see ifit was Jennie. Her hand met with the lassie’s soft hair. Maddie brushed the hair back from her face and leaned forward. She sighed with relief as Jennie’s breath warmed her face.

“Jennie? It is Maddie, I am here with you. Can you answer me, Jennie?”

Maddie nudged her arm, but received no response. Tears welled in her eyes. The lassie’s body pulsed with life, but she would not awaken. Running her hand around Jennie’s head she discovered a large bump on her temple. She must have been knocked out after the fall.