Page 36 of To Claim His Highland Bride

Marcus stared down at the water. “I’ve never seen them along this part of the coastline. The water is deep and there is nowhere for them to rest out of the water except upon the jagged basalt rocks.”

“Do you think they followed us from Dunvegan?”

“It’s possible.”

“I’m glad they are here. I used to be afraid of them, but no longer. I’d like to think they are a sign of good luck.” She sighed into the wind. “I’ve never been anywhere outside of Dunvegan except to Miss Doddie’s School for Girls in Portree. This short voyage has made me realise there is so much more out there waiting to be explored beyond the horizon.”

Beside her, he suddenly smiled. “I forget sometimes how beautiful this part of the world is.”

“I’m sure other parts of the world are just as wonderful, and filled with exotic things.” Excitement flared inside her as she faced him. “I would love to see the pyramids of Egypt or the jungles of Africa.”

Marcus raised a brow. “Does Rowena MacLeod have the heart of an explorer?”

“I’d like to think so.”

He chuckled and turned to face her with his back at the rail. “Centuries ago, explorers believed that the world was flat, or that dragons awaited beyond the horizon.”

“They don’t believe that anymore, do they?”

He shook his head. “The discovery of our world continues. European explorers have brought back knowledge about the continents of Africa and the Americas, methods of mapping and navigating have improved with nautical maps, and new foods, plants and animals are being exchanged between the continents.” An amused smile lit his face. “The potatoes we eat on this vessel originated in the Americas in a place called Virginia.”

“Virginia,” she repeated, liking the sound of the foreign land. “You should be proud that you are a part of that explorative tradition.”

Sudden anger flashed in his eyes. “I am not an explorer. I’m a treasure hunter and privateer who raids enemy ships for the goods others have gathered from these foreign places.”

She tilted her head, considering his sudden change of mood. “You are recovering what was once lost. There is good in that too, Marcus.” She reached over and placed a hand on his arm.

He did not shrug her hand away as he turned back to the water. The shoreline was much closer now. Rowena could see the formation of basalt columns. She’d read about the formation of such rocks in one of Orrick’s books. The unusual patterns in the rock were left behind when lava cooled on both the upper and lower surfaces, forcing the rock to contract and fracture in a blocky hexagonal pattern.

Rowena gazed upon the rocky shoreline with a sudden mixture of anticipation and dread as a call went out for all hands on deck. Men raced to their stations at the sails and near the anchor, preparing to bring the ship to a stop.

Marcus pushed away from the railing. “Since you want to be an explorer, prepare yourself to come with me and a few others as we make our first exploratory run at the cave.”

She smothered a smile. “You want me with you?”

He nodded. “How else can I be certain nothing happens to you while I am off the ship? It will be perfectly safe. No one will be leaving the boat. We need to check the tide, measure the depth of the water, and the strength of the currents before we explore the cave on foot. Not only is the cave hard to find, it’s also a dangerous place, which is why no one comes here.”

“Why do you think our ancestors called it the Cave of Gold long before Jacob Thorne stored his treasure there?”

“Most likely because of the yellow lichens that cover the rock formations. Or perhaps it is the glow of the setting sun on the rocks at the cave’s entrance that turns them to gold. Either way, I am certain the sea cave will reveal all its secrets to us very soon.” He straightened, glancing at the men running across the deck. “I must return to my duty.”

She nodded, watching Marcus take the steps up to the forecastle two at a time. Some of the men on deck scrambled up the masts to gather up the sails while others moved to drop the anchor.

Allowing her thoughts to drift, Rowena gazed back to the shoreline where a dark opening appeared in the side of the westward-facing cliff. A strong sense of premonition made her skin tingle. Was it a warning that perhaps they weren’t meant to be here, that the cave was not ready to give up her treasure to them?

Rowena swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat as she remembered the stories she’d heard about this mystical place; that it extended to Fairyland or as far as Hell; that a ferocious green dog guarded it, ready to kill whoever entered its den. But it was the last myth that sent her heartbeat thudding in her chest. It claimed that no one who had entered the cave had ever come out.

Surely that wasn’t correct if Jacob Thorne had placed his looted treasures deep within the cave. Rowena released a tense breath. Either way, she and Marcus were about to learn the truth about the Cave of Gold when they ventured into its depth together.

Chapter Fifteen

Rowena clutched the sides of the boat as Marcus steered them into the narrow mouth of the cave. Bryce, Rob Roy, Mack, and Naill were all silent as they held their lanterns aloft, lighting the way. Though it was daylight outside, there was no light inside the cave other than what they brought with them.

The walls glistened with moisture, and an earthy, musty scent pervaded the air as they slowly progressed inside. Beneath them the water was clear, exposing a rocky floor that appeared deeper than Rowena was tall. Even the men might not be able to walk upon the cave’s bottom with their heads above water. It was hard to judge anything in this enclosed space that seemed as though it was from another world instead of their own.

The boat barely passed through the opening, scraping here and there on the rock formations as they moved silently past. Rob Roy held his lantern high, searching the shadows. After a long moment he relaxed his arm and swung back to the others. “’Tis pleased I am that nae giant green dog was ’ere tae greet us, devour us, or drag us tae Hell.”

“Amen to that,” Mack agreed, though his face remained tense as he searched the darkness ahead. “Do ye hear somethin’?”