Page 31 of A Flawed Scotsman

“What did yer uncle say?” her father asked Keithen.

“Ross did not remain for dinner, but left shortly after promising to purchase horses. He should have returned in time for last meal.”

Her father motioned a guard to come closer and considered what to say. Finally, he said, “Go to Laird Ross. Inform him that his cousin was abducted from the forest between our keep and my brother’s home. Also tell him that we are doing everything in our power to find him.”

“Aye, my laird. Is there anything else?”

“Tell him, I would welcome the fifty men he planned to send.”

Calum coughed. “Surely ye cannot be planning to go to war over a man who is not part of our clan.”

If it were not for the fact the men had not seemed to notice she remained among them, Esme would have kicked the fool for his callousness. Thankfully, her father was able to formulate the words that she could not speak.

“If anything happens to Ruari Ross, it will be me who is responsible. He was on my lands, invited by us, and betrothed to my daughter. Our enemy is who, in all probability, is responsible for his absence.” Her father glared at Calum. “I think ye should seek yer bed.”

Thankfully, Calum remained silent. The idiot was smart enough to know when he’d pushed things too far with her father.

“There is something else we should consider,” Keithen said with a pensive expression.

“What?” Forgetting her vow to remain silent, Esme spoke in a louder than needed tone.

Keithen looked to her. Then seeming to dismiss her, he said, “There is the idea that perhaps he has enemies we do not know about or Ruari was mistaken for someone else and taken by said persons.”

As everyone disbanded to head to bed, her father took Esme’s elbow. “Ye should rest, Daughter.”

“I am scared of what could have happened to him,” Esme said, feeling free to speak to her father about anything. He’d always listened to her and, for it, she was grateful.

“Do not be afraid. Ye will always be protected.”

Esme sighed. “I am worried for our clan and for Ruari. I pray he is not harmed.”

In silence, her father walked her to her bedchamber door. “Sleep, Esme. For now, we wait.”

“Father, do ye know the guard, Edgar? He left the day I was injured, traveling north.”

Her father gave her a patient, but tired look. “I do know of him.”

“Eileen says that upon his arrival, he’d claimed to be from a decimated village to the south. Yet he claimed to go visit his mother and traveled north.”

“I will ensure Keithen sees to questioning him.” At his pensive expression, Esme couldn’t help but hug her father. “I wish we had peace and ye could rest.”

His soft chuckle made her heart melt. “As do I, dear one.”

Chapter Ten

It was after two entire days in the back of a wagon that Ruari was finally released.

“Ride without looking back,” someone barked at his ear.

“I know ye are Mackenzies. Why would I look?” Ruari asked in a bored voice. “Ye are a red-haired guard with a twisted nose.”

He was dragged off the wagon, yanked down by his feet and then roughly shoved forward. Perhaps it was a bad idea to have angered the guard.

Two men held him while a third untied his hands. “Go on with ye.”

Ruari tore off his blindfold as a wagon flanked by two men on horseback rode away. On the side of the trail was a mare. The animal had been tethered to a small tree.

The mare was skittish, seeming not used to allowing a rider. “If they took my horse, I will return to retrieve it. Thieving bastards,” he muttered under his breath.