He took his plaid and Will’s sword and left.
He knew where Laggan was, but he didn’t believe John was on his way there. Especially at night. There were too many small rivers he would have to ride around. Like Morgann, John knew that Galeren could track him.
John wouldn’t take the chance of telling Cecilia where he was truly going. Any fool knew that she would tell Galeren if he persisted.
He took a lantern and tied it around his horse’s neck and then followed the tracks down the hill. Most went south, back toward Ayr. One set led north.
He would kill John if he had to. If John hurt her, Galeren would kill him.
Silene woke upin a strange forest, tied by her ankles to a tree by a small fire. Her jaw felt sore. He uncle had struck her.
She was supposed to pray for her enemies. She could not pray for her uncle yet.
“Ah, ye are awake.”
Her uncle’s voice. She closed her eyes again, not wanting to speak to him. Ever again. But she could not do that.
“This was foolish of you, Uncle. The captain was your loyal friend, and yet you allowed him to be killed.”
“Ye both betrayed me, Silene. I am the one who will never fergive. But Captain MacPherson isna dead,” he corrected. “I handed him over to his betrothed.”
“I am his wife!” she argued.
He slapped her hard in the face. “William of Lorn told Miss Birchet and I aboot yer blasphemous vows to my captain. They willna hold up fer long. I am bringin’ ye to Father Alphonsus. He will annul yer marriage and ye will speak yer vows. I have given ye another chance, Niece. Though ye dinna deserve it. Ye care more fer a cock than—”
“You disgust me.”
His gaze grew dark and Silene was afraid she’d gone too far. She was helpless tied to the tree.
“And ye think ye dinna disgust me?” he asked incredulously. “My dear, ye are nothin’ but a whore.”
She heard something in the forest, just beyond the tree line. Her uncle heard it, too.
He rose with his sword as dawn broke. He went to the tree line and peered inside, and then entered.
Silene smiled, but she was worried. Was it Galeren? It had to be! He was alive! But what lengths would her uncle go to in order to keep her with him and get her to Father Alphonsus?
Should she call out a warning? “He is coming!”
A loud, crashing noise sounded from the trees, and then everything went still.
Silene waited what seemed an eternity and then heard someone returning.
Thrilled to see her husband come from out of the trees, she tried to free herself, to no avail. The rope her uncle had tied her with was thick and scratchy around her ankles.
She saw a figure. It wasn’t Galeren. Her heart thumped madly in her chest. She grew terrified and mournful. How could her uncle have beaten him? But no. It wasn’t her uncle either.
Morgann ran toward her. “Sister! Sister, we must make haste!” He looked over his shoulder at the trees. “He will be comin’ any moment now. I dinna know how hard I struck him.”
Morgann? Morgann was saving her?
“Morgann! Oh, thank you, Morgann! I knew you had a pure heart!” she cried while he cut her loose. “Where have you been these last few days?”
“No time now.” The rope was thick, and his knife was dull, and her uncle was coming, walking a bit crooked. But coming.
“Where is the captain?” he asked fretfully, sawing at the rope and looking over his shoulder.
She shook her head. “Alive, I pray.”