“Aye, I must find Hawk then.”
“A bit later. He’s in the crypt now. And I was told to keep you here. I will not take you to the crypt. It’s very nearly dark, and the night seems to be an especially dangerous time in these parts.”
“How do you feel about the chapel? We could wait there if you’re afraid of the crypts.”
“Actually, I pride myself on being hard as rocks and afraid of nothing. If we must, we’ll go to the crypts.”
“Thank you. I’ve just had an idea. About Sabrina. But I don’t want to ask anyone but Hawk or David to help us.”
“Pray, God, she’s not in the crypts!” Skylar said anxiously.
“Nay, not in the crypts, but somewhere very close, and it may be important that we reach her quickly!”
“You think she is still alive?” Skylar demanded bluntly.
“I think she’s alive now, but I’m afraid someone may think she’d make a good sacrifice. We must hurry.”
Yet just as they were about to slip away, Myer, who had stood as butler at Castle Craig for nearly fifty years, made an appearance in the great hall. “Lady Douglas, Lady MacGinnis! Anne-Marie requests your presence in the kitchen for just a moment. She has one quick question regarding tomorrow.”
They glanced at one another and silently agreed to go to the kitchen as requested, since neither woman was supposed to be anywhere other than at the center of activity in the castle.
Anne-Marie was bustling about. She was as plump as Myer was thin. She was as chatty as he was taciturn. Anne-Marie was preparing all the traditional treats for the Night of the Moon Maiden, and she had half a dozen village girls in the kitchen and young Danny Anderson and three more little tykes washing away at the dishes and flatware to be used for the feasting and turning a spit with a haunch of venison upon it.
“Ah, Lady Douglas!” she said with delight, seeing Skylar first. “I canna fer the likes of me figure Shawna sleeping so late on such a day as this, but she’ll be along! But then, well she did tell me when she first heard you were coming that you were the lady of the castle, and that you were to be the one givin’ the instructions.” Anne-Marie rolled out a round stretch of dough,powdered her hands, and clapped them so that her flour dusted the air and all around her.
“I’m here, Anne-Marie,” Shawna said.
“Ah! Well then, ye can both give me assistance!” Anne-Marie said with a rosy smile. “Now, tomorrow, for the prime beef cattle to be roasted on the spits near the Stones, will we be needing three or four animals?”
Skylar looked at Shawna and arched a brow.
“Four,” Shawna said. “If any meat is left over, the villagers may take it home.”
“Fine then. I’ll make sure the herders know. Today, Lady Douglas,” Anne-Marie informed Skylar, “we’re working on our scones and meat pies and sweetmeats for the morning. We’ll have our traditional haggis, a delicacy made from a sheep’s heart, liver, oatmeal, onions, and seasonings—and all prepared in a sheep’s stomach. But if it doesn’t appeal to an American appetite, there’ll be so much more to choose from. The roasted meat is exquisite when done so long over an open fire, and my shortbread and scones are the finest in all the Highlands, I do promise!”
“Skylar will enjoy everything,” Shawna said, anxious to lead Skylar from the kitchen and to the chapel. She put a hand on Skylar’s shoulders to move her along, then paused, seeing that an old man in a friar’s garb stood at the doorway to the kitchen, which was open because of the intense heat from the hearth and ovens.Brother Damian!she thought with irritation and dismay. This would delay them still further.
“Why, ’tis Brother Damian,” Anne-Marie said with delight, looking around. She lowered her voice. “’E’s up to our parts on pilgrimage. I have him in for tea when he drops by.” She crossed herself. “’Tis good luck!” she assured Skylar and Shawna.
“Well, then,” Skylar said, “we’ll have to have him in.”
“You have him in,” Shawna said quickly. She couldn’t stand to be drawn into a conversation with Brother Damian right now! “Skylar, I’m going—to pray,” she said, disappearing through the kitchen door before Brother Damian could see her, or Skylar could stop her.
Skylar had no choice then but to walk to the door, extending a hand. “Brother Damian. I am…Lady Douglas, wife to Hawk Douglas, in from America.”
“My lady.” Brother Damian took her hand in his own and bowed. “Forgive the intrusion. I understand your sister is missing. I intend to join the search as soon as I leave here. Anne-Marie is oft kind enough to give a wayfarer a cup of tea.”
“Of course,” Skylar said politely. “Please do come in.”
Brother Damian entered the kitchen, and Anne-Marie quickly padded over to greet him, smiling broadly. “Come now, my good Brother Damian, and sit. You will be good for Lady Douglas, who must keep her mind off her fear! The scones are fresh, just this minute out of the oven. What a fine day for you to visit here at the castle, since ye’ve such a keen interest in local fests and the like! You’ll see all the preparations for the food.”
She winked, managing to sit both Skylar and Brother Damian at the long table where the servants usually took their meals.
Skylar longed to jump up and go running after Shawna.
Yet Shawna evidently thought that she could find Sabrina. And she didn’t want anyone other than Hawk or David to know where she intended to look. Maybe she was afraid of someone’s realizing that they were about to find Sabrina.
And maybe she was afraid of what might happen to Sabrina if someone else reached her before they did.