Skylar nodded but didn’t move. “Whatever that foolish man says, Sabrina did not run away with a man, she is not in hiding. I know her. I’m so very afraid. And my god, Hawk! I brought her here.”
“She wanted to come, remember? She didn’t want to stay in the Dakota Territory without us. Perhaps she is being held for some reason, and we’ve time yet to find her, but we must all have our wits about us to do so,” Hawk said, looking at his wife.
“And we must have some faith in Sabrina,” Gawain said, returning to the great hall from the entry. “She is an intelligent young woman, a fighter.”
“Yes, yes, she is!” Skylar agreed. Shawna was glad that her great-uncle’s words had seemed to offer Skylar so much comfort.
Mary Jane came into the great hall then, her eyes full of sympathy for Skylar. She came in very quietly, pausing beside Shawna to whisper softly. “I’ve a hot bath prepared for Lady Douglas in the master’s chambers. And there’s a large bottle of brandy by her bedside.”
Shawna squeezed her maid’s hand. “Thank you, Mary Jane,” she said softly.
Mary Jane nodded, departing the hall as quietly as she had come.
“Mary Jane says that she has a steaming tub all ready for you, Skylar. Please go up. A long bath and rest can’t help but make you better able to keep searching yourself once we have daylight to work with again,” Shawna said.
“I’ll take you up, Skylar,” Hawk said.
Shawna stopped him to whisper that Myer kept laudanum, if it seemed that Skylar would need more than brandy. Hawk nodded and walked Skylar slowly up the stairs. Gawain looked at Shawna, shaking his head sadly. “Sabrina must be found. Quickly!” he announced. He came to Shawna and squeezed her shoulders. “I’m going to Edwina’s. God knows, the constable is useless. Maybe Edwina will ‘see’ something useful in another dream.”
Shawna nodded. She poured herself a brandy and stood staring into the fire as she sipped it. A while later, Hawk came back down the stairs.
He poured himself a brandy and swallowed it all in a single gulp.
“Skylar?” Shawna asked.
“Sleeping at last. The laudanum,” he said.
“You found nothing today in your search?”
“I wouldn’t say that we found nothing,” Hawk said, “but I’m afraid we found no trace of Sabrina.”
“But what of David’s search?—”
“Shh!” he warned, bringing his finger to his lips. “The walls do have ears.”
“Aye!” Shawna said very softly, staring straight into his green Douglas eyes. “Your brother’s!”
“Whatever, we did not find Sabrina. Shawna, you must go up yourself and get some sleep. There’s nothing else we can do until morning.”
Shawna was dismayed by the rise of hysteria that seemed to sweep through her. She was so worried about Sabrina. “Sleep! I’ve not had real sleep in a very long time—Laird Douglas.”
“Go up. You’ll not be troubled tonight.”
“Why not?” she demanded suspiciously.
Hawk was instantly aware that she was anxious to determine just where David would be. “I’m sorry,” he teased, running his fingers through his hair. Despite the gravity of the situation, he offered her a smile. “Did you wish to be disturbed tonight?”
Shawna groaned. “Sweet Jesus! You, too. David torments me well enough on his own, I assure you!”
Hawk quickly put a finger to his lips again. The main door opened ,and she heard the commotion there as her great-uncle Lowell and her cousins returned to the castle, exhausted from their search for Sabrina.
“The lass has quite cleanly disappeared,” Alistair said, wearily rubbing his chin. “Hawk, I’m so sorry, we’ve learned nothing as yet. Oh, thank God and Myer! Sustenance!” he said as Myer came to the room, bearing whiskey, brandy, hot tea, and a plate of scones.
Aidan stretched his hands before the fire, staring at Shawna as if she had somehow brought it all about. “Shawna, you two seemed to be growing quite close. Was she upset, is there any reason she might have just gone off?”
“No,” Shawna said firmly. “She has met with some kind of foul play.”
“I pray not, and I do believe there’s hope—” He paused, glancing unhappily at Hawk. “We’ve not found Sabrina’s—body,” he finished quietly.