Waiting. Listening.
Then she stepped within the tomb.
She held very still. In the dim flicker of light her candle provided, she saw that the lid of David’s coffin had been removed!
She swallowed back a scream, then turned to flee, dropping the brass candle snuffer. But a hand clamped firmly over her mouth and a powerful arm pulled her back to the dead.
Shawna’s heart pounded with relief when she heard a familiar voice ask in astonishment, “What in God’s name are you doing down here? I’ve warned you of the danger you face time and time again. Sabrina has been kidnapped, and still, here you are!”
David, she thought dizzily. Thank God, it was David! He released her, and still holding her candle, she turned to face him.
“I was downstairs earlier. And Alistair had heard something?—”
“Alistair heard something—and sent you down here?”
“No—”
“That damned Alistair—again!”
“It wasn’t Alistair’s fault!”
“It never is.”
Shawna sighed. “He has no idea that I’m here. I couldn’t sleep.”
“You missed me.”
“Don’t be absurd. You plague me to madness, appearing and disappearing into the walls, showing up, not showing up, being there, vanishing into the morning mist.”
“Ghosts are supposed to do such things,” he said, looking into the coffin again and adding angrily, “You shouldn’t be here!”
“Alistair and I both heard noises?—”
“So, you felt you had to find out what the noises were?” he queried softly.
“You do seem to hold me responsible for anything that happens here,” she said coolly.
He shook his head. “I can’t leave you alone for a bloody second, so it seems. You heard noises, so you just walked down into the crypt, completely unarmed.”
“I am not unarmed. I brought the candle snuffer—there. I dropped it when you nearly scared me to death.”
“Fine weapon!” he mocked.
“It is solid brass and very heavy, and I promise, if I were to whack you on the head with it, you would feel it!”
“It didn’t occur to you to stay safely locked in your room where you belonged—especially considering everything that is going on here? You’re an idiot.”
“How kind, Laird Douglas, how genteel! I pray you, m’laird, do bear in mind! There was nothing going on here—until you returned from the dead!”
“Well, I am returned from the dead, and unfortunately, there are things that I have to do here.”
David walked around the coffin. He used her candle to light the lantern he had apparently brought down with him, blew out the candle, and used the lanternlight to study what remained of the man in his coffin.
Her stomach turned in knots.
“Oh god, David, what are you doing?” she whispered.
He glanced her way. “Trying to discover just who this bloke might be. I’m assuming he’s the convict whose place I took doing hard labor.”