Page 51 of Bride Takes a Laird

“She gave this to me before I left the cottage. It should make for a good meal,” Oswald explained. “’Tis some pottage in a hollowed loaf of whey bread.”

Hayden started a fire and tossed in various-sized twigs and branches he’d collected.

“I am hungry.” Magnus settled near the fire and after eating a little, he grew tired. A night’s rest in the woods would help to clear his head and give him a good rest. He lay back on the ground and used his tartan under his head. Fortunately, the night hadn’t gotten too cold. He’d need no extra tartan to keep away a chill.

As the men settled around the fire, he closed his eyes and thought about his bonny wife. With everything that happened of late, he had put aside his marriage and his wife’s feelings. It didn’t sit well that he’d seen little of her or had given her his attention. If only Ned’s murder or his men being injured during their fracas with the Chattans hadn’t taken up his time. He might have enjoyed his marriage to Kendra. There was much to learn about her and the first thing he needed to know was why she hadn’t told him about her previous betrothal orhow she learned the tasks of a steward.

The sound of a swish alerted him that someone was in the woods. A thumping sound caused his eyes to shoot open. He saw a rock rolling on the ground and it stopped before it reached the fire. His eyes scrutinized it for a moment and then he heard the sound of another whistling through the air. The rock hit Hayden’s head and his soldier fell back. He landed just before the fire with a thump on the ground.

Magnus was just getting to his feet when another rock came, sailing through the air with speed. It hit Oswald in the center of his eyes and he pitched forward and fell flat on a patch of grass near their horses. Magnus drew his sword and searched within the dark woods but the obscurity of them hid their ambushers. He turned about, peering around him. Another rock came and hit him on the side of the head and he lost the hold of his sword. He dropped it and it almost landed in the fire.

Magnus pressed his hands on his head, closed his eyes for a moment, and tried to stop the intense twinge. When he opened his eyes again, his view was obscured and hazy. His head throbbed madly and he felt a warm stream of blood flowing down the side of his face.

Magnus fell to his knees, groaned, and tumbled forward, landing on his chest. He shifted his hand to his head and pressed above his ear to try to abate the dizzying sense that overtook him. His other hand felt around the ground for his sword, knowing he needed to protect himself. Voices sounded around him but before he could ascertain the threat, he succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness.

Chapter Nineteen

Something awoke her—abang or shout, Kendra wasn’t sure which. She rubbed her eyes and sighed wistfully because she didn’t want to awaken. She’d had the most sensual dream about Magnus. His hands roamed her body and she sensed the effect of them on her skin as if it were actually happening. Regrettably, now she realized it had been just a dream and he wasn’t in bed beside her. By the sight of the window casement, it was night for the sky was dark. Magnus still hadn’t returned and his side of the bed remained unoccupied for the third night.

The banging sounded again. Someone was knocking at her bedchamber door.

Kendra closed her eyes and drifted slowly toward a good slumber and back to the sensual essence of Magnus caressing her when someone shook her.

“Kendra, you must awaken. Something has happened.”

She groaned and rolled to her side. “I don’t wish to rise, Linet. Go away.” Kendra wanted to revisit her dream. In her sleep, Magnus loved her. It was the only place—in her dreams—that he was honest about how he felt about her.

“My Lady, your father has gone missing. You must rise.”

She shot up to a sitting position and pressed her hands over her face to abate her drowsiness. “What say you?” Kendra threw her legsover the side of the bed. Sleepiness and the lure of being with Magnus had completely vanished and she stared at her friend. “I’m awake. What has happened to Papa?”

Linet rummaged through her garments and approached with a frock. “Here, put this on. You shall need a cloak too for it is a little chilly this night. Your da has gone missing. John said that they had gone to bed and he’d awakened because he heard a noise. He realized that your da was not in his bed and so he searched the cottage and outside but alas could not find him. The watch has called a search and there are men even now searching the grounds.”

“Oh, nay. He’s probably just wandering around the fief. We shall find him.” At first, Kendra wasn’t too worried because her father had gone on a walk before but he’d never gone too far. But as the final dregs of sleep drained away, she realized they weren’t at home. It was her worst fear, that he’d be lost on Cameron land, come true.

“Come, we should join the search.” Linet awaited her by the door.

Kendra pulled off her night garment and yanked the overdress over her head. She slipped on her boots and pressed down the tangles of hair that had gone askew during the night. There was no time to make herself completely presentable and she was in a rush to get outside. As she approached the door, Linet set her cloak about her shoulders. Kendra fastened it by tying the strings together at her neck as she proceeded to the steps.

She hastened outside and at the entry, she halted. A brisk wind hit her and she pulled her cloak tightly around her. “We shall search at the far end of the fief.” With that, she marched onward and didn’t speak to Linet, but only searched amongst the cottages on the way.

There was no sight of her papa. Each step brought a daunting despair that settled in her chest. It was too cold for her father to traipse around in the night. Hopefully, he’d put on his cloak. She worried for him and prayed that he would be found soon.

Half the night passed. Still, there was no word from the guards andshe hadn’t found him either. Along with the harsh wind, a dampness settled on the land. By morning, fog rolled on the ground and sent a wearisome message—that something horrible had happened to her father. Kendra lingered by the back gate and questioned the soldier who’d been assigned to the post.

“And you didn’t see him leave the gate?”

“Nay, Milady. No one went through this exit.”

Laird Hugh stood next to her now, but she hadn’t noticed him arrive. He scowled at the guard and pressed him for information. “Ye stayed at your post all night?”

“I only left to seek nature’s call, Laird Hugh. I was gone but a short time. Surely, he could not have passed through the gate whilst I was gone.”

“We need to search from here to the loch,” she said. Kendra was about to run forth when she saw Winston and Craig approach the back entrance. Their faces beheld a grimness and it seemed everything stopped. They walked forward as if they were slowed in time, ghosts in the night coming to tell her disparaging news. Her eyes blurred and she took a breath to settle herself.

“Milady,” Winston said, “I am sorry to tell ye…” he paused as if afraid to go on.

“Sorry to tell me what, Winston? Go on, speak the news. Though I cannot bear it, I need to hear the truth.” Kendra leaned against Linet and her friend set her arm around her back. She appreciated her friend’s support, but she drew away and stepped toward Winston. “Tell me.”