Page 29 of The Wild Rose of Kilgannon (Kilgannon #2)

“We have failed, Mary,” Angus whispered into my ear, his voice raw.

“We were arrested in the night after I left ye. They took Matthew away. And Gilbey. I dinna ken where they have been taken. Two of Jamie Ramsay’s brothers are dead and I dinna ken where the Macleans are.

The Mary Rose was seized as she arrived this morning and the men on it are held. ”

I stared at him openmouthed as his words took effect. Some part of me had always believed he’d free Alex, and I struggled to let the dream go. “Oh, Angus,” I said as the meaning sank in.

“They have my son, Mary,” he said. “They have my boy and they’re holding him to ensure my good behavior.

They say they will release him, and Gilbey as well, if Alex sails on that ship.

And kill them if no’. Mary, even if I wished to risk their lives, I have no one to aid me. We’ve failed. I’ve failed.”

I clung to him, hearing the despair in his voice.

It was worse than I’d feared. Somehow I’d always thought the only risk we were taking was in freeing or not freeing Alex.

I’d not taken it the next step and thought how much more we had to lose.

Matthew , I thought. And Gilbey. Dear God . “And the others?” I asked.

“I dinna ken. I wasna in a position to ask many questions.”

“Oh, Angus. What happened?”

“We were taken two nights ago, after moving to what we thought was a safe place. The soldiers burst in on us in the wee hours. There were just the three of us and we tried, but it was over as soon as it was begun. They held us in some garrison rooms, all separated, and they questioned me. I dinna ken what they did to Matthew or Gilbey. They let me go about two hours ago. That’s when I heard of the Mary Rose ’s seizure. Mary, we are undone.”

“We had very little chance of success at best, Angus. We knew that. It’s all right. We’ll try another way later.” I leaned back and looked into his face. “We’ll find another way. Let’s get your boy back. And Gilbey.”

“It was Morag, Mary,” he growled. “She betrayed us. She told the soldiers where we were and she told them Matthew was my son.” He ignored the tears streaming down his face and I wiped them away, ignoring my own.

Ian and Jamie wrapped their arms around him and he patted them as he fought his emotions.

“It’s all right, Angus. It’s all right.”

He shook his head angrily. “No, Mary, it’s no’ aright. It’ll never be aright again. If I ever find her…”

“Don’t, Angus. Don’t.” I gestured to the boys. “We’ll find another way.”

He shook his head again tightly and pressed his lips together. I leaned my head against his shoulder and we huddled like that while we waited. I knew I’d convinced neither of us with my brave talk. Dear God , I prayed, keep Matthew and Gilbey safe. And Alex .

At last I spoke. “Angus, how did you find us?”

“Went to Robert’s house. His men told me where ye were. Has Alex gone by yet?”

I shook my head and looked behind me at Robert. “Angus,” I asked, “did Robert have you captured?”

Angus shook his head. “No, lass, I dinna think so. He wasna with the soldiers who came, and I dinna see him where I was held. He may have been told, but I canna think he had a part in it. No, it was Morag. For revenge on Alex. For revenge, lass.”

I nodded and he turned from me, wiping his eyes, and then pointed to another group of prisoners approaching.

But no Alex. And we waited again, this time in silence.

I turned to look at Robert and met his eyes, his expression unreadable.

He’d known. He perhaps had not directed the arrest, nor even known of it beforehand, but he’d known when he’d come to get me today. He was the first to turn away.

And then Alex was there, standing in the gateway blinking at the light.

I held my breath as he paused for a moment and looked at the crowd below him.

His hair was loose and floated above his shoulders, his beard a copper slash across his cheeks.

His plaid was grimy but his shirt was clean, and his chin went up as he was pushed forward.

I could not speak, but I raised my arm. Beside me Angus was shouting, his voice lost in the din.

The boys squirmed between us, shouting “Da!” and before I knew what they intended they’d darted out into the pathway, heading for their father.

I found my voice then and screamed, straining against the soldier’s arm as he held me back, and Alex looked our way as his sons flew to him.

The boys evaded the hands that reached for them and threw themselves into Alex’s waiting arms. He lifted them to him, enclosing them in the chains and his embrace, and they clung to him.

And then he had them point us out. He tried to push his way toward us, but was prevented from reaching us by the soldiers who massed in front of him.

He put the boys carefully on the ground, but the soldiers did not harm them, only gently guided the boys back toward us.

“Alex!” I screamed. “Alex, Alex!”

“Mary!” Alex cried, fighting to stand as the other prisoners were forced past him.

“I love ye, Mary Rose!” Hands were on my arms, pulling me back, and Alex was pushed into the crowd of prisoners behind him.

Angus reached a hand past me and clasped Alex’s for a moment before they were torn apart.

He shouted at Alex in Gaelic, and Alex answered with the MacGannon war cry.

Angus, his face ablaze now, bellowed it back to him as we were shoved against the wall.

Alex disappeared from sight. My arms went around the sobbing boys as they reached me, and Angus met my look with an agonized expression. Behind us Robert watched without visible emotion.

I do not remember much in detail after that.

We waited until the rest of the prisoners passed by, and then followed with the crowd as it made its way to the harbor.

We spoke little, watching in silence as the prisoners were herded onto the waiting ships.

We never saw Alex at the harbor and could only guess which ship he’d been placed on.

And then we turned away from the harbor to find a spot to watch the ships sail, and saw Robert, still waiting, with his coach behind him.

I could not speak when he gestured to his coach.

I shook my head and Angus did not even look at him. Robert followed us at a distance.

Hours later Matthew was released as promised and he found us as we walked east with the others, his eyes anguished and his shoulders sagging.

Angus embraced his son without a word, the two of them united in their misery.

Matthew said he’d not been mistreated, but his manner told otherwise and I held him to me with fresh heartache.

I had no more success in consoling him than I’d had with his father.

He said he’d been told Gilbey would be held until the ship sailed with Alex on it.

We stood on the side of a hill above the Firth with a small group of solemn people, the cold seeping into our bones.

Behind me a woman sobbed relentlessly and a baby started wailing.

The wind whipped the plaid from my head and lashed my hair into my face, but I barely noticed.

Angus shifted and Matthew hoisted Jamie onto his shoulders.

A man said it was so wintry it did not feel like June, but I thought the bitter wind appropriate.

Our leave-taking at Kilgannon had been wrenching, but this one filled me with despair.

I might never see him again , I thought.

He will go hundreds of miles away, without a friend to speak for him, alone in a country filled with those who cry for his blood.

And his enemies will try to kill him while I wait in Scotland .

How quickly our four years had flown by and how foolish we had been not to treasure each moment with each other.

Had we known what a short time we would have together, we would have savored every day, every sunset, every night in each other’s arms. Alex , I thought, my love.

How can they take you from me and leave me standing on this hill in the closing of the day?

The ships started to move and one by one headed east toward the sea.

My eyes never left them as they made their way down the Firth into the gathering gloom.

The five of us were among the few left when the ships approached the headland and turned, and when the last ship disappeared, I sank to the ground and wept.