forest canopy, giving Ian good reason to ride bent over his mount and let the hood of his oiled leather cloak conceal his face. Colquhoun’s men and Rob’s carried weapons but would leave them with the horses.
The MacAulay man riding beside Ian had recognized him but would say naught of his presence. Six of Ian’s own men rode with Alex Buchanan.
The first mutterings of thunder had been distant enough for the horses to take them in stride. Now, louder growls of thunder made their withers tremble, and some ponies tossed their heads. But they all were well-trained.
Ian knew his suggestion that they take extra horses might well have stirred his father to suspect he was up to something. If so, when he had to face Colquhoun afterward, just having had that suspicion would likely increase his anger.
Ian had kept most of his thoughts to himself, telling Rob and Alex only what each needed to know. He wanted to spare them from as much of Colquhoun’s wrath as hecould. But while the Dunglass men were mounting, Rob had asked him why Dougal was so determined to have the lady Lachina MacFarlan.
Ian had shared his own belief that Dougal hoped to use Lina in some way to force Andrew Dubh to surrender Tùr Meiloach to Pharlain, the man who had seized the rest of the lands of Arrochar. Originally, those estates had included Tùr Meiloach, but for two decades, Andrew had managed to keep that one for himself and his family. He should not have to relinquish it now through more villainy.
Ian was still sorting his thoughts, trying to imagine how he could get inside Dumbarton Castle from the courtyard, when the forest darkness lightened. Looking through the dense trees ahead, he could just make out, through the heavy downpour beyond the forest, the looming gray shape of Dumbarton Rock and the forbidding stronghold on top of it.
The short hairs on his nape tingled as forks of lightning split the roiling dark clouds and haloed the castle. Deafening cracks of thunder accompanied them, putting to shame all the mumbling, muttering, and growling that had preceded them.
Horses skittered, reared, and otherwise expressed their unease, and Ian briefly had his hands full, calming his own. When Colquhoun signaled for them to dismount, Ian did so, taking care to keep his head down as he did and while he stroked and tethered his horse.
The cracks of thunder startled Lina and Lizzie while they were trying to position an extra blanket to block icy drafts slithering in between the slats of their shutters.Standing on a tottering stool, Liz held one end of the blanket in place atop both half-open shutters while Lina tried to close them on it. When the thunder clapped, Lizzie abruptly let go of the blanket, and only Lina’s swift hand to the younger girl’s hip kept her from falling.
The last rolling reverberations had scarcely faded when the door opened, startling them again as Gorry MacCowan hurried in with his ubiquitous minion.
“Here, here, m’lady,” MacCowan said to Lizzie as he slammed the door shut behind them and strode toward her. “Get ye doon from that stool afore ye break your wee neck. Begging your pardon for the liberty,” he added with a wary glance at Lina. “But that lass doesna belong on sich a rickety stool. Nor do ye. Lad, stir up yon puny fire. Then run doonstairs and fetch more candles for their ladyships.”
As the boy hurried to obey, MacCowan helped Lizzie down, took the blanket corner that Lina now held, reached up, folded a few inches of it over the top of one shutter, and pressed that one closed. Then he repeated the process on the other side.
Lina thanked him with a smile, adding, “You came just in time, Gorry MacCowan. Neither of us can reach so high. In another few minutes, both of us would have been soaked.”
“We came tae clear away the leavings o’ your meal, m’lady,” he said, glancing toward the door where his lad was just leaving.
“You have news, Gorry,” Lina said, when the door had shut
The MacAulay man riding beside Ian had recognized him but would say naught of his presence. Six of Ian’s own men rode with Alex Buchanan.
The first mutterings of thunder had been distant enough for the horses to take them in stride. Now, louder growls of thunder made their withers tremble, and some ponies tossed their heads. But they all were well-trained.
Ian knew his suggestion that they take extra horses might well have stirred his father to suspect he was up to something. If so, when he had to face Colquhoun afterward, just having had that suspicion would likely increase his anger.
Ian had kept most of his thoughts to himself, telling Rob and Alex only what each needed to know. He wanted to spare them from as much of Colquhoun’s wrath as hecould. But while the Dunglass men were mounting, Rob had asked him why Dougal was so determined to have the lady Lachina MacFarlan.
Ian had shared his own belief that Dougal hoped to use Lina in some way to force Andrew Dubh to surrender Tùr Meiloach to Pharlain, the man who had seized the rest of the lands of Arrochar. Originally, those estates had included Tùr Meiloach, but for two decades, Andrew had managed to keep that one for himself and his family. He should not have to relinquish it now through more villainy.
Ian was still sorting his thoughts, trying to imagine how he could get inside Dumbarton Castle from the courtyard, when the forest darkness lightened. Looking through the dense trees ahead, he could just make out, through the heavy downpour beyond the forest, the looming gray shape of Dumbarton Rock and the forbidding stronghold on top of it.
The short hairs on his nape tingled as forks of lightning split the roiling dark clouds and haloed the castle. Deafening cracks of thunder accompanied them, putting to shame all the mumbling, muttering, and growling that had preceded them.
Horses skittered, reared, and otherwise expressed their unease, and Ian briefly had his hands full, calming his own. When Colquhoun signaled for them to dismount, Ian did so, taking care to keep his head down as he did and while he stroked and tethered his horse.
The cracks of thunder startled Lina and Lizzie while they were trying to position an extra blanket to block icy drafts slithering in between the slats of their shutters.Standing on a tottering stool, Liz held one end of the blanket in place atop both half-open shutters while Lina tried to close them on it. When the thunder clapped, Lizzie abruptly let go of the blanket, and only Lina’s swift hand to the younger girl’s hip kept her from falling.
The last rolling reverberations had scarcely faded when the door opened, startling them again as Gorry MacCowan hurried in with his ubiquitous minion.
“Here, here, m’lady,” MacCowan said to Lizzie as he slammed the door shut behind them and strode toward her. “Get ye doon from that stool afore ye break your wee neck. Begging your pardon for the liberty,” he added with a wary glance at Lina. “But that lass doesna belong on sich a rickety stool. Nor do ye. Lad, stir up yon puny fire. Then run doonstairs and fetch more candles for their ladyships.”
As the boy hurried to obey, MacCowan helped Lizzie down, took the blanket corner that Lina now held, reached up, folded a few inches of it over the top of one shutter, and pressed that one closed. Then he repeated the process on the other side.
Lina thanked him with a smile, adding, “You came just in time, Gorry MacCowan. Neither of us can reach so high. In another few minutes, both of us would have been soaked.”
“We came tae clear away the leavings o’ your meal, m’lady,” he said, glancing toward the door where his lad was just leaving.
“You have news, Gorry,” Lina said, when the door had shut
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