A Highlander In Peril (Gunn Guardsman) (14 page)

“Sabine, our Sabine?” Sean realized he hadn’t seen her in a day or two.

“Aye, the one and same. She only tends the keep a few days a week for her mother is ailing and needs her. Mistress Ina wanted me to relay a message to her about her duty for the next week and I stopped in. Her father is beside himself. I returned and asked Mistress Ina to search the keep but she’s not within the walls. A hunt has begun, but I wanted to alert you to it since most of the men joined the search.”

“Thank you,
Jacob, I’ll join you in the search too. Frances, we’ll have to delay our journey.” Sean wanted to assure Frances that they’d find Sabine, but he couldn’t give her false hope until he knew the facts.

“Go, and let me know if you find her.”

Sean joined the search party and they rode through the woods adjacent to the village and keep. There was no sign of the woman, but the land was vast and if she was out there, hurt, and unable to seek help, they’d have a hard time finding her.

He spent several hours with his clansmen searching for the maid, but none had seen her, and her whereabouts were unknown. Her family was too distraught to question, and he was unable to get any answers. Sean sent his men farther afield and added more men to the search party. When he’d done all he could do, he returned to the keep.

He stood outside the entrance with Jacob. “Let me know if there is anything else we can do. I am off to see Lord Lombard and will return within an hour or two. I will want an update as soon as I return.”

“Aye, my lord, I’ll ride out again in a few minutes. I’ll give you a report as soon as I return,” Jacob said.

He left him in James’ company and hastened inside to get Frances. She stood in the great hall and didn’t hear him when he approached.

“Frances? Are you ready?” Sean had to touch her shoulder to get her response.

She startled. “Oh, I didn’t hear you. Have you found Sabine?” she asked, when they retreated from the great hall.

“Nay, I’ve put more men to the search but there is nothing more we can do. I want to go to Lombard’s holding this day and don’t want to put it off. It’s early enough.”

Frances set the bowl she held on the table by the entrance, and she followed him out the exit of the keep. “I imagine Sabine’s parents are devastated.”

Sean walked beside her toward the stables. “Aye, they couldn’t even speak with me. All I know is they haven’t seen her since yestermorn, and know not where she could’ve gone.”

They reached the stable in no time, and had two horses brought out and readied. Sean decided not to take anyone with them and made certain his sword was at the ready should they come upon any trouble.

Frances rode in silence, and he kept a keen ear out for danger, but nothing seemed to be out of place.

Such woe was in their hearts on such a bonny spring day. Birds flitted from tree to tree, the sound of the wind rustled the leaves, and insects began chirping and making their calls. It all lent to soothe the soul, but alas they both held anguish within their hearts.

The weather warmed somewhat and he found himself heated and removed his tartan, setting it in front of him for the duration of the ride.

When they reached Lord Lombard’s homestead, Sean was surprised to find it almost as large as Lord William’s. The Lombards were wealthy it appeared. They left their horses at the gatehouse and went to the main keep on foot.

“I’ve often visited here and know a quicker way to the keep.” She took him around several huts and then behind a large building where the steps to the front of the keep lay ahead.

She knocked and waited for a few minutes and when no one came right away, she entered. Sean followed her inside.

“Bantrum, didn’t you hear us knocking?”

“Oh, nay, my lady, Frances, sorry. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“We’re here to see Lord Lombard. Is he here?” She spoke to a man who stood near the buttery. His head almost touched the top of the doorway when he approached. The man was aged to about two score and a giant among men.

“Aye, he is. I’ll get him. If you’d like to await in the hall.”

“I came not too long ago, but you were not here. I was checking on Winifred and I suspect there’s no news?” Frances asked.

“Oh, I’m rarely here these days, my lady. Been traveling and doing my lord’s will. I’m sorry to say there has been no word of Winifred. She still hasn’t returned. I will get my lord for you.” He strolled off and disappeared behind a door a ways down from the main entrance.

Frances led Sean to the hall and he wouldn’t take the seat she offered. Instead he paced the hall, where no windows afforded light. The darkened domain was only lit with two small candles near the buttery. As with Lord William’s hall, the walls covered with trophies and shields.

“Admiring the shields, aye, Lord Hume?” Lord Lombard approached. He stood a few inches shorter than Sean, and he noticed the man’s eyes were dark, his beard scraggily and unkempt.

So he knew who he was. That didn’t surprise Sean in the least since most men of high rank made it their business to know everyone within a stone’s throw. “Aye, they’re well made.” Sean couldn’t help but appreciate them. “The craftsmanship is remarkable.”

“They’re the shields of our most prosperous soldiers, those who fell in battle. I always keep their shields here to remind us of them. What is the purpose of your visit?”

Right to the matter.
Sean led him away from the wall. He’d expected some form of hospitality, but the man appeared not to want their company. Sean continued to stand and decided to get the visit over quickly.

Frances watched them but kept silent. He was gladdened. He’d brought her along for the sole purpose of telling him if the man was being honest. Sean didn’t know him well enough and wanted someone along who did, to infer whether he was hiding something. She would know that, he’d reasoned, since she’d been good friends with his daughter.

“My lady has received some threatening messages and ghastly gifts of late. I wanted to stop by to see if you’ve had any troubles.” He scrutinized the lord for any sign of guilt or remorse, but saw none.

Lord Lombard turned to face Frances. “I’m sorry to hear that, Lady Frances. I hope you’re well and unharmed.”

“I am, thank you, my lord.” She bowed slightly to him and returned to her seat.

The man kept his gaze on her, a little too longer than necessary, and much to his disgruntlement. Lord Lombard was definitely interested in his wife, something he should remedy at the soonest.

“My wife is well protected, Lord Lombard, I assure you. So you’ve had no strange happenings?” Sean asked pointedly, folding his arms over his chest to intimidate.

“Nay none.
Other than Winifred’s fleeing. I’d heard you and Lady Frances had wed. I should offer my felicitations.”

But he didn’t and the way he’d said that indicated he wouldn’t. Sean’s hair rose on the back of his neck. He got a sense that the man was either lying or he had no care for his daughter. “Are you certain Winifred fled? Mayhap she was hurt or taken? Do you have any enemies that would do her harm?” Sean read the insecurity in his eyes and realized when it came to his daughter, he was hiding something.

“Nay, none that I know of. I know she fled. Why would anyone want to hurt her? She was a young lass, younger than your wife. She would’ve soon wed and would have left my home. It matters not now.” The last words spoken had a bit of bite to them.

“Are you not concerned?” Frances asked.

Sean gave her a look to be quiet, but she didn’t heed his subtly given gesture.

“I was at first, now I am just bothered. I will not waste any more time looking for the lass. She fled and that is that. Good riddance, I say. I have more important things to see to than a wayward daughter.”

Frances moved out of her seat so fast that Sean almost didn’t reach her in time. He grabbed her around the waist, and said low in her ear, “Not here, don’t let him upset you.”

He knew she was angry with the lord about his uncaring attitude and she was about to lay on a reprimand worthy of a priest, but Sean wanted to assess the man not have at him. He badly wanted to thrust his sword, which would fit nicely between the man’s ribs. But this was not the time to draw the man into a fray.

“We must be off, Lord Lombard. Thank you for speaking with us. I was hoping to meet you at the meeting the other day, but didn’t see you there. I expect I’ll see you at the next border meeting?”

He made no excuse for his absence and didn’t deny that he hadn’t attended.
“Aye, aye. I haven’t heard when it is.”

“I don’t think there will be one for a while. If I hear, I’ll send word.”

“I have my own messengers, lad, to see to my business.”

“Very well.
Good day.” Sean took Frances’ hand and led her back outside. When they neared their horses, she let out her frustration.

“I wanted to gouge out his eyes.”

Why Sean wanted to laugh at that, was beyond him. “I did too, but best not test a man’s mettle in his own keep.” He pulled her closer to him.

Frances took his hand, her hold tight and warm. “What does that mean?”

“Never trust a host, especially one that you deem distrustful.”

“Is this one of your protection rules perchance?”

His mouth hovered near hers. “Aye, there are many. Come, let us leave this place.”

“Attend me a moment. I noticed something unusual there. When Bantrum mentioned his travel with Lord Lombard …”

“Aye, what of it? Who is he?”

Frances motioned him to stand closer to the hut near the horses, out of the way of those passing. “He’s the steward and never traveled with his lord. Odd that he’s done so. And odder still, Winifred bespoke of her fondness of him.”

“You mean she respected him?” Sean took her hand again and started to lead her toward the horses.

“Nay, she loved him.”

“He didn’t seem affected by her disappearance,” Sean said.

“That’s what I found so peculiar. She deemed he loved her too. Would he not have been upset that she’d gone and wouldn’t he have tried to locate her?”

“Mayhap he did. Her father would never have allowed her to wed him. Would he have hurt her if he was rejected in his pursuit?” Sean wondered if the man had been rewarded for a service, given his recent promotion from steward to handling the lord’s business. And what reason would he have been promoted? Mayhap payment for an ill-deed performed?

Frances tilted her head in wonder. “I don’t know. She spoke of no such claims on his part, wanting to wed. If he really cared for her, wouldn’t he have been more concerned?”

“I’d say. Och we knew not what passed between them. Come, we must be off.”

As soon as they rode through the gates and onto the worn path that led to the forest between their properties, Sean veered off.

“Why are we headed this way?” Frances slowed her horse so he would stop. “Our keep is that way.”

Sean turned and grinned. “I want to take a long way.” He wouldn’t tell her that he was looking for signs of Winifred or Sabine traveling through, because he knew it would upset her.

Frances nodded and hastened her pace to ride beside him. They rode silently for some time before Sean stopped and jumped down from his horse. She joined him on the ground and let him take the horse’s reins from her. Sean realized they were close to Hume land and would soon reach its border.

Beside a stream which wound itself between the densely populated woods, he tied the horses to a low-lying branch of a tree and turned to Frances.

“Thirsty?”

She nodded and took his hand. Sean guided her to the stream and led her to the wider part where the water rushed at a faster pace. They scooped water and drank, and Frances sat on the bank of the stream.

“It is warm this day,” he said, after taking several handfuls of water.

How lovely she looked. How had he ever deemed her plain and unfeminine? As his eyes grazed her body and face, he couldn’t help admire the beauty that was Frances. He sat next to her and leaned his body as close as he could get.

“Are you tired and need a rest? The ride is not that long.”

He shook his head.
“Nay. I wanted to do this.” Whenever he got near her, he couldn’t resist kissing her.

Frances allowed him to force her back and they gently landed on the grassy knoll by the bank. He enjoyed their love-play and wanted more. As his hand meandered up her leg and he felt the softness of her skin, his rod grew hard with wanting.

She broke off the kiss. “Here, Sean? Where anyone can happen by?”

“No one comes this way. There’s no trail. I saw no tracks that lead here.”

“But the search parties …”

His lips grazed the delicate skin of her throat.
“Likely have passed the area already.”

She giggled when he lifted her hem higher and his head disappeared beneath her skirts. He set light kisses along her ankle to the base of her thigh. Her laughter was contagious and he rolled to his side, watching her amusement contently. He was about to help her remove her overdress when his eyes roamed the forest beyond them and he thought he saw a gleam from a shiny object. Sean sat up, becoming alert.