A wave of guilt washed over her as she looked around, before her eyes fell on Maisie.
It was because of them that the walls had come down. If only they had gone somewhere else and been a curse to another family. Maybe then, the madness would make sense to her.
But as she tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear, all she could do was nod.
“Aye, Theo will be proud to hear that when he comes back. He’ll want Lady McGowan to show dignity in times of war,” Marcus said with a wink.
It was as if his words gave her the fuel to be the woman she needed to be. Not just for her sister, but for the clan. People were counting on her to pick up the pieces. All she could do was pray the clan didn’t blame her for the catastrophe that had transpired.
“Stephen, is the way clear? Can we get to the kitchen?” she asked.
“Aye, I suppose we can, but I dinnae see the point. Are ye lookin’ for a snack or something?” Stephen asked, arching an eyebrow.
Lavina squared her shoulders. “Yer tongue might be a bit looser with the laird, but I’m Lady McGowan and ye’ll show me that respect. Now, answer the question. Can we get to the kitchen?”
“Aye,” Stephen said, straightening to his full height. A silent apology flickered behind the sternness in his eyes.
“We should load up on whatever we can,” Lavina added, glancing at Maisie, then Amber. “We’ll raid the kitchen so we dinnae starve on the road.”
“And just where are we goin’?” Marcus asked. “If ye think we can still make it for the hills, ye’re wrong. If it’s nae clear by now, Me Lady, we cannae go that way. The tunnels have collapsed, and the caves in the hills are nothing compared to the stone that surrounded us. And if that’s what Laird Lewis did to it, well, I hate to see what he’d do to the caves.”
“Ye’re just scared,” Lavina said in a soothing voice. “We all are. But it’s in these moments that we must?—”
“Look!” Amber cried, pointing her slim little finger to the smoky horizon.
Lavina paused and craned her neck to peer through the crowd. She couldn’t quite see what the girl was pointing at. For all she knew, it could be an enemy scout sent to find them.
Panic shot through her and rippled through the crowd. People darted in every direction as Amber waved her little hand as if it were Theo stepping over the ruins of the keep, searching for them.
“Look!” Amber cried again.
Stephen darted forward and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her.
Lavina pursed her lips and flashed him a warning glare for handling the girl so roughly. But she couldn’t deny that the situation required it. After all, there was no telling who was coming up over the rubble.
The wall of the council chambers had collapsed, exposing the inner court to the elements. The tapestries that hung so elegantly around the room kept their secrets well.
“Will ye be still, ye wee devil,” Stephen hissed as quietly as he could. “Are ye tryin’ to give us away?”
“Amber, please be still,” Maisie pleaded. There was no hiding the terror in her voice.
Lavina knew there was only one thing for her to do. She would have to defend Maisie with her life.
“Wait,” she said, trying to get Stephen to calm down. “Who do ye think that is?”
“Pa,” Amber mumbled against Stephen’s hand.
Lavina’s heart soared with hope as she rose. Stephen shook his head as doubt flickered in his eyes.
“Lavina, be smart. Ye dinnae ken who that is. That could be our uncle,” Maisie cautioned.
Lavina craned her neck and tried to see through the ruins and smoke. Closing her eyes, she let out a heavy sigh, feeling the sun on her face.
Lord, please let it be…
Slowly, she rose and started for the opening of the ruins.
“Lavina, nay, ye’ll be seen,” Maisie whimpered, clawing at her tattered shift as she walked past.
