Then she caught herself.Eoghan had said William was a part of this nastiness, though she didn’t want to believe that, not for a minute.The longer she remained in this pit, however, the stronger that belief infected her mind.She struggled to shove those harrowing thoughts away, but the questions arose, nonetheless.
Had William given up on her?Had her strange behaviors and wild stories pushed him away?Was an earful of gossip enough to turn him from her?
William would no’ betray me that way, she told herself unconvincingly.
But what if hehadbetrayed her and sided with his cousin?
She sighed and dropped her head into her hands.
The noise came again.A jingling sound.A horse’s harness?
Then enough light filtered down so that her eyes made out the outline of her knees against the soft, earthen wall, a lighter dark against a darker black.And the light brightened even more.
Someone was coming.Someone with a torch.
William - ?
Nay,she caught herself and cursed his betrayal.Someone else.
Ailith squinted at the iron grate above her head.The light brightened a bit, then the silhouette of two heads appeared above the grate.Her heart leaped – two familiar heads.
“Seocan?”she asked in a disbelieving tone as she sat upright.The mucky earth made a sucking sound as she moved.
“Aye, lass.We’re here.”The sound of her brother’s voice warmed her shivering bones.
“What have ye managed to get yourself into this time?”the other voice asked.
Daniel.
She blew out a relieved breath.
So she wasn’t as alone as she had thought.Ailith did not have the faintest idea what they might do to help her, but having them there, knowing her brother and his second were in her corner, made her feel better.
“How did ye find me?”
“A MacIntosh kin saw what was happening and did no’ care for the feel of it.He rode hard for Glenbervie.”
“Did anyone try to stop ye when ye arrived?”
What if Eoghan or the abbot had tried to pour their poison into Seocan’s ears?In addition to Mairi's comments, which Ailith was certain Seocan had heard her speak, their accusations might have carried some weight.
“A sleepy Grant.He does no’ seem overly concerned with ye, but argued that some in the clan are no’ too happy.The clan is already in upheaval over the loss of their men and tanist and trying to lay all the blame at the feet of the MacDougals or Gordons for the role they believed we played.”
Daniel grumbled loud enough for Ailith to hear him, so she could easily imagine how wellthatconversation went over.
“I pointed out the MacDougals lost their tanist, Brian, too, at Dunnottar,” Daniel commented.Ailith was sure that hispointing outwas accompanied by the broad man grabbing the hilt of his sword for emphasis.
“I’ve sent a man to Drumoak, so William will soon be on his way.”
Her floating heart dropped to her belly.Not only was he not at Drumoak, from what Eoghan implied, William wouldn’t be coming to her rescue anyway.
“Dinna be too certain of that,” she muttered.
“Ye are chilled and confused,” Seocan replied.“William should be here before the village awakens.”
“Nay.I have the sense that he will no’ be burdened with this.”
“Burdened!”Daniel shouted.“Have ye gone mad on top of everything else?He’s your husband!He should know –”
