“He will be back soon, I am certain.”
“Wha’ if—”
Alan turned to his mother. “Pray do no’ think such thoughts.”
“But—how can it end? I ha’ prayed on it, most the night. I canna see a way—”
“Mother, please calm yoursel’. I will go now and see can one o’ the grooms accompany me.”
Lady MacKallan nodded. Annista chafed but said nothing—at least not until she’d followed Alan out to the yard.
“There are nay extra horses,” she said.
“Eh?”
“Naught for a groom to ride. If ye tak’ me wi’ ye, we can ride double on Chieftain.”
He caught her by the shoulders. “Annista—”
A clatter interrupted him. Earl MacKallan rode into the yard, the two manservants on foot behind him. They were all wet to the skin and looked miserable. Lord MacKallan slumped in his seat and the unfortunate footmen appeared exhausted.
“Father?” Alan hurried over to them.
The earl cast him a look before turning to the men and saying, “Go get dry, tak’ a hot meal and then rest.”
They nodded and slogged off to the house.
Lord MacKallan said to Alan, “We tramped all night, every godforsaken place we could think to look, but did no’ catch so much as a glimpse o’ him. I no longer can imagine where he might be.”
Lady MacKallan came hurrying out from the kitchen door. “Neilan! Are ye hurt? Injured?”
“Nay, wife. Just weary and wet to the bone.”
“Come awa’ in. The breakfast is laid in the hall. Did ye find—”
“No’ hide nor hair o’ him.” Earl MacKallan dismounted stiffly, showing his age and weariness. One of the stable lads came out and led away his mount.
Alan and Annista were left standing together.
She gazed at him. “Wha’ will ye do? Surely ye need no’ go out if Earl MacKallan ha’ already searched everywhere.”
“We know he was at the Duncans’. I will ride there first and then try to determine where he might ha’ gone from there. Think like him.”
Impossible, Annista decided.
“Verra well,” she declared. “But as I say, ’tis cruel to mak’ any o’ the servants follow ye on foot, and your father’s mount needs rest. Alan,” she laid her hand on his arm, “let me come.”
Was it her use of his given name that moved him? Did her touch remind him of all they had shared last night?
Either way, he relented. “Aye so, but we will no’ ride far.”
“Fine, that, since ye should no’ strain that wound, by any road.”
Alan saddled Chieftain and led him out with his own hands, but they told old Billy that Annista was accompanying him so no one in the house would worry for her.
They rode out beneath that blood-red sky, Alan taking Annista on the saddle in front of him, clutched tight in his arms.
They rode first to the Duncans’ holding along the twisting lane that passed as the main road. They paused only briefly at the gate where they could see the roof of the barn still smoking. They did not linger.
