Chapter 5
With the loud noises outside the priest hole door, Marianna's heart vaulted into her throat.
Darack leapt up and maneuvered her around. "Stay behind me," he hissed.
She sensed from his movements and rigid posture that he had drawn his dirk. Her fingers trembled as she fisted them into the back of his plaid.
The door was yanked open, piercing the pitch blackness with lantern light. Felix stuck his head in. "They have left the building. After they searched the kitchen and our family apartments upstairs, Lindsay commanded his men to search the entire town. He says he will not give up until he finds his lady."
Mairiana squeezed her eyes closed, unable to believe she'd gotten herself into this terrible predicament.
"You can come out now, but stay in the back. If he or any of his men return to the public room, I'll let you know. We will keep the back door bolted."
After the men helped her out, Mairiana was glad to be free of the tight confines of the tiny room, but at the same time, she missed Darack's close proximity. She was growing too accustomed to the delicious feel of his hard body against hers.
"Come, break your fast," Felix said, motioning toward the small dining room.
Once she sat down, Mairiana realized her stomach was aching with hunger. Not just anxiety. She should give Felix some coins for his trouble and for the meal. She dug into the pouch attached to her belt.
"Darack," she said once the proprietor had left the room.
She held up two coins. "Pay him with this."
"Nay, keep it. MacGregors help their own," Darack said.
"Still, I will pay my own way… as long as my money holds out, anyway. I don't have much with me."
"We'll need it later along our journey. The ship will be more expensive than the ferry."
"I hadn't thought of that." She did not often contemplate money or whether there was enough. Her brothers had always taken care of the finances, and before them, her father.
Darack disappeared into the kitchen where the proprietor had gone while she sat on a small bench at the table.
She opened the pouch again and counted the coins. She might have enough for one fare, but not two. The jewels of the brooch Alec had given her last night glittered and winked in the cloudy daylight filtering through the narrow window. She took the brooch out and swiped her thumb over the rubies, sapphires and emeralds. 'Twas beautiful beyond words, but looking at it reminded her fully what a low-down liar and murderer Alec was. It only gave her a sinking feeling of dread. The brooch had to be worth a small fortune, and it could pay her way home.
When Darack stepped into the room, carrying two tankards of ale, she closed her fingers over the brooch. Mayhap he would know a jeweler where they could sell it for a good price.
He sat down at the table across from her, gave her one of the ales, then sipped his own. "They will bring our food soon."
"We can sell this to pay our passage on the ship," she said, holding the brooch out to him in her open palm.
"Where the hell did you get that?" The words exploded from him. His hand shot toward the brooch, but she snatched it back, out of his reach.
What the devil was wrong with him? Her eyes narrowed at his look of outrage. "'Twas a wedding gift from Alec," she snapped. "He gave it to me last night. What is it to you?" She'd heard the MacGregors had to steal everything from jewelry to cattle in order to survive. Was it true or only a rumor? "There is no need to steal it from me. I intend to sell it to benefit us both."
His jaw clenched so hard she heard his teeth grate. "I had no intention of stealing it," he growled, his face darkening. "The fact is Alec Lindsay stole that brooch from my mother a couple of months ago. 'Twas why I was there at Lenor Castle, trying to reclaim it for her."
Shocked by this information, Mairiana frowned. "In truth?"
"Aye. Why would I lie about such a thing?"
"Because 'tis valuable and you ken it. The jewels are real."
"Of course they are."
"Describe it to me," she charged, testing his knowledge. He had only glimpsed it for a second in her palm.
Darack blew out a breath, fury glinting in his hard, dark eyes as he glanced away for a moment and then back to her. "'Tis a thistle. It has four leaves, each formed by four small emeralds, for a total of sixteen stones. The flower is made of a cluster of nine rubies. In the background is a loch formed by twelve sapphires."
