After her evening meal, Wilona MacRae lounged back on her chaise and opened the mahogany box. She removed the keek-stane and caressed the shadowy smooth surface. 'Twas time to check on her tormented subjects. First, she would see what Gavin MacTavish was about. Most likely, he brooded away his nights in that crumbling castle while listening to his father's mad ravings. She chuckled and focused on the shiny dark stone.
Gavin's face came into view. The scar running the length of his face on one side made him appear even more the barbaric warrior.
His eyes scanned the missive in his hand, then he lifted his brows and glanced aside at his guard. "So… hedidsend the lass."
"Did he, m'laird? He revealed naught to me. He was strangely mute on the subject."
Gavin stared at the missive again. "Says here he hopes I will accept his peace offering."
The guard nodded, waiting a long moment. "And will you?"
"I believe I will. She's a bonny lass."
"Is she the one your father speaks of?"
"I think so, but I must introduce them to be sure. Did you get any sleep this day?"
"Aye, once I returned, I had a long nap."
"Good. I have another errand for you this night. Fetch Father John from Kilmory."
"Indeed, m'laird?" The guard beamed.
Gavin raised a brow. "Indeed. Do you have something you wish to say, Ewan?"
"Shall I tell him the nature of your request?"
"Tell him 'tis urgent, and I wish him to come tonight."
"He will wonder why," Ewan said in a singsong tone.
Gavin clenched his jaw as if biting back his annoyance at the meddlesome guard. "He is to perform a wedding."
"Ah!" Ewan gave a broad grin. "I'm most pleased for you, m'laird. And I pray she is the one who will abolish the curse!"
Those words yanked Wilona out of her trance. She leapt to her feet, and the keek-stane went flying. Swearing in outage, she scrambled to retrieve her treasured stone from the woven wool carpet underfoot.
"No one! No one will disrupt my spell, I vow." She had to stop the wedding. She ran for the door. In Raeglen's great hall, she found Alpin sitting by the hearth drinking whisky.
"Alpin, I must speak with you." When he did not jump to his feet, she added, "Now!" She would send him to complete the task while she observed all in her keek-stane from the comfort of her chamber. Who was this jezebel Gavin had found to marry, and from whence had she come? All would be revealed to her soon enough.
∞∞∞
The man of her dreams had relegated Dani to the dark, creepy dungeon with only a candle and a couple of blankets for hours. Many, many hours. How long, she didn't know.
A bar of wavering light shone from a torch in the stone corridor through the tiny aperture above the solid oak door. She moved closer to it and shouted, "Gavin!"
All of her complaints and outrage had been met with silence. They had forgotten her down here.
"Bastard!"
The place smelled dank and musty, but she detected no odors from dead inmates as she'd expected.
When footsteps sounded outside the door, her attention riveted.Please, let it be Gavin.
Keys rattled, and the ancient lock turned. With a great screech, the rusty iron and wooden door swung outward.
A burly, silent guard bent and slid a tray inside the door.
