“Aye,” Dirk agreed.
“I’m not touching her,” Eli promised, backing up. The stone wall behind him halted his progress.
“Nay. Me neither!” Neil’s wide gaze darted back and forth among the three men.
Keegan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Neil. “What did Haldane say about Dirk?”
“Well… uh… what was it?” he asked his friend. “That he might die of fever. If not, McMurdo is tasked with killing him.”
Dirk gave a brief humorless laugh. “’Tis old news. Tell us something we don’t know.”
“Aye. How many men does Haldane have now?” Keegan asked.
“Ten, counting us.”
“We’ll not count you,” Cyrus said. “Because you’re no longer a part of the gang.”
“Aye, well. We’re glad to be out,” Neil said. Clearly he was lying and only trying to appease them. “He said he would hire more men when he moved east.”
“Why east?” Keegan asked.
“’Tis where the lady will be taken… back to her home. Near Inverness.”
Hell.Haldane knew their plans. ’Twas probably obvious to him Seona would have to be returned to her father since she didn’t marry the MacKay chief. And Haldane obviously knew where their branch of the Murrays was from.
They could expect more ambushes and attacks as they escorted Seona home. ’Slud! He couldn’t expose her to that danger.
“Where will Haldane lie in wait?” Keegan asked.
“We know not. We’re not from this area.”
Once they were finished questioning the two men, Cyrus had them taken to the dungeon.
Keegan ground his teeth. “I want to go out and hunt down Haldane. Now,” he told Dirk and the other men. “I don’t want to start east with Seona while Haldane and his men are still a threat to her.”
Dirk nodded. “’Twould be best to take care of him beforehand.”
“I agree with you,” Cyrus said. “I ken these hills and mountains like the back of my hand.” He nodded toward the north. “I ken where all the hidey-holes are. I’ll line up more men and we’ll head out in a quarter hour.”
∞∞∞
A knock sounded at Seona’s door late that evening. ’Twas almost dark, but she hadn’t left her room after her aunt had threatened to tell her father about her and Keegan…. and how Graham MacSween had died.
Seona had to stay away from Keegan.
She prayed ’twas not him knocking at her door now, for she knew not how to tell him to stay away from her. ’Twould break her heart.
Seona approached the door. “Who is it?”
“Isobel.”
Seona should’ve guessed her friend would wonder why she’d missed supper. Millie had brought her a tray. Even so, Seona had eaten little. She was sick knowing she had to give up Keegan, the only bright spot in her life.
Bracing herself for a multitude of questions, she opened the door.
Her gaze concerned, Isobel entered and closed the door. “Are you ill?”
“Nay. I simply… didn’t feel like being with a lot of people.”
