Page 63 of Forever My Lass

Frustrated by her slow progress, she knew the heavy material had become a significant disadvantage, and it would only make the situation worse if she didn’t do something. The thought made her reach behind her to undo the gown’s buttons. Her fingers were numb from the cold water, and when she managed to undo a couple of buttons, she pulled hard at the back of the gown trying to rip it open.

After several tries she felt a number of the buttons give way. It wasn’t as many as she’d hoped for, but the gape in the back of the dress was just enough to give her wiggle room. Fighting with the snug, wet sleeves clinging to her skin, she finally pulled her arms free then pushed the water-soaked gown up and over her head. Tossing the heavy dress aside, she was able to move forward more quickly now.

Her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, and to her surprise, there were holes in the cave’s ceiling that allowed light to filter through. As she moved deeper into the darkness, she offered up a word of thanks for the varied sized holes that fed enough light into the cave to see by. A moment later she uttered a fierce curse as water splashed through the holes and doused her. When she’d finished spluttering and wiping sea water out of her eyes, Madeline cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to Ainslie again.

As before, she couldn’t tell if it was her voice echoing back at her or if it was Ainslie replying. She thought she heard another shout, but it was indistinguishable and seemed to echo from behind her. Shivering with cold, Madeline continued forward and a few feet deeper into the cave she called out Ainslie’s name again. This time she heard the girl’s shout, and relief made her sag slightly before she called out that she was coming for her.

Every few yards, Madeline would give a shout out to the girl in an effort to determine how close she was to Ainslie’s location. The echoes in the cavern made it difficult to know if she was heading in the right direction as the sounds echoed in front and back of her. She had gone several feet, when the thigh-high, water-filled passage took a right turn.

As Madeline rounded the corner, she saw Ainslie sitting on a dry area of stone. Relieved that she was safe, Madeline rushed forward. She was only about six feet away from the girl when the floor beneath her feet disappeared. Caught unprepared, Madeline sank below the waterline and salt water filled her mouth.

In the next instant, she bobbed back up into the cave. Coughing hard, she tried to draw in air as she struggled against the strong currents pulling viciously at her legs. Panic sailed through her, and in the distance, she heard someone frantically calling her name. Beneath her, the water tugging at her legs won, and the current pulled her downward again. Suddenly, she realized she was drowning for a second time.

Chapter 17

Iain slipped several times as he raced down the sloped path to the inlet. If not for the hemp rope that served as a handrail, he would have fallen to his death because he was moving so fast. But the only thing his brain was focused on was an image of Madeline and Ainslie trapped in the sea cave. If he were to lose them—a voice in the back of his head shouted he would not let that happen.

As he reached the beach, he saw something floating in the water. His heart crashing into his chest, Iain charged into the sea without hesitation. Fighting to remain upright against the currents beneath the surface, he waded deeper into the water. The moment he reached the object, he realized it was Madeline’s gown. Fists burrowing in the sodden wool, he jerked his head first one way and then the other.

“Madeline,” he roared in a state of sheer panic. “Ainslie.”

There was no answer to his shouts. Blindly, he plodded through the water toward the outcrop. The sight of a feminine shoe floating in the water near the shoreline heightened his fear to a level that threatened to undo him.

“Madeline. Ainslie.” Either they couldn’t hear him or they—no, he refused to think the worst. “Madeline is an intelligent woman, Fraser. She knows she’ll be able to move more easily and faster without wet clothing weighing her down.”

The thought made him quickly remove his jacket, shoes, and hose. Knowing he might need his sigan dubh, he tucked the blade and its sheath snug between his kilt and stomach. He’d need every advantage if he was going to save them. Over his shoulder, he heard Angus’s shout, and he turned to see the tall, burly Scotsman racing toward him. Over the man’s shoulder was a large coil of corded hemp. Iain immediately leaped forward as the man reached him and tugged at the coil to find one end of the rope.

“Let me go, Iain,” the older Scotsman said quietly as he watched his employer tie the thick cord of hemp around his waist and use a bowline knot to secure it in place. Both men knew the old sailor’s knot wouldn’t come loose easily.

“Nae,” Iain snarled. “I need ye tae hold the rope.”

“But ye—”

“I’m going after them.” Iain met the other man’s gaze steadily. “You’re stronger than I am. If the cavern fills with water like it did…ye can still pull Ainslie and Madeline out of the cavern faster than they can swim.”

“And what about ye?” Angus objected with a shake of his head.

“I might not be as good a swimmer as my brother was, but I’m stronger than Madeline and Ainslie. I’ll be all right.”

“And the rope? It might nae be long enough, Iain.”

“I’ll find a way tae secure it inside the cavern if it pulls up short. I trust ye nae tae let go on this end.”

“Aye,” Angus said gruffly.

Shouts echoed from the cliff, and Iain saw Squire Tewel, his son, and one of Tewel’s farm hands making their way down the steep slope to the inlet. Iain turned away, but Angus’s large hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Tewel has rope with him. We’ll tie it off, but…” The Scotsman blanched slightly, and Iain patted the large hand on his shoulder.

“Three tugs means the line is secured around Madeline and Ainslie, and ye are tae pull as fast as ye can. At least on the surface they’ll have a fighting chance, and the rope will keep them from being swept out to sea if…”

Iain didn’t finish the thought. Instead, he whirled around and splashed his way through the water toward the farthest part of the outcrop. Rounding the curve of the rock face he saw the entrance to the sea cave.

Fear flooded through him, and he froze where he was. It took only a second for his head to fill with the image of his brother’s lifeless body floating at the cave entrance. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, but the sudden, strong tug on the rope around his waist forced him out of the past. Angus had clearly noticed he wasn’t moving and had used the tug to capture Iain’s attention.

“Goddamnit, Fraser,” he growled. “If ye cannae save them, then go back and let Angus try.”

The taunt of cowardice made him blow out an explosive breath of air from his lungs as he moved forward once more. Pushing his way through the water that was almost up to his waist, Iain fought against the unseen currents trying to drag him off his feet. He reached the cavern’s entrance in less than a minute and paused in front of the yawning hole. A shudder hammered its way through him as he remembered the moment he’d reached the surface all those years ago.