David could swear the journey he made to Lochluin Abbey was the longest ride he’d ever taken. He’d finally thought everything was settled, that he’d outsmarted Anna’s sire, but he’d made a crucial error.
Bastard. Rat bastard, as his cousin Loki would say.
How could the bastard have stolen his daughter from the abbey without anyone noticing? Why hadn’t he been stopped? The man clearly thought he was invincible, but David intended to show him how very wrong he was.
To his surprise, there was a large collection of people gathered outside of the abbey, all of them yelling. He was even more surprised when he saw King Alexander and his men had arrived. There stood the royal king in the middle of the mayhem listening to several people shouting. He could only guess that the king had received so many missives from the MacGruders and the Drummonds that he’d set out to settle the issue himself.
The abbess had her arms crossed defensively in front of her, and the monks and priests on either side of her had such red faces they looked on the verge of dropping into a dead faint. The MacGruders stood opposite them in a clear challenge.
David dismounted and moved over to the group, waving his arms. He wished to be a part of this discussion since it was his betrothed they were discussing. No one addressed him until Lorne MacGruder set eyes upon him, and his reaction was immediate and unprovoked. He shoved his way out of the crowd and headed straight for David.
He hit him square in the chest with the palm of his hand, much to David’s surprise. He stumbled backward but caught himself before he fell to the ground.
“Where is she? I know ‘twas you,” he bellowed. “You’ve kidnapped my daughter from me. I want her back. Where is she? Confess, or I’ll have you hung.”
Filib grabbed his sire on either side and yanked him backward. David couldn’t have been more stunned. If Lorne was responsible for Anna’s abduction, the man was one hell of an actor.
David knew how to act in front of his king. He ignored MacGruder, moving around him to greet King Alexander.
“Good day to you, my king.” He bowed and then took a step closer. “I’m pleased you have arrived.”
As he spoke, he caught sight of two riders approaching. Out of the corner of his eye, he recognized Maggie and Will. Pleased he had more allies here, he returned his focus to the king.
“Greetings to you, David of Drummond. How does your dear mother fare?”
“She is well, I expect her to be here in a short time. May I inquire about my betrothed? She was here when I left the night before last, but word has reached me that she is missing. Where could she have gone?”
“Ah, so you have heard about our dilemma. I’ve been doing my best to uncover the truth of the matter, but no one seems to know anything beyond that your betrothed was last seen when she broke her fast yesterday. I don’t know if she left on her own or if she had assistance in this disappearance. What say you?”
David replied, “I know naught about this. I was on Drummond land preparing for our wedding. If I had wished to kidnap her, I would have done so the other night. I was hoping to be a married man by this evening.” His voice cracked a little as he said it. Was Anna hale? Would he find her? The pressure of not knowing bore down on him. “Have you any suspects at all? If not, I certainly do.”
“And who would be your primary suspect, lad?” his king asked, crossing his arms in front of him, his gaze boring into David’s.
“Her sire, of course. He has done his best to put our marriage asunder. Ever since the unexplained attack on Anna, which she barely remembered at all, he has done his best to keep us apart, even attempting to betroth her to another when you had already blessed our union. He attempted to marry her to Gilroy Walters just recently, without your approval, my king.”
“Is this true, Lorne? I heard of this attempt to undermine my orders, but I’d like the full story from you.” He lifted his chin toward the MacGruder, whose face was now as red as the first cherries in summer.
Lorne MacGruder paused, taking his glare from David back to King Alexander. “We were awaiting your approval. I sent you a missive about the attack. I was doing my best to salvage her reputation, my king. This had naught to do with a lack of respect for you. I did it out of respect for my daughter. She was devastated when she discovered she was no longer untouched, too embarrassed to marry the heir to Drummond Castle.”
“That’s a lie and you know it, MacGruder!” He’d had enough of Lorne MacGruder. “Where is she? Who did you pay to take her away? Is she with Walters?” He grabbed the front of the man’s tunic and lifted him a few feet off the ground, turning the bastard’s face a strange shade of purple.
“Set him down, Drummond,” the king said firmly. “You remind me of your uncle Logan. Where is he? I could use him about now.”
Maggie, who’d approached them without speaking, spoke up. “He’s on his way, my king.”
David finally set MacGruder down. As soon as he did, Lorne took a swing at him. “You took her. I heard you stole her maidenhead the other eve. My wife told me everything. You must have taken her and hidden her away.”
His voice cracked in a most unusual way. David quirked a brow at him because he could swear he noticed a misting in the man’s eyes. “Aye, what your wife said is true. No one was more surprised than me. Anna and I handfasted the eve before last. We pledged our troth to each other. I claimed her as my wife, but I honored the wishes of the abbess and the priests, who instructed me to return this morn to marry her at high noon in a religious ceremony. Whoever told you she lost her maidenhead in the previous attack lied.”
MacGruder’s face fell, a strange expression of failure crossing his features. Staring at the ground, he whispered, “Aye, ‘twas my fault before. I paid someone to take her, leave her in the woods to be found. She was being watched so she couldn’t be hurt.”
“Why would you do such a thing, Lorne? She’s your own flesh and blood,” the king asked in evident shock.
“I did not want her married to David Drummond. There was no attack that night. She was just given something so she wouldn’t remember aught. But I swear to you, I know not where she is now. I did not take her from here. I would have argued with you all morn about this marriage, but ‘twas not me.”
The words almost toppled David. This entire event had been because MacGruder did not want him to marry Anna? Why in the world had he accepted when David had offered for her? What had he and his parents done to earn such ill will from the man? But he had little time to think on it. If MacGruder was telling the truth, then who did take Anna? He needed to focus on the love of his life and find her before it was too late.
King Alexander said, “I’m going inside to speak with the abbess and the priests. I’ll let you know if I discover aught of value. And I go alone.” He gave a pointed look to both David and Lorne MacGruder. “You two are to stay outside, on opposite sides of the courtyard.”
David nodded, spun on his heel and tipped his head to Maggie and Will, who now stood behind him, indicating he wished to talk with them in private. They found a bench in a secluded area not far from the abbey, though none of them sat down.
Four words from Maggie got their conversation headed in the right direction.
“Do you believe him?”
David sighed, staring into the gray clouds over their heads. “I really don’t want to. I want to believe he did it, but I was close enough to see the tears in his eyes. MacGruder hasn’t shed many tears in his lifetime. I don’t believe he did it as a ruse.”
“And he admitted to setting up the ploy over her maidenhead to get her away from you. Why would he admit to something so damning but not speak to his involvement in this escapade?” Will asked.
Maggie said, “Oh, ‘tis possible for certes. He’s told so many lies that he may no longer recognize the truth. The question I have is why is he so dead set against his daughter marrying a Drummond, let alone the future laird of the clan? It makes no sense to me.”
“I cannot answer that. He’s always seemed reluctant about the match, but his objections were never so serious as this.” David ran his fingers through his hair as he started his pacing again. He had to do something, go after her, search the area.
He couldn’t just sit here and wait, feeling helpless.
“Is there anyone else you suspect could be involved in this?” Will asked.
David shrugged his one shoulder. “Other than Gilroy Walters, the man her sire promised her to?”
“What has he to gain from this marriage?”
David snorted. “Someone young and beautiful to warm his bed and take care of his four bairns.”
“Mayhap there’s been some coin involved somewhere,” Maggie added.
David replied, “Nay, I think not. Neither is wealthy. MacGruder could gain much more from our alliance.”
Will stroked his beard. “Is there bad blood between your clans?”
“Nay! Not until this incident. At least, not to my knowledge. But the way he says my name makes me believe there was bad blood.” David paced in a small area for a few moments and stopped. “I’d like to make a request.”
Maggie said, “We’ll do whatever you’d like. Just tell us.”
“I’d appreciate the support of the full Band of Cousins. Can we call a meeting and make plans? I have to find her, but Scotland is too large an area for me to cover on my own.”
To his surprise, a voice called to him from afar. “I’m glad to help.”
He turned to see Daniel headed their way, Sweeney directly behind him. David couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “Your assistance would be most welcome.” He clasped his brother’s shoulder as he joined the three of them, nodding to his friend Sweeney.
“Good,” Daniel said. “Because I’m not leaving. I learned to get past my injury long ago. Now ‘tis time for everyone else to catch up with me.”
Sweeney patted him on the back, then turned to face David. “Why must you insist on traveling alone all the time? You know the heir to a lairdship shouldn’t run off on his own. Take both of us along on all your jaunts so your mother doesn’t cut my bollocks off, would you? She’s daft when you’re missing.”
“What do you say, Maggie,” Daniel asked, his eyes hopeful, “may I join the cousins?”
“So long as you agree that everything we do is confidential. You cannot discuss it with the other Drummond guards or your friends. And Sweeney, I expect the same from you. Keep up with my cousins, would you?”
“Accepted. What’s the plan?”
David said, “We’ll put one together while we wait for the others to arrive. We must first send missives.”
“Nay. Already done, cousin. Gavin and Gregor will be here soon. The Grants should be here by nightfall. We’ll have everything ready by the time they arrive.”
“Do you have a lead?” David asked in surprise.
“Aye,” Will replied. “MacGruder admitted he paid for someone to steal Anna away. We’ll talk to King Alexander first, ask him to have MacGruder tell all, but mayhap he used the exact same channel we’ve heard whisperings about of late.”
David sucked in his breath. Though it was terrible to think of Anna in such a situation, he felt a slight stirring of hope inside. He’d be willing to go from firth to firth to find his sweet Anna, but if they had a lead…“Channel? What channel?”
“The Channel of Dubh.”
Hellfire. David kneaded his forehead. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
Who would name their operation the channel of darkness?