Robbie rolled his eyes at that. "She is escaped, Dunc. Would ye confess who ye were to the first person ye came across were ye escaping?"
"Oh...aye. I mean nay," Duncan murmured, turning back to peer at the two women.
The woman greeted her in Gaelic.
Kyla returned the greeting, surprise now lighting her face. Like the MacDonald, this woman was a redhead, her hair a veil of crimson that whipped about in the slight breeze off the water. Now that there was only a foot of space between them, it was hard not to notice that she was also extremely petite. Kyla would have placed her age at somewhere around eighteen, yet the top of the woman's head barely reached her own chin, putting her at a height of perhaps four and a half feet, no more. Despite her lack of height, she was a shapely little thing, both buxom and well-heeled of a hip. The waist between narrowed to an impossibly small span, Kyla noted with a touch of envy, then she raised her eyes again, aware as she took in the woman's heart-shaped face and wide green eyes that the other woman was giving her the once-over as well.
"I be Aelfread MacDonald."
Kyla hesitated, then offered her mother's first name, which also happened to be her own second name. "I am Iseabal." She deliberately withheld the offer of a last name, not wishing to lie more than she must to someone who might prove to be a friend.
"'Tis a pleasure to meet ye, Iseabal."
Kyla nearly sagged in relief at the easy acceptance, her smile widening far enough to near split her face before she whirled nervously to peer out over the open water. "'Tis a lovely spot."
"Aye." Smiling herself, the woman turned to glance over the sparkling sea, then moved back to where she had been sitting, picking up a small basket. "I came to fetch some weeds, but stopped to rest a breath or two and enjoy the air first."
Galen strode grimly out of the stables and paused to glare around the bailey. Being unsure where to look next, it was a relief when he spotted Tommy and Gavin rushing toward him. He could tell from their expressions that they had learned something. And that was the first spot of good news he had had since arriving home to find his wife, as well as her three guards, missing.
It helped his presence of mind little that the old witch seemed just as dismayed over Kyla's absence as he was. She had told him on arriving that her mistress was above stairs having a nap. When he had then asked where the men were, she had said Robbie and Angus had been "outside most of the day, it being Duncan's day to guard her," and that Duncan had stepped out shortly after Kyla had retired. She had thought he'd gone to the privy. But a quick check had proven the bedchamber empty and the bailey to be absent of any sign of Duncan or the other men.
That was when Galen had really started to worry. He had immediately sent Tommy and Gavin to question anyone and everyone they could as to the whereabouts of the missing four, while he himself had sought out the stable master to see if he knew anything or if there were any horses missing. The answer to both questions had been no, much to his consternation, so it was with relief that he hurried to greet his First and Second as they approached. "What news?"
"No one has seen Kyla, but Roy's guarding the gate and says he saw Duncan, Angus, and Robbie walking toward the docks. He thought mayhap they had gone to meet the boats."
Galen frowned over that. "But they didn't arrive at the boats. And we didn't pass them on the way up."
"Aye." Tommy nodded at that. "Mayhap they took one of the paths."
Not sure whether to be worried or angered, Galen shook his head. "Why? Where would they have been headed? They are supposed to be guarding my wife. Why would they be out gallivanting about on the beach paths?"
"Well--" Tommy glanced at Gavin before pointing out--"They generally take their responsibilities seriously...Robbie especially. Mayhap they realized her ladyship was missing and went off in search of her."
"Without calling an alarm?" Galen shook his head again, frustration beginning to clench his stomach. "Nay. Were they to realize her missing, they would have had the whole castle looking for her."
"Then mayhap she isn't missing," Gavin suggested thoughtfully, bringing sharp gazes from both men.
"What are ye saying, Gavin?"
"Well, Roy did mention a woman leaving just ere Duncan, Angus, and Robbie. He--"
"Kyla?" Galen interrupted sharply.
"Nay." Tommy frowned at the other man for getting their laird needlessly excited. "He said they walked out behind a woman, 'tis true enough, but he said she was a Scot. At least he said she wore a plaid."
"Mayhap Lady Kyla has donned a plaid and escaped."
Galen stiffened at his man's phrasing. "Escaped? Escaped what? This is her home now. We are wed," he pointed out indignantly.
"Aye, but..." Gavin grimaced. "I would wonder if ye had the time to tell her that ere yer leavetaking?"
Galen blinked at the question, then let his breath out on a half-grunt, half-groan. "Damn me, I didn't, either. There was no time..."
"Well me laird, 'tis sure I am there wasn't ere now, but soon will be. Let us find her so ye can give her the grand news."
Galen nodded uncertainly at that but did not move. Instead he peered at the ground, deep in thought and worry, the expression on his face saying more than his silence that he did not relish the telling. "Do ye think so?" he asked finally.
"Think what, me laird?" Tommy asked after exchanging a look with Gavin.
"Think she will find it grand news?"
There was silence for a minute as both men considered that. It was hard to answer. Women were such a queer lot. Who could say how she would react to such news? Any man, upon finding out that rather than having to marry a vicious, murdering bully like MacGregor, they had already been wed to the MacDonald, would be well-nigh ecstatic. After all, Galen was wealthy, a good fighter, and fair as a leader. But women rarely reacted as men would, something neither man was wont to tell their laird.
"Of course she will. How could she not be?" Gavin said reassuringly.
"Aye," Tommy agreed. "I would be fair grateful for the news, were I a woman. Ye did her a favor stealing her from MacGregor and marrying her yerself."
"Aye," Galen nodded on a sigh. "I did her a favor."
"That ye did. Most like saved her life."
"Aye. I did. I saved her life." Regaining some of his confidence, he straightened his shoulders. "She will be grateful."
"Most like, aye."
Galen stiffened at that addition from Gavin. "What mean ye, most like?"
"Well, women are an odd breed," he pointed out, deciding a bit of caution would not go amiss.
"And?"
Gavin shrugged. "Who can ken the way their brains work, me laird? She may be grateful. Then again..." Hesitating, he glanced toward Tommy before finishing. "She may need to be told how she should be grateful."
Galen sighed at that, then straightened his shoulders again and turned toward the stables. "Come. We will take our mounts. There are a dozen or so paths to check and I would find her quickly."
"I don't think she gave her true name," Angus murmured. The women had been talking for several minutes and had not yet come to blows. That seemed to indicate that Aelfread did not know it was Lady Kyla she addressed.
"Aye, she must have," Duncan insisted firmly. "I simply can't see the brave and courageous lass that stood up to us in the woods lying about her name. Even to prevail in her escape."
Angus rolled his eyes at that, then said soothingly, "Mayhap she hasn't given a name at all."
Duncan perked up at that possibility and the three men continued to watch their mistress as she joined Aelfread in sitting on the sand.
"What do ye think they are talking about?"
Robbie shrugged. "What do women ever talk about? Men. Gossip. Chores."
"Nay, I disagree," Kyla said firmly. "The knight and the bishop are the most valuable players in chess. 'Tis true the queen can move more freely, but next to the king, she is the one an opponent is most eager to gain. They almost always forget about the bishop and k
night. A smart player takes advantage of that."
Aelfread considered that then grimaced. "'Tis a shame we have no board here to play with. I would enjoy a game of chess."
"Aye." Kyla sighed. "'Twould have been grand."
"Ah, well." The woman peered out at the water, then glanced toward her hopefully. "I don't suppose ye like to swim? Do ye?"
"Nay. I don't think she's daft."
Both Robbie and Duncan glanced at their friend as he continued.
"'Twas quite crafty of her to don a plaid for her escape. Were we not so vigilant and had she had a bit more luck, she may well have made good her escape. She did a fair job of donning it as well."
"Aye, well..." Duncan sighed, then admitted, "I assisted with the plaid. In truth, she did a fair lousy job of donning it herself."
Both men gaped at that and he frowned at the expressions on their faces. He spoke quickly to dispel any notions of impropriety.
"She came into the hall covered with rushes and her pleats all aruck. I pretended to think her one of the servants. I straightened them and removed as many of the rushes as I could without her realizing that I knew who she was."
Angus sighed. "Pity. When I saw her escaping I thought--"
Robbie grunted and interrupted, "'Tis not much of an escape anyway. She'll not get far sitting about on the beach."
"Aye," Angus agreed grimly. "She's daft. Just think on how she kept trying to walk out of the keep when we had told her already that she was to remain indoors. Well, at least she still maintains her courage," he added, ignoring Duncan's indignant glare. "'Twas brazen of her to at least try to escape. Aye. She maintains her courage."
"Foolish courage," Robbie rumbled now. "Made more so by the addling her brains have taken."
Angus sighed, then nodded in solemn agreement. "'Tis a shame, really. She's a pretty lass. And she seemed so sharp, too, ere the fever."
Robbie raised an eyebrow at that. "Ye didn't ken her ere the fever."
He shrugged that aside. "She did a lot of talking while in the fever's grip. She seemed sharp when she spoke of events ere her wound."
Duncan frowned at them both. "Now don't go labeling her daft again. 'Twas a sound plan. I near did not recognize her meself. She needs a little practice at donning the plaid ere she escapes again is all. Were it not for the rushes and bad pleats, she truly would have slipped past me."
"Thank God for rushes and bad pleats, then."
Heads whipping around, the three men gaped at the man who had crept unnoticed up behind them, then rose as one. "Laird!"
"So she donned a plaid, let her hair down, and slipped from the castle?" he asked, his gaze sliding to the women on the shore. He thought at first that they intended on leaving the beach, then realized his mistake. His eyes widened when they both began to disrobe instead. It seemed they had a quick dip in mind.
"Come," he muttered, gesturing for his men to follow him back through the trees as his wife's plaid slid from her body to reveal a short tunic beneath it.
He'd left Tommy and Gavin to try the other paths and he'd agreed to meet them on the main path. He would send Angus, Robbie and Duncan back to meet them, then he would tend to his wife.
Reaching the path where he had left his horse, he paused. The men walked to his side, worry on their faces. He knew they were concerned at how he would react to their letting her escape. He waited for one of them to speak.
As the one left in charge, it was Robbie who broke the silence to report. "All was quiet while ye were gone until today," he started out, only to be interrupted by Angus.
"Well, except for her trying to leave ere this."
Galen stiffened at that. "She tried to escape before?"
"Not exactly," Robbie answered reassuringly. "She simply...er...tried to leave the keep." When Galen began to frown, the large man sighed. "I told her yer instructions about staying inside, but she...er..."
"She seemed to have trouble remembering," Angus filled in helpfully.
"Aye," Robbie sighed. "In truth she did. After the nooning meal on the first day, she got up and just...well, she started to walk out of the castle. I thought she was headed above stairs and didn't ken what she was about until she was near out the door. But I caught her then and explained again about yer orders and she sat quietly by the fire the rest of the day."
"She did the same thing yesterday while I was watching her," Angus informed him sadly. "Right after the nooning meal, she got up and started to walk out of the castle." He shook his head. "She just doesn't seem to be able to keep the instructions in her head. In fact, mayhap she wasn't trying to escape at all today, mayhap she just--"
"Forgot my instructions," Galen finished with disgust.
"Nay," Duncan argued at once. "She didn't just walk out today. She donned a plaid and--"
"Tried to walk right past ye? As if ye wouldn't recognize her?" Angus said doubtfully, his eyebrows arched.
Duncan frowned at the other man. "'Twas a clever plan. In truth, she would have pulled the wool over me eyes except for--"
"The rushes and pleats," Galen filled in dryly, and Duncan sagged in defeat.
"Aye."
Galen glanced from one to the other slowly before asking, "Why didn't ye stop her ere she left the bailey?"
"We decided not to apprehend her until we knew what she was about," Robbie admitted. "And in truth, I don't think she was trying to escape at all. I think she was simply looking for a bit of fresh air. The beach is hardly the place to go to escape."
"Unless she planned to swim for it," Angus interjected suddenly. When the others peered at him as if he had lost his mind, he defended his comment. "Well and sure enough 'tis a long way, but if the woman is daft, she may try it."
The others nodded reluctantly, not noticing how stiff Galen had gone. He was recalling the fact that his wife and Robbie's had been disrobing to swim as they had been leaving. He doubted very much if Aelfread would try to escape, but Kyla may have suggested the swim as a way to get herself out into the water. Once there, she might simply swim for the mainland and never turn back.
"Gavin and Tommy should be along shortly. Return to the castle with them when they do," Galen ordered, mounting his horse and galloping back along the path toward the beach.
"'Tis nice to find someone to swim with. Most everyone else takes only quick dunks in the water. They seem to think swimming will make them ill."
"I would agree with them at this moment," Kyla muttered dryly, pausing in the water as soon as it reached her waist. It had been three and a half weeks, all told, since the injury to her back and while Morag's salve had sped her along in healing, she didn't wish to do herself damage by getting her back wet. Which was sad really, for Kyla loved to swim, and she probably would have warmed up faster in the water were she fully submerged. As it was, the icy water seemed to flow right through her short tunic and was clutching at the white, goose pimpled flesh of her legs with icy hands.
Aelfread suddenly gave a happy laugh, then lay back in the water to float on her back with a sigh. "I love the water."
Kyla smiled slightly at the other woman. "The way you say that makes it sound as if you do not get to enjoy it often."
"Nay. I used to spend a lot of time at the water's edge on the mainland. My clan depended on fishing for survival. I was down on the shore all the time," she laughed slightly. "That is where I met my husband. My cousin's wife is kin to him. He was visiting. He says he fell in love with me on sight and I suppose I did too. He offered for my hand that night, but I told my Da to make him wait. A man never values what he can get cheaply."
Kyla smiled at the other woman. She could see Aelfraed's love for the great mountain of a man on her face and hear it every time she spoke of him. "How long did you make him wait?"
"Oh," she grinned. "Six months. It seemed like forever though. He visited as often as he could. My cousin was fair sick of his face and begging me to take him by the time I did. We married, I moved here, and we spent many a sweet day here o
n this beach," Aelfread's smile disolved, her mouth straightening into a flat line of displeasure. "Until that Sassenach wench came here."
Kyla blinked in surprise at the bitterness in the other woman's voice. "The...er...wench?" she asked curiously.
"Aye. His laird's new wife," she muttered with a disgust that spoke volumes on her opinion of the woman and simply made Kyla's curiosity deepen. Kyla had yet to meet the woman in question. She had actually come to the conclusion that the MacDonald laird was still single, yet now Aelfread was telling her the man was married. Where was the lady? Why was she never at table?
"Ever since she came, my husband is too busy--either looking after her, or filling in for one of the other men while they look after her--to spend any time with me during the day. He used to get away early three or four times a week to take a walk or swim with me ere she came," she muttered with resentment.
Kyla eyed her curiously. "Why does she need looking after?"
Aelfread whirled in the water to stare at her with disbelief. "Yer jesting? Where in bonny Scotland have you been that you don't know about that?"
"Oh, well..." She frowned slightly. "I have been away," she finished lamely.
"Hmm." Aelfread seemed to accept that easily enough and relaxed back in the water again. "Well, you can't have been back long, if you don't know about it." Sighing, she twirled in the water slowly. "She has to be looked after because she's daft as the day is long."
Kyla's eyebrows rose, interest suffusing her face. "Really?"
"Aye. She nearly killed my husband, you know."
"Nay!" Kyla gasped, shocked at the idea that there was a murderous madwoman hidden somewhere in the keep she had just left.
"Aye." She shook her head. "It's a sad tale to be sure. Our laird surely deserves better than this after all the loss and tragedy he has suffered."
"Hmm," Kyla murmured, afraid to say or ask anything that might give away the fact that she knew nothing of these tragedies. She was supposed to be a member of the clan. A clan member would hardly be as ignorant as she was of what the other woman spoke.
"I think he should set her aside. The last thing we need is a madwoman as our lady. I mean, what kind of children is he like to get from a mad woman?"
Kyla shook her head sadly in answer. If the laird's wife had always been mad, she was likely to produce children who would grow up to be mad as well.