A Highland Pearl (Highland Treasures Book 1) (24 page)

Gavin acknowledged their leave without a word, only a shake of
his head. Andrew nodded in his brother’s direction before turning to make his
way through the dark woods and find the entrance to Castle Lach’s secret
tunnel. He said a silent prayer they would be able to find the hidden door
without difficulty. He planned to enter the castle while all slept from celebrating
the exchange. But they must find Maidie and Sven then make their way out to the
forest before the first light of dawn and the castle occupants awoke for the
day. The long nights of late autumn were in their favor. Daylight came later
and later each morn, and nightfall began earlier.

The three warriors reached the woods on the east side of the
castle, moving silently around the Munro caterans camped in the forest. He
wanted no man to know their mission, not even the Munros. Andrew motioned for
his men to stop and spread out.

He whispered low so a sentry would not hear his voice. “We’ll
spread out to search for the door. If you should find it, give the call of a
night owl.”

His two companions nodded without comment. The three men
spread out, each in his own way to seek a hidden door and passageway leading
into Castle Lach. Andrew carefully moved leaves with his foot and the tip of
his sword. Seemingly, hours passed with no sign of the entrance. He couldn’t
give up. He wouldn’t give up, if he had to search for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, the screech of an owl pierced the cold night air.
Andrew felt like running, but instead, carefully made his way in the direction
of the call. Tavish and Colin stood under a large oak tree beside a metal door
covered with sod that rose out of the ground to reveal a dark tunnel cut below the
surface of the earth. The chief approached the two warriors without a word, but
with a large smile gracing his face. He slapped both on the back then began a
descent on a rotted ladder into the black hole. They must feel their way along
the black tunnel, he supposed. Tavish and Colin followed him down the ladder.

At the bottom, Andrew found a small hemp rope. Someone may
have left it there for lighting the way through the tunnel. When his companions
reached the bottom of the ladder, he asked Colin to hold his dirk close to the
rope, then the chief struck the weapon with his own to make a spark. After
several failed attempts, a flicker rose from the dirks and lit the frayed end
of the rope. Presently, a soft light shone in the tunnel. Andrew led the way
carrying the small light. The rope torch would not last long, so they hurried
through the darkness, stumbling and sometimes falling.

Spider webs covered the damp earthen walls, indicating the
tunnel had not been used in a while. Andrew brushed them aside for the group to
pass. His hair became filled with webs, but he kept up a fast, steady pace.
They reached another ladder. This one seemed twice the length of the first. He
felt sure it led to the MacKenzie’s library as Tara said.

Only a stump of the rope remained as the chief climbed to the
top of the ladder with Tavish and Colin following. He must find the latch to
open the door quickly before all light vanished. After a close examination, his
fingers touched a handle in the wall next to the door. He threw the stump of
rope to the floor and stamped it to extinguish the flame. Thick darkness
enveloped the tunnel, but his hand rested on the latch. With one jerk, a small
door opened into a large dark chamber.

One wall sconce cast a dim light making shadows dance on the wall.
Andrew stooped to make his way through the small door. He stood erect, glancing
about to make certain no MacKenzie lurked nearby. Tavish and Colin followed,
their hands on the hilt of their swords ready for action. Colin started to
close the door, but the chief shook his head. He took the small fragment of
burned rope and draped it over the top so the door would remain ajar, yet look
closed. Andrew knew exactly where he needed to go and headed in the direction
of the chamber door with the warriors at his heels.

Loud snoring emanated from the adjoining bedchamber. Hugh
MacKenzie slept soundly after a night of merrymaking with his companions. A
thought of Tara crossed Andrew’s mind, but he had no time to ponder her
condition. Tara would now have to live with the consequences of her decisions.
God be with her
. A soft cord twisted
in his heart with the thought of her present state of affairs.

He opened the door to the outer passageway leading to the chamber
he hoped Maidie occupied and saw a guard leaning on the wall beside the door.
The man looked asleep with his head hanging low. Andrew pulled the dirk from
his belt and quickly walked toward the guard. The man shifted, but did not look
up. With one swift movement, he put a hand over the guard’s mouth, jabbing the
dirk into his belly. The guard moaned. Andrew twisted the dirk until the man
slumped over his arm. He lowered the body to the floor then quietly opened the
door of the bedchamber. He motioned for Tavish and Colin to stay, one on either
side of the door. They quickly obeyed.

Andrew moved through the doorway into the chamber. He stood
for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Moonlight streaming
through the small window cast a silvery ghostly beam across the floor. Another
omen. He shrugged then looked around, refusing to be deterred from the task at
hand because of moonlight and a feeling. A pallet lay close to the door where
someone slept soundly making small whiffing noises. The sleeper must be a
woman, probably a maid assigned to Maidie’s care. Andrew was undecided if he
should smother the woman in her sleep, or take a chance on her not waking up.
His conscience would not let him slay an innocent woman, so he eased past the
pallet. Mayhap, she drank some ale during the evening meal and would continue
to sleep soundly.

He knew the arrangement of the chamber’s furniture and hoped
none had been moved. Quietly, he approached the bed. The trundle lay pulled
from underneath with a slight figure under the coverlet—Sven. Andrew
moved around the bed and watched the form under the heavy comforter turn over
to face him. The sliver light shining through the window cast a beam on eyes
gazing in his direction. He put a knee on the bed and a hand over Maidie’s
mouth to keep her from making a surprised sound. She rose on an elbow. He could
not make out the expression of her eyes, but suddenly she recognized him and
threw both arms around his neck. Andrew removed the hand over her mouth and
kissed the sweet warm lips with fervent desire. She returned his kiss with
passion. He wanted to climb into the bed and make her his own, but they must
wait to be united. Now he had to get Maidie and Sven out of the castle.

Maidie’s arms clung around Andrew’s neck. He raised his head
and put a finger over her lips. Hearing a muffled cry, he looked over Maidie to
the pallet across the room. He felt sure Tavish or Colin encountered the maid
and one had a hand over the woman’s mouth, probably stuffing a piece of bed
clothing into it and then binding her hands and feet.

“Mam, is anything wrong?” The soft question came from the
direction of the trundle.

“Shhh,” answered a gruff voice from the same direction. Tavish
was with Sven.

Maidie dropped her arms and turned toward her son. Andrew
pulled her back and whispered close to her ear, “You must hurry and make you
and Sven ready to travel. Can you find your clothes without a light?”

“Aye. They are nearby on a chair,” she whispered. “How did you
get in here?”

“No time for talking. Make haste and dress yourself and Sven.
We must hurry.” Andrew pulled back the bedcovers to let her rise. The shift
clung to the curves of her figure. He tugged his eyes away and put an arm
around her waist to help her from the bed.

Maidie quickly found her clothes while the chief joined his
gille
beside the door. He squatted down
to face the woman Colin had neatly bound with bedclothes. “You must lie verra
still and make no sound until we are well out of the castle. You’ll come to nae
harm if you do as I say.”

The woman remained silent and still, but nodded her head in
understanding. Maidie quickly dressed Sven and herself. She secured the
fur-lined arisaid around her shoulders, then helped Sven with his coat and hat.
She met the three warriors beside the door and glanced down at the maid.

“She’ll be fine when someone finds her, but we’ll be long gone
by then,” Andrew whispered.

Colin opened the door and looked both ways before stepping out
into the passageway. The others joined him. Maidie glanced in the direction of
the dead warrior lying on the floor beside the door, but Andrew turned her face
toward him. He touched the tip of her nose with his finger, and then took her
hand. She clung to Sven with the other. He quickly found the door to the
MacKenzie’s library, eased it open, then stopped and listened. The snoring
continued from the other side of the wall. Andrew pulled Maidie and Sven into
the room with Tavish and Colin following.

A parchment spread upon the desktop caught the Munro’s eye. He
dropped Maidie’s hand, went around the desk and examined the parchment the best
he could in the dim light of the wall sconce. It must be the deed to Chanonry
Castle. Andrew quickly rolled up the parchment, stuffing it into the opening of
his
ionar
. He grabbed the small torch in the sconce, walked quickly to
the small tunnel door, removed the bit of rope stuffing it into his sporran,
and opened the door wide.

Andrew motioned for Maidie then Sven to follow him, then Colin
with Tavish closing and securing the door. With one hand holding the torch to
light the way, and the other on the ladder, the chief began the descent into
the tunnel. He looked up to see Maidie on the ladder, and then Sven. Suddenly a
yell sounded within the castle. The dead warrior had been found. Time was
precious. Tavish must get the door closed before they were discovered. Andrew jumped
the last few steps to the floor and gave Maidie his hand to help her down. Sven
nimbly followed his mother. Colin started down the ladder with Tavish closing
the door securely. Tavish forced his dirk through the door handle and wedged it
against the wall so the handle would not move
.

More yells and commands could be heard nearer. Hugh must be in
his library now, and discovered the missing charter along with Maidie’s and
Sven’s disappearance. Andrew quickly made his way down the tunnel followed by
Maidie, Sven, Colin and Tavish. The tunnel door rattled. Yells came from the
chamber. Andrew knew Hugh was sending for an ax or something to knock the door
down. They must reach the end before the small wooden door gave way, and it
would not be long.

Andrew rushed along. He sent a silent prayer to the Lord,
thanking Him for His help in finding Maidie and being with them thus far. Then
he asked for the Lord’s continued presence and help in getting back to Munro
lines.
Lord, send one of Your big angels to block the way of those coming
after us.

Shattering wood and loud voices echoed through the tunnel, but
the small group neared the end. Light from several torches illuminated the
darkness behind them.

“I see them!” one shouted.

“Well, get them before they can get out of the tunnel,” Hugh
MacKenzie’s booming voice ordered.

Rushing, stumbling feet could be heard getting closer by the
moment. Andrew turned slightly to find Maidie and Sven. They followed close
behind him with Colin and then Tavish in the rear. Tavish fired his pistol. The
first MacKenzie guard fell to the ground. Another climbed over the body.

The chief could see the small door that opened into the
forest. He quickly climbed the ladder, opened the door, and scrambled to the
outside. He reached a hand for Sven, who popped out of the opening, and then
Maidie, her large arisaid cumbersome to get through the small hole. She
struggled for a moment, unhooked the garment, and flung it to the floor of the
tunnel, covering Colin, who quickly pushed it aside.

A MacKenzie reached Tavish, quickly engaging him in a sword
fight. Another warrior stood behind the first, but the small tunnel made
passing the two fighting men impossible. Colin, standing on a rung of the ladder,
rammed his broadsword between the MacKenzie’s eyes. The man screamed then
slumped at Tavish’s feet. Colin rushed up the ladder into the open. He stood
beside Andrew, who bent over the opening watching the fight. Tavish climbed two
rungs of the ladder while the second guard tried to step over the body of the
first.

The chief pulled his pistol and yelled, “Duck mon.” Tavish
lowered his head, hugging the ladder.

Andrew aimed, but could see only shadows in the darkness
below. He fired but the MacKenzie stood too close to Tavish to get a good shot.
The man grabbed his left arm and screamed then lunged forward, stabbing the
faithful Munro lad in the back with a broadsword. Tavish looked up, and Andrew
could see the whites of his eyes before he fell backward onto the fallen MacKenzie.
The guard stabbed Tavish again, through the heart. A loud groan escaped the
young lad’s lips.

“Oh God, no’ Tavish,” the distraught chief cried. He knew
there was no chance to save his friend, so he slammed the tunnel door down and
stood on it. “Fetch a large bolder, Colin. Hurry,” Andrew commanded.

Colin rushed to find a boulder. Sven tried to follow, but
Maidie caught his hand and held firmly. The metal door shook and rattled.
Andrew had trouble holding the bouncing door down, so Sven and Maidie joined
him. Several attempts to put a broadsword through the metal caused the small
party on top to move about, but the weapons could not penetrate the door. The
MacKenzie did a good job of building a secure door to his tunnel. Andrew
wrapped his arms around Maidie’s shivering shoulders, holding her close against
his chest. He intended to hold her long and hard when they reached the safety
of the Munro camps. He removed his
ionar
, pulling it around Maidie. Her
shoulders drooped under the weight.