Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I t had been a dreadful couple of days. In fact, Effie could hardly believe what had happened. It all seemed so surreal. As she gazed through the drawing room window at the gardens outside, the same gardens she had imagined her wonderful wedding would have taken place, she now wondered what her future held, and, more so, how she was going to be able to cope with what lay ahead.

Everything had been perfect. Until it wasn't. Edan breaking off the betrothal would have been devastating enough, but to hear from his own lips, that he was in love with Caitlyn, had felt like a dirk to the heart. Losing the man she loved was enough for any woman to take. Losing him to her sister, was almost unbearable.

But Effie had seen the signs, she had just chosen to ignore them.

When Edan and Caitlyn had been taken, she had spent two weeks going out of her mind with worry. All sorts of dreadful imaginings ran through her head. Not least of which was whether they would ever return alive.

When they did return, Effie could not have been more delighted. Delighted, and relieved. Her mother and father had taken her to the side that very evening after dinner. The same evening Caitlyn jumped up from the table with fright, and spilled wine all over her frock.

"Caitlyn has experienced something ye dinnae want tae imagine, Effie," her father had said. "Something ye cannae imagine. I ken ye are happy she and Edan are home, but things are nae going tae be the same fer a while."

"It's going tae tak' them both some time tae deal with what happened tae them," her mother added.

"Ye must be patient, kind, and supportive, Effie. What they need more than anything right now, is yer love and affection."

Which is exactly what Effie had tried to do. She had been kind and careful with Caitlyn, and she had given Edan all the space he had asked for.

But the more the days had passed, the more Effie had become concerned. And then, suspicious. Indeed, she understood they needed time, but both Edan and Caitlyn had not only been avoiding her, but neither of them could look her in the eye when they did see her. Then there were the soft glances they shared, and the time they had spent together.

The final straw had been when Effie had discovered Caitlyn had been out sparring with the men. The same night Edan had been injured and no one had told her. That had been what had forced her to face the fact that something was happening between her sister and Edan.

When Edan had gone to speak to her, to tell her the wedding was off, Effie had been angry. More than angry, for she had felt foolish for not seeing what was really happening.

She had thought, or more so, hoped, that whatever was going on between her sister and her betrothed would dissolve at some point. That Edan would realize he had a commitment to her, and would finally come around to fulfilling that commitment.

She had not been ready for him to break off the betrothal. But once he did, she had known the reason why. It did not diminish the pain. In fact, her desperate attempts at denying what she had seen with her own eyes had made her feel even worse.

But Edan was not the only one at fault. Caitlyn had allowed the bond between her and Edan to flourish. It had taken the two of them.

"Ye look in deep thought," Kieran's voice came from behind her.

Effie had not heard Kieran walk into the room, but as she turned to look at her cousin, she smiled sadly up at him, and shrugged. "I suppose I am feeling a little lost at the moment."

"Under the circumstances, I think that's only tae be expected, dear cousin," Kieran said kindly. "A lot has happened in the last two days, and there will be much healing needed fer both ye and Caitlyn."

"More me than Caitlyn" Effie murmured.

"O' course. I didnae mean tae diminish yer suffering, Effie. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she shrugged. "Caitlyn will get what she wants. It is I, who will have tae deal with it."

Kieran frowned and shook his head. "I dinnae understand what ye mean by that."

"I went up tae see her earlier. I hadnae seen her all morning, and kenning me sister, I kent she'd be devastated at sending Edan away."

Kieran's eyes flew wide. "Caitlyn sent him away? I thought he was returning tae his own lands because o' everything that had happened."

"Aye, she did. It was me fault. I put the thought intae her mind. When I asked her, last night in the map room, if she would send him away if it was what I wanted, it was more o' a rhetorical question. I didnae really think she would dae it."

"And is it what ye wanted?" Kieran asked. As usual, there was no judgement from her cousin. Fair and wise in all of his ways, he had an ability to see things from a range of perspectives.

Effie shook her head. "I suppose I wanted tae see what she would say, but she couldnae give me an answer at the time. While she didnae speak with her words, I saw the heartache written all over her face. And in that moment, as angry as I was, I kent how much she loved him. But when I woke this morning, I discovered, from Faither, that Edan had gone, and the reason fer it. So, I went and spoke tae Caitlyn."

"That must have been difficult," Kieran said knowingly

"It was. But I love me sister, and just because I cannae be happy, doesnae mean she should suffer the same. So I told her that she should write Edan and tell him tae come back."

Once more, Kieran's eyes flew wide. "Ye are going tae accept them being together?"

Effie looked her cousin dead in the eye. "I am, Kieran. ‘Tis the right thing tae dae."

Kieran smiled widely at her, and walking a few steps forward, he hugged Effie warmly. She wrapped her arms around him, heaving a long sigh into his chest. It was not going to be easy, but she would just have to learn to live with it. For her own sanity, more than anything else, she had to, in some way or another, find a way to come to terms with it.

Her cousin took a step back, and with a hand on either shoulder, he gazed down at her. "I'm so proud o' ye, Effie. What you've done, and what you're willing tae dae takes a lot o' courage, and a lot o' love."

"She's me sister. I want her tae be happy. Besides, Edan is a good man. It's as clear as day he adores her. And, she's nae like me. Caitlyn was always the more delicate o' the two o' us. She needs someone as strong as he is tae tak' care o' her."

"I couldnae agree more."

"I think she could dae with one o' yer wonderful hugs too, right now." Effie smiled.

"Where is she, and I'll give her one." Kieran looked about him, as though Caitlyn might magically appear in the room beside them.

"She's in her bedchamber. Come on. We'll go and see her together."

On their way, Effie made light conversation, asking Kieran about any damage that the storm had done to the castle. He told her that, thankfully, there had been minimal damage, and thus, there was nothing that could not be repaired.

"Perhaps I might be able tae take a page out o' nature's book then," Effie said heavily. "No matter what damage the weather brings, the trees and foliage always seem tae rise and grow again."

"That musing is far too wise fer someone o' yer age," Kieran quipped back with a slight smile.

With some effort, she managed to smile back. Kieran was trying to cheer her up, but Effie knew the healing process for her was going to take some time.

Upon reaching Caitlyn's bedchamber, Effie knocked on the door. "Caitlyn, "tis Kieran and I. Are ye decent? May we come in?"

A second passed with no answer, and so, Effie knocked again. "Caitlyn? Are ye in there?"

Again, there was no reply. Huffing a little, Effie opened the door, and tentatively stepped inside, but to her surprise, Caitlyn's bed was as empty as her room. "Och, she's nae here."

Kieran walked in behind her, and with a sweep of his eyes, nodded in agreement. "Perhaps, after ye spoke tae her, she felt the notion tae leave the solace o' her chamber."

"If anything, she'll be in search o' a messenger tae send her letter tae Edan," Effie concluded.

"Or that," Kieran agreed.

Effie and Kieran stepped out of the chamber and closed the door. They were heading back the way they had come, when Milly came hurrying toward them.

"Me lady. Me lady," Milly panted, coming to a stop in front of them.

"Whatever is the matter, Milly?" Effie cried.

"It's Lady Caitlyn, me lady. A stable hand is only after telling me that she's away on her horse. She's gone after Laird MacLachlan."

"What?" Kieran and Effie blurted together.

"Aye," Milly continued hurriedly. "Me lady told the lad nae tae come and say anything straight away. When I asked him how long ago she had left, he said nearly two hours."

"Oh, me god," Kieran barked.

Spinning on his heels, Kieran left Effie's side and began hurrying down the corridor. Leaving Milly standing there, Effie turned and quickly ran to catch up to him. "What are ye going tae dae?" she gasped.

"I'm going tae go after her. It isnae safe out there. I cannae believe she would be such a fool tae go out by herself after all she's gone through. What the devil was she thinking?"

"I'm going with ye," Effie said, hurrying to keep pace with Kieran's long strides.

"Indeed, ye are nae."

"Indeed, I am," Effie said determinedly. "I'm nae staying here again, nae kenning what is happening, and going out o' me mind with worry. I'm going, and I willnae tak' nay fer an answer."

"We'll see what yer faither says tae that," Kieran barked back.

Once Kieran found her father and mother, he explained the situation.

"Och, me god," Lady MacMillan gasped. "Why on earth would she dae such a thing?"

"I have a lot tae tell ye, Maither, but it will have tae wait," Effie said. "I am going with Kieran and Faither tae find Caitlyn."

"Nay, Effie. ‘Tis best ye stay here," her father ordered.

"Father, I simply cannot," Effie said with determination. "I refuse tae remain here again, waiting, wondering, and going out o' my mind. If Caitlyn is safe, I want tae be there tae see it. If we are tae go in search o' her, I am going along as well."

"Nae, Effie," her mother cried.

"Ye will nae come. I ken how much ye love her but now we need tae concentrate on getting her back. If I, Kieran and Edan have tae worry about protecting ye from that devil on top of everything else, it will make things harder and us all the more vulnerable. I'm sorry, Effie, please understand," her father said sadly but sternly.

Effie realized she had lost the battle on her hands and had to agree he had a point, no matter how infuriating she found it.

"O' course, Faither," Effie replied.

In less than a half hour, Kieran had organized a group of his best men, and with weapons and supplies, the group left the castle. Effie did not think she could stand suffering the torture of waiting around again, but she had no other choice.