Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“What did he mean by that?”

Dennis entered the room fully, coming to stand only a foot from Macrath.

“What did he mean, save her?”

“Someone’s kidnapped Ceana,” he said.

He explained the situation, the look of rage deepening on the faces of his Irish brothers--in--law. Good, they wouldn’t have any hesitation in punishing Paul Henderson, law or no law.

For the first time since he’d learned Ceana had been taken, his mood lightened.

He was torn between wishing to accompany them and protecting his own family. As he turned to look at Virginia, the choice was taken from him. She stood with her arms around Ceana’s daughters, her eyes watery and her cheeks still bathed with tears. The sight of her, frightened, brought back too many memories, including the time when her life had been in the balance.

He went to her, wrapping his arms around her, all three of the children caught up in their embrace.

“Don’t worry, my love, they’ll find her. She’ll be fine.”

She sighed but didn’t answer, and he prayed he hadn’t lied.

Bruce was in the stables, readying his carriage, when the three Irish brothers entered.

“We’re going with you,” Dennis said.

“I’m not going to refuse an offer of help, but there are going to be some rules first.”

“And why would that be? You rescue women a lot, do you?”

“I own a detective agency in America,” he said. “I work with law enforcement there. I was the one who followed Henderson to Scotland. If you can’t agree, then go away.”

Dennis finally nodded. After a moment his brothers nodded as well.

Ardan and Breandan helped the driver with harnessing the horses as Dennis stood around looking ducal.

“You’re an American,” the man said as Bruce came around to the door and opened it.

“I am,” he said, entering the carriage.

“You’re from Boston, I’m told.” The duke entered and sat beside him. A moment later the other two brothers got into the carriage.

“Nearby.”

“Would you be by way of knowing our kin? We’ve cousins in Boston.”

“Boston is a big city, Duke. I’ve never met a Mead before.”

“Well, now, you might be looking one up, then.”

“I might. Or not.” He studied the man. “What I say is the law,” he said. “I’ve a lot more experience in this than you do.”

“Where would you be thinking of going, then?”

“The road to Edinburgh,” he said.

“A carriage passed us on the way to Drumvagen. In a hurry. Would you care for me to tell you where it went? Or are you all for being the hero yourself?”

He was teetering on the edge of disliking the Duke of Lester, but he nodded.

Ceana couldn’t decide if she was angry or sad. How dare her brothers--in--law resort to such tactics to get her to return to Ireland. Had they no sense at all? From this moment on her relationship with them would be forever changed. She would never again look at them with fond exasperation. No, they would be fortunate if she even talked to them after today.

She stared out the window, wondering where the carriage was taking her. To Kinloch Village, she hoped. -People loved Macrath in the village, she’d been told. All she had to do was cry out and tell them who she was. Hopefully, someone would intervene.

She focused her gaze on the ceiling of the carriage. It was quite a lovely vehicle, upholstered in pale blue silk. Evidently, her Irish relatives had spared no expense in this abduction.

Would Bruce come after her?

She had wanted her life to change, but she hadn’t envisioned kidnapping being a part of it.

When the carriage began to travel up an incline, she wondered if they were nearing their destination.

Please, God, let someone come after me.

She really didn’t want to be hauled back to Ireland this way, especially without being able to say good--bye.

Bruce didn’t look at the other men in the carriage, ignored their muted conversation, his mind on the task at hand.

Rage filled him, and it had been a very long time since he’d allowed himself to become this angry. This wasn’t war; it was worse. War at least had some rules to it. This was one man’s obsession, nothing more.

He would always remember the look of fear in Virginia’s eyes. Was Ceana feeling the same?

He knew how to catch a thief, how to apprehend a criminal. But how did he handle someone who was insane? How did he reason with someone whose obsession had stretched over a decade and multiple countries?

Let him be there in time.

He felt raw and unprepared. He pushed the emotion away, determined to be a professional. He couldn’t afford to let anything deflect him from finding Ceana.

If something happened to her, how would he bear it? How could he look at her daughters and tell them their mother was gone?

He couldn’t.

The words would not be said. Even if it took his life in exchange, he would return her to her family alive and unhurt.

“Tell your driver to slow down,” the duke said. He stuck his head out of the window, then said something in an indecipherable language to Ardan. A moment later it was Ardan’s turn to stick his head outside.

He nodded to Dennis.

“It’s where he nearly hit us, where the two roads come together. I say we go up the hill to the house. It’s the first one around for miles.”

He hadn’t thought of Henderson going to ground. He’d thought the man would try to escape from Scotland just as he had last time. But Henderson might have learned from his mistakes, as most lucky men did.

“The man’s a fool if he thinks not to be discovered,” the duke said.

“Maybe not as much of a fool as we think,” Bruce said. “The place could be well staffed.”

“So it’s a siege you’re thinking of?” the duke asked.

He didn’t answer, spoke through the grill to this driver. “Pull off here,” he said, then directed his comments to the duke. “I don’t think it would be altogether wise to go in announcing our position, unless you have some rifles with you.”

“Nary a one, Preston,” the duke said. “We thought we were rescuing Ceana from her brother, not from a kidnapper.”

“Why the hell did you think you had to rescue her?”

The duke frowned at him, making him appear almost eaglelike. In a few years he would be Brianag’s male counterpart.

“She’s our brother’s widow, Preston.”

“Is she not allowed out of your sight?”

“She’d been gone long enough.”

The remark pushed his temper up a notch. Now was not the time to challenge the other man, however. He’d save his anger for Henderson.

They left the carriage halfway down the hill. Bruce spoke to the driver and gave him instructions to turn the vehicle around while he waited. There was every possibility they might have to make a hasty retreat.

He knew the house from his initial inspection of the countryside when first arriving at Drumvagen. When he’d first seen it, however, the structure had been empty. Two stories tall, the house was made of red brick, with a steep pitched roof, white--painted window frames, and a carved front door at the end of a gravel walk.

He hesitated at the edge of the clearing and motioned for the other men to gather around.

“You sure you’re not a Scot, Preston?” the duke said after hearing his plans. “I’ve heard the Scots are sneaky.”

“Have you now?” he said in a credible imitation of Macrath’s brogue. “I’ve heard much the same about the Irish. But don’t you worry about how sneaky I can be. You just make sure you and your brothers are at the back of the house.”

“Ardan and Breandan will be there,” the duke said, grinning. “But I’ll be right beside you. Ceana needs to see a friendly face when she’s rescued, not an ugly one.”

He only nodded, but when this was over, he and the duke might be going a few rounds.