The Betrayal of Maggie Blair - By Elizabeth Laird Page 0,86

Blair saw it.

"How can you smile like that, Maggie? You can say I told you so, and I wish now I'd listened to you, but it was a bad day for us all when you brought that wicked treacherous girl to Ladymuir."

Her injustice stung me.

"Aunt! I didn't bring her! I never wanted—"

"Oh, never mind all that now! Where's Martha? And Ritchie? And Hugh? I'm out of my mind with worry."

"I'll go and look for Martha," I said, swallowing angry tears. "She must have hidden somewhere close by."

I no longer cared about the danger swirling around the hillsides. I wanted only to take my hurt away from Ladymuir. I wanted also to prove my courage and my worth to Aunt Blair.

I stumbled blindly out into the open, not caring where I went and not even bothering to hide myself, running directly up the hill in full view of anyone who might be looking. Furious words hammered around in my head.

She's so unfair! It wasn't my fault. I tried to tell her. Why didn't she listen? And Annie! How could she be so wicked?

When I had nearly reached the top, I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. I felt calmer now, and the horror of the battle on the hilltops came back to me. I was suddenly terribly afraid again. At any moment I might be shot at or captured and taken away.

I looked around. From where I stood, I couldn't see the lower exit to the gully, but I could clearly see the lane. People were hurrying back up toward Kilmacolm, carrying their children and looking back over their shoulders. There was no sign of the Black Cuffs.

There aren't enough of them to arrest everyone, I thought, and our lads will be protecting the people. The soldiers will care most about catching Mr. Renwick.

Shouts came from behind. Turning, I saw two men, one tall and heavy-built, and one as short and slight as a boy, a quarter of a mile away. It was Uncle Blair and Mr. Renwick, I was certain. And they were hurrying toward a dip in the moor where I could see three scarlet-coated dragoons lurking, waiting, like pike in the depths of Loch Quien, for their prey to come close enough to snatch.

I wanted to warn Uncle Blair, to scream out to him to turn and run, but I didn't dare risk the soldiers seeing me. In desperation, I tore off my bleached linen petticoat and stood like a madwoman waving it over my head.

Uncle Blair saw it. He grasped Mr. Renwick's arm to halt him. I pointed to the hollow and mimed a soldier peering down a musket barrel. Uncle Blair seemed to understand, because he spun Mr. Renwick around, and together they stumbled away toward the hillside behind. The soldiers were out of their hollow and after them as keenly as dogs let off their leashes. One of them turned, realizing that Uncle Blair must have received a signal, but I had dropped down to the ground and was almost sure he hadn't seen me. I lay there panting as if I'd run a race, dreading the thud of the soldiers' boots coming toward me, but nothing happened and at last I dared to lift my head and look.

The soldiers were fanning out, running away from me, some peeling away to the left and some to the right. I could see that they were trying to surround the hill to cut off Uncle Blair and Mr. Renwick.

I've got to warn them! They won't see what's happening! I thought, and I gathered my skirt up above my knees and raced toward the hill.

There were no more than six or seven dragoons, and they were spread quite far apart. Their scarlet coats made them easy to see against the greens and browns of the heather-clad hill. Ducking behind gorse bushes and keeping low to the ground, I was soon halfway up the slope. I stopped, a stitch stabbing my side, to draw breath.

And then I saw them. Uncle Blair and Mr. Renwick were only a short way ahead, moving fast along the path that would take them around the shoulder of the hill. On the far side lay the slope that led across the moors northward, toward the banks of the Clyde.

"Uncle!" I called out recklessly, though I was too scared and too short of breath to shout loudly. Luckily he heard and turned around.

"Maggie! What are you doing out here? Get back home! Don't