him and grabbed him by the throat. “Where is my daughter? My daughter?”
But MacPherson was unresponsive.
What in the blazes was the Highlander doing here at the castle when they were supposed to meet at the inn? Had MacPherson duped him again? MacPherson had wanted them to meet on more neutral ground, like an inn. With him there to stop any bloodshed, he might be able to save lives. But MacPherson hadn’t been there. Because he was here. How had he gotten through the gates? Did he do this?
“My lord,” Jones stopped the earl. “You knocked him out. He can tell you nothing.”
But the earl didn’t hear. He kept on shaking and pulling at MacPherson to wake him up.
Jones tried again. He’d never seen the earl so hysterical. He wished the captain was here. Was he dead? Burning to ashes somewhere inside the castle with Rose and…his wife? Mary! Watley! The others!
“Lord, I need to make a search.” He didn’t wait for the earl’s approval but ran into the smoke toward the small village. He prayed for Mary on the way and thanked God his wife had listened to him and left with the other wives.
Mary had refused to leave her husband. Did she die with him?
He couldn’t see because of the smoke and the tears in his eyes. But he made it to the captain’s house and waved the smoke from his eyes to see the front door kicked in. MacPherson?
He stepped over the splintered wood and went through the small house, but he could not find her.
Then more than likely, she was inside the burning castle with her husband.
He left the house heartbroken and angry and ran to Watley’s cottage next.
Empty.
Where were they all?
By the time he made it back to the earl and MacPherson, the earl was no longer there. Jones jumped over MacPherson’s still lifeless body and ran toward the castle’s dark entrance. “My lord!” he shouted.
“Here I am!” the earl called back. “Come quickly, Jones!”
Jones ran around the perimeter of the castle and tried to look around, but his eyes stung. He called out again and the earl answered. Jones followed the sound of his voice and found him bending to the wall.
“Lord?” Jones grew closer. He saw leather slippers. A woman’s feet. The earl’s daughter?
“’Tis Harper’s wife, Mary!” the earl told him. His dark eyes shone in the cloudy air. “She woke for a moment and I asked her if my Rose had been burned in the flames. She shook her head, Jones! She shook her head no! We must wake her. I must know where my Rose is.”
Had MacPherson saved Mary? Was it Tristan who lit the whole place on fire? If he did, what was he still doing here? Jones’ belly twisted into a knot. He rubbed it.
“Lord, this proves MacPherson had nothing to do with this.”
The earl set his eyes on him. They burned like embers. “Who said anything about MacPherson? Why do you mention him now?”
Did his eyes just dart to the other side of the castle where MacPherson was?
Jones bolted just as the earl took off running toward the Highlander. They turned the corner at the same time and skidded to a halt together. MacPherson was gone.
“I should kill you,” the earl said on a low growl beside him. “You knew it was him all along.” He turned to look at Jones. “How? How do you know him? Were you bringing me to him so he could kill me? Have you betrayed—”
“No, Lord. Never. I met him on the road home. He told me he was a shepherd and told me he was called Geraint Ward. When I returned home and discovered I had been fooled, I went in search of him to kill him.” Here he stopped. His lord would ask him why he hadn’t killed the murderer when he had the chance?
“I found out, instead, that he loves Rose very much and has no interest in killing you anymore.”
“He fooled you and you believed him twice!”
“Nae,” said another male voice behind them. They both spun around to see MacPherson standing alone near the tower. “I didna fool him the second time. If I wanted to kill ye, ye would be dead by now. I came this mornin’ to have a glance or two at yer daughter. I fell from a high branch in a tree and wasna awake fer any of this. I awoke to the fire. Screamin’…”
Jones noted MacPherson’s emerald green eyes taking on a distant, hooded