A Very Highland Holiday - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,147
swear I don’t know anything about a sword.” She wanted to say he didn’t either, but how could she know unless they’d discussed it? And that would quite negate the entire lie.
Grover frowned. “We’ll see.” He looked over at Kent. “Time to lure Mr. MacLean to us.”
He wrapped his hand around Elspeth’s arm once more and stalked toward the common room, pulling her along with him. Thankfully, Kent had let go of her hair. A tear snaked down her cheek, and she used her free hand to wipe it away. She didn’t want Aunt Leah to see her distress.
Grover pulled her back toward the fireplace. Kent was hard on their heels.
Balthazar stood, his eyes moving from them toward the back of the inn and back again. “Where’s Carrie? Where’s my daughter?” His voice held a dark frenzy that tore at Elspeth’s heart.
Elspeth wanted to assure him that she was fine, but couldn’t.
“If ye hurt her—” Balthazar cut himself off with a sob.
Aunt Leah reached for his hand and pulled him to sit back down. She kept hold of him as her gaze met Elspeth’s. Elspeth gave her a small encouraging nod that was completely at odds with her fear.
Grover cleared his throat. “It’s come to my attention that there is a guest missing from this gathering. A Mr. MacLean. I’m beginning to think he has something I want.” He strolled toward Balthazar, who twisted in his chair as Grover approached.
“Mr. Pitagowan,” Grover said pleasantly, standing next to Balthazar’s chair. “What can you tell me of Mr. MacLean?”
“Nothing. He’s just a guest.”
“You must be able to tell me where he’s from or what he’s doing here, whether he went to see anyone—that sort of thing.”
“He’s from Glasgow. That’s all I know.”
Grover turned in a slow circle. “Can no one tell me why this man went to see Dougal Kerr?”
“Why would any of us know that?” Balthazar took his hand from Aunt Leah’s and rose, his brows pitching low over his eyes in anger. “Ye come in here and threaten everyone. Ye strike Miss Marshall and ye did Lord knows what to my daughter.” He looked around at the other guests. “There are more of us than them!”
Exhaling, Grover nodded toward Kent. He came forward and slammed the butt of his pistol into the side of Balthazar’s head, sending him sprawling to the floor. Aunt Leah shrieked, and the other women did the same.
“Tie him up and gag him,” Grover said. “Tie them all up!”
Chapter Ten
Screams from the inn drew Tavish to run to the common room window, his bloodied feet protesting as they hit the near-frozen ground, particularly when he ran over a large rock. He crouched low as he’d done before and peered inside. A pair of the villains were tying the guests to chairs, while others held pistols to keep anyone from rebelling. Tavish noted that Elspeth wasn’t among them but was standing with the leader.
He swore and stood up from the window, going to pace in the shadows of the corner of the building. Holding Lann Dhearg in one hand, he scrubbed the other over his face. He needed to set these people free.
Going back to the window, he counted the villains again. Five. But shit, one of them was the man he’d knocked out with the musket in the stable. Five in the common room, two dead, two missing. He realized Carrie was missing too and swore again.
He should just charge inside. One of them might shoot him, but if he could get to one of the male hostages and untie him so that he could then untie others, perhaps they could launch a revolt and retake the inn. He knew Elspeth would help. He had no doubt of her courage.
Tavish studied the five men and tried to assess their abilities. It was nearly impossible since he hadn’t seen them fight. One was exceptionally tall and rather vicious looking—the one with the blond hair. Tavish would wager he was the one who would give Tavish the most trouble.
The two missing brigands came from the rear of the inn. One was leaning on the other, his hand cradling the side of his face, which was covered in blood. A hostage had done that to him. Tavish wanted to cheer.
A moment later, two of the villains walked to the door. Tavish pressed himself back against the frigid stone.
“MacLean!” one of them called. “Come inside and give us the sword, or we’re going to start killing the hostages!”