The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,87

pile.

Quentin said, “There should be more chests, right?” He looked at all of us. “Right?”

Lady Mairead said, “Nae, this is all there has ever been, now wheesht.” She spoke to Dezzy. “Continue tae move the collection intae this loading bay, I will return on the morrow for more.”

“Oh, okay, yes, Your Highness.” Soldiers walked around us with netting, tossing the edges over the pile of art and cinching the bottom into a type of trawling net, like the shrimp boats from the island, and securing them to straps.

Quentin said, “I don’t know, there might not be time to—” He stopped speaking when he saw the look on Lady Mairead’s face.

“What are ye sayin’? The kingdom will fall on the morrow?”

“I don’t know, if not tomorrow, the day after—”

“Hammond! Send men for the Warhol!” A soldier was lifting all the fabric of her sleeves to belt one of the net straps around Lady Mairead’s waist, as she ordered everyone around. “Dezzy show them where the Warhol is!” Another large piece was carried out of the museum.

Lady Mairead said, “Is that it? The Warhol?”

Dezzy lifted the drape, revealing a silkscreened photo of Lady Mairead in a long gown, with a sash across her chest that said, ‘Queen’.

Lady Mairead said, “Put it on the pile! Up on top!”

A soldier came close to me with one of the straps. “Excuse me, Ma’am.” I raised my arms and he cinched a strap around my waist attaching me to the large pile.

Then, to ready us to jump, Hammond cleared the area around the pile of art. “Back up! Everyone back up! We need a wide space around the pile!”

A soldier told Fraoch, “Raise your arms, sir.” Fraoch raised his arms to have the strap around his waist. Quentin was already lassoed to his. The soldiers hustled away.

I asked, “The four of us are going to be able to take all this?”

Quentin said, “Looks like it. Don’t get crushed.”

“That’s not really the confidence I was hoping for.”

Quentin gave us all the date and we set our vessels, encircling the art as best we could. Luckily we had a vessel for each of us, because we were not close enough. I stretched out my hand and touched fingertips with Fraoch. We hooked our middle fingers together, as the storm built around us. The war edged closer. Hammond yelled over the storm, “Safe travels!”

Lady Mairead yelled, “Thank ye, Hammond! Stay safe, keep the Museum guarded.” Then she added, “Colonel Quentin make sure tae hold ontae the Rodin!”

Forty-eight - Kaitlyn

“Oh. My. God.” Zach, Magnus, Emma and I stood on the deck as the storm cleared.

“So much, so so so much.”

The long stretch of undulating sand dunes from the back of our house out to the beach was covered in art wreckage, like a museum had tipped over in our back garden.

Lady Mairead sat right up, then climbed to her feet, gone from sleep to frantic in a matter of seconds. “Is it all here? Is it?” She looked around wildly, “Is the Basquiat here? Oh no! Look at the…” She rushed around checking paintings that were half stuck in sand, sculptures that were end up, chests that were open with vessels tumbling out.

We were frozen, gaping. Then Hayley stirred and moaned reminding us to move. Our feet thudded down the walkway as Beaty came to the door, “Och! Tis an explosion.”

I reached Hayley, “How are you, honey? You good?”

She spluttered awake and Quentin and Fraoch began to move.

Magnus rushed to the chests to pull them from the sand and close and secure the lids. “Why did ye bring the collection, did the war begin in the kingdom a’ready?”

“Aye! The attack began this morn, the castle is under siege. I had to move the art, Magnus, we were tae lose the entire collection!” She looked around. “Do you see the Pollock? It’s supposed tae be — Where is the Picasso? Does anyone see the Picasso?”

Her jet black evening gown with long red sleeves dragged behind her as she pulled up the drapes on paintings. “It’s not here!”

Hayley said, “Is the Pollock that big one, right there?”

“Aye, but the Picasso? Tis the one…” She looked left and right and then up at the house. “The one I gave tae Kaitlyn. Tis in the house?”

I said, “Yes, it’s in the guest room.”

She nodded. “Good, it gave me a fright that twas lost.”

Zach looked up at the sky, “It looks like rain, I’ll go call for a truck or three.” He rushed away to