Chapter Thirty-Five
She moved with an urgency born out of desperation. Tearing the Buchanan plaid from her body, she threw it on the bed and reached for her English gown. She had already packed a small bag, filled it with the necessities she would need on her journey.
Bridgid interrupted her. Gillian heard her call out, opened the door a crack, and told her friend she wasn't feeling well. She tried to shut the door then, but Bridgid wouldn't let her. She pushed it open and rushed inside.
'If you're ill, I'll help you. Why are you dressed in those clothes? Your husband won't like it. You should be wearing the Buchanan colors.'
With her back to her friend Gillian tossed her brush into the bag and then tied it closed. When she turned around, Bridgid saw her face and knew something was terribly wrong. 'What is it?' she demanded. 'Tell me and I'll help you any way that I can.'
'I'm leaving.'
'Yes, I just heard, but not until tomorrow. Your husband's soldiers won't be here until then. Is that what's upsetting you? Don't you want to go to your new home?' she asked, trying desperately to understand.
'I'm going home to England.'
'What? You cannot be serious…'
'And I'm never wearing the Buchanan plaid again. Never,' she cried out. 'Brodick betrayed me, and I will never, ever forgive him.' The truth of it overwhelmed her, and she sat down on the bed before her legs gave out. 'He gave me his word that he and Iain and Ramsey would wait…'
Bridgid sat beside her. 'They've all gone to England.'
'Yes,' she answered. 'Proster told me this morning that they had left. Brodick promised me that he would take me with him. I made him give me his word before I would tell him the names of the barons who helped Gideon take Alec Maitland.'
'What was their reason for taking the laird's son?'
'They didn't mean to take him. They thought they'd kidnapped Ramsey's brother.'
Bridgid's mind was racing with questions. 'Start at the beginning and tell me what happened. Then maybe I can figure out a way to help you.'
'You can't help me,' she whispered. 'Oh, God, I don't know how I'll be able to protect my uncle now. I'm so scared and I…' Her voice broke on a sob.
Bridgid patted her arm and pleaded with her to explain.
And so Gillian told her everything, beginning with the night her father was murdered. By the time she was finished, she realized how hopeless her situation was.
'If you don't return to England with the box or your sister, how will you save your uncle?' Bridgid asked.
'It doesn't matter now. As soon as the lairds attack, Alford will order Morgan's death.'
'What makes you think your uncle is still alive? You told me that Baron Alford has never kept his word.'
'Alford knows I won't give him the treasure until I see my uncle is safe.'
Bridgid in her agitation began to pace about the cottage. 'But you don't have the box.'
'I know I don't have it,' she lamented. 'I had hoped that my sister would know where it was…'
'But she didn't know,' Bridgid said. 'Tell me again who was in the chamber with your father the night he gave Christen the treasure.'
'I already told you that there were four soldiers with my father,' she explained once again. 'And the reeve, Ector, but he was only in the chamber for a moment. Christen told me he gave Father a message and then left.'
Bridgid mulled the puzzle over in her mind, shook her head, and then asked, 'The soldiers assigned to protect you were both killed?'
'Yes, they were.'
'You're absolutely certain? Did you see them die?'
'If I did, I don't remember. I was very young,' she reminded her friend. 'But Liese told me they died protecting me. She was certain.'
'But your sister isn't certain what happened to the soldiers who took her north. She's only guessing that they returned to your father's estate. Isn't that true?'
'Yes, but-'
Bridgid interrupted her before she could finish. 'Then couldn't one of them have taken the treasure?'
'No,' she said. 'They were loyal and honorable men, and my father trusted them implicitly.'
'Perhaps his trust was misplaced,' she offered. 'It has to be one of them, or the reeve, but you just said that Ector was only in the chamber for a very short while.'
'Oh, it couldn't have been Ector. He was daft.'
'He was crazed?'
'Yes,' she answered impatiently. She stood up then and went to the door.
'Where are you going?'
'I asked Proster to accompany me to my sister's home, and I'm going to go get him.'
'But you told me that Christen doesn't wish to see you again.'
'Yes, that's true, but-'
'Then why are you going back?'
With a sigh she said, 'I'm not really going to my sister's. Proster knows where the Drummonds live, and once we're on our way to Christen's, I'm going to insist that he take me on to Annie's instead.'
'But why?' she persisted.
'Because Kevin and Annie know the way to the Len holding, and I know the way home from there.'
Bridgid was stunned. 'My God, you really are going back to England. You told me you were, but I didn't believe you.'
'Yes, I am.' When Bridgid ran to her, she hugged her farewell. 'I want you to know how much your friendship has meant to me. I'm going to miss you.'
'But I'll see you again, won't I?'
'No. I'm not coming back.'
'What about Brodick? You love him.'
'He doesn't love me. He used me, Bridgid, to get what he wanted. I meant so little to him that he couldn't…'
It was too painful to talk about. Straightening away from her friend, she said, 'I must get going.'
'Wait,' Bridgid demanded when Gillian reached for the latch. 'I'll go hunt Proster down while you change your clothes.'
'I'm never wearing the Buchanan colors again.'
'Be reasonable. Everyone will know you're up to something if you go outside wearing those clothes. You've got to change.'
Gillian realized her friend was right, they would notice. 'I wasn't thinking… I was so angry, and I… Yes, I'll change my clothes while you go get Proster.'
'It may take me a while to find him, but you stay here. Promise me you'll wait inside.'
'I'll wait. Remember,' she warned, 'Proster thinks I'm going to see Christen.'
'I know,' Bridgid said as she opened the door. She stepped out onto the stoop, then turned to pull the door closed. Still puzzling over the disappearance of the treasure, her mind raced with possibilities. 'Could I ask you one more question?'
'What is it?'
'You said that Ector was crazed. Were you exaggerating because he was a little peculiar, or did you really mean it? Was he truly crazed?'
'Oh, yes, he was,' she answered in a rush. 'Now, please hurry, Bridgid. I must get going as soon as
