“Aye,” Katie whispered back.
Evan climbed from his horse and helped her down. He leaned in close to her ear. “Stay close behind me. Dinnae say a word, and watch where yer walking as best ye can in this poor light.”
Katie nodded, her heart beginning to pound. She prayed the cottage would be where Richard held Gavin, and she also prayed that she wasn’t too late to rescue him.
Hugging herself closely, she followed Evan, amazed that at his size, he was able to move so quickly and quietly. On the other hand, she felt like an elephant tramping through the woods.
When they were about fifty yards from the cottage, Evan stopped. “If Richard has Gavin inside, I’m thinking the mon is feeling safe right now, with his idea that the rest of us are headed to Stirling. I want to take a look in the window. I need to know if the mon has a weapon, and if Gavin is tied up.” He took a deep breath and cupped her face in his hands. “I need to do this alone. I want ye to wait here.”
…
Much to his amazement, Katie nodded. He let out the breath he was holding. Rescuing the lad with no one being hurt would be much simpler if he didna have to fash himself over having to rescue Katie too.
Evan tipped her chin up with his knuckle. “Wait here until ye hear from me.” He lowered his head and kissed her, holding back all the love he felt for his wife until they were in a place where he could show her as well as tell her.
He had a lot to make up for.
Trying his best to not trod on a small branch and snap it or stumble over a hidden animal hole, he moved toward the cottage. The encroaching darkness helped to make him invisible, but also any danger unseen. As he got closer to the cottage, Gavin’s horse and one other, presumably Armstrong’s, came into view. They were stabled in a small lean-to next to the cottage.
That confirmed that he was in the right place.
The cottage grew clearer as he neared the small building. ’Twas obviously an abandoned home, with thick vines wrapping around the outside. He bent low and headed for a small window cut from the wood. There was no glass in the opening, but someone had tacked up a piece of cloth.
He could hear voices but was unable to tell if it was a child speaking. He laid himself flat against the wall outside the window and slowly used his index finger to push aside a corner of the cloth. He sucked in a deep breath when he saw Gavin sitting on the floor in the cabin, his hands obviously tied behind his back. There also was rope knotted around his ankles, and his body rested against the wall directly across from where Evan stood.
Evan dropped the cloth, then moved to the other side of the window and pushed up that part of the covering, giving him a different view of the space. Lord Armstrong sat at a table facing the front door. Evan leaned in farther to hear what the mon said.
“Ye will love living with me, lad. I will give ye anything ye want.” The fierceness in the mon’s expression was frightening.
“I want to go home,” Gavin said. Evan was proud of how strong the lad’s words were. He didn’t look panicked and—thankfully—not abused. Yet.
Armstrong scowled. “Nay. Yer home is with me now. Ye will be the son I never had. The son I would have had were yer sister not a dishonorable woman.”
“My sister is honorable. She is perfect,” Gavin shouted. “’Tis ye who is not honorable.”
Dinnae provoke him, Gavin.
Evan’s eyes did a sweep of the room. He would have no problem taking the mon down, but if he held a gun, he could harm the lad with one shot. He dropped the curtain and stealthily walked around the cottage. The front door was the only entrance, and as he’d noted, Armstrong sat facing that direction.
Evan went back to the window and looked inside once more. The mon seemed to be playing some sort of card game with himself. There was a plate of cheese and oatcakes sitting in front of him, as well as a glass of a dark liquid, most likely whisky, that he took a sip of in between his card moves.
Two candles sat in front of him on the table. A roaring fire, the smoke of which he’d spotted from the woods, burned brightly, giving the room more light than the candles alone would have. Although dried tears tracked down Gavin’s cheeks, he otherwise appeared unharmed. No doubt Gavin would do a whole lot of screaming if the man tried to force his attentions on him. Armstrong was probably wisely waiting until he had the lad at his manor, where he could do as he wished without anyone disturbing him. Well-paid servants traditionally turned their eyes and ears from such things.
Evan shuddered at the mon’s intentions, and a rage rose up in him that he had to control in order to get the lad out without anyone getting hurt. Armstrong should be beaten to a pulp, since Evan doubted he would give up his disgusting inclinations once they took Gavin from him. He would most likely turn his sick attentions to another innocent victim.
Since there was no hurry to get the lad, he trotted back to where he’d left Katie. Once they stormed the place, she could comfort the lad while he took care of Armstrong. They might not be able to keep him from finding another youngster, but Evan intended to bring him to the magistrate to be held for kidnapping. Hopefully, for a long time.
“Is he there?” Katie asked as he reached her.
“Aye.” He held up his hand. “He is not harmed but tied up. There are only the two of them there in the cottage.”
“We
