Once inside, he said to Mora, “Please have Agnes ready a chamber for Tamsin. She’ll be here for a few days.”
“Gladly. Tamsin, is this the first time you’ve been here? How are things at Duart Castle? Isn’t the weather looking stormy? Where are Magni and Lia?”
Tamsin took her time and answered all Mora’s questions, following her up the stairs. They were inside the bedchamber with the door open when she heard someone enter the hall. Mora continued to ramble, but Tamsin was drawn by the sounds coming from below.
A guard she didn’t know asked, “Chief, you are allowing women in the castle now? May I invite my wife inside?”
“Bearnard, these are special times. We have heard of an impending attack happening this eve, so please go fetch all the women and bairns and bring them inside the hall. We’ll place pallets about, and they’ll be sleeping here. Your wife can sleep in the same chamber as Artan’s family. We have one large chamber above stairs with multiple beds. You and Artan may have it for your families. The rest can sleep on pallets here in the hall.”
“Attack? By whom?”
“Invite everyone in, but please keep the reason quiet for now. Tell them we’re feeding them this eve. We have the smoked venison, plenty for all, along with bread sent by the Granthams. Once you’ve accomplished that, I’ll explain the rest. I’m going to speak with our men on the wall.”
“Aye, Chief.”
Tamsin had a sudden inspiration. “Do you have a back staircase in case of an attack, Mora?”
“Aye, at the end of the hall. It will take you to the rear wallwhere the door to the outside is. I’m hoping they’ll never get inside. Do you think they will? Did none of the Ramsays come along to help? How many are attacking? Exactly when?”
Tamsin did her best to answer Mora’s questions, but she had to admit that she was preoccupied. She was not going to wait inside the great hall for all those women of the village to find their way in to glare at her.
She’d be leaving by the back gate. There was no reason to risk anyone else’s life. As soon as Eli returned and told her what building her daughter was in, she’d make her escape and go after Alana herself.
She would save her daughter, even if Tamsin lost her life in the pursuit.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Dyna
After the group left for the western part of the isle, Dyna had a bad feeling about everything that was happening. She couldn’t quite pin it down yet, but something wasn’t right about what Logan had told them.
“I don’t like this, Derric. Take the bairns inside. Have Astra take them to the cellars to play the hiding game. You know they love it. Take Magni and Lia too. Magni can help Astra with Sandor.”
“Great idea, Diamond. Then I’ll be back to help you.”
Maitland headed toward the front gates, so Dyna caught up with him. “I have an odd feeling, but I can’t define it yet.”
“That’s enough to get my attention. I’ll talk with the guards, put them on alert.”
“I’m going to walk around the wall as far as I can on the outside. Look for anything that has changed, any easy points to breach.”
“Hold up, Dyna. Look who’s coming up the path.”
Logan and Gwyneth rode two horses abreast, Gwyneth waving to them. Dyna raced to their sides. “I’m so glad you’re here, and I’m so pleased to see you, Gwyneth. I’d like to chat, but I’m having a bad feeling, so I’m going around the curtain wall. Derric took the bairns into the cellars.”
“Say no more. We’ll head inside and help in any way.” Logan took the reins of his wife’s horse to lead them to the stables. “I’m sensing things are not right. Could be the bastard used trickery to divide our forces.”
“Dyna, do what you and Maitland must do. Do not worry about us.” Then she turned to her husband. “Logan, we’re going up on the wall,” Gwyneth said, pointing to a spot. “Right there. Iwant that spot. Find me a stool.”
They went their separate ways, and Dyna’s unease grew. Something was about to happen, but what? She took the time to stroll around Duart Castle’s curtain wall. It was her favorite walk because one could see water on three sides, almost. The Sound of Mull, the Firth of Lorne, and Loch Linnhe surrounded the coast. She’d even promised to one day take the bairns down on a stretch that looked quite serene.
Not today. She held her bow with such a tight grip that she knew she was missing something. Opening the back gate, she rounded the side of the keep just as the goat herder crossed the entrance to deliver the day’s milk, but he headed toward the stable, not his usual path.
Perhaps he’d seen someone inside he wished to speak with.
The man disappeared, and within seconds, she caught the flash of fire when the back of the stable ignited.
“Maitland! The horses!”
