He’d let the healer squawk at him a bit, then retire to his room to rest with his wife.
His wife, who had been with Abagail earlier but wasn’t with her now. He hushed his men so he could hear the healer tell him a horrid tale. No matter how many questions he asked, she could only tell him she’d been hit from behind, and when she woke, Mari was gone.
“Bryce, Liam, you’re with me. The rest of you spread out through the village until you’ve found my wife.”
He and his men led Abagail back to where she’d been attacked, and they followed a trail of wagon tracks.
They’d already found Mari’s shoes, but Cam had to swallow back a flood of fear when her first stocking was found at the edge of the woods. The bastards were removing her clothing.
What were they doing to his wife? He would find them and sever their heads from their bodies for hurting her.
“This way,” he ordered Liam and Bryce, who were already on the trail.
“Shouldn’t we have more men?” Bryce asked.
“Nay, it’s but one cart. It can’t be more than a few men. It’s clear from the footprints there were at least two. Not very big men, from the size of their feet.”
“What if they’re meeting up with the English?” Liam asked, sitting taller in his saddle. “Not that I wouldn’t slay them all.”
“Relax, lad. If there’s a line of redcoats at the end of the trail, we’ll send you back for the rest of our army.”
A lift of Bryce’s eyebrow told Cam the army might not come. All the more reason to get her back before she was turned over to them.
He spurred his horse, and the others followed behind him. He saw another stocking lying in their path, but he didn’t stop. He could already see the cart rumbling along the road ahead of them and sent his horse after it at a gallop. Bryce let out a war cry and drew his sword, causing the driver to leap from the cart and run for the trees.
“Get him. Bring him to me,” Cam called to Bryce as another lad jumped from the back of the cart and ran in the other direction, leaving the cart to continue down the path with no driver…and presumably with Mari in the back.
“I’ll get that one so ye can see to Lady Mari,” Liam yelled, and tore off after the other lumbering fool.
Cam chased down the cart, which had slowed with no driver and tired horses. He snagged the reins and pulled it to a stop.
“Mari,” he called as he slid down from his horse. He pulled the tarp from the back and found his wife gagged and blinking in the sunlight, her hands tied in front of her. “Are you hurt?” He removed the gag and pulled his dirk to free her hands as she started to weep.
“No. I’m fine.”
“Did they touch you?” he asked when she was sitting up rubbing her hands. He looked into her eyes, silently waiting for a reply that would send him into a rage that would end with blood on his hands.
She shook her head. “No. They spoke of a reward for turning me in.”
“But I found a stocking…” He let his tone ask the question again. Being a Highland lass, she would know what would happen to the men if they’d dishonored her with their foul touch.
She wiped her tears. “I removed them myself, to make a trail for you.”
Finally he relaxed the tension in his spine and pulled her close.
“You are a clever lass. You led us right to you.” He kissed her and smiled when she blushed at his compliment. Ever the lady.
Liam was the first to return with his captive. The boy was big for his age, but probably no more than fifteen. He had a time of it, keeping up behind Liam’s mount, to which he was tied with a rope.
Bryce returned moments later with his quarry thrown over the back of his horse. He tossed the scrawny lad to the ground, who scampered up to his feet to face his punishment.
“Why did ye take my wife against her will?” Cam demanded.
“The tinker had a sheet with her likeness on it. There’s a reward for her return to the English. One hundred pounds.”
Mari sniffed, and Cam didn’t know if she found the sum to be insulting or impressive. He didn’t care, since no one would ever collect it. He’d keep her safe.
“You’d turn over one of your clanswomen for coin?” Cam growled.
“She’s no MacKinlay. She’s sucked English cock. We’d be glad to have her off—”
The crude comment earned the boy a hard crack across the face that put him out cold. Cam stretched his fist, feeling the blood trickle down his knuckles. His ribs protested as he turned to the larger of the two lads, but he was easily able to put the pain out of his mind. Anger kept him focused.
The other boy proved to be smarter than he looked. He bowed to Cam. “I do not share the same sentiment as my companion, I assure you. I was only out to make things easier for my ma and sisters after my da died. I dinna know who she is, nor much care, as long as I’m able to put food on the table for my family.”
“And if your mother or one of your sisters was pictured on that sheet, would you have turned her over to the English to make things easier for the rest under your roof?” Cam asked heatedly.
The boy swallowed, and a tear cleared a path of grime from his cheek. “Nay. I see now what I’ve done, and I’m sorry for it.”
Cam was still too angry to deal justly with the lad. “Bring them to the castle so the laird can mete out their punishments. I can’t look at them. I may kill them just for breathing.”
He set Mari upon his horse and mounted behind her. “Are you sure you’re well, lass?” he asked when she slumped back against him.
“Yes. I am for now.” Her voice hinted at her doubts regarding the future.
They’d been wrong not to talk about what could happen. They should have planned for something such as this. They needed to be ready. He’d trained his men for any potential threat and planned an escape route for his wife, but it had been a while since they’d practiced. He’d become lax.
He hadn’t wanted the possibility of this situation to darken their happiness. But to ignore the problem wouldn’t ensure it stayed away. Problems were like that. Persistent.
“You’ll stay in the keep from now on and only go out with me or one of my men with ye, do you understand?”
She nodded, but it wasn’t good enough. He knew how women could twist things at a whim.
“Say it aloud, that you promise.”
She glanced back at him. “I thought we weren’t asking each other for promises any longer.”
“Aye, but I’ll have this one from you.”