The three of them rode toward the dried river bottom, which was located about five hundred yards from the mission. The riverbed was skirted with timber. They spotted the edge and peered in the long gully, which was a hundred yards wide. This would be perfect. A naturally strong position with the flat plain extended before them.
They followed the rim until they found an opening where they could ride their mounts down to the riverbed. They rode along nodding to the groups of men scattered along the wall until they found a good place. It was time to settled down for the night. They tied their horses and rubbed them down before making their own camp.
***
Callum grew impatient.
He sat with his back to a bolder eating a plate of eggs he had stolen from the henhouse. What he would give to have some meat and ale.
At least he’d had some company when Alasdair had been with him, but now it was sit and wait. He was sick of this shit. He’d give it one more week, and if Shannon didn’t ride out on her own, then he was going to drag her out of that house all the way back to Scotland.
He couldn’t return to Scotland without the lass or the jewels. The lass would help bring honor back to the clan, and the jewels would bring wealth. And he would be back in his homeland and out of this dull brown country.
The next couple days were not pleasant.
The children had moped around once they found out their father had left without saying goodbye.
Shannon was a little surprised by how much she missed Luke. Things were not the same . . . the house felt empty, which was silly since it was full of children and servants. She wondered if Luke missed her. Had he thought about her? She hoped he did.
They both had changed in the short time they had been together. Luke’s ruggedness still drew her in, but she’d like to think she had softened him a little. She knew he was a little more open than when she’d first met him, and she felt good things were ahead of them. She shook her head which seemed to be in the clouds this morning.
She still couldn’t put her full weight on her ankle. With the crutch hurting under her arm, she’d been elated when she’d spotted a cane in the pantry off the kitchen. Using the smooth piece of wood to walk was more rewarding than the crutches. She still couldn’t move quickly, but it felt much better. She was thankful that her foot had only been bruised. If it had been sprain or broken she would have required the crutches for a lot longer. As she hobbled down the hallway, she knew it was time to get back to a routine.
The children were settled at their desks when Shannon finally made it to the classroom.
“Good morning,” Shannon said as she took the seat behind her desk. Molly’s resentful glares told Shannon that the child was still upset.
Shannon placed the papers she’d had in her hand on her desk. She sorted the paperwork until she found the two sheets of paper she needed.
“Today we are goin’ tae huv a short arithmetic test tae see how well ye remember what I’ve taught ye. Come and get yer test and then ye can began.”
While they were busy, Shannon took out two readers and turned them to the page where she wanted the children to begin.
Toby brought his paper up first. “Here,” he said.
“Very good. Ye can read the first chapter of this book while I grade yer paper.”
A few minutes later Molly tossed her paper on Shannon’s desk but didn’t bother to say anything. Shannon raised her brow but chose not to reprimand Molly this time. “Here is yer book.”
“Yeah, I know read the first chapter,” Molly tried to snatch the book from her, but Shannon held tight.
“Are you going to give me the book?” Molly asked.
Shannon fought to rein in her temper. “Hold out your hand.” When the child followed instructions, Shannon placed the book in her hand. “Now ye can read.”
Molly frowned but didn’t say anything.
After Shannon finished grading the papers, she grimaced. Molly had only gotten two problems correct.
“Molly, is there something ye dinna understand with yer figures. Ye were doing better a few weeks ago.”
“Nope.”
“You only had two problems that were correct.”
“So.”
“Yer brother only got three wrong, sae I’d say he is now smarter than his big sister.”
“You’re dumb, Molly,” Toby piped up.
“’Tisn’t nice tae call someone dumb, Toby,” Shannon corrected.
“Well, it’s true. You just said so.”
“I don’t need to know arithmetic,” Molly informed both of them.
“I think ye do,” Shannon said calmly. “Toby, ye can go and play while I work with Molly.”
“Goodie.” Toby jumped up. “Can I go outside?”
“As long as ye stay close tae the house. We’ll be outside shortly.”
Shannon patted the chair next to her. “Come and sit next tae me, Molly.”
Molly rolled her eyes, but did as she was told.
Shannon took out the test and went over each problem asking Molly to add the numbers. She seemed to know each answer, which told Shannon the child had failed the test on purpose.
“Molly ye ken that ye’re not hurting anyone but yerself when ye dinna do ye best.”
“I don’t care!”
“Watch yer tone, young lady,” Shannon snapped, then counted to ten before she continued, “Ye dinna want yer pa tae be proud of ye?”
“Sure I do. But I don’t want a new mother.”
Shannon sighed. “I’ll never replace yer mother, Molly. She will always be yers. But I do hope we wull be friends one day.”
Molly jumped up. “I don’t need a friend.” She darted from the classroom before Shannon could call her back.
Well, that most certainly hadn’t gone well, Shannon thought. She got up and started putting away the children’s books and papers. How was she going to get through to Molly? The problem was she knew how Molly felt about losing her mother. It was one of the hardest things a child could go through ... the loss ... the hurt of never seeing them again.
Maybe if she left Molly to herself, she’d finally come around and not be so resentful.
Shannon limped down the hall to the kitchen to fetch a cup of tea and to see a friendly face.
Maria smiled upon seeing her. “When I saw Molly come flying through the kitchen, I thought you might need some tea.” Maria handed a steaming cup to Shannon.
“Bless ye,” Shannon smiled. She took the cup of tea, then moved to the window where she could glance out and watch the children. “Motherhood is harder than I thought it would be.”
“Sí, I think it’s because Molly was so close to her mother. She used to follow her all around the house.”
“I actually ken how she feels having lost my own mother. Perhaps one day she can let go of her anger, and then we can become friends.”
“Sí, then again maybe it is a mother that Molly needs.”
Shannon swung around knowing she had a completely dumfounded expression on her face because she had no idea what she needed to do.
“I’m going to run away,” Molly told Toby as they played hopscotch beside the barn.
Toby picked up his stone. “Why?”
“’Cause if I run away . . . Pa will come home sooner. You heard her tell us she didn’t know when he would be home. He’ll be upset and send her away.”
“I like Miss Shannon,” Toby said. “Why don’t you like her anymore?”
Molly threw her stone and it landed next to the top block. “Don’t you see that she’s taking Ma’s place? Everything is changing.”
“I don’t think of her like Ma, but I still like her. My turn,” Toby said as he positioned himself at the first block. “Miss Shannon is better than all those old nannies that we had, and she’s made me much smarter than you.” He grinned as he hopped back to the starting block.
“You stepped on a line. It’s my turn.” Molly shoved Toby out of the way. “You’re too little. You don�
�t understand.” She tossed her stone and missed the top block completely. “This is a stupid game.”
Toby laughed. “Only because I’m better at this too.”
“I’m just not paying attention.”
“Sooo--” Toby hopped. “W--what are you going to do?”
“Tonight after we’re suppose to go to bed, I’m going to slip out and run away.”
“Where you gonna go?”
“Don’t know. I’ll get a horse and go and hide somewhere until Pa comes and finds me.”
“Don’t think you should do that, Molly.”
“I don’t care what you think,” Molly told him, then grabbed Toby’s shirtfront. “And you better not tell them until tomorrow morning. You hear me?”
Chapter 15
Callum couldn’t believe his luck.
He had just settled down for the night, thinking it had been another wasted day, when he heard a horse and rider coming his direction.
He jumped to his feet, then scrambled to hide behind a boulder while he waited for the right moment. The rider appeared small. Perhaps Shannon was coming his way. However, he doubted he could be so lucky. When the horse and rider moved into the tree line, Callum sprang and grabbed the horse’s halter before the animal could bolt.
“Who are you?” A child squealed.
Callum jerked her from the horse before she could scream again. He recognized her as one of the children from the ranch he’d seen Shannon playing with.
Saints above. He didn’t have time to calm down a squirming bairn. He snatched a piece of cloth and gagged the child, and then he tied her hands.
“Ye can quit yer crying. It won’t do ye any good,” he informed her as he sat her on the boulder.
Callum had to move quickly before someone came looking for the bairn. He packed up his meager belongings and then glanced around to see if he had forgotten anything. There was just one more thing he needed to do.
He pulled a sheet of paper and a pencil out of his saddlebag. Quickly, Callum scribbled a note to Shannon as he thought, this should get the lass out of the house where he could grab her. He envisioned the green hills of Scotland and longed to be in his homeland once more.
He took the child’s horse and tied the reins to a tree limb. Callum placed the note under the edge of the saddle where ranch hands would easily see it when they came looking for the child.
Callum mounted, then positioned the bairn in front of him. A slow smile slid across his face. “Aye,” he said to himself. The lass would come for the child. He knew it.
Something was wrong. Shannon couldn’t quite put her finger on the strange feeling she had upon waking this morning. She had been breathing so fast it scared her. But now she couldn’t remember the dream.
She retrieved her clothes off the back of the chair where Maria had left them, which made it easier for Shannon. She finished dressing in a simple brown skirt and white linen blouse. Pulling her hair back, she tied a pretty yellow ribbon around her ponytail.
Now that she was dressed, she once again had that odd feeling. Perhaps it was the dream she couldn’t recall. She thought about it a moment longer but nothing came to mind as she made her way to the kitchen.
“Good mmorning, Señorita Shannon,” Maria greeted. “I’ve fixed some flapjacks for Toby. Would you like a stack?”
“Please,” Shannon said with a smile. She propped her cane on the chair back and sat across from Toby who seemed to be in a bit of a hurry this morning. He’d shoveled flapjacks into his mouth until his cheeks bulged. “Are ye afraid somebody is gonna take yer food this morning?”
It took a moment before he could clear his mouth to speak. “Nope. They sure are good this morning,” Toby said, but didn’t bother to look up.
“Do ye think ye can stop a moment tae say good morning?”
Toby glanced up quickly, barely meeting her eyes. “Mornin’,” he managed then looked back to his plate.
Shannon sipped her tea while she studied the child. The warmth felt good on her throat. Toby seemed strange this morning. Not his normal chatty self. Usually Molly was the one-word child. Speaking of Molly …. “Where is yer sister?”
Toby glanced up from under his lashes. “Don’t know.”
“Ye haven’t seen her this mornin’?”
“Nope.”
“Look at me, young mon.” Shannon waited until she had his full attention. She didn’t like what she saw. Toby looked very guilty. “Where is yer sister?”
“Told you. I don’t know.”
“But ye know something, so ye better tell me.”
This time Toby met her eyes. His brows drew together in an agonized expression. There was strain that shouldn’t be there. “But I promised.”
“Toby?”
“She ran away.”
“What?” Shannon stood so fast she had to place a hand on the table to keep her balance.
Tears streamed down Toby’s face. “S--she said she was going to r--run away last night. A—and she wasn’t in her room this morning so I guess she did.”
Shannon hobbled around the table and gathered Toby in her arms as he sobbed. Glancing at Maria, Shannon asked. “Will ye send somebody to find Wilson?”
“Sí. I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Stop crying,” Shannon told Toby as she rubbed his back. “We’ll find her. ’Tis not yer fault.”
“I—I should have told you.” He gasped for air. “B-but she made me promise. And I didn’t think she would do it.”
“I understand, but the next time ye think somethin’ is wrong, ye come and tell me, ye ken?”
Toby stepped back, dashing the tears from his cheeks with the palm of his hands. “Yes ma’am.”
The back door opened and Wilson strode into the kitchen, his familiar red handkerchief tied around his neck. “Good morning, Miss Shannon,” he said touching the corner of his brown hat with his finger. “You need something?”
“Molly is missing. Can ye take some men and check around the ranch for me.”
“Sure thing.” He nodded. “Don’t imagine she’s gone far.”
Shannon stepped away from Toby. Anxiety gripped her chest as a wave of apprehension swept through her. She clutched the back of the chair for support. “I hope yer right.”
***
Hoping Molly was merely hiding, Shannon, Maria and Toby searched the house. They found nothing. Shannon decided to head outside so they could check around the grounds while the men searched further.
They had just stepped off the back porch when Wilson rode into the yard with a rider-less horse in tow. Shannon felt her stomach tie itself into a knot.
“That’s Molly’s horse,” Toby cried.
Shannon looked up at Wilson. “What did you find?”
“This here’s the horse that Molly usually rides, but we didn’t see any sign of her. But there’s a note.” Wilson slipped his hand into his jacket, “It’s written in gibberish, which I don’t understand,” Wilson said. He leaned over and handed a scrap of paper to Shannon.
Shannon slowly unfolded the paper and began to read. It was written in Gaelic. No wonder Wilson couldn’t read it.
If ye want the lassie tae live, ye need tae bring yerself and the jewels to me. Ride North. I’ll find ye. Be warned that ye’d better not bring anyone else or the lassie dies. Callum
Shannon folded the note back up and held it tightly in her fist. “I can read it. ’Tis one of my countrymen who has taken Molly.”
“What the hell!” Wilson swore, causing his horse to sidestep. “Sorry, ma’am.”
Shannon felt the blood drain from her cheeks. This was all her fault. She had put Luke’s children in danger. It was up to her to save his daughter. She took a deep, controlling breath before addressing Wilson, “If ye’d be sae kind as tae saddle a horse for me, Wilson. I will take Molly’s horse with me.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get some men and ride with you,” Wilson said.
“No!” Shannon realized that she’d snapped at the fo
reman. “I appreciate the offer, but no one can go with me. I dinna want my countryman tae hurt Molly. Leave Molly’s horse.
After that, what I need for ye tae do is tae go and find Luke and tell him what has happened. I’m quite sure I can get Molly away from the mon who has her. However, if we are not back upon yer return . . . tell Luke the note said tae ride north.”
“Señorita, this sounds much too dangerous,” Maria protested.
“I’ll be fine, Maria.” Shannon gave her a half-hearted smile. It was the best she could do. “’Tis my fault he’s taken Molly. I--I know what he wants and I plan to get Molly back safe.” Shannon looked down at Toby. “Ye will need tae keep an eye on him while I’m gone.”
“Sí.”
“I don’t want you to go,” Toby said, wrapping his arms around his legs.
“We huv tae get your sister so ye need to be a big boy.”
Shannon went to her room and looked in the lining of her carpetbag where she pulled out her mother’s jewels. A necklace and five brooches studded with precious stones twinkled up at her. There was also a ruby ring her mother had always worn, but she’d be damned if she was giving that up, so she tucked it back in the bottom of her bag. If Callum killed her, then maybe Luke could use the ring to get extra money for his family.
She shivered at the thought that Molly had been taken. It was all because of her. This had to stop now. Shannon assumed there was only one more of her countrymen here. Her father couldn’t afford to send many men, so maybe she could stop this danger now. She would give Callum the jewels and, hopefully, he would let her and Molly return home. Since Shannon was married, it was pointless to take her back.
Shannon wasn’t sure how Luke would take this. He could be so upset with her that he’d throw her out. But it would be a chance she would have to take. She would never place the children in danger.
Wilson helped Shannon mount. Her foot was still very sore, but she’d have gone to get Molly back even if her foot had been broken.
Western Seduction (The Seduction Series Book 2) Page 16