Summer of Love (40 page)

    
"But I really should go after Helen."

    
"You’ll need help for that, sir. They are four Highlanders."

    
Andrew’s stomach tightened again into a knot of anxiety.

    
Owen looked up to him. "Do you know who they are, sir?"

    
"Yes, they are her folks. Her father and one of her brothers, … and the
man she was supposed to marry."

    
"Did you run away with her then? Is that why they were after her?"

    
A first smile crossed Andrew’s face. "You’re a smart boy. Yes, you’re
right. They weren’t just after her, but also after me. They’ve already tried
to kill me once. Though, I don’t think that they recognized me… I just
hope they won’t harm her. That’s why I must rescue her as quickly as
possible."

    
"Maybe Rose can help. It was her idea to spring you from the tolbooth,
you know, and everything would have worked out just fine, except for
these fearsome Highlanders. When I saw them lurking around the prison,
after your lady and Joe went in, I smelled trouble."

    
"I haven’t thanked you yet for your help. Without you, they would
have caught me too."

    
"You don’t have to thank me. Your lady already paid me an advance
of half a crown for my services, and promised me another one, once
we’re safely at the inn. I guess I’ll have to wait for that one."

    
In spite of his anxiety, a short laugh escaped Andrew. "I see. You’re
a professional. I’m sure glad Helen hired you. Don’t worry, you’ll get the
rest and more. But first you must help me find Helen."

    
They boy nodded seriously and said: "As soon as I’ve done my
contract with her and delivered you safely to The White Heron, I’ll go
back into the city and make inquiries."

    
He talks like a professional
, mused Andrew …
Contract, delivered,
inquiries
. "And how do you suggest making these inquiries, young
man?"

    
"I’ll check with all the cheaper inns to find out where they’re lodging.
I doubt they’ll have stopped at one of the more expensive ones, like The
Good Shepherd. Or do they have relatives in the city?"

    
"Not as far as I know. But they might be leaving right away. So you
also have to ask if four Highlanders left today or this evening. They
probably checked in under the name of Campbell."

    
"Isn’t that your name also? It’s the name your lady used."

    
"Yes, but I’m a real Campbell, from Argyle."

    
"So Campbell isn’t their real name?"

    
"No, they are MacGregors, but assumed the name of Campbell.
Helen’s father calls himself Dougal Campbell."

    
Andrew was more and more surprised by boy. From his height, he
looked like a nine or ten-year-old, but his astuteness and mature
reasoning suggested that he was older. "Owen, how old are you?"

    
"I’m twelve, going on thirteen. I know I look much younger, but that’s
to my advantage. Like this, I can fool people more easily."

    
"You certainly fooled me."

    
They reached the rear entrance of The White Heron. As Helen four
days earlier, Andrew was instantly fascinated by the flowers, so
unexpected in this barren neighborhood. Owen, seeing his surprise,
smiled and said: "Your lady liked them too. She was particularly fond of
those pink roses over there. They smell nice."

    
Andrew went over to the rose bush, pinched off a little bloom and
inhaled its delicate aroma. It provided a symbolic link to his love.

    
Rose’s booming voice made him turn around. "I see, you’ve already
discovered the roses your dear wife loves—but where’s she?" She
searched the yard.

    
Owen answered before Andrew could respond: "Her father kidnaped
her when we came out of the tolbooth. There were four of them. We
couldn’t prevent it."

    
Rose’s mouth remained wide open for a moment. "The poor lass," she
uttered finally. "We have to get her out of their clutches. Owen, what are
you waiting for? Find out where they took her."

    
"He has already offered to make inquiries," interjected Andrew. "I’m
Andrew Campbell and you must be Rose." He still held the small bloom
in his hand.

    
"Yes," she laughed, "on account of those roses."

    
"I’m going now," said Owen.

    
"Yes, do that, boy. But be careful; they might recognize you," urged
Andrew.

    
"No worry! I’ll put on a different-colored shirt and hat. I bought them
with the money your lady gave me for my earlier services, sir."

    
Rose tousled his hair. "What would we do without you, Owen?"

    
He showered her with a proud smile and said: "You pay me well,
Rose. So you deserve good service." With that, he skipped out of the
yard.

    
"He’s a gem of a boy, and so resourceful. We couldn’t’ve done this
thing without him," she said, shaking her head.

    
"Yes, he is."

    
"Helen had everything planned out so carefully, but I didn’t know that
her father was after you too. She never told me."

    
"She probably thought that we had shaken them off for good. They
pursued us and almost got us in Stirling, right in the middle of the
wedding ceremony."

    
"What do you think they do now?"

    
"Take her back to the Highlands. I don’t think they recognized me. But
somehow they must have found out about my arrest and believe that I’m
still in prison. So, hopefully, they plan to leave town only tomorrow. We
might still find out where they lodge… But how can I get her away from
them without drawing the attention of the police on me?"

    
"Don’t you worry, young man! We take it one step at a time! We first
find out where they’ve taken your sweet lass, and then we figure out how
to rescue her and get you both safely out of here."

    
Blushing, Andrew said softly: "You seem to like Helen. I’m glad she
found you."

    
"Yes, she’s a sweet, little thing, and very clever. You’re lucky, young
man."

    
"Yes, I know," he answered, lowering his head bashfully.

    
Rose chuckled. "I can see why she fancies you so much." She smiled
at him kindly. "You must be hungry. Come into the kitchen. I cook
something while I tell you our plans for how you two leave Glasgow."

 * * *

Darkness was closing in when Owen returned.

    
"Have you found Helen?" Andrew exclaimed, jumping up from the
table in the kitchen, where he had just finished a simple meal.

    
Rose rushed in from the tavern, as if she had received a telepathic
message that the boy was back.

    
"Yes, I think so. At The Golden Eagle, the second inn I checked. Four
Highlanders have lodged there for the past two nights. Some kids saw
them return this evening with a lass. Their description fits your lady, sir,
I think. They’re drinking right now in the tavern."

    
"Do you know where they keep her? Did you see her?" asked Andrew
impatiently.

    
"No, I didn’t, nor do I know where she’s kept. But while I was there,
somebody screamed upstairs, and three of them rushed up and shortly
afterward came down carrying the fourth one. He was groaning miserably, all hunched up."

    
Rose and Andrew exchanged troubled glances.

    
"The screams—was it a woman screaming?" questioned Andrew
anxiously.

    
"No, it was a man. It must have been the one they carried down."

    
"Was it one of the younger ones?"

    
"Yes, the old man came back down only later on."

    
Andrew could not suppress a smile. Dougal wouldn’t like being
referred to as the old man. "What color was his hair?"

    
"Light brown."

    
"You’re sure?"

    
"Yes, sir."

    
Robert,
went through Andrew’s mind.
What happened?
An empty
feeling invaded his guts. Did he try to harm Helen?

    
As if Owen had read Andrew’s thoughts, he added: "He was holding
both hands to his groin, as if he got hurt there."

    
"Ah," exclaimed Rose with a knowing expression, "he tried to get too
close to your lady and she kicked his balls. He’s going to remember this
for a good while."

    
"I hope she’s not hurt," murmured Andrew.

    
"If she is, she tried her best to keep him off her, young man."

    
"I know. I wasn’t thinking of myself. I would just blame myself if she
got harmed because of me."

    
Rose patted his shoulders. "Don’t worry. If he came down hollering,
I’m sure she’s all right… But now we better get planning. We know
where they are, and we can safely assume that your lady’s locked in a
room upstairs. I’m afraid, she may be bound and gagged, otherwise they
couldn’t leave her alone."

    
Andrew had come to the same conclusion.

    
"By the way," Owen remarked suddenly, "I almost forgot. While I was
in town, I heard the alarm bell ring at the tolbooth. They must have
discov—"

    
Rose interrupted him, yelling: "Why didn’t you tell us such important
news before?"

    
"Because you never gave me a chance!" he parried.

    
"Master Andrew, they found Joe and discovered that you escaped.
How exciting! And to think that I had a hand in all this! I wish I could
tell a few people, but that has to wait for a while… There’s going to be
patrols searching the town now. So, master Andrew, if you plan to go
rescue your dear wife, you must be doubly careful."

    
She turned back to Owen and gave him the piece of sausage left over
from Andrew’s meal. "Here Owen, you deserve this for telling me. But
we better find out more about those Highlanders. How many other people
did you see at The Golden Eagle?"

    
"I saw only another couple of men. They were dressed like Englishmen and went upstairs shortly after that incident. I think they were a bit
afraid."

    
"Good," answered Rose. "Did you see what the Highlanders were
doing after they came down again?"

    
"They continued drinking. Initially two of them forced liquor down the
throat of the guy who got hurt."

    
"They’re trying to relieve his pain," remarked Rose grinning.

    
"And when the old man joined them, he ordered a bottle of claret."

    
"How do you know it was claret?" questioned Andrew, surprised.
"Mind you that sounds right. That’s what Dougal Campbell likes to
drink."

    
"Ah, I was just underneath the tavern window."

    
"Did you hear anything else they said?"

    
"I did, but that was the only thing I could understand. They spoke their
Highland tongue."

    
"How long did you stay there after they came back down?" Rose
resumed her questioning.

    
"Oh, not long, … maybe a quarter of an hour. Nothing much happened
after that. They just kept drinking and laughing occasionally."