A Bridge Through Time: Book 1 of The Thistle & Hive Series (24 page)

The other men were certainly enjoying the show, laughing and making lewd remarks as they watched Thomas’ treatment of his captive. Having an audience only seemed to encourage Thomas to go even further with his disgusting groping. Ashley needed to do something to change the situation, and quickly.

“Thomas?” Ashley tried to get his attention, screwing up her nose in disgust as he pressed slobbering wet kisses against her neck.

“Mmmm…”

This was bad. If Ashley couldn’t stop him, Thomas would have her gown removed in no time and what would happen then was too horrible to contemplate.

“Thomas!” she said sharply. “Stop it! Now!”

“Oh, you really don’t want me to stop, little horse thief. You’ll be begging for more, before too much longer.” He released the reins, so he could use both hands in his assault. One continued to torment her left breast, while the other snaked up under her gown and caressed her naked thigh. Every time she struggled, Thomas brutally bit her neck or squeezed her breast unmercifully. Tears of anger and frustration threatened to spill, but she wouldn’t give him or any of the other men the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Thomas grabbed her crotch roughly, groping her mound and trying to penetrate her with a finger. She swatted at his hands, but it only served to anger him further. He yanked her arms behind her back and quickly tied her wrists together with a leather strap, ensuring her hands lay conveniently against his groin, where he could rub himself on them.

“Now, where was I?” he laughed cruelly.

He returned to molesting her and Ashley shrieked. She tried kicking at the horse’s flanks but it didn’t have any effect. Their mount was a warhorse and extremely well trained to respond only to his master.

Ashley decided to try another tactic. Physically, she couldn’t do anything, but perhaps she could upset Thomas’s plans in other ways. “Good grief, you smell as if you haven’t bathed since we last met.” She could only hope he had a sense of vanity. “You really should think about bathing more often. Maybe if you didn’t smell so bad, you’d be more appealing to women. Honestly, it’s so bad I’m trying not to gag. You smell absolutely disgusting.”

The men laughed uproariously and Thomas glared at them. It stopped his groping hands for a moment, so Ashley continued the verbal assault.

“Don’t you want to be more appealing to the ladies?” she queried, trying to keep her voice casual.

“They like me just fine, exactly the way I am,” he spat the words, and again his hands stilled.

“I’m not talking about the women you have to
pay
to spend time with you.” When no reply was forthcoming, Ashley continued. “What about your wife? I heard that she killed herself, because she couldn’t bear being with you.”

Thomas grabbed her throat and squeezed. “Quiet, woman,” he growled. “Do not mention my wife, ever again, or you shall live to regret it.”

Ashley pressed on, despite his hand at her throat. “You do know Cailin isn’t responsible for her death, don’t you?”

“Enough!” Thomas yelled and squeezing his horse with his thighs, they took off at a run again.

Ashley was relieved that her plan to distract Thomas had worked, but she was afraid of what was going to happen when they reached their destination.

They seemed to ride for hours, and just when Ashley began to wonder if they would ever stop, they came to a large encampment in a clearing.

Several shelters had been set up around a large central fire pit. The largest of the shelters seemed to be the one Thomas was galloping towards.

Thomas dismounted and left Ashley alone with Roger, who made certain to fondle every inch of Ashley as he lifted her out of the saddle and slid her down the length of his mountainous frame. He grabbed her buttocks and pulled her against his crotch rubbing her indecently against something scarily large and hard.

“Thomas!” Ashley gasped, shoving at Roger’s chest.

“Roger, let her go! She’s mine for the time being, but you’re welcome to her, once I’m done. That is, if there’s anything left of her.” He leered at Ashley and licked his lips, as if he were contemplating his next meal.

*****

Irene had remained quiet during the ride, shocked and horrified by Ashley’s treatment at Thomas’ hands. The man who was riding with Irene hadn’t attempted to touch her inappropriately, or even spoken to her. She imagined she was immune to their abuse because Sir Richard had commanded it.

Irene only hoped she could keep Ashley out of harm’s way until Robert and Cailin came to rescue them. There was no doubt in Irene’s mind, they would be coming, and when they did, there’d be hell to pay.

*****

Heather had searched everywhere for William. She hadn’t seen him in hours and it was getting dark now. She didn’t know what to do, but she needed some help because she was certain William was nowhere in the castle. Searching frantically, she found her husband, Finn and told him William was missing, gripping his shirt worriedly.

Finn immediately ran to the main gates, dragging Heather along behind him. The guards there hadn’t seen William. They went to the postern gate next, where the guard informed them that William had followed Lady Irene and Lady Ashley when they left to go for a walk earlier in the afternoon. They hadn’t returned through the postern gate, but the guard thought they might have come in through the main entrance.

Heather stared up at her husband and burst into tears. They both knew that hadn’t happened. “We must find the Laird,” Finn announced. As they approached the door, Heather and Finn ran into Cailin and Robert, who appeared as concerned as Heather was.

Heather bobbed into a curtsey. “Beggin’ yer pardon, sirs, but I be wonderin’ if Lady Irene or Lady Ashley have returned to the castle? I must seek their help.”

“What is it, Heather? We were just lookin’ for them ourselves,” Cailin said curtly.

Heather paled and her mouth dropped open. Finn glanced down at his wife and spoke for her. “We’ve been searchin’ for William all over, and haven’t found him. The guard at the postern gate said William followed Lady Irene and Lady Ashley out when they left earlier this afternoon, but they hadn’t returned that way. The guard at the main gate says he hasn’t seen them, either.”

*****

Cailin stared at Finn in horror, before turning his gaze to Robert. “I told Ashley nae to leave the castle!”

Robert inhaled sharply. “Aye, well apparently she did. And my Irene as well. Where do you think they’ll have gone?”

Cailin looked out into the darkness and thought for a moment. Where would Ashley go? The answer came almost immediately. “The beach. The lass loves the beach.”

“Cailin, gather the men. We’ll need torches. We’ll go on foot, to search along the path and down onto the beach,” Robert ordered, taking control of the situation immediately.

“Aye, Robert.” Cailin ran off, shouting commands to the men he passed on his way to the great hall.

Within minutes, Cailin had a dozen heavily armed men with torches organized, and they stood at the postern gate, ready to begin the search.

They followed the path away from Breaghacraig, searching for any signs that the three who’d gone missing had passed this way. Cailin was beside himself with anger and fear. He had told Ashley repeatedly, she was nae to leave the castle without him or one of his men. Why would she go off like that? He knew Irene was just as hardheaded as Ashley could be, when she got it in her mind to do something and the two of them together could only spell trouble. He’d give Ashley a piece of his mind once he found her. Verbal threats about locking the lass in her room hadnae worked, but mayhap this time he would really do it. As he strode along the path, Cailin found the anger kept the fear at bay and he focused on it, drawing strength for the task at hand.

As they approached the tree line at the top of the bluff, Cailin heard the faint sounds of a puppy barking and then the woeful cries of a young lad.

Robert signaled to their men to stay back, before he raced towards the sounds with Cailin.

Cailin reached William first. “William are ye alright?” He cut the ropes holding William to the tree. The puppy was jumping all over them in his excitement. William sobbed uncontrollably and Cailin pulled him into his arms to offer the young boy some comfort. His mind was awash with fear for Ashley and Irene, but he needed to calm the boy enough to get him to talk. “What happened, William? Where is Lady Ashley?”

“Come now, lad,” Robert said gently. “We need yer help to find them.”

William sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He hugged the puppy close as he took a deep breath and nodded. “I ken I shouldnae have done it, but I followed them to the beach. We were playing with the pup, when men on horses came riding across the sand. We ran and made it to the top here.” He took another deep breath and with visible effort, held back the tears that were threatening to spill. “We thought we’d gotten away, but there were more waitin’ for us up here.”

“What happened next?” Cailin urged.

“The mean man called Lady Ashley a horse thief and told her she was to ride with him. Lady Ashley tried to run away, but he grabbed her by the hair. Another man slapped her really hard, and then choked her. The mean man on the horse told the other man; he called him Roger, to stop hurting Lady Ashley. The mean man told one of the men to put Lady Irene on a horse and another one to tie me up, as he didnae want the pup or me.” William began crying again. “Then the man named Roger threw Lady Ashley up onto the mean man’s horse, and they all rode away.”

Cailin was seething. These men William spoke of were dead men, as far as Cailin was concerned. They’d pay dearly for hurting Ashley.

“Cailin,” William’s little voice broke into his turbulent thoughts.

Cailin glanced down at the lad, brushing his tears away. “Aye, William?”

“Lady Ashley knew the mean man. She called him Thomas.”

“Aye. Thank ye, William, ye’ve been a verra brave lad. Come, let’s get ye back to yer Ma and Da. They’ve been worried about ye.”

Cailin’s calm exterior was an illusion, inside he was boiling with rage. He was acutely aware that Ashley’s life was in jeopardy, and that knowledge frightened him more than anything ever had before. He knew he’d have to force that fear away, if he were going to be effective in the hunt for Ashley and Irene.

Cormac appeared at his side and placed a hand on Cailin’s shoulder. “We’ll find them, brother,” Cormac reassured him quietly.

Cailin remained silent. On the battlefield, he had a single-minded focus, but this was personal. The bastards had been stupid enough to take his woman and he would have no mercy for them.

“We ride, now,” Robert announced to the men.

They hurried back to the castle, and Cailin knew every man was aware of how high the stakes were. The clan was very fond of Irene, and he knew Ashley had made a good impression on them since her arrival. They would do anything required of them, to save the two women from capture.

Once back in the castle courtyard, Cailin mounted his horse, which one of the stable boys had already prepared. All around him, preparations were underway for their departure and men shouted back and forth in the torchlight.

“Robert! Cailin!” Ewan called out as he and Lena made their way across the bustling courtyard.

“Is it true?” Lena asked worriedly. “Have they taken Irene and Ashley?”

Robert put his booted foot into the stirrup and mounted his warhorse. “Aye. I’m afraid ‘tis so,” he confirmed grimly.

Lena almost collapsed to the ground, but Ewan caught her and held her close to his side.

“Brother, I leave ye in charge here at Breaghacraig. If all goes well, we’ll return quickly with our women,” Robert commanded.

Ewan nodded. “Godspeed, Robert, Cailin. Our prayers will go with ye.”

The gates were pulled opened and Cailin urged his horse forward, desperate to begin. The horses filed out, breaking into a gallop as they headed off to begin the search for Sir Richard’s encampment.

THIRTY-TWO

Irene and Ashley were escorted into Sir Richard’s shelter by Thomas and Roger. Irene was treated as an honored guest, whereas Ashley was being treated as a prisoner, and it made Irene positively furious.

“Irene, my love. You look as beautiful as ever.” Richard took Irene’s hand and tenderly kissed her palm.

Irene’s gaze was steely when she snatched her hand away. “What goes on here, Richard?” she demanded.

“I have merely brought you back where you belong, dear Irene. By my side.”

“Richard, I belong with Robert,
my husband
,” Irene emphasized, glaring at him.

“I beg to differ. You were mine, and he stole you from me. I have rescued you from life in that barbaric Scottish castle that heathen calls home,” Richard argued imperiously, examining his fingernails as if already bored with the conversation.

“He didn’t
steal
me, Richard! I
chose
him. You’ve got to accept that and let us go!”

Anger flashed across Richard’s face, but he hid it quickly and turned towards Ashley.

“What have we here?” he asked.

“Cailin MacBayne’s whore, Sir Richard,” Thomas said, offering Richard a low bow.

Irene cringed when Richard grabbed Ashley’s chin roughly, examining her carefully. He pressed a finger to the bruises on Ashley’s neck, and Irene fisted her hands in anger when she saw Ashley cringe. “Did she give you trouble, Thomas?”

“Nay, sir. We handled her with no problem.”

Richard continued his inspection, as if Ashley were little more than an interesting animal in a stable. “This is the young lady who stole your horse and tried to kill you, is it not, Thomas?”

“Aye,” Thomas said grimly, and Irene caught the fury in his eyes as he glared at Ashley.

Sir Richard turned away from Ashley dismissively. “Then I’m sure you’ll enjoy exacting your revenge.”

Irene stepped forward anxiously. “Richard, please don’t let them hurt Ashley anymore,” she begged.