Hide Away (14 page)

“There's no use making Cara stay around when we're going over MacDuff's plans. It will only bore her. After supper, we'll let her go outside in the courtyard and amuse herself.” She turned back to Cara. “Be sure to take your violin when we go down to supper.”

“My violin?” Her face suddenly lit. “I won't bother anyone? Is it okay?”

“More than okay. I doubt if anyone will even hear you through these thick walls. If they do, they'll receive a gift. Now get going.”

Cara whirled toward the door. “I'll hurry, then I'll come back and help you.” She suddenly looked back at Jock. “I do have another friend. I have Eve.” Then she was gone.

Jane gave a low whistle. “Now that's a responsibility. She reminds me a little of myself at that age.”

Eve shook her head. “No, you were much tougher. She had her Elena to remind her that the entire world wasn't garbage.”

“She seems pretty tough to me,” Jane said. “Most kids would have fallen apart after what she's gone through.”

“You're probably right. It's just that she seems to quietly endure while you were such a fighter. Though I believe that leaf may be turning. I'm seeing signs that there's a change in the offing.”

Jane was smiling. “And, however like or unlike we are, we have one thing in common. We managed to seek out one Eve Duncan and chose her as our friend.” She came across the room to where Eve was standing. “And we thank God that she took us into her life.”

“This may be only temporary as far as Cara is concerned. We may not be able to give her the life she needs.”

Jane leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Let's take one day at a time. I have a hunch that new things are going to happen in your world.”

“Do you?” Eve smiled curiously. “You may be right. We'll have to see.” She turned to Jock, who was staring at them with a quizzical expression. “What do you think, Jock? Are there new things on the horizon for all of us?”

“That would be interesting.” He turned toward the door. “And now I'd better go down and help MacDuff prepare us supper. He's fairly competent, but you can't trust these upper-crust types with the basics.” He glanced back and smiled. “I'm glad to see you both again. It's been too long.” He had a sudden thought. “And, Jane, Seth Caleb phoned and asked me to tell you that he'd see you tonight.”

“I can hardly wait,” she said without expression.

“Did I detect a hint of sarcasm?” He paused. “Do you wish me to get rid of Caleb for you? MacDuff thought he might prove helpful in an emergency, but if you want him gone, just say the word.”

“I didn't say that,” Jane said. “I doubt if we'll need him, but I won't cheat Eve and Cara of his help if you think he's valuable.”

“Whew,” Jock said with mock relief. “I really didn't want to have to make the attempt of disposing of Caleb. I can handle most skills but that blood thing freaks me out a bit.” He lifted his hand. “Remember, supper in an hour.”

He closed the door behind him.

“You didn't tell me Caleb was coming,” Eve said. “Though I suspected he would.”

“If Joe hadn't called him, he would have known nothing about it. He announced he was coming along when he phoned me when I was driving up from London.”

“I'd bet that he would have known about it regardless,” Eve said. “He keeps an eagle eye on you.”

“And that used to make you uneasy.”

“It still does, but I've learned to accept the fact that I have to let you handle Caleb. If I find that you're wibble-wobbling, I'll step into the picture.”

“Wibble-wobble. I wouldn't do that. Caleb would run right over me.”

“Probably. But I've occasionally noticed that he allows you to escape punishment when I thought he'd pounce. He definitely has a weakness where you're concerned.”

“Not that I noticed.”

“You didn't watch him in that hospital in Atlanta when you were in a coma. He was driven.” She paused. “And I was grateful to him. He saved your life. Jock may make fun of that ‘blood thing,' but you wouldn't have lived if Caleb hadn't gone in and strengthened those arteries.”

“I told him I was grateful, too.”

“But he disturbs you, so you want to push him away. I understand, and it might be best for you. But you'd better learn how to cope with him or he might … Just learn how to cope.” She turned away. “Now let's see if we can make a dent in this dust in the next half hour. We might smother if we have to inhale this stuff during the night.”

 

CHAPTER

6

After a meal of beef soup, cheese crackers, and fruit, that turned out to be surprisingly good, MacDuff took them immediately to his study. A fire crackled in the huge fireplace, and the room smelled of pine and the leather of the oversized furniture.

“I'll get the plans.” MacDuff went to the shelf in the bookcase behind his desk and drew out a large rolled paper. “I had a new schematic of the castle drawn eighteen months ago, so this should be fairly current. The one before was done in 1994. Still not too old when you remember that the castle is ancient. It was difficult to get anything but a basic map of the ruins.” He unrolled the paper on his desk and anchored it on all four corners. “Here it is. As you can see, there's nothing much left. A dungeon, one wall, a staircase, and a few bedchambers, the courtyard. The first floor is a maze of rooms, some blocked by fallen walls.”

Jane reached out and one finger traced the curving staircase. “I'm surprised that there's that much left.”

“I'm not,” MacDuff said. “Cira came from a culture that knew how to build to last. Look at the Coliseum.” He pointed to the wall encircling the castle. “And she would have made sure that no invaders would get in and destroy what was hers.” He met Jane's gaze. “You're the authority. Isn't that right?”

“How do I know? I'm not an expert on Cira.”

“Close as it comes,” MacDuff said. “Those dreams you had about her panned out historically.” He paused. “And since you're almost certainly her descendant, there's something to say for ancestral and racial memory.”

“You're the only one who believes that.”

“Because you're too stubborn to let me prove it.” He shrugged. “But maybe it will prove itself.” He tapped the wall again. “Would you ‘guess' that Cira would build those walls strong enough to repel an army?”

“It's logical considering what we've discovered about her character. She was intelligent, strong, and superdetermined or she would never have survived. I was always amazed that she was able to remain a decent human being along with it.”

Eve laughed. “You're being so cautious, Jane. Play his game, it won't hurt. I know from what you went through during that time that you felt you knew Cira. Just go with the flow.”

“Thank you.” MacDuff inclined his head toward Eve. “I realize your opinion carries more weight than mine.”

“I don't want anyone to assume that what I went through with those dreams of Cira had any basis in truth,” Jane said. “Imagination, maybe. Perhaps something freaky that has nothing to do with your precious ancestral memory.”

“Why are you objecting so strongly?” Jock asked curiously.

“Because I'm a realist,” Jane said. “What happened to me when I was seventeen has all kinds of explanations, and I may never know which one is true. I had a weird experience, then it was over as if it had never begun. I forgot it, and I'm only revisiting it because MacDuff asked me to do it.”

“And I'm very grateful,” MacDuff said. He looked down at the schematic again. “Do you suppose this wall was Cira's idea? She wed her Antonio, and he was very strong-willed, too.”

“It was Cira,” Jane said. “She was an ex-slave and she was nearly fanatical about being free. She wanted her family to be safe at all costs.” She smiled. “At least that's my opinion.”

“It's on a hill,” Eve said. “And it's rough country. Will we be spending all our time at Gaelkar?”

“Presumably. Unless the search leads somewhere else,” MacDuff answered. “Why?”

“I have a different agenda than you. I have to protect Cara. I'll have to check out the surrounding countryside. I need to know what kind of problems I might have if Franco shows up.”

“I'll help you,” Jock said quietly. “We'll do it together. You'll find me very competent.”

She didn't doubt it. More than competent. Superb in hunting, absolutely unstoppable when he went in for the kill. When Jock was in his wild teen years, he had run away from home to see the world. Tragically, that journey had led him to be kidnapped by a man who was conducting experiments on a group of chemically brainwashed boys and training them as assassins. It was incredible that Jock had managed to survive and become the person he was today. “I don't want to take you away from the search.”

“I can do both.” He grinned. “I'm a man of many talents, aren't I, MacDuff?”

“And some of them X-rated,” MacDuff said dryly. “And often very annoying. He'll do exactly what he wishes to do and leave Jane and me to do the actual work.”

“I do what's important.” He dropped into a chair and stretched out his legs. “But I don't have to pay attention at the moment. Continue while I sit here and enjoy the fire…”

“You will tell us if we disturb you?” MacDuff asked. “We wouldn't want to let our planning get in the way of your relaxation.” He bent over the schematic. “I was thinking about looking into the dungeons first. They're at the lowest point, and there might be passages that lead beneath the—”

*   *   *

The meeting lasted more than a full hour longer before MacDuff tied up the last details and dismissed them to go to their beds.

“At last,” Jock said as he opened the library door for Eve and Jane. “Very boring, MacDuff,” he said over his shoulder. “You could have made it more entertaining.”

“I'll try to do better next time.”

“I didn't find it boring,” Jane said, as they moved down the hall. “He was very thorough. He's obviously spent a lot of time and work on it. He's made an in-depth investigation into that castle.”

“I didn't find it boring either.” His eyes were twinkling. “But you have to keep MacDuff in line. He's far too used to everyone kowtowing to him.” He looked at Eve as she went past the staircase toward the front door. “You're going out to the courtyard to gather your chick and bring her in from the cold?”

Eve nodded. “Cara would probably stay out there all night if I didn't go get her. She has a tendency to become obsessed.” She smiled. “And I dare you to refer to her in such a flip manner after you hear what that chick is creating out there.”

“Really.” He looked intrigued. “Then by all means let's go and see. I'm always ready to take a dare.”

Jane was already opening the door. “I'll go with you. I've been curious about—” She stopped as the strains of Cara's violin flowed over them in a wild, passionate, flood of sound. “Dear God.” She turned and gazed at Cara sitting on the edge of the fountain, the violin tucked beneath her chin. “That's coming from her?”

“The chick.” Eve went down the steps toward the courtyard.

Jock was right behind her, his gaze on Cara. “Does she know how good she is?” he asked quietly.

“Maybe. But she doesn't care, it's all about the music.”

He was silent, listening. “And do these bastards who want to kill her realize what they're taking away? To kill any child is a sin beyond belief, but they also want to rob all of us.”

“They don't care. She's only a chess piece.”

“Is she?” His face was hard in the moonlight. “Then I believe I should enter the game. I don't like being cheated of anything. Not her life, and certainly not that talent.”

“Not a chick?” Eve asked.

“It was said in the most affectionate way.” He smiled. “And I still might use it if she suddenly discovers how extraordinary she is, and I have to take her down a peg.”

“Like MacDuff? I don't believe we have to worry. As I said, it's all about the music.” She was only a few yards away from Cara, and she deliberately moved into her field of vision and stopped.

It still took Cara a few minutes to notice she was there. And a moment more to reluctantly lift the bow and stop the music. “Is it time to go in?”

“I'm afraid it is,” Eve said. “It's been a long day. Time to get to bed.”

She nodded and got to her feet. “I like it here, Eve. The music is stronger here than I've ever felt it. Even when I'm not playing, I can hear it.”

“I know what you mean.” Jane came closer to her and sat down on the edge of the fountain. “I'm no musician, and I can almost hear it. Some places seem to make their own music. The Highlands are like that. I think you'll like Gaelkar.”

Jock nodded. “Aye, wild and wonderful things have happened there, haven't they, Jane?”

She met his eyes. “And how would I know? I've never been there. But it's deep in the Highlands.”

“Well, we should be there by tomorrow night and she can judge for herself.” He took Cara's hand. “May I escort you inside, mademoiselle?”

“Much better than chick,” Eve murmured.

She watched as Jock and Cara walked back to the front door. The beautiful, strong young man and the small, fragile young girl. There was something very touching and old-world about the protectiveness that Jock was showing the child. She glanced at Jane as she started after them. “Coming?”

“In a moment.” Jane dipped her hand into the water of the fountain and let the drops slowly fall back into the water. “I'll be in soon.”

Eve stopped. “Okay?”

“I should be asking you that,” Jane said. “I just want some quiet time.”