She wanted to chastise him, lecture him on the dangers of taking risks, yet his words made her feel cherished. He made her feel as though she need never worry about being alone again.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She reached for his hand. “Let’s go and confront them. And let us hope I am not forced to bare my fangs.”
Crossing the open field without being noticed proved easier than expected. One by one the flickering lights disappeared suddenly. She found it odd that anyone would take the trouble to carry a lantern only to blow out the candle and stumble home in the dark.
The site Isla referred to as a cairn could be better described as an old burial ground. Tall, thin stones acted as a supporting wall to a roof that was a dome-shaped grassy mound. As they crept closer, she noticed someone had moved the boulder blocking the entrance. While it would be an impossible task for one man, it posed no problem for a group.
“They must have gone down into the tomb,” she whispered, realising the lights had not been extinguished at all. “Why would they be interested in a pile of old bones?”
Lachlan shook his head. “Wait here for me,” he said as they stopped near the entrance. “I’ll see what I can discover.”
She gripped his hand as means of protest. “No. I’m coming with you.”
“Now is not the time to argue.”
“I am coming,” she reiterated. “Remember, I have the ability to make you do my bidding.”
He raised a sinful brow. “If you’re going to compel me, I suggest you find a more pleasurable reason to do so.”
An image of him sprawled naked in her bed flashed into her mind. Now was not the time to fantasise about a rugged Highlander, either. “The more time we spend here, the less time we will have to spend together before I'm to take the cure.”
Surely her argument would appeal to the licentious part of his character.
Lachlan sighed. “Very well. But stay close. It will be dark down there. Let me go first, and hold on to the back of my coat.”
As they descended the narrow flight of stone steps, the air grew decidedly chillier. A fusty smell filled her nostrils. A deathly shiver passed over her, as though a spirit had broken free of its decaying burden to seek passage to another realm. She clutched Lachlan’s coat, wishing she had compelled him to take her home to slip beneath the sheets of her large poster bed.
They continued through the dark passage. Despite a fear of tripping, she resisted the urge to shuffle, knowing the noise would draw attention to their presence. Lachlan stopped. The sound of excited whispers captured her attention. She peered around his broad shoulders. The soft glow from the lanterns illuminated the chamber at the end of the tunnel. The shadows dancing on the walls were evidence the dead had been disturbed by the living.
She wanted to say that to show such disrespect was a sure way to bring a curse down upon them. But bad luck and misfortune had been her constant companions these last few years.
“Och, moving that boulder has left me fair puckled.” The strong Scottish brogue drifted down the passage. “We should have brought yer burly coachman. I dare say the man could move it with his little finger.”
“I don’t suppose the whisky helped. Had you been steadier on your feet, it would not have been such an arduous task.”
“My husband is in no position to judge. He consumed far more than would be deemed polite.”
“Aye, and I cannae blame him.”
Recognising all three voices, Isla followed Lachlan into the square chamber.
“What are you doing down here in the dead of night?” Lachlan asked, scanning the three shocked faces.
Douglas jumped back. With a trembling hand, he held the lantern aloft. “Good Lord above. Did ye have to sneak up on a man whose heart is all but ready to give out.” He gasped. “Did ye think we were grave robbers?”
Isla stepped forward. “We were walking through the meadow and noticed your lanterns. We expected you all to be snuggled up in your beds by now.”
“We were talking about Talliano,” Ivana informed them. “While we understood his reasons for wanting access to the mine, we thought it odd that he would want to visit this site. Douglas told us that Talliano mentioned he had a family connection here, and so we decided to explore the possibility.”
“I thought the scholar mentioned his family to justify his reason for taking the healing water,” Douglas said. “But his lordship brought a notebook with him that suggests yer man had another motive.”
“Talliano made a sketch of this burial ground.” Leo shrugged one shoulder to draw attention to the book tucked under his arm. “He always wrote in Latin, but there are pages written in a language none of us can understand.”
Lachlan held out his hand. “May I see his notes?”
“Certainly.”
Isla held the marquess’ lantern while he flicked to the relevant pages.