Page 59 of A Matter of Time
“What are ye doing here?” Nick asked, a relieved smile spreading across his lips.
“Ye didnae think to ask us to join ye? Surely ye ken we enjoy a good fight as much as the next man,” Cormac replied in a low voice.
Robert chuckled. “Dinnae listen to him. We told Edna we’d meet her here, to help in any way we can. She’ll be arriving shortly with the Campbell’s, if all went well.”
“In the meantime, I believe we should attempt to get a wee bit closer, so we can hear what they’re discussing,” Nick suggested.
“What is Richard doing with them?” Cailin asked.
“He’s not helping them, if that’s what you think,” Angelina said, sounding a bit defensive even to her own ears.
“I can see that he’s nae helping them, lass. He has nae sword and there’s a big oaf standing over him. I’m surprised to see him, ’tis all.” Cailin exchanged a concerned look with Nick.
Nick raised himself onto his knees, to speak to the group. “Cailin, Cormac… come with me. The rest of ye stay here. We’ll discover what they’re doing and we’ll be right back.”
“I’m coming with you,” Angelina insisted.
“Nae. Yer staying here and I won’t hear another word about it.” Nick and the others stayed low to the ground as they made their way to a closer position, remaining out of Malcolm’s sight.
Angelina intended to follow them, but Robert had obviously read her body language and lowered himself to the ground next to her. “There is strength to be found in waiting, lass. Ye’ll get yer chance, but first let them get the information we need to plan our next move.” He placed one large hand on her shoulder and Angelina relaxed under its warmth.
“Okay. I’m just afraid for Richard.”
“We’re going to do our best to get him out of there safely,” Robert said.
“But why? Surely you don’t really care about him? Especially after all the terrible things he did to you and your family. Why would you evenwantto save him?” She really was confounded by the situation. Why was she the one who was the angriest with Richard? Shouldn’t they have all wanted him dead?
“When ye’ve lived in this time long enough, lass, ye’ll see that friends and adversaries change like the weather. Richard was our enemy, but he has made amends and done something he didnae have to do to help us, so he is our friend. He made some poor choices early on, but he is a man grown now. He finally sees the difference between right and wrong. We are ever changing, lass. From birth to death, our families, where we live and the circumstances we find ourselves in often dictate how we behave. To be able to rise above that, as Richard seems to have done, is an impressive feat. He has earned our respect and will carry it with him, until such time as he proves himself unworthy, though I dinnae believe that will happen.” He smiled warmly at her. “Now, let’s keep our eyes on our true enemies, shall we?”
Robert’s words made a lot of sense and left Angelina with much to think about. Her own family and circumstances had definitely played a part in how she lived her life. Until she had met Richard, she would have been happy to live her life without love – or at least, that’s what she told herself. All a result of having a terrible father and a mother who made poor choices. Richard had suffered a terrible father too. It had almost ruined his life, but Edna had helped him rediscover his conscience. If everyone else had forgiven him, including Ashley, why was she holding back? Could she let go of her own past to accept a future here in this time and place with Richard? She was beginning to believe she could. The only thing standing in her way was Malcolm Granger.
Chapter 28
Watching and waiting, Richard realized the chances of getting out of this situation alive were not good, but at the very least, he would see to it that Malcolm Granger didn’t get his hands on that sword. He’d bide his time until Malcolm appeared ready to use his explosives and then he’d act. He wasn’t completely sure what he intended to do, but somehow, he had to stop him, at least until the Campbell’s and Edna made an appearance.
He had already taken note of Nick and the MacKenzie’s arrival. They had hidden in the brush off to his right. They were a stealthy bunch and not easily detected by those who didn’t have knowledge of their tactics. He kept an eye on them, without giving them away. Richard prayed that Angelina wasn’t with them. There was no reason to put herself in harm’s way and he hoped that Nick had seen to it that she stayed far away.
Malcolm and his men stopped dead in their tracks a minute later, shielding their eyes from the sun and staring off toward the nearby hills. Coming up over the rise was an army of Campbell men. Richard couldn’t see them clearly yet, but he was certain Edna and Angus would be leading the group. Relief flooded his chest – there was hope yet that they’d be able to stop Malcolm from retrieving the sword.
“Hurry!” Malcolm shouted. His men picked up their pace and worked to get the explosives in place quickly. They had been using extreme care in dealing with the explosives until now. With the imminent arrival of the Campbell men, care had gone out the window in exchange for speed. If Richard was going to do anything, it would have to be done now.
The sightof the Campbell’s coming up over the rise sent relief flooding through Angelina’s body. What could Malcolm possibly do, against such a large number of men and a very wily witch? Between the MacKenzie’s, Edward and his men, and the Campbell’s, Malcolm would surely have no choice but to surrender. She glanced around at the others, who all seemed to be taking this very seriously. There were no smiles anywhere among their group, despite the arrival of reinforcements.
Angelina decided to take the opportunity to get closer to Richard’s position. Everyone seemed focused on the Campbell’s and no one noticed as she slithered through the brush, moving close enough to see and hear what was happening. She avoided Nick, positioning herself out to his side, far enough away to avoid him discovering she was there.
Malcolm’s men scurried back and forth, with something that looked a lot like dynamite. In fact, itwasdynamite. They were setting fuses and placing them in any crevices they could find in the rocks. Her heart started beating wildly in her chest. Richard needed to escape before the dynamite exploded, or he would be caught in the blast. With single-minded focus and a stubborn streak a mile wide, Angelina was certain she was the only person who could save him.
When it became apparent that they were ready to light the fuses, Richard leapt to his feet and took a swing at the man guarding him. Knocking him out with a single blow, Richard grabbed the man’s sword and turned on the others, taking up an offensive stance.
Malcolm yelled at Richard, before he pulled a pistol from his waistband. Malcolm –Mr. Medieval– had bought a gun with him. Angelina’s heart leapt into her throat. She had to stop Malcolm, but what could she do? Without conscious thought, she bolted upright and ran straight at Malcolm, intent on knocking him off his feet before he could pull the trigger. She heard Nick curse and events seemed to move in slow motion. Just as she reached Malcolm, he turned in her direction, pointing the weapon at her. Before he could fire a shot, Angelina hit the ground and rolled to safety behind a large boulder. Richard was charging at Malcolm now, but Malcolm still held the gun. “Stop!” he ordered, but Richard paid no attention. He continued barreling directly towards Malcolm, who cocked the pistol and fired. The shot hit Richard, and he fell backwards and slumped to the ground.
“No!” Angelina heard herself screaming as she got to her feet and ran toward Richard. Before she could reach him, she was seized around the waist in an iron grip, thwarting her attempts to get away. Tears coursed down her cheeks. “No!” she cried repeatedly.
“Everyone, clear the area. Light the fuse!” Malcolm snapped. Angelina found herself dragged further away from Richard, who still lay motionless on the ground.
The Campbell clan was running towards the scene with Edna leading the way, but it was apparent they were too far away to stop Malcolm. The dynamite exploded, raining pieces of rock and dirt over the surrounding area. Angelina couldn’t see Richard through the smoke and debris, and she prayed he was still alive and had survived the explosion.
Before the dust had a chance to settle, Malcolm bolted toward the mouth of the cave. Fortunately, Edna had arrived and she chanted a spell, casting it in his direction. Malcolm was frozen mid-stride, resembling a marble statue.
