Page 76 of A Bridge Through Time
Douglas stared at her coldly. “When will he return?”
“He won’t, I’m afraid,” Edna said. She leaned forward, using the poker to put a piece of wood further into the fireplace.
Douglas sighed heavily. “Miss Moore, whilst I understand it is common for the victims of abuse to protect their abuser, I have to inform you that all of the leads you’ve given us have gone absolutely nowhere. It’s as if the two men you described to us don’t even exist. Based on what little information you’ve provided, we have no choice. We must arrest Mr. MacBayne. He is our only suspect.”
“But he hasn’t done anything!” Ashley protested.
“If that’s truly the case, then he’ll be released, but until we’ve questioned him thoroughly, he’ll need to stay with us.”
“He’s gone and he won’t be back,” Edna said, placing the poker in its place by the fire.
“If you don’t mind I’ll have a look around.”
“Of course. Look all you like, but you’ll not find him here,” Edna said calmly.
Douglas ordered the two constables he’d brought with him to make a thorough search of The Thistle and Hive, along with the surrounding area. When their search was complete, Douglas returned to Edna and Ashley.
“Mrs. Campbell, I hope you realize that if you are in any way aiding Mr. MacBayne, you will be held accountable. We are merely concerned regarding the possibility that he may attack Miss Moore again, and next time he could do much worse.”
“Senior Constable, I understand your concern, but we don’t know where he is, and I’m quite sure that he is not the one you’relooking for. I can only reassure you, he would never hurt the girl.”
“Please contact us if he returns, or if you have any other information that would help our investigation.”
Edna smiled pleasantly. “We will, you can be sure of it.”
***
“Edna, I really wish you’d let me help you. It’s the least I can do, after everything you’ve done for me. Besides, I’m bored to tears just sitting around here and waiting.”
Edna chuckled. “All right. You’ve worn me down and I believe you’ve almost worn a hole in my carpet with your incessant pacing. You can help set up the dining room for tonight’s guests.”
Ashley grinned. “I’d be happy to.”
Ashley had been going crazy these past few weeks. She’d had very little to occupy her time and all she could think about was returning to Cailin, which in turn only served to make her feel depressed and anxious. She was also reliving her terrifying ordeal at the hands of Thomas and Sir Richard. She knew Thomas was dead. She’d seen it with her own two eyes. Sir Richard was another story. He’d gotten away and she didn’t know if he had been found, or if he’d be back to harm her again. Keeping busy would be a good thing. Her cast would be off in a week or so, and then she could go to the bridge, wait for the fog to appear and be reunited with Cailin. She knew he would never allow anyone to hurt her again and that comforted her.
Later that day, Angus was quietly reading in a chair in the lobby, while Ashley fidgeted nervously behind the registration desk. She’d made quick work of setting up the dining room, and Edna had put her behind the desk to greet anyone coming in to the hotel.
Angus looked at her over the top of his newspaper. “Ashley, lass, dinnae fash. Ye’ll be together soon enough and ye’ll have a lifetime to spend with yer love.”
“I’m just afraid the fog won’t come, or that perhaps Cailin has changed his mind. I don’t think I could handle it if he did.”
“Cailin willnae change his mind. It’s plain enough to anyone who has eyes, the lad loves ye dearly.”
Ashley stopped her nervous tapping of a pencil against the register. “Do you really think so, Angus?”
“Aye, I do. Yer worrying yerself needlessly.”
Ashley placed the pencil down on the desk and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm. If Angus thought it would be okay, she was certain he would be right. During her wait at The Thistle and Hive, she and Angus had developed a father-daughter relationship and Ashley often sought comfort and reassurance from the older man. He was a very quiet man who only ever spoke when he had something important to say and that usually meant you should listen because he was generally right.
THIRTY-NINE
The door to the inn was swept open a few minutes later and a very tall man with long, dark hair and dark eyes strode in. He seemed a little out of place in the inn and Ashley’s heart sank to her toes when she recognized him. Sir Richard Jeffords stood before her, wearing modern day clothing and shoes. He looked around the room before his cold eyes focused on her at the desk.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Lady Ashley! I’ve been hoping to find a familiar face in this bizarre little village. How fortunate I am, to stumble upon you, of all people in this place.”
Angus put his newspaper down and stood up catching Ashley’s eye. He nodded faintly, letting her know that he understood.
“Can I help you, sir?” Angus asked, keeping his voice low and calm.
