Meghan: A Sweet Scottish Medieval Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

hurried away from the meadow as fast as she could go.

----
    T here was no sign of Alison when Meghan entered the clearing—only a wee lamb tied to a bush near the old cairn, where Colin had said Alison should be waiting for her.
    Meghan’s brows drew together into a frown as she contemplated the bleating creature. Either her dear friend had left in a terrible rush, abandoning her charge, or this was some cruel joke of Colin’s in order to make clear his feelings toward Alison MacLean. But she didn’t think Colin would be so cruel. It had to be that Alison had hurried away for some reason. But... unless Alison were in danger... why would she leave without taking her sweet little lamb?
    Meghan’s gaze scanned the meadow for some clue as to her friend’s sudden disappearance, but there was no sign of disturbance at all: the hillside meadow seemed as serene as ever. The posies swayed with the afternoon breeze, like little dancing folk with painted faces.
    In the distance the birds chirped merrily from the lush green treetops of the forest.
    All was as it should be.
    Shrugging, Meghan made her way to the little lamb, intending to set it free. She stroked it gently while she untethered it and then wrapped the lead rope about her wrist. “Poor wee lammie,” she commiserated with it. “How could anyone abandon such a sweet little thing as yourself?’’
    The lamb bleated shyly and peered up at her with bright trusting eyes, and Meghan smiled as she drew upon the lead rope, prompting it to follow.
    “Let’s go now,’’ she urged. “You’re comin’ home with me. Findings, keepings.” she announced. Och, but why would anyone bind an animal and then leave it? she wondered.
    Unless the owner planned to come back for it later?
    “Poor wee lost lammie,” she said, coaxing it to follow.
    She scanned the meadow once more, still finding nothing and shrugging, and started away. The lamb hesitated, and then followed, and Meghan smiled down at the beast. Well, then, it was her wee beastie now, she determined. They could use the livestock after having been so thoroughly raided by David’s English lackey. And this was Brodie land, after all. It made little sense that someone would abandon their animal here, whether they were returning for it or not. And furthermore, they didn’t deserve the poor animal if they could so cruelly leave it to bake beneath the hot afternoon sun.
    Unless...
    She faltered in her step. Perhaps it belonged to Alison and she’d had to abandon it suddenly—though what Alison would be doing with a single lamb this far from MacLean land, Meghan couldn’t possibly know. Her brow furrowed.
    Could Alison be in danger?
    The tiny hairs at the back of her nape prickled.
    Perhaps she shouldn’t leave so hastily?
    She halted again, and the little lamb stopped, as well. Meghan peered down at the wee thing, frowning, and then once more looked around.
    What, indeed, if Alison were in danger? What if Meghan left and forsook the opportunity to help her dear friend?
    And yet what could Meghan do alone?
    Suddenly, she wasn’t certain what to do.
    “What do you think, wee lammie?” she asked. “Do we stay or do we go?”
    The lamb bleated and stared up at her, its expression blank.
    “Ye dunno, ye say?”
    She unwrapped the lead rope from her wrist and stared pensively at the frayed end, brushing it absently with her thumb.
    There weren’t any signs of a struggle here in the meadow, as best she could tell, but Alison was nowhere to be found. The best thing she could do, she decided, was to get her brothers to order a search. And suddenly... she was beginning to feel a bit uneasy—as though someone were out there... watching .
    “Well,” she concluded, frowning, “I dunno either, though I’m supposin’ I should take you home.” She cast an anxious glance over her shoulder, and told the wee lamb, “Come along then.” And she led it toward the forest path from whence she’d come.
    It wasn’t the safest