Thomas remembered seeing the four-year old run into her mother's arms at last. It was the most wondrous sight he had ever seen. Now Rachel was lost again and the rage in Thomas would not be easily contained.
It was in his power to command at least four hundred men to look for Rachel. Still, if Thomas did that, the Fergusons would know the Camerons were aware of the impending war and Kevin's plan wouldn't work. It was a good plan and Kevin wouldn't want him to give it away, even for Rachel's sake.
Maybe Rachel was all right and just didn't make it back before daylight. If that were the case, she might go to the Cameron hold, and that was a path his men could search without raising suspicion. He turned his horse and headed home.
Inside the MacGreagor Keep, Anna used a wet cloth to wash the smudges off Kevin's cheeks. "She cannot come back until tonight." When Anna finished, she took his hand and led him to the bed. "Rest husband, you are no good to us if you cannot think clearly." She waited until he stretched out on the bed and then curled up beside him. He was asleep almost immediately, but Anna's eyes remained wide open.
*
Later in the morning, Connor trained with the men in the courtyard. At noon, Kevin was awake, decided to lower the bridge and send several of the horses out so the Fergusons would think they didn't have enough feed inside to keep them alive. Lowering the drawbridge was a noisy affair and could be heard a good distance away. Kevin had the men begin to lower the bridge to alert Rachel, then he had it stopped. He waited and prayed he was giving her enough time. Then the bridge was put all the way down.
He stood just inside the wall on one side of the bridge and Connor stood on the other so one of them could grab her and pull her out of the way. The archers were ready and as soon as the horses were out, they knelt down just inside the courtyard ready to kill any Fergusons who tried to come in. None did. Kevin left the bridge down several minutes more, but there was no sign of Rachel and he ordered the bridge raised.
In the afternoon, Connor climbed up a ladder and looked over the wall. He scoured the woods for trouble and when he saw none, he raised his body up and lay down on his stomach. It was the first time he realized the wall wasn't three feet wide in all places. Some parts were as little as two and others a full four feet wide. Down the length of the wall, other MacGreagor men were doing the same thing.