Authors: Gian Bordin
"No, Andrew, don’t. He may not be alone."
Her call brought a timely reminder of their danger. Not only might Robert
regain consciousness any time, but they could still be trapped if he hadn’t
come alone. Andrew removed Robert’s kerchief and tied his hands tightly
behind his back. He used the cord of Roberts trews to tie his legs. In the
meantime, Helen cautiously went outside to check.
"He came alone," she said after crawling back in. "Andrew, you have to
flee. If Robert doesn’t return to the clachan, they’ll surely search for him."
"I can’t walk back to Killin—not yet. Where’s my horse?"
"It’s at the clachan."
"Do you think that you could bring it to me?"
She hesitated for a moment. There was no way she could get it away
during the day. "I’ll try to bring it tonight… Andrew, why didn’t you leave?
Why did you come back?"
"Because I love you. Life without you isn’t worth living. I only regret that
I now put you into danger too… Helen, come with me! Come with me to
America!"
She didn’t want to answer. What could she say that she hadn’t said
before? He reached for her, but she quickly ducked into the cave entrance,
saying: "I’ll be back tonight." And then she left.
* * *
She was jumpy and apprehensive all day. Would she be able to get Andrew’s
horse away from the clachan without anybody noticing it? The dogs might
raise the alarm, unless they recognized her, but she would rather not get that
close to the cottages. And what about Robert? She would have to free him
after Andrew was away safely. He might harm her. Maybe it would be better
to tell her father where to find him.
But what would her father do to her when he found out? He had a violent
streak, and it wasn’t beyond him to harm her. He might even kill her. Would
mother protect her? A shudder went up her spine when she thought of her
mother’s betrayal. Was she willing to have her own son killed, even help in
his killing? Should she tell her he was not her son or would it only make
things worse?
The day passed slowly. She didn’t confide in Betty, who wanted to know
if Andrew had been found yet, saying that she hoped he got away safely.
Late afternoon, while the two sisters made cheese, their mother arrived.
Looking accusingly at Helen, she immediately asked: "Has Robert been
here?"
Helen answered quickly: "Yes, he came shortly after I got here, but left
soon afterward. I think he went up to the lochan." She prayed that Betty
wouldn’t give her away, but her sister did not even look up from her work.
"And he hasn’t come back?"
"No … Did you send him after me? To spy on me?" The words gushed
out before she could stop herself, her anger at her mother suddenly coming
to a boil. "How could you, mother?"
"You know why! You brought this all upon yourself, lass. If you hadn’t
encouraged master Andrew, this wouldn’t have happened. If he’s dead, it’s
your fault!"
"I told you I didn’t meet him. How many times do I have to repeat it?"
She met her mother’s accusing look defiantly. She wasn’t going to give
herself away, not now.
"I don’t believe you, lass!" Mary turned away and left the hut.
When she was out of hearing range, Helen whispered: "Thank you,
Betty."
Her sister answered smiling sadly. "You found Andrew, haven’t you?"
"Yes, but it’s better if you know nothing, Betty."
"But he’s safe, isn’t he?"
"I hope he’ll be soon."
Her sister nodded, and both went back to their work.
* * *
Shortly after their evening meal, their father and brothers came up from the
clachan. Helen’s anxiety rose immediately.
"Has anybody seen Robert this afternoon?" asked Dougal without
offering any greetings.
"No," answered Betty. "Mother already asked about him earlier today.
Why are you all looking for him?"
Helen admired her sister’s cool response.
"Because he has not been seen since this morning," snarled Dougal.
"Come, lads, let’s go to the lochan. He might still be there."
As they marched off, Helen hoped fervently that they wouldn’t discover
her tracks to the cave, nor that they would search all night.
* * *
When the night cloaked the shielings in darkness and their youngest brother
was sound asleep, Helen whispered to Betty that she would be away for a
few hours. Her sister hugged her and simply answered: "Be careful, Helen!"
She descended to the glen and hid in the shelter of the copse wood above
the clachan. The moon was close to full and bathed the glen in its cold,
silvery light, creating sharp contrasts of bluish greys and blacks, but lacking
any depth. There were no lights in any of the cottages. Her father and
brothers must have given up the search for Robert for the night.
She saw Andrew’s horse grazing alone in an enclosed paddock above the
crop fields, far enough away from the cottages for the dogs not to be
disturbed if she moved carefully.
She realized that there was no way to retrieve the saddle from the cottage
wall, where her father had hung it. Andrew would have to ride without. After
waiting a few minutes, gathering courage, she slowly sneaked up to the horse
and grabbed its bridle, talking soothingly to it. A single bark of a dog made
her freeze for a minute or two. But it wasn’t followed up by another. So, she
slowly led the horse to the edge of the paddock, hiding behind it away from
the cottages. Once in the safety of the woods, she took the path to the lochan,
initially going slowly to avoid any noise, and then striding out as fast as her
breath would carry her.
Andrew awaited her at the entrance to the cave. She didn’t resist his
embrace. They remained in each other’s arms for a long time. Finally, she
broke away and whispered: "Andrew, you must leave now."
"Helen, you’re coming with me," he said in a matter of fact voice.
"No, Andrew, I cannot. You must hurry. There’s no time to lose! The men
will all come searching again for Robert in the morning."
Andrew put his hands on her shoulders. "I won’t leave without you.
There’s nothing for me out there alone!" His tone was resigned and calm.
He folded his arms again around her and held her close. "They’ll kill you
when they find out you helped me escape. We might as well die together …
here!"
He kissed her. She struggled to free herself. Dimly Robert’s muffled
screams of rage reached her ears. He must have heard them talking. She saw
in her mind his angry, red face. A paralyzing fear took hold of her, fear of
Robert’s violence that seemed to lurk under the surface, so easily provoked
to boil over; fear of her father; fear for herself.
They’ll kill me!
She was sure
of that.
And if Andrew doesn’t leave, they’ll kill him too.’
The strength that
had kept her going all day suddenly drained away. She slackened in
Andrew’s arms.
"Take me with you, Andrew." Her whisper was almost inaudible, but the
increased pressure of his embrace and the sudden pounding of his heart told
her that he understood. Having said the unspeakable, going against her own
blood, she knew that this was what she had wanted all along, but hadn’t
dared to admit to herself. With a gentle touch, he raised her chin and kissed
her.
11
Robert’s renewed outburst of muffled shouting shattered their moment of
closeness, of finding each other.
"Why does he sound so strange?" asked Helen.
"I gagged him just after you left … as a precaution."
"What are we going to do about him? … We can’t leave him in there."
"No, we’ll have to bring him outside some way, … but without untying
him. Your folks will find him when they come looking for him in the
morning."
"Yes, but how can we get him through the narrow passage, without
untying him?"
"I’ll have to drag him."
They crawled back into the cave, where Helen lit a fir candle with the
embers she had brought along. Robert’s hatred suddenly became a stark
reality. Its intensity, glaring fiercely from his distorted face as he tried to
voice threats and abuse through the gag, hit her like a physical assault.
Andrew approached him. "We’ll take you outside so that your people will
find you when they come searching for you." He though wondered how.
Pulling the tall man through the narrow opening was easier said than done.
With his arms tied behind, the obvious manner of dragging him on his back
became impossible. He would have to retie them at the front. But he didn’t
trust Robert to cooperate to that extent, nor did he think that Helen would
fire Robert’s pistol if the latter resisted. He would have no choice but to drag
him on his stomach.
Suddenly, without warning, Robert kicked with his tied feet. Only
Andrew’s instant reaction saved him from being hit hard in the groin. He
tried again, this time coming from behind. With surprising agility, Robert
swivelled around and kicked again, barely missing. Helen watched in
dismay.
"You’ve a choice. Either you cooperate and let me drag you from the cave
or I leave you in here to rot." A hard tone had crept into Andrew’s voice, a
tone that was unfamiliar to her. He approached Robert again. When the latter
pulled back his legs for another kick, Andrew turned, saying: "As you wish!"
He took the fir candle and said: "Come, Helen. We’ve to hurry."
She was on the verge to protest and then noticed that he shook his head
almost imperceptibly. They had not reached the cave exit when Robert’s
muffled protests called them back.
"You want to cooperate?" asked Andrew with a wry smile.
Robert nodded vigorously.
"But I’ll give you only one chance. Resist once more, and I’ll leave you
here. Take my word!"
Robert nodded again emphatically. Fear overlaid the hatred in his face.
"All right! Roll onto your stomach then."
After some hesitation, the big lad did. Andrew approached him cautiously,
fully prepared for another trick. But Robert did not move. It was hard,
awkward work to pull the heavy protesting lad inch by inch through the
tunnel. Once outside, he hauled him by the shoulders to a highly visible spot
at the bottom of the path leading up to the rock. There he removed the gag.
Instantly, Robert began to swear and cuss.
"You whore, you’ll pay for this. Don’t think you’ll get away." In his rage
he failed to breathe properly and broke into a violent cough. "You won’t get
far, I promise. I’ll follow you to the end of the world and kill your lover boy
slowly. Tear his balls off one by one, you slut. Cut his cock." He had another
attack of coughing. "Whoring around a month before our wedding, while I
slave away building us a nice cottage. You ungrateful bitch! I should’ve
shown you who’s the master right after the dance. You’ll get a hiding you’ll
never forget, and then I’ll show him how a real man ravishes a woman. I’ll
strangle him slowly, and you’ll beg me to kill you too. You deceiving whore,
lying to me, making me the laughing stock of the McNabbs and the
Campbells. I’ll show them how a MacGregor deals with a slut like you."
Helen held her hands over her ears, trying to shut out the flood of abuse,
while Andrew simply ignored him.