My Daring Highlander (35 page)

Moments later, his
attention riveted on a lass of about Seona’s height, slipping out
the postern gate. “It can’t be,” he whispered. She was covered head
to toe in a dull plaid
arisaid,
keeping her identity a secret. She had to be a
maid or someone of no importance. Didn’t she?

Haldane crept through the bushes as
silently as possible, the brisk wind helping to conceal his
movements. Transfixed, he knelt and watched her in the low light
where gloaming meets darkness. The lass moved exactly like Seona.
And he should know; he’d watched her often enough back at Dunnakeil
last autumn.

When the lass hiked her skirts off her
shoes and sprinted toward the village, he tore out after her. He
easily caught up and grabbed her around the waist from behind. He
covered her mouth with his hand to muffle her screams. He couldn’t
let her alert the guards. Glimpsing part of her face in the faint
glow of the distant torches, he saw that ’twas indeed Lady Seona.
Why on earth was she fleeing?

She kicked her heels against his
shins. Her sharp elbows drove into his stomach and ribs. Damnation,
what a hellcat. No wonder he loved her. He smiled.

“Come on,” he growled low to McMurdo
as he rushed past where he was stationed. “I’ve got her. Let’s
go.”

McMurdo and the other men raced after
him to the edge of the wood where they’d left their
mounts.

“Get something to tie her hands and
feet,” Haldane said. “A gag, too.”

Once they had her bound so she
couldn’t escape or scream, he climbed onto his horse. “Lift her up
to me.”

McMurdo and one of the new men named
Edgings put her across Haldane’s lap. Her light weight felt good
there, but he had no time for carnal thoughts. He had to get the
hell out of here before anyone realized she was missing.

Though he was eager to leave
posthaste, they walked their horses silently a few hundred yards,
then picked up the pace, their horses galloping toward the shore.
’Twas time to head for Durness.

***

A soft knock sounded at Seona’s
bedchamber door. She sat bolt upright in bed. Though ’twas the
middle of the night, she had not slept, trying to determine a way
out of this trap. Could Keegan have slipped along the corridors of
the castle to visit her? She had not seen him all day. Her heart
thumped in her ears, with both excitement and fear for his
safety.

After belting the
arisaid
around herself
over her smock, she moved close to the door. “Who’s
there?”

“Abigail, m’lady.”

One of the chambermaids? What could
she want? Although a bit disappointed, Seona was glad Keegan had
not risked his life to come to her bedchamber. She opened the door
to find a flaxen-haired woman of about her own age standing
outside, holding a candle.

“Aye?”

Abigail stepped into the room and
closed the door. “Laird Rebbinglen sent me,” she whispered, then
pulled a folded paper from the pouch at her waist.

A missive? What on earth? Seona broke
the wax seal and unfolded the paper.

It is time for us to make
our escape. Bring a change of clothing.

It was signed with a K.

Saints!
Dare she run away with Keegan now? Right under her
father’s nose? ’Twould put both their lives in danger, for her
father would send his men after them.

But maybe they could hide somewhere
far from here. Life on the run with Keegan would be better than any
sort of life without him. ’Twas a great risk, but this might be her
only opportunity.

If she remained here, her father would
force her to marry Wentworth the day after tomorrow. And her father
might send the MacKay men away at any time. If she left with
Keegan, she had to bring her sister. How on earth would she get
Talia out of her locked and guarded chamber? Mayhap if Seona took
Abigail with her to visit Talia, the maid and Talia could switch
clothing and Talia, with a cowl over her head, could escape, while
her maid remained behind.

“Where am I to go?” Seona asked
Abigail.

“I know not, m’lady. Laird Rebbinglen
simply asked me to bring you to him.”

’Haps Keegan waited in the stables.
Could Abigail be trusted? Why had Rebbie trusted her? Too many
things were left unanswered, but one thing she knew—she had to
rescue her sister.

“Would you help me do something,
Abigail?”

“Aye, if you wish.”

“It might be dangerous.”

The maid’s face paled, but she gave a
little nod.

“I need for you to pretend to be Talia
so that I can slip her out of her chamber.”

“Her chamber is nay longer guarded or
locked, m’lady.”

What?
“When did this happen?”

“Just after supper. Her father had me
to bring her to his solar. Her bruise had faded.”

“Oh, I thank you.” Why on earth hadn’t
Talia told her? Feeling a surge of victory, Seona opened the door
and stuck her head out into the corridor. No one was about. “Come
with me and bring the candle,” she whispered.

The two slipped silently to Talia’s
chamber. When Seona unlatched the door, it opened. She poked her
head inside the dim room.

“Talia?” she said in a loud
whisper.

“She’s not here, m’lady.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“What?” Talia was not in her chamber?
Seona opened the door and urged Abigail into the room. Talia’s
maid, Beth, stood near the fireplace, but the bed was made. “Where
did she go?”

“She told me she was going to the
attic. She used to hide up there sometimes, you ken?”

Blast!
’Twas true. When she was younger, her sister had a habit of
hiding in the unused portion of the attic to get away from their
father. At times, it would take Seona hours to locate
her.

“Will you two help me find
her?”

“Aye, m’lady, but…” Abigail whispered
into her ear so Beth couldn’t hear. “Laird Rebbinglen said you must
hurry down to meet him in the kitchen, otherwise ’twill be too
late.”

Seona wanted to use some of the
frustrated curses she’d heard Keegan mutter. Instead, she clenched
her jaw until it hurt. She couldn’t run away and leave Talia
behind. She would meet with Keegan and tell him that.

“Very well. I must… go on an errand,
Beth. But please look for Talia in the attic tonight. Tell her I
will have important news and to wait for me here or in my
chamber.”

“Aye, m’lady.” Beth’s eyes were wide
as platters. The young maid was likely terrified of going into the
attic alone in the dark.

“Would you help her, Abigail?” Seona
asked.

“Aye.”

“’
Tis a matter of life and
death.”

Both maids nodded, their faces growing
even paler.

Seona covered her head with
her plaid
arisaid
,
hurried along the corridor and down the back stairs to the kitchen,
trying to keep her footsteps silent.

Laird Rebbinglen waited there, holding
a long black cloak. “Here, put this on and no one will recognize
you.”

“Where is he?” she asked, as he pulled
the deep cowl over her head.

“’
Tis a secret. Come. We
must be quiet but quick.” He offered his arm, then opened the
door.

Because she trusted Rebbie almost as
much as she trusted Keegan, she took his elbow.

At a near trot, Rebbie escorted her
along the side of the castle and across the cobblestone barmkin.
The only illumination came from two torches secured to the stone
walls. When he didn’t take her to the stables, she truly wondered
where Keegan was.

She considered telling Rebbie about
her sister, but she’d rather talk to Keegan about it first.
Besides, it would take a while for the maids to find
Talia.

Where were the Murray guards? Seona
glanced around. All the men nearby appeared to be MacKays or
MacKenzies.

Rebbie opened the small iron postern
gate and rushed her through. Fraser sat on his horse just
outside.

Rebbie quickly lifted her up onto the
pillion behind Fraser. “Have a care.”

“I thank you,” Seona said.

Fraser kneed the horse forward at a
slow and silent pace. Four other men… guards… rode at a distance,
two in front and two behind.

“Where are the Murray guards?” she
whispered.

“We gifted them with three large jugs
of whisky infused with poppy. They are all near passed out with
drunkenness in the stables.” The smile was evident in Fraser’s
voice. He walked the horse forward, taking his time so as to not
create much noise. Less than a quarter hour later, they entered the
village.

Fraser stopped in front of the tavern
and someone strode from the shadows, their moonlit silhouette
familiar.

“Keegan?” she whispered.

“Aye.” He reached up and helped her
dismount. “Did you not bring extra clothing?”

“Nay.” She grasped onto the plaid at
his chest. “I cannot run away tonight. I must bring my
sister.”

“This will be our only opportunity,”
he said, his voice urgent. “’Twill be impossible to slip you out
again. Why did you not bring her?”

“I wanted to, but I couldn’t find
her.”

“Saints,” he hissed.

“We must talk,” she said.

“Come.” Keegan led her toward the
tavern door.

“I’ll wait out here,” Fraser said,
then dismounted and moved into the shadows.

“I thank you,” Keegan said, opening
the door.

Seona had never been into a tavern
before, but she supposed it would be a sheltered location where she
and Keegan could talk. She had to explain to him why it was so
important that she bring her sister.

They entered the dim building, and if
anyone was drinking in the tavern at this late hour, she didn’t see
or hear them. A lantern or candle burned somewhere off to her right
providing a bit of illumination.

They climbed the rickety old steps to
the next floor. Keegan opened one of the doors and drew her inside
the warm room.

She shoved the cowl off her head while
Keegan lit a candle from the glowing hearth coals.

“Have you been staying here?” she
asked, glancing around the room. She saw none of his possessions
but the room seemed lived in, though the bed was neat and
tidy.

“Aye, but not long.” He placed the
candle upon the mantel, then added two small pieces of wood to the
coals.

“Why?”

“Your father sent word by one of his
servants that I was to sleep in the barracks with the guards and
Rebbie. ’Tis very crowded and busy there. I needed time to think,
so I rented this room.”

Seona was ashamed of how her father
treated people. “I’m sorry he has been so rude to you.”

Keegan shrugged. “The important thing
is we must leave tonight. We won’t be able to get all the Murray
guards drunk again. Your father may punish them if he realizes they
allowed you to escape. Everyone will be even more vigilant.” Keegan
frowned. “What were you telling me about your sister? You couldn’t
find her?”

“For the last several years, she’s had
a habit of hiding in the deserted attic when she’s
upset.”

“Why is she upset?”

“My father has arranged for her to
marry the Comyn chief next week. He is a ruthless man who is much
too old for Talia. I know marriages such as this are often
arranged, but she’s only eighteen summers. And the Comyn is at
least fifty. Just before we arrived, she resisted and Father beat
her so badly, half her face was blue.”

“What? That bastard,” Keegan growled.
“Has he struck you?”

“Not recently. But in the past,
aye.”

“Damn him,” Keegan said through
clenched teeth and placed a hand upon his sword hilt. His eyes were
so filled with fury, she feared he might storm the castle now and
hunt down her father. ’Twas exactly the reason she hadn’t told
Keegan before. Not because she was trying to protect her father,
but because she feared her father’s guards would slay
Keegan.

Though it might be sacrilege, she
didn’t care what happened to her father. What occupied her mind
most was what would her father do to Talia if he found her first?
He might send several of his men to scour the attic, or even the
smaller lads to search the nooks and crannies. She couldn’t hide
forever.

“How will I find Talia in time and get
her out?” Tears burned Seona’s eyes.

“Shh.” Keegan pulled her into a warm
embrace. She slipped her arms around him and laid her forehead
against his shoulder. His tall, powerful body felt so wonderful and
comforting. If only she could draw some of his strength into
herself.

Keegan kissed the top of Seona’s head
and fisted his hand in her unbound hair.