As the day continued, she couldn’t help but feel more and more nervous. She couldn’t even meet Alec’s stare during the morning meal, and she could feel Innes’s eyes on her. The worst part was that she knew Alec was suspicious.
That afternoon, as she cleaned the chambers, she collected a few things here and there. Some clothes to ride in. She’d be less conspicuous as a man. A blanket and a canteen. She had no idea how long it would take her to get to England. She wasn’t even sure she knew the right direction, but so long as she went south, she figured she’d find her way eventually.
Forcing a cheery disposition for dinner, she tried to pretend that nothing was wrong. Finally, as she cleaned up after the meal, she gave Mary a curt smile. “Well, I suppose I’ll retire for the evening. Thank you ladies for everything.”
“Do ye think we’re daft?” Louisa growled. “Ye’ve been nipping food all day, and I can tell from yer flat belly that ye ain’t eating it. What are ye doing?”
Cora twisted her fingers around and felt a flush creep up her neck. She really was a terrible liar. “I have to go,” she whispered finally as Louisa and Mary stared at her. “I can’t tell you why.”
“Does it have something to do with Innes Campbell and why ye were in that prison?” Mary whispered. Cora nodded, and Mary and Louisa exchanged a look. She could tell the women knew something.
“What?” she asked urgently. “What is it?”
“I thought there might be something wrong, so I followed Innes today. He told his men that ye were too scared to tell the truth.”
Cora swallowed hard. “I have a younger sister in London,” she said shakily. “Innes is threatening her harm. I have to get to her as soon as possible to protect her. I’m leaving tonight.”
“A wee lass like ye traveling by yerself? Ye’ll never make it,” Louisa said as she shook her head.
“Then I’ll die, and hopefully my sister will be safe. You can’t tell anyone. Please.”
“I can’t let ye go out there and die. Tell Laird Sinclair. I know we all act like we hate him around here, but I think he’ll be good. I think he’ll protect ye,” Mary said as she grabbed her arm. “Ye will not survive the trip down the mountainous terrain.”
“I can’t tell Alec and neither can you. Promise me, Mary and Louise. Swear to me that you’ll keep my secret. He could lose this clan. You will be at the mercy of Innes Campbell.”
“What the devil are ye talking about?” Louise said loudly. She and Mary both stared at her, and she ducked her head. “What do ye know?”
“I can’t tell you, but I have to believe that between Alec and Innes, you’d choose Alec. Right?” The two women nodded. “Then you have to let me go. If I…when I make it safe, I’ll send word back so that you know. I took some men’s clothes so I can disguise myself, and I’ve also taken a few supplies. I’ll send those back as well. I’m not a thief.”
Louisa looked around frantically before gathering a few things and bundling them up in a cloth. “When ye get to the stable, ye tell Niall that I sent ye, and ye tell him that ye want Tally. He’s an older horse and won’t draw so much attention to ye, but he’s good and strong. Ye stay off the main paths as much as possible. Did ye get yer hands on a weapon?”
Cora’s eyes widened. A weapon? She hadn’t even thought about that. Mary’s eyes lit up. “Hold on. I’ve got ye covered.”
As she scampered away, Cora threw her arms around Louisa. “How can I ever thank you for this?”
“I don’t want ye thanks,” Louisa grunted. “I want ye to stay safe.”
“I’ll be safe,” Cora promised her. “I’m a hard woman to kill.”
“Ye don’t look it,” the cook said with a rueful shake of her head.
Mary returned and handed her a sword that was covered in scratches and dings. Cora held it awkwardly and shook her head. “Mary, I can’t take this. I can’t even wield it.”
“I won’t let ye leave unless ye take it,” the young servant protested. “Just carrying it will help deter trouble. Please. It belonged to my brother.”
“Belonged?” Cora said with a frown.
Sadness passed over her friend’s face. “When Laird Seth MacKay took over, my brother Dennis didn’t agree with him. He ended up leaving. He said he’d come back for me, but I haven’t heard from him in months.”
Cora could tell that Mary didn’t really want to part with it. Reaching over, she hugged her friend. “I’ll send it back when I get to London. I promise.”
There was a disruptive sound from the hall followed by male laughter. Cora’s eyes widened in panic, and Louisa grabbed her and dragged her from the kitchen. “Ye have to go change and leave the castle through the servants’ tunnels. That way no one will see ye. Go. Go!”
She cast one last look at the two women who were helping her before scurrying away. Her heart pounded in her chest as she quickly got rid of her dress and changed into the trousers that were three sizes too big and the large shirt. Belting the clothes, she slipped the bag over her head and gripped the sword. Taking a deep breath, she glanced out the room. When the coast was clear, she made a mad dash to the serving tunnels and finally out to the stables.
Niall, the stable hand, frowned at her. “If yer planning on passing yerself off as a man, yer gonna have to do something with yer hair. Come here, lass.”
He led Cora to the back of the stables where he handed her a cap. Cora did the best she could to pull her hair up and stash it under the cap. Glancing up at Niall, she saw his eyes go wide and immediately drop to the floor. Whirling around, she realized that they were no longer alone.
Alec Sinclair crossed his arms and frowned at her. “Only an idiot would take ye as a boy. Ye can’t hide the curves of yer body under those clothes.”
Cora’s hand dropped to the hilt of the sword, and Alec’s eyes followed the movement. “Are ye that daft, Claire?”
No. She wasn’t. Dropping her hands to her side, she jutted her chin out defiantly. Other than nipping a few things, she hadn’t done anything wrong yet. “I’m just taking a ride. It’s easier for me to ride at night and in disguise.”
“Is that why ye’ve been acting nervously all day? And stealing food? For a night ride?”
“Midnight snack,” she said shortly. “I’ll return to my chambers.”
She tried to brush past Alec, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. “Why don’t I escort ye back to yer chambers, Miss Claire. That way ye won’t have to worry about yer safety.”
“Am I safe from you?” she said darkly. Niall gasped, but Alec’s stare never wavered.
“If ye thought that were true, ye wouldn’t be running, would ye? Not that it matters what ye think. Yer not leaving.”
The man grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly from the stables. He walked so quickly back to the castle that she had to stumble to keep up. The sword smacked against her leg awkwardly, and she knew that she’d have several bruises in the morning. “Laird Sinclair,” she cried out. “Please stop. Please. Please!”
She yelled and jerked her arm away. He turned around and there was fire in his eyes. “What were you thinking, lass? Ye were going to escape in the middle of the night by yerself? Did ye think that ye’d make it all the way to England on yer own? Ye wouldn’t even make it out of Scotland alive. If the terrain didn’t kill ye, someone would!”
“You don’t know what you’re doing by keeping me here,” she said as she rubbed her arm. She was humiliated to feel the tears springing to her eyes. “You have to let me go.”
“I doonae understand ye,” he growled in frustration. “I’ve offered ye my protection, but ye won’t tell me anything honest. Now I find ye trying to escape the castle within a day of cozying up to Innes Campbell.”
Cora gasped and backed up a few steps. “Cozying up to him? Is that what you think that I’m doing?”
“I don’t know what ye’re doing because ye won’t tell me!”
“I can’t! If I thought that you could help me, I would tell you
, but I can’t. I know that you’re frustrated, but I’m protecting you.”
“Protecting me?” he gaped at her. “First of all, it takes more than a Sassenach like ye to protect me, and second of all, ye don’t even know me. Why would ye protect me?”
Wiping her eyes, she shook her head. “Niall is going to give me a horse now, so you might as well either let me go or take me back to the dungeon.”
“Damnation, woman. Is that what ye want?”
“I want you to let me go!”
He stopped and stared at her. With a sigh, he grabbed her arm, but this time it was more gentle. He slowed his pace as he led her back through the tunnels, but he didn’t head back to the servant chambers. Instead, he took her back to his own.
“What am I doing here?” she asked nervously.
“I could take ye back to the dungeons, but I have a feeling that won’t get me anywhere. I thought that maybe, if ye felt safe here, ye’d be willing to talk.”
Cora removed the sword and bag and let them drop to the ground. “I already told you that I have nothing to say to you.”
He paced in the room and shook his head angrily. “Get out of those ridiculous clothes,” he growled.
“I’m sorry, do you have a dress for me to change into?” she asked as she put her hands on her hips.
“Everything ye do is ridiculous! Ye drive me to distraction, woman! I free ye from prison, and ye lie to me. I protect ye, and ye risk yer life by trying to escape! I can’t decide if yer mad or just plain daft!”
Cora darted her tongue out in an effort to wet her dry lips. His eyes darkened at the action, and she inhaled sharply. “Alec, I’m not quite sure what you want me to say.”
“I think, right now, I doona want ye to say anything,” he whispered as he closed the distance between them. She pressed her back against the wall, but there was no escape. If Cora was being honest with herself, she would admit that she didn’t want to escape. From the moment that he’d picked her up from the prison and carried her to her chambers, she wanted to feel his arms around her again.
She put her hands on his chest, but he snagged them with one hand and raised them up above her head. His other hand settled on her hip, and her heart pounded in her chest. “What,” her voice came out as a squeak, and she cleared her throat and tried again. “What are you doing?”
“Something that I’ve wanted to do for days,” he said in a low voice before he bent his head and kissed her. It wasn’t her first kiss. There were two occasions where someone had kissed her when she was younger, but they were simply hoping that she’d be like her mother. Instead, she’d slapped them and stepped away before things got too far. Innes had kissed her several times to torment her. She’d quickly grown to hate the contact of a man, but this was different.
Alec’s caresses were gentle and heated her blood like nothing else. Rather than push him away, Cora wanted to pull him closer, but her hands were still trapped. Alec pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. “Open yer mouth, lass.”
Puzzled, she frowned. “Why?”
He swooped back down again and captured her lips, only this time, his tongue snuck in and stroked hers. Surprised, Cora gasped, but it was followed by a low moan. With just one kiss, he’d awakened feelings inside her that she didn’t even know existed.
“Sweetheart,” he murmured. “Ye act like this is yer first time kissing a man.”
She was about to explain that it sort of was when he kissed her just below her ear. Shocked and aroused, she tugged at her hands. “Please,” she whispered. “Please, I want to touch you.”
“Yes,” he moaned. “Ye can touch me where ye want to.” When he released her hands, she wrapped them around his neck, but rather than explore his body like she wanted to, she could just hang on. His fingers skimmed over the fabric of the trousers, and when he touched the apex of her thighs, she trembled and cried out.
“So smooth,” Alec muttered, his breath hot in her ear. “Ah, I want to touch ye, Claire.”
Claire. The lie washed over her and left her feeling cold and hollow. “Wait,” she whispered. “I can’t do this.”
He froze and pulled his head back to stare at her. “Why? What aren’t ye telling me?”
She could see the frustration in his eyes. Unable to help herself, she reached up to touch his cheek. “I want to trust you, Alec. I really do.”
Before he could respond, there was a pounding on the door. “Laird? We have a guest.”
Alec sighed and shook his head. “I doona care. They can wait.”
“I doona thing so. ’Tis King Edward. He’ll be here within the hour.”
“What?” Alec growled and leapt across the room to open the door. Cora, still shaken by his touch, could only gape at the news.
Dear God, what if the Scottish King was there for Innes? What if he’d come to make sure that she did what she was supposed to do six months ago?
Marry Innes Campbell.
6
Alec took several deep breaths. There was no way they could be prepared for the King in an hour, but King Edward knew that. He was, no doubt, trying to catch Alec unawares to see how things were really going.
“Get Kane and Jamie to organize a hunt. We won't be able to feed them with the meat we have in the reserves. Make sure Seth's old chambers are clean for the King.” He turned back and stared at Cora. She looked terrified as she pressed herself against the wall. He couldn't very well have her running around the keep with the King here, especially if she really was a problem.
She seemed to sense his hesitation. “I'll stay out of the way,” she said faintly. “You don't have to worry about me.”
“Aye. And if ye so much as look at the King, I'll have ye thrown back in the dungeons,” he threatened. Fear flashed in her eyes, and he felt the sting of guilt, but there was too much riding on this visit for him to risk letting her roam free.
It was for the best. He couldn't let his desire for her get in the way of what he knew. She was hiding something.
Annoyed, he left the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He didn't have time to think of her. So long as she stayed out of the way, he would deal with her later. Barking orders at the MacKay clan, he had them all scurrying to prep for the King's arrival. Most of them were getting ready to go to bed and weren't happy to have to work, but when news of the King's imminent arrival spread, they quickly got to work.
Within the hour, the gates opened and King Edward rode through with a small group. Alec was relieved to see that he didn't have his normal army with him. Edward dismounted easily, no small feat for a man his age, and walked forward to grasp Alec's hand. “Sinclair,” he said with a tight smile. “I see that ye've settled in.”
“Yer Majesty,” Alec said as he bowed in respect. “'Tis an honor to see ye.”
“Don't lie, boy,” Edward growled. “Yer panicked that I'm here, but I'm not here to cause ye any alarm. I know how stubborn the MacKays can be, and I'm here to endorse yer reign. Has that Campbell boy been by?”
“Innes Campbell? Several times,” Alec said with a frown.
“And ye've welcomed him, no doubt, because that's the kind of man that ye are.” Edward grunted and shook his head. “Well, we doona require any dinner. Just a bed to spend the night. 'Tis been a long trip for a man my age.”
“Aye, Sire. I've got old Laird MacKay's chambers ready for ye.”
Edward raised an eyebrow. “Am I displacing ye?”
“No, Yer Majesty,” Alec said with a shake of his head. “His tastes don't match mine, and I haven't had a chance to change things. But 'tis the nicest chamber in the keep, so 'tis only right that ye have it.”
“Verra well. How is yer brother? Please tell me that he has his sights on a bonnie lass by now.”
Alec laughed. “I'm afraid not. Connor has his hands full with Grace.”
"Well, he needs to marry her off and then he needs to find himself a bride. If this works out, he won't be relying on ye to take over the clan if something h
appens to him. I want him to produce an heir and soon. Ye can tell him I said that.”
“He'll be verra happy to hear that,” Alec said with a laugh. Connor would cringe at the thought of the King ordering him to marry, and they both knew it. “We'll get ye and yer men settled. Care to train with us tomorrow?”
“I'm too old for that, but I'm sure my men would enjoy that. I'd like to see the progress that ye've made.”
The warning was clear, and Alec nodded curtly. Edward wasn't just here to visit and provide his assistance. He was here to make sure that Alec had things well in hand.
Although Cora had promised to stay out of the way, she was fascinated by the Scottish King. When she’d turned sixteen, the Thistles enthusiastically prepared her for her first season even though they knew that she was no Lady. Cora had wanted nothing more than to hide from society and lock herself away in her quiet home, but Lana, who would one day be acknowledged as an eligible Lady, had encouraged her with such love and stars in her eyes that Cora couldn’t deny her.
It was made clear at that very first ball that no one in the aristocracy would accept her. She’d tried desperately to make the Thistles see the torment that she endured with every outing, but they waved her away and told her that she was letting her fears get the best of her. So, year after year, they presented her to society, and year after year, she was cast out by their poisoned-dripped taunts and scathing glares.
Would the head of the Scottish court be the very same? Rumors were that the King upheld strength and loyalty over lineage and inheritance. What would he make of her?
She gripped the handle on her door and pressed her ear against the wood. Several times today, she’d opened the door and nearly stepped out. In his haste to get things ready, Alec had failed to post a guard at the door to ensure that she would not leave, but her fear of Innes and what King Edward would do if he discovered that she was still alive had her scurrying back inside.
“How would he know?” she whispered to herself. “He’ll believe you to be a servant and never look twice at you. What’s the harm?”
Highlander's Beautiful Lia ( Historical Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance) Page 6
