“What do make of that?” Eoin asked. “That was bizarre. I mean, you and I—well, two women—it’s not new to us, but Allyson doesn’t seem like a woman likely to appreciate that. Not after how she reacted to your promise of infidelity.”
“I didn’t promise to be unfaithful,” Ewan hissed.
“You didn’t promise to be faithful either,” Eoin tossed back.
“Never mind that for now. You’re right though. It appeared as though they were attempting to seduce her rather than threaten her with violence. He tried to kiss her, lecherous bastard.”
“Suddenly thinking yours should be the only kisses she receives?”
“Don’t put words into my mouth, little brother,” Ewan warned. Eoin was a little close to hitting the mark, and Ewan wasn’t in the mood to dissect his emotions. “We need to let the Elliot know his daughter is alive and mostly unharmed, from what we saw.”
They remained until Sir John and Elizabeth left the wall walk. Ewan prayed that Allyson tucked herself away and was beyond their reach. They slipped back to the camp and explained what they saw to Allyson’s father, who appeared ready to explode, but restrained his temper.
Chapter Twelve
As Allyson’s third day began, she remained in her chamber as long as she dared before slipping into the Great Hall. Despite the miserable visit to the dungeon, her exchange with Elizabeth when they met, and a disconcerting encounter on the wall walk with both Sir John and Elizabeth, they had left Allyson alone for the most part. She ate alone on the dais and slipped back to her chamber to gather her cloak. Lord Grey clarified that she could move about the keep freely, but if she attempted to step out to the bailey, she would find her new residence in the dungeon. She was on house arrest. The nobleman had said nothing about contacting her father or how much he would demand as a ransom. Allyson doubted he’d even attempt to contact her father. She sensed he would allow Sir John to have his fun with her until he became bored. Then Lord Grey might consider sending a missive, but the wealth visible in the keep proved they had no need for more coin.
Allyson made her way onto the wall walk as she had the previous day. She’d been searching the landscape the previous day and detected movement, but her unwelcome companions had interrupted her. She lifted her hand to her bruised cheek. She moved to the farthest corner from the guards on patrol and scanned the horizon and out to the woods near the loch that lay to the north. She swept her gaze over the meadow, certain she’d spied something the day before. Allyson squinted and shielded her eyes from the sun as she peered down, moving her head one way then another to view more. Her breath caught when she was sure she saw the grass sway as though something slithered among it, but whatever was there was far larger than a garter snake or asp. She braced her hands on the wall and leaned as far over the edge as she dared, going onto her toes.
Ewan was going to be ill. He was going to watch Allyson tip over the edge of the wall and plummet to her death. She was hanging over the wall, and he wondered if she still had her feet on the ground. He and Eoin returned to their hiding place from the day before, hoping Allyson would return to the battlements, but now he feared she would lose her balance and tumble from the battlements. His head jerked as he lifted it to get a better view, but he froze when she abruptly stood up, then waved. It wasn’t a gregarious sweeping of her arm. She tucked her arm against her chest and wiggled her fingers. She’d spotted him, and the smile he caught reassured him that she recognized who lay in wait. Allyson paused, then held up one finger, as though she wanted him to wait a moment. She dashed back the way she came, and Ewan feared for a moment that she might try to make an escape.
“What’s she doing?” Eoin muttered.
“I don’t know, but I’ll wait as long as it takes to find out.”
The wait ended up longer than either expected, but a half an hour later, Allyson reappeared. She held something in her hand, and Ewan watched her pull a loose stone from the wall. It appeared as though she tied whatever she held onto the rock with a ribbon. Allyson looked at Ewan as she dropped the rock over the side. She inched away from the wall; her reluctance obvious. She brushed her hair away from her face and looked once more toward the woods. She placed her hand over her heart as she continued to gaze at the trees. Ewan suspected she’d guessed her father waited there. Unlike the last two times she left the battlements, she walked without haste.
* * *
Allyson couldn’t believe her eyes when she detected the movement, but her intuition told her it was Ewan. It surprised her to see how close to the keep he hid, but as she considered it, his presence didn’t shock her as much as she’d expect. Knowing his massive frame and experienced sword arm were near comforted her. And wherever Ewan went, Eoin was sure to be at his side. She’d glimpsed the twin, but Ewan held her attention until she remembered her father. She deduced he would be with the twins, but he wouldn’t be dressed for slithering through weeds. Allyson knew better than to underestimate her father. He’d been a successful border laird since he was barely out of boyhood. He wielded a sword with such force men half his age shied away from sparring with him. Atop a horse, there were few who matched the force and balance with which he fought. But he would have stuck out among the grass if he’d attempted to approach in his breeks and doublet. When Allyson focused, she noticed Ewan’s plaid.
When her gaze met Ewan’s, an idea sparked, and she prayed she would find what she needed. She ran back to her chamber in search of a quill and ink, along with anything she might write on. She didn’t expect to be lucky, since the chamber they had appointed her was less than sparse. Her belongings and a few drying linens were all that was in the chamber besides the bed. There was no other furniture, no looking glass, not even a grate for the fire. She’d slept in her gown and cloak the past two nights and still shivered beneath the meager covers. When her chamber proved a lost cause for finding writing tools, she slipped down the passageway and descended a flight of stairs to the family chambers. She knew at that time of day, Lord Grey would be in the lists with his men, and Lady Grey would be overseeing the kitchens or making her rounds to the various workers in the bailey. Allyson kept her back against the wall as she inched toward Lady Grey’s chamber. She’d seen the woman retire to it the previous evening, and she counted on there being parchment and ink.
When she reached the woman’s door, she pressed her ear against it and held her breath. When no sound traveled to her, she pressed down on the door handle and pushed it open a crack. No one and nothing stirred, so she leaned forward to peek through the crevice between the hinges. Confident the chamber was empty, she dashed inside before pushing the door closed but not shut. She had no time to waste, fearing discovery and Ewan’s departure. She dashed across the floor until she reached a dressing table that held ink, quills, and parchment. More quills laid in the drawer she opened. She took one and dipped it into the ink, leaving the quills already on the table in their place. She wouldn’t risk Lady Grey discovering someone had tampered with her desk in case the woman kept count of the ones on the desktop. Allyson suspected she was the type to do that. She scrawled a note and carried the wet parchment and quill with her to her chamber. Once inside her room, she tore her note apart from the blank portion of the parchment hid that and the quill under the mattress. She blew on the damp ink until she was certain it had dried, then she dug through her satchel. She’d discovered an old ribbon at the bottom when she’d unpacked the morning she arrived. Allyson pulled her sign dubh free and severed a piece before cutting it down the center. She had no idea how many opportunities she would have to convey a message to Ewan. She didn’t dare waste the few supplies she had. Allyson darted up the stairs until she emerged on the wall walk. Before tying the note to the rock, she scanned its contents.
Safe for now. Untouched but tormented. Scottish women captive forced to serve. More brothel than noble home. Full garrison. Sage will torture if you’re captured. E, I fear for you. Take care. A.
It was concise but conveyed what
she sensed were the most urgent pieces of information. She turned her head enough to use her peripheral vision to ensure none of the guards watched her before she dropped the stone over the side. She looked at Ewan and then to the trees once more, regretful that she hadn’t seen her father, but she spun on her heels and returned to the warmth of the keep’s interior.
* * *
Ewan stifled a grumble as he abandoned his hiding place to return to camp. He couldn’t approach the castle wall while it was daylight. He would have to wait to claim Allyson’s message once no one could detect his presence. It was another day of waiting, but at least he’d seen Allyson and was reassured that she was in one piece.
“She looked for you, or rather toward you. I think the lass knows you’re here, but she didn’t seem alarmed that you weren’t with us,” Ewan explained to Kenneth.
“She realizes I can’t approach in breeks and a doublet. If you knew to cover your face to hide the glow of your skin, then she knew my clothes would serve as a beacon. She understands your plaids help you blend in, making it possible for you to hide among the foliage. She must trust you, lad, if she risked searching for something to use for a missive.”
“Aye.” Ewan wasn’t sure what else to say. He didn’t feel like he’d done anything to gain her trust back, but she appeared so relieved when she recognized him. He assumed she was happy to see anyone who might rescue her, so he didn’t consider it personal. But the last look she cast him made him wonder if she was glad he came. She hadn’t looked for Eoin and barely glanced at him once she noticed he lay beside Ewan. He refused to read more into it, but his heart hammered.
“Do you believe you’ll be able to retrieve it without detection?” Kenneth continued.
“I’ll do what I have to, to ensure I get that missive. She risked much to get it to us.”
Kenneth nodded before glancing once more at the castle, then turned away. Ewan hunted with his brother, but there wasn’t enough to occupy his mind until night fell once more.
Chapter Thirteen
Just as they had done the first night they attempted to scout the castle, Ewan, Eoin, and their men slathered mud on their faces and necks. They stalked through the high grass, keeping low but not needing to slither. Ewan watched as the guards changed shifts and marked the time by the position of the moon. They waited while the new rotation of guards made their rounds of the entire battlements before settling into their stations. Ewan and Eoin divided the men and went their separate ways with Ewan creeping to the spot where Allyson dropped the rock. He pressed his back against the wall, using the structure’s shadow to offer him even more concealment. He searched the ground and soon found the parchment and ribbon. He pulled them free from the stone and dropped them in his sporran before signaling for his men to follow him.
Remaining in the shadows, the men surveyed the defenses and searched for any weaknesses in the structure. Ewan didn’t expect to find any, but they would investigate. From what Ewan ascertained, the only weak point in the keep’s defenses was the wall built out of the loch’s shoreline. The fewer guardsmen posted to that area indicated they didn’t expect an attack to come from that direction. Ewan made do with the weak light of the moon and the torches overhead to feel along the wall, finding places where the centuries old mortar crumbled when he pried his fingers into it. It would take great effort and strength, but he and his men could scale the wall, making finger holds as they climbed. They had no grappling hooks to launch over the walls or rope to assist their ascent. He hoped the Elliot men were as capable as they appeared. He’d grown to respect them as their time together dragged on. They were competent warriors and dedicated to their clan. They followed their laird’s directives with no hesitation and worked together as a team used to spending long days on the horseback. Ewan never found fault with any of them, and they all chomped at the bit to ensure Allyson made it out safe and sound.
Once Ewan and his warriors finished scouting their section of the keep, they eased back into the meadow as Eoin’s team joined them. When Ewan was confident the guards hadn’t caught sight of them, he rose to his full height and sprinted back to their camp. They’d kept their cook fire small, but it burned bright enough for him to read Allyson’s bold script with ease. He noted her penmanship looked more like a man’s, precise and practical, as opposed to the flourishing marks most women included. He read the missive before passing it to Kenneth, who glanced back in the castle's direction before rereading it.
“What do you propose based upon what you saw?” Kenneth posed the question equally between the twins and studied their expressions as they considered their answers.
“Allyson was right about the garrison. From what I witnessed, there are close to a hundred men who will take up arms to defend the keep and the Greys. We know Sage is in there, too. That butcher kills as many as fifty people a day.” Ewan swept his gaze toward the castle.
“That just tells us there’s a dungeon filled with people who would like to see him dead,” a Gordon warrior interjected.
“Aye, Scots mostly, I presume,” Eoin responded. “They’ve reinforced the gates to withstand a battering ram, not that we have one. And they have winches to tip oil during an attack, but they don’t seem prepared for a few lone warriors to slip over their walls. The guards spend too much time milling about and not enough time patrolling. At least that’s the case with the ones near the gatehouse. They’re overly confident.”
“I agree,” Ewan nodded. “The guards ignore the wall that butts up against the loch. It’s a closed body of water, so they assume no one will sail up to their back door. There’s no patrol along there after the initial sweep when the shifts changed. We saw it’s the same during the day. That’s how Allyson stayed there for so long today. No one’s watching.” Ewan curved his fingers into claws as he gestured. “The mortar is falling apart, so you can make finger holds if you dig a bit. Climbing would be hard going with little purchase for your feet, but not impossible. Grappling hooks would help, but we have none, and I doubt any of the crofters have ones to share.”
“My man should return in the morning with another report from the village. He found a wench who took pity on a weary traveler. He should have plenty to tell us after spending two days in a tavern. I’m sending a rider back to Redheugh in the morning. I’ll call for more of my warriors to join us. It’s only a few hours ride each way, so they will be here before nightfall tomorrow.”
“We’ll wait for his report, your men, and to see if Allyson can communicate with us again, then we’ll make our move.” Ewan stated.
“I hate knowing she’s spending another night in Sodom and Gomorrah.” Kenneth had taken to swiping his hand over his tired face more and more often as the days stretched out.
Ewan noted the concern and frustration the man experienced at his inability to charge in and rescue his daughter, but he wondered which drove Laird Elliot: the fact he was duty bound to rescue his daughter or genuine concern for Allyson. Ewan sensed it was the former because the man knew it was expected, but he rarely spoke of anything about Allyson that showed a bond. The expression on Allyson’s face as she looked toward the trees and where she suspected her father waited didn’t match the detachment Kenneth Elliot appeared to have for his youngest. Ewan didn’t understand it, but the feeling grew stronger the longer they searched for Allyson. It was like the laird and his daughter were little more than strangers. He’d replayed Cairren’s words from when she informed them of Allyson’s disappearance. She said Allyson had received little attention until she arrived at court. Ewan now suspected Cairren hadn’t exaggerated, and Allyson was often overlooked. He knew she was the youngest of six, but he couldn’t imagine ignoring any of his children, regardless of how many he had. Yet, as the notion crossed his mind, he remembered that not long ago he felt no qualms about breeding a couple of sons with whoever he married and continuing on with his life as though marriage changed little. If he’d been so ready to leave a wife behind at his clan’s keep, that would mea
n he’d been prepared to leave his children behind, too. Watching Kenneth was making Ewan reconsider his view on parenting and having a family.
* * *
Allyson rolled onto her side in her freezing chamber and wondered what the Gordon twins and her father were doing camped in the woods. It shocked her to find Ewan and Eoin hiding so near the keep, but she realized in an instant that they were scouting how to breach the castle’s defenses. From what she could tell, and from what she put in her note, the castle appeared impregnable, which only made her confidence waiver. While Sir John hadn’t forced her to visit the dungeon again, the incident on the wall walk with Elizabeth and him disconcerted her. She perceived the couple would attempt to seduce her into joining their twisted love play, and when she continued to refuse, she sensed they would take the choice away from her. It had become a question of when, not if, they would strike. Her time spent in the Great Hall taught her no one would defend her if Sir John flung her over his shoulder and dumped her on a table before having his way with her right there in front of everyone. There was nothing anyone would do if Sir John caught her behind a closed door or forced her into the dungeon. Allyson resolved to only venture out of her chamber when they were serving a meal or she was certain Sir John was in the lists. The man still trained daily, and it consumed most of the morning. For as long as she could, she would drop daily reports for Ewan. She prayed it wouldn’t take more than another two or three days to get her out. Allyson doubted her freedom from being molested would last much longer than that.
A Rogue at the Highland Court: An Arranged Marriage Highlander Romance Page 9
