by Fiona Faris
A knock at the door snapped her out of her worry.
“Aye?”
“Missus, yer husband bid me come up with a meal for ye tae break yer fast?” Milly recognized the same small woman who had brought her bath yesterday, the innkeeper’s wife. The timid woman peaked her head around the door. Her hands looked to be full. Milly rushed over to assist.
“Oh please, please come in. Let me help ye.”
“Och, trust me, my lady. I have it.”
“Did my husband tell ye where he went by chance?”
“Nay missus, but he did bid me tae tell ye he would be back soon. At least that’s what he told me Fergus. And Fergus bid me tae tell ye.” So, Nathan would be back soon? That was good at least. It didn’t appear he had abandoned her, not yet anyway.
Milly spent the morning doing her best to remain occupied. The innkeeper’s wife insisted on cleaning up the room. Thankfully Nathan hadn’t left his pallet out, so there was no need for the woman to suspect, they weren’t really husband and wife. She wasn’t a very talkative woman, and no matter the course of conversation Milly attempted, the woman would not engage. Milly tried to ask about the attractions of Perth, the interesting oil lamps that lined the streets, and even the prison itself. All of her attempts met with what seemed to Milly as embarrassed shrugs.
When the innkeeper’s wife finally took her leave, Milly was left completely alone, but no less lonely. She realized in all the hours they had been together, the woman hadn’t even given up her name. Lowlander’s were a curious lot. It must be living in the shadow of the English, for so long that has made them weary, she thought.
She longed to leave and explore Perth. It was by far the largest town she had ever seen. She was sure it was dangerous as Nathan had warned, but surely she could slip out and stay close to the inn. Yes, her decision was made. She was not going to sit around twiddling her thumbs all day, patiently waiting for Nathan. She plaited her hair and wrapped it around itself in a tight bun, and then put on her boots. She would take a walk to learn what she could about her surroundings.
There was no telling when Nathan would return, and it was absolutely foolish to waste away the hours forcing herself to be content with unpacking and repacking her bag a thousand times. Should anything go awry, she could rush right back to the protection of their room. Looking around the room she spied a dirk left on the plate brought in by the innkeeper’s wife. She tucked the knife into the folds of her dress, just in case.
Milly found that any worry she had about walking through the tavern to leave the inn was not necessary. The tavern was full and both the innkeeper and his wife were so busy taking care of their patrons that they didn’t even notice Milly slip out the front door.
Stepping outside, the first thing Milly noticed about Perth was the thickness of the air. She supposed she should have expected it. With industry and more people about, the air was bound to be different from the clear Highland breezes she was used to.
The cobblestone streets were filthy, slick with grime. Milly had to use her wool shawl to cover her nose and watch her step with each pace. So much for a refreshing walk. She found nothing refreshing about the streets of Perth.
The Kirk rose up from the center of town, it’s heavy spire reaching toward the heavens. Milly followed the noise of the people and found herself drawn to a road with stalls of all sorts of luxuries and necessities. Scarves, dresses, cookware, everything one could imagine was lined up and down the lane, and people were standing about picking up this and that. They shouted at the shopkeepers and at each other when they found something they liked or needed. Milly found herself staring in awe.
At Cadney keep, they had to wait for the peddlers to come around in the spring, or for some of the men in the clan who travel to bring back wares. Here everything one could possibly want was laid out for all to see and buy. It was extraordinary.
“Oy, lass, come closer. I’ve a perfect bauble for a lass as bonnie as ye.” Milly turned to see an old woman wearing an arisaid of blue and yellow plaid. She was a Highland born woman, and Milly felt immediately comfortable. The old woman handed Milly a small looking glass with a wooden handle painted as to look like marbled stone. She’d never seen anything like it. “It’s finely made. The perfect add tae yer fine home, I’m sure.”
“Aye, ’tis beautiful. But I’m afraid I have no silver.”
“Och, lassie, not even a bawbee?”
“I’m afraid not, ma’am, but ’tis a beautiful glass. I bid ye good day.” Milly nodded sympathetically and handed the mirror back to the woman and kept walking through the crowds. It hadn’t been longer than thirty or forty minutes when she started to feel closed in by so many people in close proximity. Maybe a walk was not her finest idea. Excitement at seeing new sights quickly began to fade as Milly turned to head back toward the inn, but found she had no idea which direction she had come from. Her breathing began to quicken. Nathan was definitely going to be cross when he got back to the room before her and found her gone, and she would deserve any tongue lashing he gave. She should’ve stayed put. Damn her own curiosity.
Dinnae panic Milly, there are so many people about, that is all, she thought, trying to calm her anxious nerves. She kept wandering the street until the crowd faded away. Surely there would be a friendly face on the street. She would only have to come upon someone and kindly ask the direction back to the Fox Cameron.
Milly was astonished at how dark the streets seemed to be. Even though it was still daylight, a dark shadow fell over the cobblestones. The buildings surrounding her seemed to tower, but bend unnaturally as if they could topple over at any moment. The whole area looked surreal to Milly who was growing more and more anxious as she kept moving but appeared no closer to familiar surroundings. If only she could see the river. She distinctly remembered crossing the river and riding up to the inn on the left of the bridge. But she saw none of these things now. She also no longer saw the spire of the Kirk.
She noticed a man leaning against a doorway ahead of her, and she quickly crossed to the other side of the road. He didn’t look the friendly sort, a suspicion that was confirmed for Milly when he left the protection of his doorway and crossed to come directly in front of her.
“Aye, look at this braw lass.” The gravel of his voice sent a chill down Milly’s spine. Certainly no good was going to come from this interaction. She turned abruptly and went to head back from whence she came, only to be stopped by another menacing looking man. How had she not noticed footfalls behind her? She wiped her moist hands onto her skirts, feeling for the dirk she still had hidden there.
She backed against the closest wall, keeping her eye on both men.
“Hallo, I’m nae looking for trouble, gents. I’ll ask ye let me be on my way.”
“Ahh, she speaks fine, don’t she, Glover?” the first man said, now close enough to touch Milly but having yet to do so. She felt she may still come out of the situation unmolested.
“That she dae,” the other man said. Milly noted both men were large, but not so large that she couldn’t take down at least one of them. If she had to, she could stab one with the knife she held, and then run away. She didn’t know where she would go, but she knew she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“Please gentlemen, if you would just be on yer way. I assure ye there is nothing ye want with a lass like me.”
“Ha! I think we will be th’ judge of that, lass,” Glover said, grabbing her arm and pulling her against him. He smelled of filth and urine. Milly had to fight not to gag at his stench.
“Let me go!” she screamed. Maybe someone would come out of one of the rooms around them and intervene.
“I dinnae think I will,” Glover sneered before leaning down and taking a deep breath in at Milly’s neck. She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fist around the knife. It was going to be now or never.
“I think ye should dae what the lass asks,” another voice came from behind Glover. Milly opened her eyes and let out a sigh of r
elief. She would recognize him anywhere. Somehow by the grace of God, Nathan was there. Glover turned her around to face him, and without missing a step, Milly took the dirk and drove it into the villain’s thigh with all her strength.
Chapter Thirteen
Nathan had no time to think about how angry he was at Milly for being alone on the streets of Perth. When he saw the two men corner her, he only had two thoughts. The first was to get the lass to safety, the second to kill the men who seemed bent on attacking her. A pit formed deep in his stomach when he saw the one called Glover with his hands on her.
Before he had the opportunity to dispatch the wretch himself, the devilish minx took matters into her own hands. He couldn’t have been more proud as she drove the knife deep into the man’s thigh. Nathan pushed past her and quickly put his fist into the other man’s throat.
He was almost disappointed when neither men fought back.
“She stabbed me!” Glover yelled out. “The wench stabbed me!”
“Yer a damn sight lucky. It was she that got tae ye before I did! Be gone, both of ye!” Nathan knocked the man upside his head and pushed him toward his friend who was still gasping for breath. The men ran off. He grabbed Milly and pulled her into his arms.
“Are ye hurt lass?” He ran his hands up and down her bodice, checking for any possible wound.
“Nay, but that one best get to a doctor.” She pointed back at Glover as he stumbled away. “He seemed to be losing an awful amount of blood.” She looked down and saw some of his blood on her own hands, and Nathan felt her sway in his arms. Her breath was coming quick, too quick and her eyes glazed over.
“Are ye gonna swoon, lass?”
“Nay, but mayhap I need to sit a minute?” Nathan eased her down to the ground.
“Put yer head between yer knees, like this.” He demonstrated and watched as Milly did what he said. “Now breath slowly, that’s right, lass, in count one…two… three, yes now out, count one…two…three. That’s it lass, and now again.” He nodded his encouragement and showed her with his own breathing what he meant. She did her best to imitate his breath. He’d seen it before. Right after an intense bout of bravery, men much larger than Milly would go down and pass right out. He could carry her back to the Fox, but it was more than a quarter mile back. It would be much easier if she could walk it. He brushed a curled lock of misplaced auburn hair back from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear; her perfectly formed, dainty ear. What the devil was she thinking, being out here alone? He thought he had made it clear, it wasn’t safe. He should not have left her.
“Ye were mighty brave just now,” he said, moving to rub her shoulders and keep her breathing.
“I thought they were going to…”
“I ken, lass, I ken. But ye didn’t need rescuing from me, ye were a brave, strong lass.”
“Thank God ye showed up when ye did, Nathan. There were two of them, and I only had one dirk.” He couldn’t help but laugh. He placed a light kiss on her cheek.
“Nay, ye would’ve been fine, lass, but just the same, I’m glad I showed up when I did.”
“How did ye find me? No one kent where I went.”
“’Twas only luck I happened to be in the apothecary shop down the block when I heard the scuffle. I came tae look and offer assistance. I dinnae ken it was you until I got closer.” That was true. He had only thought he was saving a loose woman that had bitten off more than she could chew. His heart sank in his chest once he realized it was Milly. She looked up at him with wide eyes.
“What the devil were ye doin’ in th’ apothecary shop. Are ye sick?” He laughed. Of course she wouldn’t understand the apothecary had many uses, and his particular need today was help with disguises. He lifted his bag of goods that he had dropped earlier, and helped Milly to her feet.
“Let’s get back tae th’ Fox, and I’ll fill ye in on all. I think we should get off the street. I have much tae tell ye.” She took his hand, still a bit shaky on her feet, but Nathan thought nothing a good, hot meal wouldn’t cure. She’d had a trying day.
* * *
Once they returned to their room and Fergus had a warm meal sent up, Nathan went over his plan to get them into the prison. She would need to pretend to be a good God-fearing English daughter of a merchant, with her mute, dumb brother. She would want to come preach to the heathens in the prison. He was banking on the English guards missing home so much, based on information he learned from some men in town, that they would not hesitate to fall for the charms of one of their own. Nathan had been pleased to learn that thanks to her new sister, the Lady of Cadney Castle being English, Milly was actually quite good at imitating an English accent. It was when he got to the part about disguises that Nathan lost her confidence in the plan.
“Ye want me tae do what?” He had to admit it was a rather large ask, but he needed Milly to see that with her auburn hair and intoxicating green eyes she looked as much a Highland lass as they came.
“I want ye tae color yer hair dark. It’s only temporary. The apothecary assured me it would wash out in a matter of days. And come now, the smell isn’t that bad. The guards at the prison will melt like butter on a hot day with your fine English, but ye dinnae look English.”
“And ye think putting that… that…” She pointed at the jar of vinegar hair tonic in his hand as she spoke. “… that foul smelling concoction on my hair will make me look English?”
“Aye, I dae. As much as can be. I also hae a scarf tae replace yer plaid, and a handful of handkerchiefs with dainty English roses embroidered on them.” Nathan hadn’t told her that the black in the tonic came from fermented leeches. The lass swooned at the sight of blood, there was no telling what she would do if she knew he was asking her to put leeches on her hair.
“Aye, well it seems ye thought of everything then, have ye?”
“I thought so, yes. Look, yer a bonnie lass, more Scottish than a loch at sunrise, there is nae way we will be able to fool the English guards intae believin’ any other way without a little bit of help, is all.”
“And what if that devil’s brew makes all my hair fall out? Did ye think on that?” Ahh, there it was; she didn’t want to lose her hair. Nathan couldn’t say he blamed her, it was a woman’s pride, and as far as hair went Milly’s was breathtaking.
“Ye won’t lose yer hair. We’ll not put the mix on until the very last moment in th’ mornin’. But I’ll say it again, Milly, we need all th’ help we can get for Gavin.”
She flopped onto the bed. He could tell by her resignation she knew he was right, and she would do it.
“It’s as good a plan as any, lass,” he said sitting next to her and taking her hand in his own. Her soft fingers were delicate and shaking ever so slightly. “I ken it’s askin’ a lot. But I wouldnae ask if I thought there was another way. Yer our best shot at gettin’ in.” She let out a long sigh.
“I ken, and I will use it. I’m scared, Nathan, that’s all. I dinnae mean tae be so difficult.” She smiled up at him, and his heart melted just a touch. The fact that she wasn’t a docile lass, and she gave as good as she got was part of the reason Nathan liked her. He took a finger and rubbed her cheek.
“If yer were nae scared lass, I’d be worried. But I will protect ye. As I live and breathe, no harm will come tae ye in that prison. I promise.”
“What did ye learn of Gavin? Dae ye think he is there?”
“I dinnae ken for sure. The prison is almost only Jacobites and those the Crown has labeled as traitors. There is talk of a braw red headed warrior being held. That sounds like it could be Gavin tae me, but I cannae be sure. I don’t want ye tae get hopes high, if it isnae.”
“I ken. I need tae ken if Elias was lyin’. I need to find him.”
“If Gavin breaths life, I promise we will find him. Remember lass, he’s my friend as well. I want him tae be alive, too.”
He hated not knowing the outcome of a mission. He wasn’t used to being so in the dark and making promises he wasn’t c
ertain he could keep. The information he had gathered seemed solid, but the English were tricky bastards. Nathan couldn’t figure for the life of him why if they had captured Gavin at the Battle of Dunkeld why he hadn’t already been hung. Something about this didn’t make sense. He had a nagging thought that hung in the back of his mind. He felt his cousin had more to do with Gavin’s imprisonment than he had let on to Milly when he dropped the nugget of knowledge that the man could be alive. He only wished he could develop that nagging thought into something he could prove.
Hopefully tomorrow when they got to the prison some of their many questions would be answered and they would find Gavin. It was something much needed, for them both.
Chapter Fourteen
Milly replayed the last twelve hours in her head as she tossed and turned. She was more than a little bit astonished at herself that she wasn’t more upset over having stabbed a ruffian in the street. Unlike the previous night, there had been no argument from Nathan when he took his plaid to the pallet on the floor by the hearth. In fact, since coming to her aid during the afternoon, Nathan had been nothing if not overly attentive and pleasant to be around. He had shown concern in her welfare that went beyond anything Milly would’ve expected, and the only disgruntlement he had shown was when she protested dying her hair with the vinegar solution he had brought back from the apothecary. But with everything that occurred, Milly knew he lay awake, unable to sleep as well. She could hear the unsteady rhythm of his breathing, and he tossed and turned almost as much as she did.
