The pretty girl with dark brown locks looked up and smiled. Laurin returned it with one of her own and soon, she was fast at work, happy to do her part and slowly beginning to feel like she belonged.
Happily, she worked through the morning meal, doing whatever was needed. Her spirits were significantly lifted and for a few short hours, she was able to concentrate on something other than herself.
Once the morning meal was cleared away and the dishes were done, she stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. For once, the cool air was a welcome respite. The breeze felt good against her warm skin as she stood outside the kitchens. Looking up at the bright blue sky dotted with white clouds, she watched as a flock of birds flew high overhead.
’Twas the sound of Remi’s voice that broke through her quiet reverie. “Good morning, mon cherie.” Startled, she nearly jumped from her own skin.
“My apologies,” he said with a bow and a smile.
Her voice was lodged firmly in her throat as her heart pounded against her breast. A man sneaking up on a person like that was never a good sign of anything. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when Albert appeared behind him.
“Are ye well, lass?” he asked.
She swallowed hard before answering. “Aye,” she whispered. “He startled me is all.”
Ignoring Albert, Remi offered her another smile. “My apologies to you, mon cherie. I did not mean to startle you.”
He seemed nice enough, and he was, after all, Graeme’s friend. Reminding herself that not all men were lechers, she decided not to be too harsh with him. “Do no’ fash over it,” she said. “But please, do no’ sneak up on me like that again.”
“On my word and honor as a gentleman, it will never happen again.”
“Was there somethin’ ye needed, French?” Albert asked.
Remi finally turned to face him. “From you? No,” he said before turning back to Laurin. “But from ye? I wonder if you might like to take a walk with me.”
Before she could answer, Albert stepped forward, firmly planting himself between Remi and Laurin. “Nay, she would no’ like to walk with ye, French.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Remi.
“Do you not think we should allow her to answer?” Remi challenged.
Worried they were just moments from coming to blows, Laurin quickly slid herself in between the two men. “Remi, I thank ye fer yer offer, but I do no’ wish to take a walk with ye,” she told him. Then she turned to face Albert.
’Twas like looking up at a mountain. His bright green eyes were ablaze with anger as he continued to glower at Remi. Although she was grateful he felt the need to act as her champion, her protector, for some reason she could not begin to explain, she found his behavior irksome. Torn between telling him she didn’t like him answering on her behalf and being quite glad he had stepped in, she didn’t know what to say. “Albert, I-”
When he finally turned his attention to her, she felt a warm fluttering in her stomach. His eyes, no longer filled with rage, were now filled with warmth.
“Yes?” he asked in a low, tender tone.
Her mind went completely blank. It was rather difficult to concentrate when he looked at her like that. Suddenly, she didn’t know what she should fear more: an angry Albert or the one who was now looking deep into her eyes with such… she had no words to describe that look.
She did the only thing she could think to do. Picking up her skirts, she rushed back into the kitchens, slamming the door behind her.
Laurin spent the remainder of the day hiding in the kitchens. Even when Phillip told her she should take a break and perhaps come back to help with the evening meal. Keeping her hands busy was the only way to keep her mind from wandering down paths she truly did not wish to take. Thankfully there was plenty to do to keep busy.
Instead of joining the others in the gathering room, she ate alone, in a corner of the kitchen. She knew Albert would seek her out were she to step one foot outside. ’Tisn’t cowardice to hide, she told herself. Nay, she simply needed not to think, not to worry or fret.
Elise sought her out just before the evening meal. “They said ye came to help this morn and have yet to leave,” she observed with a smile.
“I like to keep busy,” Laurin told her as she scrubbed a large pot.
“I do as well,” Elise said. “But mayhap ye should no’ work too hard all at once. Mayhap ye’d like to sneak away fer a little while. We could go to the loch and I could teach ye how to swim.”
Laurin was about to argue that she was used to hard work, hadn’t been raised like a fine lady such as Elise had undoubtedly been, when she caught sight of Albert standing in the doorway. He had that same warm, tender look in his eyes. The look that made her feel odd and uncertain and wholly inadequate.
Quickly, she set the pot on the table, dried her hands on her apron and took Elise’s arm. “Aye!” she exclaimed in a low whisper. “Let us go at once.”
Aye, she was perfectly willing to risk drowning in order not to have to look at the handsome Albert MacAulay.
They stopped at the laundry on their way out of the keep, to grab drying cloths. Laurin was in such a hurry to be away from Albert that she had given no real thought to what she was actually getting herself into. Her sole focus was to avoid having to look into those bright green eyes again.
The loch was a good distance away from the keep. It had taken them more than a half an hour to reach it by foot. ’Twasn’t until she actually saw the water come into focus that she realized what she’d done. To her eyes, it seemed nearly as big as the ocean. Wide and deep, the water lapped at the rock bank. Nearly half the lock was surrounded by a dense forest.
“Mayhap we should try for a warmer day,” Laurin said as they stood on the rocky bank.
Elise, who had been talking almost non-stop the entire way, looked as though Laurin had lost her mind. “Have ye no’ been listenin’ to a word I said?” she asked. “’Tis all we’ve talked about the entire way here.”
In truth, she hadn’t been paying much attention. “I be terribly sorry, Elise,” she said.
Elise rolled her eyes. “Ye canna fool me. Yer mind be on Albert.”
She felt her cheeks grow hot. Be it that obvious, she wondered.
Elise giggled. “Och, lass, there be nothin’ wrong with havin’ feelins fer him. He is a braw and good man. Ye could do far worse.”
Oh, she had experienced far worse but did not have the courage or strength to inform Elise of it.
“Now, are ye goin’ to let me teach ye how to swim?”
Reckoning ’twas better to let Elise have her way than to have the topic turn back to Albert, she reluctantly agreed. “’Tis terrifyin’,” she murmured as she stared out at the calm water. From somewhere inside her, a little voice whispered, ye’ve been through far more terrifyin’ times than this.
Taking a deep breath and straightening her back, she decided she could at least try. “Verra well,” she said in a resolute tone. “But I swear, if ye let me drown, I’ll haunt ye all the rest of my days.”
Elise laughed heartily. “I swear, I’ll no’ let ye drown. Albert would kill me.”
Laurin didn’t care what her new friend’s reasons might be. But if fear of Albert’s wrath kept her in check, she’d be thankful for it.
In a matter of moments, they were wearing nothing but their chemises and heading toward the water. Laurin held on to Elise’s hand with a deathlike grip as her knees began to shake.
“’Twill be all right,” Elise encouraged her. “I promise. We can begin with just gettin’ into the water.”
Reluctantly, Laurin put in one big toe. “’Tis freezin’!” she exclaimed, removing her toe quickly.
“Och, it be no’ that cold,” Elise said. “’Tis best to go in all at once.”
All at once? Nay, Laurin didn’t think she could do that, just dive right in. Even if she weren’t terrified out of her wits.
It took some time, but eventually Elise was able to coa
x her into the water. Soon, she was up to her waist.
“See?” Elise said with an encouraging smile. “’Tis no’ so bad.”
Laurin’s teeth chattered. “How on earth do ye stand this bloody cold?” she asked.
Elise ignored her complaints and eased her deeper into the water, until it was almost to her chest. It was getting more difficult for her to keep her feet on the smooth rocks, and panic began to swell. She took in a deep breath of air, frightened that she might go under at any moment.
“Wheest, lass,” Elise told her. “Ye’ll be fine as long as ye do no’ panic. Panic is what kills a person.”
“Are ye sure it be not lungs filled with water that does a person in?” Laurin snapped.
Continuing to ignore her protests, Elise offered words of encouragement along with instructions on how to survive whilst in the water. After several attempts, Laurin was finally able to float on her back without thrashing her arms or flailing about.
“Ye be doin’ verra well!” Elise exclaimed right after removing her supportive arms from under Laurin’s back. “Ye be doin’ it all on yer own now!”
Laurin squealed with delight and pride. “I am!”
She floated for some time before Elise suggested she stand up and try dunking her head under water to get a feel of it. Not nearly as afraid as she had been, Laurin took a deep breath, pinched her fingers around her nose just as Elise was demonstrating and went under. She was only able to count to five before she had to come back up. Not for air necessarily, but because fear was beginning to wrap its fingers around her heart.
She coughed and sputtered as water ran down her skin, her hair plastered to her side. Triumphant, she smiled at her friend as she wiped the water from her eyes.
“Verra good!” Elise said with a smile. “See? I told ye!”
Even she had to admit that she was doing better than she had anticipated. “Ye be a good teacher!” Laurin said.
She continued to practice dunking her head under the water. Her goal was to stay under longer with each new attempt. Soon, she was able to count to thirty before needing to come up for air, feeling even more empowered and strong.
“I canna thank ye enough, Elise,” she said with a beaming smile. “I never knew how much fun this could be.”
“Ye be verra welcome. On the morrow, we shall teach ye how to swim right and proper. Before ye know it, ye’ll be swimmin’ like the fish.”
Though she would have preferred to stay and continue practicing, the hour was growing late. “How long have we been here?” she wondered aloud.
Elise shrugged. “No’ long, but I think mayhap we should get back. The sky has the promise of rain to it now.”
Laurin looked westward. Though ’twas still bright and sunny overhead, off in the distance the sky was dark and ominous. “Aye, let’s go.” She had no desire to be caught out in the open during a thunderstorm.
There are times in a man’s life where luck and fate work together in his favor. And today, fate and luck were working in Helmert MacAdams’ favor.
They’d arrived on the isle the day before, way ahead of the MacAulay men and wagons, waiting patiently to find a way into the keep. With each moment that passed, Clarence became more and more excited about the wealth, riches and power that were just within their reach, as well as the prospect of getting Laurin back.
Darvord, however, was less than thrilled. “There be no way into that keep. And it be bloody cold here! How can anyone stand it?” he groused impatiently.
“Quit yer belly achin’, will ye?” Clarence said. “We’ll get in there, ye’ll see.”
“How?” he demanded. “None of ye have come up with a decent plan yet.”
Clarence didn’t rightly know at the moment how they would gain entry. He only knew that he firmly believed they would. He refused to give up hope after coming this far.
They were hidden in a dense forest, not far from the MacAulay keep, running a cold camp. Any fire would have brought much unwanted attention and ’twas a risk they could not afford to take. Scouts had returned the evening before to inform them of their close proximity to the keep to which they so desperately wanted to gain entry. Helmert believed that if he were patient enough, the right opportunity would present itself. “Patience, my friends, patience,” he told them.
’Twas then that they heard the sound of unmistakable laughter floating through the trees. The group sat in stunned silence for a long moment, straining their ears to listen. Moments later, they heard it again. ’Twas women laughing.
Scrambling to their feet with swords drawn, they made their way to the edge of the forest. Helmert saw her first and his mouth fell open. “I canna believe it.”
Neither could Clarence or Darvord.
Not more than fifty paces away from them was Laurin.
They were making their way out of the water when Elise heard it. The soft footfalls of someone trying very hard not to be heard. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to convince herself it was probably Albert or someone else who had come to fetch them home. But the hair standing up on the back of her neck, that small voice inside warned that whoever it was, was no friend.
Upon hearing the same sound again, Elise turned to see who or what was walking across the rocky bank behind them. In an instant, her skin paled, her eyes widened in horror right before she let out a blood-curdling scream.
Laurin grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her out of the water. She dare not look back, for in truth, it mattered not who it was. The only thing that mattered was getting to safety.
Scrambling out of the water and up the slippery rocks, they tumbled and fell more than once. Laurin’s heart pounded against her breast with an all-too-familiar sense of terror. With her hair, body and clothes soaked, she could not find level purchase on the rocks. Slipping again, she fell to her hands and feet. As she struggled to stand, to make the best attempt at escape, she was picked up from behind.
“Laurin, me sweet! Have ye missed me?”
For the briefest of moments, she thought she’d hit her head and was perchance having a nightmare. But as soon as she smelled him, felt his hot breath against her ear, the hand clamped over her mouth, she knew. ’Twas her living nightmare returned.
Her heart pounded with terror against her breast, her legs shook as her stomach roiled. Nay! This can no’ be happenin’! When she finally opened her eyes, she could see that Clarence was with Helmert, as was Darvord and several men from the MacAdams clan. Clarence was holding Elise in the same harsh manner, with one hand over her mouth. Her eyes were filled with terror.
Please, God, do no’ let them hurt her!
“Ye do as I say and I’ll no’ kill ye,” Helmert whispered in her ear. “Nod if ye understand.”
She nodded rapidly, as she fought hard to make sense of what was happening. Her mind raced, wondering why he was here, how on earth he had gotten this close to the keep, and a hundred other questions she either could not answer or was too afraid to.
“Good,” he whispered against her neck. “Do ye ken why we be here?”
She had no earthly idea. Giving a shake of her head, she tried to think of a way to escape, or at the very least, to keep any harm from coming to Elise.
“Besides the fact that Clarence has missed ye, we want the Gladius.”
The Gladius? How did he know about the sword? She had never breathed a word of it to anyone and without a doubt knew that Josephine hadn’t either.
As if he could read her mind, he chuckled against her ear. “Aye, I ken all about the Gladius and the treasures.”
Treasures? What treasures? She had no knowledge of such things.
“Do ye ken where it be?”
She gave a slow nod.
“I am goin’ to remove me hand,” he told her as he unsheathed his dirk and pressed it against her neck. “If ye wish to live, ye’ll no’ scream or do anythin’ else foolish.”
Agreeing, she gave another silent nod.
Withdrawing his hand cautiously,
he turned her to face him. He bore that all too familiar repugnant smile that she hated. “Where is it?”
Her answer might very well lead to her death, but there was no way around it. “Joie gave it to Graeme as a weddin’ gift.”
Anger flamed in an instant. He raked a hand through his hair and began to curse. “She gave it to him?” he asked rhetorically through gritted teeth.
Laurin could only nod an affirmation.
“Bloody hell!” he seethed as he began to pace about the rocky bank.
She possessed far too much personal experience and knew what he was like when angry. Tension, apprehension, hung in the air like heavy smoke. They watched in fearful silence as he paced and mumbled to himself. After a time, he came to an abrupt halt, turned and stared at Elise. That horrifying smile returned. “What be yer name?” he demanded.
Clarence removed his hand from her mouth so she could answer. “Elise,” she told him. Her voice was shaky, filled with dread and fear.
Helmert stood just inches from her and leaned in. “Elise, ye’re goin’ to deliver a message fer us.”
Her brow furrowed. “A message?”
“Aye, a very important message to Graeme MacAulay.”
Terrified, she could only look at him with a good measure of uncertainty.
“Ye’ll tell Graeme MacAulay that he is to meet me in a week’s time, at me keep. And he will bring the Gladius with him. Do ye understand? He’s to come alone, with no other. If he wants to see Laurin alive again, he will bring the Gladius. Do ye understand?”
With tear-filled eyes, she whispered that she did.
“Good,” he smiled down at her. “Ye are not to move from this spot until night falls, do ye understand? I’m going to leave Clarence here with ye, to make certain ye do as ye’re told.”
“Nay!” Laurin shouted as she grabbed Helmert’s arm. “Do no’ leave her here with him! Ye ken what he’ll do to her!” she pleaded.
With Love from the Highlands : A Highlander Love Story Duet, One Page 15
