Page 76 of How to Be a Scottish Mistress

She filled her lungs with fresh air and resisted the strong urge to push her mount into a gallop. Nay, though she longed to move with haste to increase the distance between herself and Gavin, Fiona knew it was necessary to keep pace with the slow-moving cart or else the men might start asking questions. Only the armed escort rode with any sense of urgency, keeping a fair distance ahead as they scouted for any signs of trouble.

Though she might wish to ride with them, Fiona was very aware that it was the soldiers leading the escort who posed the greatest risk of uncovering her true identity. It was therefore essential that she shield herself from their notice. Thus, she stayed near the heavily laden cart, doing her best to avoid the dust it stirred as it labored along the road.

It would be hours before she was missed; perhaps days before they thought to search for her along this route. As they dipped into a valley, the swirling mist once again shrouded their tracks. A good omen for the day of her leave-taking, Fiona decided.

If only the pain in her heart agreed.

Despite Father Niall’s best efforts and meticulous planning, Fiona’s departure did not go entirely unnoticed. Restless and unable to sleep, Aileen gave up trying and rose from her bed. ’Twas no use; no matter what position she twisted her body into, her mind would not remain quiet.

She could no longer deny that the future she had believed to be set was in truth unsettled. She had come to wed the earl with high expectations and an open heart, but these past few days she was filled with a nagging frustration she could not understand.

The earl was polite, yet distant. Kind, but distracted. She knew he was doing his duty in this marriage—as was she—but she had hoped there would be more. A sign that the union brought him at least a degree of contentment, a special look of admiration meant only for her, evidence of a growing affection that someday might blossom into love.

Was that really too much for a lass to ask of her future husband? Was she being foolish? Naive?

Her mind in a whirl, Aileen paced her small bedchamber. She needed air! Fearful of waking her maid, Aileen silently gathered her cloak around her shoulders to ward off the predawn chill and slipped from the room.

There were several startled expressions from the guards as she climbed the circular stone stairs to the curtain wall to watch the sunrise, but none challenged her right to be among them. The view from the tower was a sight to behold. Not only was the inner courtyard revealed, but the village below and the outline of the distant hills were also in plain sight. Seeing the vastness around her brought a calm to her nerves, along with a much needed sense of freedom.

Leaning forward on the parapets, Aileen looked down. The waning moonlight reflected off the water in the moat, its shimmering blackness offering an almost mesmerizing fascination. Turning her gaze to the inner courtyard below, she saw two figures leaving the chapel, walking with purpose toward the stables.

One was a priest, the other was—Lady Fiona? Though the woman’s face was hidden in the hood of her cloak, Aileen recognized the garment she wore, for it was a distinctly English style. Her curiosity soon gave way to puzzlement as she saw Fiona hug the priest, mount her horse and then follow placidly behind a large cart drawn by a pair of oxen.

Within minutes, they all disappeared from view. Realizing it was too late to call out and capture their attention, Aileen moved from the battlements. Back in her bedchamber, she dressed quickly and silently, then hurried to the stables.

The young stable boy was slack-jawed when she cast him a flirty smile, never once questioning her orders for her mare to be saddled, nor even noticing that she lacked a proper guard to accompany her.

The next challenge that awaited was the castle gate. Aileen felt her blood surge with anticipation as she drew near. She was a laird’s daughter, raised to be respected and obeyed. It would be an interesting test indeed to see if her usual forceful demeanor would succeed in getting the McLendon men to do her bidding.

Alas, she never got the chance to try. The senior guard had left his post to relieve himself and the unfortunate lad who stood sentry with him had been celebrating his brother’s marriage until the wee hours of the morning.

Badly hungover and practically asleep on his feet, he paid little heed to those leaving the castle. A disgraceful display, in Aileen’s opinion, though to be fair she believed it more important that the guard prevent undesirables from entering the domain rather than scrutinize those who were leaving.

In any case, she was through the gates without incident. Once again feeling an almost giddy sense of freedom, Aileen dug in her heels and urged her mount to increase its speed. She would have to ride hard and fast in order to intercept Fiona and her escort before anyone in the castle realized they were missing.

With each passing mile, the fear of discovery was slowly easing out of Fiona’s mind, lessening the knot in her stomach. Everything was going according to plan. Father Niall had said he told the men she was traveling with that she was a dutiful servant of God in need of the safety of an escort as she began her pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin Mother. Clearly they had not questioned the priest’s word, for they paid her no mind.

With the heavy cart pulled by the lumbering oxen, they continued the journey at an indolent pace. Fiona’s mare swayed, expertly avoiding a low-hanging branch that nearly knocked her from the saddle. She pulled her mount into the center of the road directly behind the cart and was concentrating on avoiding the tree branches when she heard the sound of galloping hooves closing in behind her.

Every muscle inside Fiona tensed. She twisted in her saddle, squinting through the swirling mist, and caught a glimpse of the rider.Good Lord!’Twas not Gavin, nor any of his men, but rather a woman. Fiona squinted again. Aileen?

The sight nearly stopped Fiona in her tracks. Turning forward, she lifted herself in the saddle, peering worriedly at the driver over the sacks of grain piled high in the cart. He never moved his head, letting her know he had not yet heard the approaching horse.

Knowing she had to intercept Aileen before any of the men saw her, Fiona turned her mount and doubled back for a few minutes, seeking a more private area off the open road where they could converse without being overheard. She cantered into an open field, then guided her impatient mount in a tight circle, resisting the strong urge to flee. No, ’twould be best to speak with Aileen and discover why she had followed her. Then hopefully she could extract a promise from the young woman to tell no one what she had seen.

Aileen slowed her horse as she drew closer, stopping at Fiona’s side. “Fiona! I knew ’twas ye I saw with the priest in the bailey.” Aileen glared at her with accusing eyes. “Where are ye going? And why did ye leave so suddenly, without saying farewell?”

Guilt tore at Fiona’s throat. How much of the truth could she reveal before causing Aileen hurt? “I’m sorry. There wasn’t time to say good-bye,” Fiona replied, deliberately answering only the last question.

Aileen flashed her a look of pure disbelief. “Why are ye leaving?” she asked again.

So many words and emotions besieged her mind, yet Fiona could speak none of them aloud. “’Tis time for me to go, Aileen.”

“What? Why? Ye must tell me yer reasons. I swear to ye, I’ll not be going anywhere until ye do,” Aileen announced, emphasizing her point by getting off her horse.

Fiona tried to contain herself. She had come too far to fail now. Truly. But Aileen’s interference was maddening. Did she not realize that this was best for all of them?

Fiona muttered beneath her breath and reluctantly dismounted. In the distance, she could hear the grain cart ambling down the dirt road. No matter. It moved slowly; she would be able to regain her place beside it as soon as she convinced Aileen to return to the castle. And keep her mouth shut.

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