Page 37 of The Highlander's Pirate Bride

She nodded and reluctantly clasped the box. “In exchange fer these, I leave ye in charge of me birlinn and me crew. I ken ye’ll keep all safe. If ye can escape also, it will bring me great joy tae see ye again.”

They both got to their feet and hugged her tightly.

“Aye. Go safely Captain. We’ll meet again before long.”

Finn flicked a tear from her eye. “What he said. Once ye’ve gone, there’ll be naught tae keep us here. We’ll nae be far behind ye. Go with God lass, safe journey.”

Never one for goodbyes, Aileen turned and was gone before the sob welling in her chest had a chance to break free.

Then she made her silent way to Maxwell’s bedchamber clutching the ebony baton in her right hand and the long, timber box under her arm.

Approaching the corridor leading to his chamber, she slowed. If was likely the guards were at his door and she had no wish to announce her presence. She crept forward in the dimly lit passage. Rounding a corner, she spied two guards outside a door halfway along that she guessed must lead to Maxwell’s chamber.

She breathed a soft sigh of relief knowing that the guards on duty there meant Sutherland’s soldiers had not yet come to escort Maxwell to the dungeon.

No doubt the guards anticipated that any threat to them would come from their prisonerinsidethe bedchamber and not from the passage outside, lending her the element of surprise.

She lowered the box to the floor and hefted the black weapon, gauging its weight and strength in her hand, smiling as she did so. The guards would not ken what had hit them.

The two men were slouched against the door, looking for all the world as if standing guard here was the most uninteresting thing in the world. Aileen would be so kind as to enliven their night with a few quick blows to the head.

It was over in seconds. The first man went down without even a moan and the second, who looked around in alarm as his companion crumpled to the floor quickly met a similar fate.

She looked at the two men lying at her feet, one of whom had a large ring of keys attached to his belt. It took some time to find a key that turned the lock on Maxwell’s door but eventually she found it and the door swung open.

Maxwell was standing by the door, his face tight with tension, the iron poker from the fire in his hand.

“Holy saints, lass I am pleased tae see ye.” He glanced at the two men, still silent and unmoving on the passage. He flung aside the poker and seized one man’s legs and dragged him into the chamber. Aileen seized the other and together they quickly removed him from the passage and concealed him within the room.

Maxwell looked at her with a wry grin. “Hearing the rattling of keys I thought it must be Sutherland’s soldiers come for me and I was ready to take a few of them out before they dragged me away. Ye were fortunate I didnae come at ye with the poker.”

She giggled softly. “’Twould have been yer poker against me truncheon.” She displayed the ebony rod before concealing it beneath her cloak.

He rubbed his head. “Ye’d win that bout I suspect.”

“Now, before these men return to the land of the living, let’s begone. We’ve nae time tae waste.”

“I’m ready, lass.” He grabbed his cloak and slung it around his shoulders. I’ve naught tae take wi’ me.”

“Here.” She shoved the long timber box into his hands. “Ye might find this of use.”

Opening the box his eyes widened. He removed the claymore and tucked it and the dirk into his belt. “I believe I may find a use for these wicked instruments before much time has passed.”

With that, the two of them hurried down the passageway, Aileen taking the lead. They progressed as quietly as they could to another passage and down a narrow flight of stairs.

“I made it me business to ken every passage and find all the ways out this place when I was here. This staircase will take us to the side of the castle. From there, there’s a rocky path that will lead us to the place where the ships are moored.”

“And is this rough pathway one that the guards patrol.”

She shook her head. “They’ll nae patrol the path but they’ll be guarding the landing. We may well have to fight our way to one of the smaller boats.”

Maxwell paused. “Are ye coming wi’ me?”

She nodded, placing a finger at his lips to hush the words of surprise she imagined were hovering on his tongue.

He kept his voice low and soft. “I didnae think ye would ever leave yer faither. Is he nae under threat from Sutherland, tae pay fer yer disobedience?”

“Aye. I wouldnae, but I spoke wi’ him and he urged me tae leave. He spelled out a ruse fer me tae use that may spare him.”

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