Page 2 of Highlander's Secret Heiress
Alyth had a dreadful premonition that something awful was going to happen as the Laird sat down beside her and took her hand before looking into her eyes earnestly.
“Alyth,” he began gently, “I have found a husband for you. You are to be married to Laird James Robertson.”
Alyth stared at him in shock for a moment, then she jumped to her feet and cried, “No! No, Da. I willnotmarry him. He is twice my age at least, and I find him repulsive. No!”
She stood glaring down at her father, her fists clenched by her side as her whole being boiled with rage.
“Calm down, Alyth,” her father pleaded as he gently drew her down beside him again. “The contract has already been signed, and your dowry has been paid. Now listen to me. Laird Robertson is the head of a strong clan. He is wealthy and has a large garrison, so he should be able to protect you from any harm.”
“I told you I can look after myself,” Alyth said stubbornly.
The Laird put his face in his hands and sighed. He had known this would be his daughter’s reaction. She was nothing if not headstrong, and had a will of iron. Once she set her mind to something, she was immovable.
“I know you can,” her father conceded, “but not in every situation, Alyth. With all due respect, no matter how well you can fight, you are still a woman, and you have a duty to your clan.” He stood up. “Now, you must prepare yourself because Laird Robertson will be here tomorrow morning to meet you, and I expect you to be smartly dressed and respectful to him. He may not be your idea of a perfect husband, but rest assured that if I thought he would harm you in any way, I would not let him near you.”
Alyth nodded slowly. “I know, Da,” she replied. “I know you only have my best interests at heart, so I will do as you say.”
The Laird hugged her and gave Alyth a kiss on her forehead, then left, pleased that his daughter saw sense for once.
But Alyth did not move. She only stood for a moment looking into the fire, her mind already working. She had anticipated that her father would do this, although not with someone like Laird Robertson.
She already had a plan ready. All she had to do now was put it into action.
Alyth told her maid to lay out one of her more attractive day dresses, then went to bed as usual, since she did not want her routine to be any different from the normal one. There must be no shadow of suspicion at all.
After the maid left, Alyth packed a few of her oldest clothes in a small, well-worn bag that one of the maids had given her in exchange for a cheap necklace that Alyth no longer wanted.
In the soft light of dawn, she went to fetch her horse, varying her routine only slightly by arriving a little later. That way, she hoped, the Laird would have dismissed the guard who would, no doubt, be watching and waiting for her.
At last, she was outside the castle and on her way. Her heart ached, however, as she thought of her father’s anxiety. She had left him a note explaining why she was going away without telling him, and told him not to worry, even though she knew it would be natural for him to do so. However, this was farewell.
Then she shook her mind free of him, and thought of what she was going to do next. She had heard that the young Laird Carrick was a greater deal kinder than his father and would take pity on someone in a state of poverty and despair. So, she intended to let herself be hired as a maid.
Alyth had hidden a little money in the seams of her clothing, but she knew it would not last long. Hopefully, it would not takeher long to recover the treasure she sought. It was all Alyth had left of her, and she was determined to find it.
Thereafter, she had a vague idea of taking a ship to somewhere far away where Laird Robertson had no way of finding her, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.
Her heart ached for her father, but Alyth had been locked in for way too many years. Freedom was calling to her, and she would not waste any chance.
Daylight was breaking when the mighty bulk of Leithmuir Castle appeared in front of her, silhouetted against the lightening sky. It was a formidable structure, and for a moment Alyth hesitated, completely intimidated. She dismounted and set her horse free. She could not turn back now.
She began to walk towards the castle, stopping on the way to smear her face with mud from a puddle, then tear the hem of her dress and dirty it. Now she looked the part of a poor, desolate soul with nowhere to go. She hoped she had done enough, but all she could do now was act the part and hope for the best.
1
Alyth stumbled up the hill towards the castle, half-bent over as if she were in pain. Presently, she heard a loud shout from one of the guards at the huge gate. “Hey ye!” he cried. “What dae ye want?”
Alyth looked up at him. She had always been a good actress, and now she summoned up a flood of tears that ran in streaks down her filthy cheeks as she sobbed painfully. She stumbled as far as a few feet from the mighty gate and looked up at the man who had cried out.
“Could you give me something to eat and drink, sir?” she asked pitifully. “I am so hungry. I’ll be on my way after that, I promise.”
She watched as one of the others came to stand beside the first man, and after they had talked for a few moments, a gate, just big enough to admit one person, opened at the bottom of the big one.
“Come in, hen,” the first guard said. He was a burly man in his middle years who looked as though he could bring down a bull with his bare hands, but he had a kindly face with gentle blue eyes.
He put an arm around Alyth’s shoulders as he ushered her inside, then he took her to the guards’ room and sat her down on one of their hard wooden seats.
He ordered one of the other men to bring a blanket, then some food and warm ale, and kept a close eye on her as she ate. Alyth did not have to pretend to be hungry. She was ravenous, and wolfed down the porridge, eggs, and sausages she had been given in short order without any regard for good manners. Now was not the time to be a lady—she needed to look as pathetic as possible.
