Page 92 of Wild Highland Rose
"All right." He felt her relax and heard the whisper of a resigned sigh. "What do we do?"
"Well, the way I see it, there's no way we can go through the front gate. The minute someone sees us, we've tipped Torcall off and any advantage we have is gone. So that leaves the Tinker's gate. Unless there's a third way into the tower that you haven't told me about."
"Nay, there's no' another."
"Okay, then our first step is to figure out how to get there without anyone noticing us."
"Well, the shortest route would be to cut across the meadow. But they'd see us the minute we cleared the trees." She frowned in concentration. "Which leaves us with two other options. We can go a bit farther north until we reach one of the crofter's huts. There should be a curach there. We could paddle out to the causeway."
"No thanks," he shook his head, "I've had enough adventure with Scottish boats. Besides we can't afford to lose the time it would take. What's the third option?"
"'Tis a bit more risky, but it might work. See the trees by the edge o' the water?"
He glanced to the north. The forest thinned considerably, but there were indeed scattered clumps of birch reaching all the way to the lake.
"It will take us longer, but the trees will provide more cover than if we try to cross the meadow directly. After that, we can follow the shoreline of the loch. 'Twill take us straight to the Tinker's gate. We'll be out in the open for a wee bit, but the loch should provide protection."
"It might work. At any rate it's our best shot. We'll head for the edge of the woods and then wait for Torcall to make his move. Agreed?"
She nodded. "Cameron?"
He kept his eyes on the group of men outside the tower. "Hmmm?"
"What are we going to do once we reach the Tinker's gate?"
He leaned over, brushing his lips lightly against hers. "Don't worry, Marjory mine. We'll think of something."
The huge gatestood firmly in place, its iron hinges rusted in place. It was impassable. "Well, I don't think they came in this way."
Marjory nodded, her eyes narrowed in thought. "The gate hasna been used since my father's death. I'm surprised it hasna fallen into worse disrepair."
"Is there another way in?"
"No' that I remember."
"Well, they've got to have found some way, because they're certainly not here." He made his way to the edge of the lake.The wall extended about fifty feet into the cold, dark water, a jagged stain of green marring the stones. The line of algae was considerably higher than the water lapping placidly at the base of the wall. "Does the wall continue around the corner?" He glanced up at Marjory, who had followed him to the water's edge.
"Nay. Father always thought the loch was enough of a deterrent. The north wall runs along the inside o' the causeway starting at the far side o' the gate. This part of the wall is merely an extension, meant to keep invaders off the wee strip o' land."
"How deep is the lake here?"
"I dinna know. 'Tis impossible to tell without getting in. The water is too murky to ever see the bottom."
Squatting down, he began to methodically search the ground at the water's edge. Finally, almost hidden by large rock he found what he was looking for. The soft mud between the boulder and the water should have been unmarred, washed smooth by the lake. Instead, the ground was pock marked, as though a very bad golfer had swung and missed over and over again. Or, more appropriate to the times, as though Torcall's men had walked around the rock and entered the lake, intent of making their way around the wall.
"Why do you ask?" Marjory knelt beside him, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Well, we know they didn't use the Tinker's gate and I doubt that they headed for the main gate. So, as I see it, that would only leave one option."
Marjory's eyes widened. "You think they went into the loch?"
"I do."
"But if it's deep, how would they manage? They're heavily armed and claymores are no' something I'd want to be swimming with." She shuddered and Cameron wondered if she was thinking about her own close call with drowning.
"I don't think they had to swim."
"I dinna follow."
