Page 63 of Eloping with the Laird
‘Garrick is a good man to offer such, and I am grateful for the aid from Bran. Rescuing Moira is what is most important. All differences can be set aside for now.’ Even if he did despise his father-in-law.
Angus emerged from outside and rushed down the hall to him. ‘My laird, I heard ye woke.’ He clapped him on the shoulder.
‘Aye. I am up and ready to retrieve my wife and child-to-be.’
‘Then let me assist ye in getting dressed as they ready the mounts and supplies.’
‘And, Uncle, bring anything you believe we will need to barter in case it comes to that. And send word to the Camerons. We may need their assistance yet.’
‘Aye. I’ll gather coin and send out the messengers immediately. Let us hope that we rescue her before they can even arrive.’
As Angus helped Rory back to his chamber for a bath and shave, Rory imagined all the ways he would bring the Frasers to their knees for what they had done or planned to do to his wife and unborn bairn.
Peter Fraser would not have his revenge after all, but Rory McKenna would.
‘What is our plan?’ Enora asked.
‘To survive,’ Moira answered flatly and then smirked at her lady’s maid.
‘Anything more specific?’ she teased as she styled Moira’s hair in a plait down her back. She wished to look as serious and formidable as possible. She could only hope it might work.
Over the last few days, Moira had helped to care for her maid as they were held by the Frasers at the dreary Dunnes Castle she’d fought hard to escape not so long ago. The colour had returned to her lady’s maid’s cheeks, and she’d gained enough strength to walk unaided. Moira hoped the same could be said for Rory.
She knew that her risk in coming here had been worth it. Without doing so, a battle could have raged for days between the clans and Dr Wilkes would have never been able to get back to her husband. Hourly, she prayed that he had made it to Rory in time and that her previous wish to become a widow once more hadnotcome true.
Enora tugged at Moira’s corset once more and then Moira stepped into her gown. ‘Soon you won’t be able to fit into this gown, my lady.’ She smiled and Moira grinned back at her reflection in the mirror.
‘You are right. An unexpected miracle, don’t you think?’
She nodded.
‘I can only hope I am allowed a few more: for Rory to live and to escape this mess I’m in.’
‘The messwe’rein,’ Enora corrected.
Moira squeezed her hand. The lass was right. The Frasers were after both of them for supposedly conspiring to kill Peter. While that couldn’t be further from the truth, the true cause of Peter’s death as well as their role in it would not be decided by them. The Fraser clan elders would arrive and ask questions and make their own decision. Then what came next was a mystery. They’d never charged two women, let alone a woman who carried a child, with the murder of a former husband and future laird. Everyone was walking upon uncharted ground.
A loud knock sounded at the door, and they both stilled. ‘The elders await ye,’ a man stated on the other side.
‘I thought we had two more hours before they would fetch us?’ Moira whispered, her heartbeat picking up its pace in alarm at the sudden change in plans.
Enora shrugged. ‘Perhaps they decided sooner was better.’ She finished buttoning Moira’s dress.
‘I suppose we are as ready as we shall ever be.’ Moira rose, brushed down her skirts and followed Enora to the door. When she opened it, Moira saw a young man in Fraser plaid with long brown hair and wide eyes, not a soldier as she expected. He pushed his way in and closed the door behind him.
Moira moved away from him and pulled Enora by her side.
‘We’ve not much time,’ he began. ‘But if we leave now, I can get ye out of here.’
Moira stilled. ‘What? I don’t understand. You wear Fraser plaid. Why would you take such a risk?’ she asked, regaining her composure. ‘You don’t know me. You also know the Frasers will never let this rest. Even if we escape, they would still hound us. This will never be over until we face it.’
‘But, my lady, I know ye did nothing.’ The lad looked anxiously from her face to the door and back again.
Moira stepped closer. ‘How do you know that I am innocent of these crimes against me?’
He blushed. ‘I was outside yer window. Nothing untoward, I promise. I was working the garden that day and I heard yer scream. I stopped. I saw him grab ye, what he did. Well, what he tried to do.’ He dropped his gaze and began to study the top of his boot. ‘It wasn’t right. Laird or not, he shouldn’t have hurt ye. I was relieved ye escaped.’
Her hands turned clammy and her heartbeat felt irregular, as if it belonged to someone else, and was pounding away in her chest to free itself. ‘Did you ever tell anyone this?’
