Page 74 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
26
Emily stared out into the night and shivered.
It had not occurred to her until now that tomorrow was their wedding day. There was a part of her that hoped James would show up, that he would be killed, and that she could go home. Then, the other part, a darker, deeper part, wanted the wedding to take place and for her to be tied to Adam forever.
She walked to her desk and picked up Ceana’s letter. She had not yet written a reply, and perhaps she wouldn’t wait for Adam’s permission to post it, after all.
I may be goin’ home tomorrow.
The knowledge brought mixed emotions.
Lowering the letter, she went to her wardrobe and opened the creaking door. Inside hung her wedding dress.
Lady MacNiall had been true to her word—the dress had been altered and taken in. Emily took it out, laid it out on the bed, and ran her hands over the dark red fabric.
Frowning, she picked it up and took it to the mirror, holding it in front of her and trying to picture herself walking into the kirk.
What would Adam think when she arrived? Would he think she looked good?
Does he care?
He had forbidden her to leave the castle without him today, and the demand had infuriated her. It was only when she had reached her room that she realized how foolish her actions that day had been.
In truth, she had not thought of James at all when she had gone with Lucas. Adam was right—she could have been in great danger if James had followed her. She did not know what she would have done if he had turned up and forced her to leave with him.
A shiver ran through her. She had already been kidnapped during one wedding. What if Adam’s plan failed, and he was unable to protect her?
Nerves began to multiply, and she threw the dress onto a chair, ran her fingers through her hair, and began to pace.
What is to become of me? Me faither and me braither willnae be here tomorrow, and me intended doesnae even want to marry me.
Her stomach growled loudly, and she glanced at the door. Perhaps she could go to the kitchens and find some food.
When the time came for supper, she refused to eat with the family again. She hadn’t wanted to face more disapproval from Adam’s mother for what she had done. But that had meant that she had barely eaten anything all day, save for Mrs. Young’s cake several hours ago.
She tiptoed to the door and opened it.
The corridor was dark and empty, and she saw no sign of anyone. She considered trying to escape again, but she knew it would be foolish—Adam would only find her. Her stomach growled, and after another glance down the pitch-black corridor, shewent back into her room.
Grabbing the candelabra from her bedside table, she returned to the corridor. The flickering light cast shadows over the wall, but it triggered excitement rather than fear. Often in her youth, she had wandered the halls of Wilkinson Castle, wondering what she might find lurking in the darkness.
She thought of the dragon Freya had spoken of in the underground passageways.
A bit of exploration will certainly make me tired.
When she opened the door to the rear passage, she expected to find it dark, but the torches were still burning. A servant must go back there frequently to keep them alight.
She looked behind her at the large portrait of Adam on the wall, staring at his dark gaze. Then she walked into the passage and closed the door behind her.
Bringing the candelabra turned out to have been quite pointless, for when she shut the door, the violent draft snuffed out the flames. She sighed, placed it on the floor at her feet, and walked down the passage.
She had decided to explore tonight. She did not feel tired at all, and it might be diverting to find out where all of the doors led.
The servants must use them too, for one door led to the laundry, and another led to the armory.
Eventually, to her surprise, the passage began to slope down. Intrigued, she continued on her path, expecting to find a monster around every corner, but instead, she came upon a ladder.
As she reached it, there was a perfectly circular hole above her head, calling to her to look inside.
