Kate Robbins - The Highland Chiefs Series 03 (18 page)

“I often wonder the same thing myself, Fergus. Watching Alexander taunt Freya made me question myself.”

“And question yourself you should. Always. We must always know who we are in here.” Fergus poked a spot on Ronan’s chest over his heart. “You are a good man, Ronan Sutherland. Believe it.”

Chapter Nineteen

Freya pressed her ear to the door and waited with her hand held out to the others behind her. She had been certain she heard footsteps. The past few hours had been pure hell, waiting to learn anything about what was going on outside. The chambers they occupied were in the back of the castle, and all the fighting was around the front.

Once the sun began setting, the fighting had ceased and she was desperate to learn something, anything, about what had happened. Muren and Morag had kept themselves occupied by praying with the bishop. Freya tried staying as far away from him as possible.

At first, he insisted she confess all her sins right then and there in front of everyone, but she had no intention of doing that. It was one thing to admit all that had transpired between her and Ronan before their marriage, but she certainly would not allow anyone else to hear it all besides the bishop.

They had changed chambers three times since the sound of battle ceased. She prayed if they kept moving, they would avoid detection and remain out of Sutherland’s grasp.

“Shhhh!” she said. “I hear footsteps. For certain this time.”

One of the guards came up beside her and pressed his ear to the door. His gazed flicked to the wall in concentration and then down to her. He nodded. They had to find a way out of this chamber or else they would surely be found. She had been disappointed that none of the chambers on this level of the castle appeared to have hidden passageways. Their escape would have been so much easier had they existed.

“We must wait until they pass before we leave,” he said.

Freya jerked back from the door when the sound of doors opening and closing reached her ears. They were checking the chambers! Oh, Lord, they would be found and then what? If Sutherland learned she had married Ronan, would that really stop him from torturing or killing her? And what of Muren and Morag? Muren was the next likely target for female excitement since she was most definitely not attached to anyone.

Freya shoved Morag and Muren under the bed. The bishop would be more difficult to hide in his frail state and so she made him stand in the corner behind a curtain. The guards had taken up post on either side of the door. Freya joined the other women under the bed. She felt ridiculous, but their hiding was necessary.

Another door opened and another closed. Two more. Closer this time. Whoever looked inside was not taking time to look under beds so her plan just might work. She prayed the guards did not feel the need to be heroic and do something foolish like to try capturing whoever eventually opened their door.

Another door opened. Another closed.

Freya worked to slow her breathing and calm down, and as the search drew closer, the more the butterflies in her belly fluttered. She glanced to her left to where Morag and Muren huddled. Both had their hands over their mouths to prevent any sudden noise of fright from escaping. Good idea. Freya did the same, though she did not expect to start screaming. Hysterical laughing maybe, but not screaming. She was way past that point.

The footsteps stopped outside their chamber. From underneath the door, Freya spied two dark streaks interrupting the light from the torches in the hallway.

The latch lifted and she held her breath. “We’ve already looked in the chambers down here,” a gruff voice said. “They’re not on this level.”

“Are you sure? I, for one, do not wish to face his lordship empty-handed.”

“Nor I, which is why I have no intention of looking in the same places twice.”

Freya prayed hard the man whose hand held the latch listened to his partner.

Shuffling beside her drew her attention. She looked over and noticed in the dim light that Morag now held both her hands over Muren’s mouth. What was wrong with her? They were almost out of this mess. Freya placed her finger to her lips to impress the need for silence upon them. But just then, she felt something brush by her other hand and she jumped a little. Flicking her hand, she batted the tiny furry creature away. Nothing but a small rodent. Certainly not worth risking their capture. She glared hard at Muren who seemed to settle right away.

“Did you hear something?” one of the guards outside asked.

“No. I did not,” another said. “Now, come on. We have to search the third floor yet before we can eat.”

“Very well,” the other said.

The latch clicked back into place and the footsteps quickly moved away.

Freya waited for a long while before she dared move out from underneath the bed. When she did, it appeared to be the signal for everyone else to move as well. She heaved a sigh of relief.

“We cannot stay here,” one of the guards said. “When Sutherland learns his men came up empty, he will order the castle searched again. And this time he will send more men and we will have no way to escape.”

Freya put her hands on her hips. “And just where do you suggest we go?”

The bishop came up beside her then. “I know where we can go,” he said.

She turned toward him and waited. “Well?”

“Where he left us.”

“The chapel? But it is just an open building. There are no chambers to hide in.”

“There are indeed very good places to hide in the chapel,” he said. “Are you not aware of the crypt?”

“I am not, and while that does sound like a very good hiding place, what makes you think they will not look there?”

“Because I do not believe the earl knows of its existence. He has only been back here a few weeks. I have been here the whole time and to my knowledge the only time he entered that chapel was earlier today when he intended to marry you.”

A glimmer of hope welled inside her for the first time in days.

“If that is so, then how do you propose we get from here to there? We’ve already established this castle has no hidden passageways.”

The bishop smiled. “My child, every castle has hidden passageways. You just need to know where to look.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “They can be accessed through the hallways on the second level. The chambers on the third level are all connected to them. They were intended for ease of escape during attack and since the family always sleeps on the third floor here, that is where they originate.”

“Who then, would have slept on the second floor?” Freya asked.

“Guests.”

“Clearly not as important as family.”

“Clearly,” he said.

“How is it you know so much about this castle, your grace?” she asked.

He smiled. “I was not always a bishop, you know. At one time, I was but a mere priest who served a family.”

“This family?”

“Aye. This family. But that was many years ago. I pray I remember which passageway leads to the outside.”

“Where do the others lead?”

“Oh, to the dungeon.”

His tone left her wondering if he were not toying with them and leading them directly to Sutherland. She turned to the guards. Surely, they knew the castle as well as the bishop.

“Do you know of these passageways?” she asked them. “And the crypt in the chapel?”

They all shook their heads. “This is the first time we have been in the castle,” the tallest one said. “Ronan recruited us yesterday.”

“Yesterday? What do you mean? Where were you before yesterday?”

They shuffled and glanced at one another before he spoke. “We are crofters, my lady.”

She gasped. “Have either of you held a sword before yesterday?”

“No, not really,” he said with a sheepish smile.

“And all this time you did not think to tell me you had little experience?” Dear God in Heaven, why would Ronan leave them in such inadequate hands?

“He said he valued our loyalty more than our skill. Do not worry, my lady. We will defend you with our lives.”

Freya shook her head. As if she did not have enough to worry about. At least he could have left her with a weapon.

“Show me the weapons you carry.”

They quickly showed her the swords sheathed at their sides, and the two dirks shoved in each boot.

“Pass me your extra dirks.”

They glanced at one another again.

Freya beckoned them with her hand. “Now, please. I know how to use a sword and a dirk as do Morag and Muren. We will be armed as well and thus increase the threat of our party.”

“I had not thought of that,” the tallest guard said.

“What is your name?”

“I am called Hamish,” he said.

“Malcolm.”

“Niall.”

“Well then Hamish, Malcolm, and Niall, I am giving you new orders. Your first priority is the bishop. He alone knows the way to the crypt and so we must get him there. If either of us falls, leave us. Do you understand? We must get as many of us there as possible, but we may very well encounter Sutherland’s guards who know a great deal more about fighting than any of us.”

“Understood,” they said in unison.

Understood indeed. Freya thanked God and her brother for her limited training. Fergus’s wife, Nessia, was an expert bow hunter and had taught Freya some of her technique, but circumstance and opportunity did not allow for much practice time. She had, however, spent plenty of time in the armoury feeling out the weight and balance of the dirks. Some of them were small enough to easily conceal, but would do little real damage. Her favourite kind was like the one she held now, with a light handle, stubby cross guards, and long, pointed blade. She could do some damage with this if she needed to.

“Are you ready, your grace?”

He turned to her with fear in his eyes. His gaze flicked down to the blade in her hand and then back up to meet hers.

“When we reach the chapel, Lady Sutherland, I believe you and I need to spend some time together confessing your many sins.”

She nearly choked on that. Many sins indeed. How long did he have? Then again, they might be hidden in the crypt for days. That would probably be enough time.

She held her hand out toward the door. Hamish stepped in front and slowly opened the door to peer outside. “After you, your grace.”

He frowned at her and took his place behind Hamish. Freya lined up Morag and Muren, then Malcolm, herself, and then Niall to follow from the rear.

They left the chamber, careful to close the door quietly behind them and crept against the stone walls. The bishop felt his way along the wall with his hands, looking for a latch of some sort, Freya supposed.

They were so exposed out here that she prayed he would find it soon. Luckily, and before too long he stopped by the side of an alcove. The left side that dipped toward the window had one stone that looked odd. The bishop pressed it and the wall revealed a door that pushed in. Freya’s heart soared.

They slipped in one by one and then closed the heavy stone door behind them. The air was damp and stale inside, and there was no light at all. All they could do was shuffle along until they reached the stairs and feel their way down with careful steps.

Freya bumped into Malcolm after about thirty steps.

“Shhhh,” she said.

“I did not say anything.”

“Shhhh anyway,” she said.

A straight line of light appeared ahead. It was connected to a vertical one that told her they had found a door. The scraping sound of stone grated on her frayed nerves. She never did like hide and seek, even as a child. Though the stakes in this game were certainly much higher.

One by one, they left the passageway. When it was Freya’s turn, she discovered that they had managed to find their way outside. She waited until Niall pulled the door closed behind him and then turned back to the group. The chapel was across the side garden and barely visible in the pale moonlight. A light layer of mist hung in the air, though the moonlight still shone through illuminating the courtyard. They had to move quickly or they would definitely be spotted.

They took turns dashing across until finally it was Freya’s turn. She turned back to Niall and nodded. “Wait until I am across then run as fast as you can.”

“I will. Hurry, my lady.”

Freya sucked in a deep breath and lifted her gown almost up to her knees. She ran like she had never run before. The grounds had been groomed and so the going was easy, but by the time she reached the chapel, she was quite winded. The rest of the party were there and so she turned back to wait for Niall.

She caught movement to the right and realized there were two men walking toward Niall’s location. Oh no! If he moved at all, he would be seen!

She turned back to the others. “Get everyone inside now,” she whispered as loud as she dared.

Freya turned back to the courtyard and scanned the area. She could not see the two men or Niall. Dammit! Had they taken him? How long could she afford to remain outside to wait for him. Long moments passed while she continued scanning the wall, the trees, and the lawn.

A hand closed firmly over her mouth and a strong arm crossed over her chest and dragged her back. Her scream died in her throat as the hand held her mouth tighter.

“Freya, it is me, Niall,” he said in her ear.