She neared the top and slowed, crouching low and moving on hands and feet. She lowered herself onto one of the steps and then carefully poked her head through the opening that led to the battlements. A wide parapet spanned the wall in both directions and she counted at least twelve men patrolling. There was no way she could get up there without them spotting her.
Doesn’t matter,she told herself.I’m still high enough. I’ll get a signal here.
She descended three steps, so she was below the line of the parapet and with trembling hands dialed 999 for the police. She pressed the phone against her ear.
Connect, she told it.Please connect.
But after a moment’s silence, a shrill beep sounded and she snatched the phone away with a low cry of frustration. The icon indicating there was no signal flashed, as though taunting her.
Abi resisted the urge to throw the damn thing over the wall. What kind of place had no phone signal at all? What would these people do if there was an emergency? How would they call the police if they needed them? Or an ambulance? Or the fire service?
Despair washed through her. How was she going to get home? She had no idea where she was, who these people were, or what their intentions were, and she had no way of contacting the police. For the first time in her life, Abi was at a loss for what to do. She didn’t like the feeling of helplessness that stole over her. It was not something she was used to. From an early age Abi had been independent and strong-willed, able to take care of herself—she hadn’t had much choice being raised by parents who worked long shifts in the hotel industry and were rarely at home.
Anger replaced the despair. Anger at herself for her moment of weakness, anger at Reid Campbell for putting her in this situation, even anger at Layla for going missing in the first place and forcing Abi to come looking for her.
She propped her forehead on her hands, then paused as she saw movement in the courtyard below. Two figures were walking towards the steps, heads swiveling to and fro as if searching for something.
Thomas and Clyde.
Was it coincidence that they’d left the keep right after she had? Was it coincidence now that they were heading right towards her? Hardly.
So much for having free rein of the keep, she thought to herself.And so much for Reid bloody Campbell’s promises!
Abi tucked away her phone and stole down the steps silently. Thomas and Clyde had stopped a few paces away and were scanning the courtyard.
Abi crept up behind them. “Looking for something?”
The two youths yelped and spun around in shock.
“Lady Abigail!” Clyde cried, pushing his mop of blond hair out of his eyes. “What a pleasant surprise! We were just...just...”
“Taking the guards some breakfast,” supplied Thomas.
Abi crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow. “Is that right? Then where is it? You aren’t carrying anything.”
“Oh! Um...” Thomas floundered.
Abi fixed them both with a withering glare, the kind of glare she used on employees at the hotel when she found them slacking. “You’ve been following me, haven’t you? Did Reid put you up to this?”
The guilty expression that flittered across their faces was confirmation enough.
“Lord Reid asked us to keep an eye on ye, that’s all,” Clyde said. “In case...in case...ye needed anything.”
“Or in case I might be a spy, you mean?” Abi was suddenly furious. She was sick of being treated like some kind of criminal! She was sick of this place and the people in it.
“Where is he?” she demanded.
“In his study,” Thomas replied. “But I dinna think ye should—”
“Where is that?”
Thomas swallowed thickly and pointed at the tower that rose from one corner of the keep. Abi marched in that direction with Thomas and Clyde trotting after.
“Where are ye going? Lord Reid is very busy with—”
“I don’t care if he’s entertaining royalty!” Abi snapped. “Now either show me the way to his study or get out of my way!”
Thomas gulped and Abi felt a moment of pity for the two lads. They were only doing their boss’s bidding, after all.
