Adam lifted his brows at that.Did she think she’d have to offer silver to stay with Pitcairn?One glance at Lady Aillenn, and the laird would be fumbling over his feet to accommodate the beautiful lass.
The road narrowed again, forcing him to ride silently behind her.But that was fine.It seemed the more they spoke, the more information she managed to squeeze out of him.And the more she knew, the less secure he was.
Traveling by horse was much swifter than on foot, even when they stopped to rest the animals.To Aillenn’s apparent surprise, Adam pulled a brush out of his satchel to groom the beasts.She seemed impressed, not only by his convenient assortment of tools, but by his attention to detail when it came to guises.
Before long, they drew close to Pitcairn’s stronghold.It was set above a lush green glen through which a wee burn meandered.Well-protected by a generous bailey enclosed by tall wooden stakes, the keep rose above the forest like a powerful arm challenging the heavens.Unlike Rivenloch’s sprawling, Norman-style stone structure, Pitcairn’s castle was comprised of a single tower made of gray-weathered wood.The keep was nonetheless substantial.The azure pennant of Pitcairn, featuring the face of a moon, rippled from the top of the tower.Smoke streamed from the outbuildings within the bailey.
“’Tis magnificent,” Aillenn exclaimed, pulling up beside him.
“Ye think so?”he said.“Ye should see…” Shite, he’d almost saidRivenloch.“Er, the great hall o’ the king in Perth.”
She nodded.“O’ course, ’tisn’t as magnificent as my keep in Ireland, but…”
He wondered.She might be good at hiding her identity.She wasn’t so good at hiding her emotions.She did seem rather impressed by the castle.
“Shall we?”he said, reining toward the stronghold.
Adam, weary from the journey, looked forward to ending their travels.But the closer they got to the bailey, the more anxious he became.
Normally, nothing rattled him.Though he was visiting a laird who knew him as Adam la Nuit of Rivenloch, he’d only met the man a few times, and he’d been a good deal younger.Besides, his own kin couldn’t recognize him when he was in disguise.
But he was definitely ill-at-ease about this encounter.
It must be the responsibility of looking after Lady Aillenn and her identity that left him on edge.
What if she accidentally used the wrong name?What if her behavior betrayed her?What if she began blathering about their encounter with the thieves?Or his participation in the melee?Or the debacle at the monastery?The slightest mistake could reveal them both.
He wanted to warn her.To instruct her on all the things she shouldn’t say or do.To tell her how important it was not to disclose anything about where they’d been or where they were going.
In the end, he decided she should feign to be mute.He would do all the talking.
But before he could issue his instructions, they were already at the gate, and she was calling out cheerily to the guard.
The key to disguising oneself, Eve had discovered early on, was confidence and devotion to the role.So when she was Lady Aillenn, she was forthright, self-assured, and demanding of respect.Anyone encountering her was completely convinced she was who she said she was, because she overwhelmed them with that self-assurance.
She wasn’t so sure about Adam.Aye, he’d memorized the clan information she’d given him.But would he be so confident in a role he’d never played before?
She decided to take the lead.It would probably be better if he remained silent anyway.
“Good even!”she called out to the guard as she dismounted.
“M’lady?”
“We’ve traveled all the way from Perth,” she told him.“Might we seek rest here for the night?”
Adam hopped down from his horse and interjected, “One o’ Pitcairn’s recent guests recommended we stop here.”
Eve blinked.She hoped he was right that it was Pitcairn and not Pitfield.After all, he’d stumbled over the name before.
“Prithee wait here, m’lady, m’lord,” he said, noting their finery.He called out to a nearby lad.“Ewen, see to the horses.”Then he nodded.“I’ll alert the laird and return for ye.”
Adam pulled the satchels from the saddles, and Ewen led their horses away.
As soon as they were out of hearing, Eve hissed at Adam, “I’ll do the talkin’.”
Simultaneously, he whispered, “Let me make the arrangements.”
They both frowned.
