He brushed hair from her cheek and eyes. “No, you do not.” He stepped away from her.
She had betrayed him—returning to Brodie with an army, demanding he surrender, and never telling him that if he did, she would become Brodie’s mistress.
“Will you forgive me, for all I have done?” She stepped away, aware now that the Highland lad outside the door was watching them closely.
“Do you mean for stealing Brodie from me and my father? How can I forgive you for that?” He glanced at Seoc.
Alana stared at his back. Then she turned. “Seoc, leave us.”
“My lady, Iain has told me to keep a close eye on the prisoner.”
She felt a sudden outrage. How welcome the feelings were. “I am mistress here.”
He paled. “Aye, my lady.”
“Iain is lord of Nairn—not of Brodie.” She squared her shoulders, filled with sheer resolve. “Brodie belonged to my mother, it was her dowry. Now, it is my dowry—King Robert has said so. I swore fealty to him on bended knee, with no weapons in my hands, and for my oath, he has given me Brodie.”
The Highlander was white.
“Leave us,” Alana ordered.
He nodded and hurried away.
Godfrey began to smile. “Spoken like a true queen...well done.”
She whirled. “Godfrey.” Her mind raced, her thoughts jumbled, and the one thing she knew clearly was that Iain would disapprove if she simply released Godfrey. But she could not keep him asherprisoner, either. She crossed her arms as they stared at one another now. “You have been imprisoned in this room for almost two months,” she finally said. “I never expected Iain to hold you prisoner. We had never discussed your fate, when we came to take Brodie. I will not keep you locked up in this chamber, now that he is gone. You have my permission to come and go as you please, as you used to do.”
Godfrey started.
“You can hardly escape on foot, with no weapons and no supplies,” Alana said. “In fact, it is such a pleasant day, why don’t we walk together?”
Godfrey nodded, his face pale, his eyes wide. Alana took his fur-lined cloak from a wall peg and handed it to him; the nights were still cold. They left the chamber and saw that Seoc sat on a stool outside the door, sharpening his dagger. She assumed he had been eavesdropping. He did not look at them now.
Alana was angry. Was she in command or not? Did Iain truly mean to spy on her? He did not trust her? They went downstairs and did not speak until they were outside.
“What do you think to do, Alana?” Godfrey asked, speaking low.
“You are free, Godfrey!”
“You are freeing me?”
“I am in your debt, many times over. And I have hated seeing you imprisoned here. This is your chance—take a horse from the stables and go!”
“You will let me run away?”
“Yes!”
He halted, reaching for her arm. “Will Iain forgive you for this?”
“I don’t know if he will forgive me for not telling him about our child, Godfrey—I cannot worry about his reaction to your escape. But you cannot remain here, a prisoner because of my treachery, when I never agreed to taking you prisoner in the first place.”
After a moment, he said, “If I am going to escape, I will need to plan it. I will need a dagger at the least.”
“I can get you a dagger. If you leave now, Godfrey, you will be at Elgin by the late afternoon.”
He hesitated. “I don’t think I should leave you,” he said. “If you mean to let me escape, then I have time.”
* * *
