Laila let out a long sigh, running her palms down the length of her dress as she kept looking out the window and thinking about her brother’s words. What had tradition ever done for her? Of course, it had done everything for him. Matthew was the heir to their father’s estate, and if the debts were canceled with her marriage, he would come to power free of any loans left over from their father. Tradition, no doubt, was on his side.
But Matthew and his tradition did not matter, she thought, still gazing at the rain. She would see to that. It was not out of spite, though her father would likely see it as such, but out of her own volition to live her own life that she meant to carry out this betrayal of their house, as Matthew had put it. She only hoped that he would eventually come around to see it that way.
There was a brief knock at the door, and she heard Jacob’s voice from the other side.
“Laila, it’s me. Let me in quickly.”
She let up the latch, and the heavy wooden door creaked open. Jacob slid into the room and tried to shut the door quietly behind him. They walked to the center of the room, and Jacob gave some nervous glances around.
“There is no one here,” Laila said, seeing his darting looks.
“Good,” he said, letting out a long breath. Then he looked to her and asked, “Do you truly mean to carry on with this?”
“Of course, I do,” she whispered back curtly. “Was that not clear?”
“I only mean,” Jacob said, shuffling his feet, “that there is no recourse. Once you do this, it cannot be undone.”
“Do you think I am oblivious to that fact?” Laila countered, crossing her arms. “I thought you and I had an understanding.”
“We do, we do,” Jacob said, shaking his head a bit. “It is just that now the moment is upon us; I feel quite anxious about all of it.”
“You have let Matthew into your head,” Laila said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Do not allow that to stop us. Remember what this is about.”
“Lord Hamilton,” Jacob said with a shaky breath.
“Yes,” Laila said, “Lord Hamilton. That is the beginning and the end of the matter. You cannot lose your nerve now.”
“You are right,” Jacob said, nodding and drawing his face tight. “I shall not abandon you now.”
“You are a true brother,” Laila said back softly, withdrawing her hand. “Let us begin.”
“Are you prepared?” Jacob asked.
“More so than you could know,” Laila replied, crossing the room and lifting the lid of a large wooden trunk. She lifted a small satchel from the trunk, nearly bursting with the supplies she had filled it with and her heavier riding cloak.
“Take care to keep this dry,” Jacob said, pulling a sealed scroll from his tunic. “You must deliver this to the Laird McGowan and him alone.”
“You trust this man?” Laila asked, taking the scroll and tucking it into the inner seams of her cloak.
“I have met him at the wool markets on several occasions,” Jacob went on. “He is a just Laird and is blessed with a charming wife. They are both well-spirited.”
“Why would he do this for you?” Laila asked, tying up the top of her cloak.
“He owes me a favor,” Jacob said, breaking out into a bit of a grin. “But do not ask him about it. I feel he may still be a slight sore. He will give you shelter, that is all that matters, and his castle is close enough that the journey can be made in good time. You must follow the river to the upper fork and continue straight on through the country from there. You understand?”
“I understand,” Laila said, committing the directions to memory.
“Very well,” Jacob said, “now I shall saddle your horse. Keep watch, when you see me put out the torches at the gate, go then to the stables and ride out.”
“Thank you, Jacob,” Laila said, throwing her arms around her dear brother. “I hope you will not catch all of Father’s rage.”
“Oh, I certainly will,” Jacob joked, returning the embrace. “But it’s not as if he can send me to a priory now, is it?”
“That would be a sight,” Laila said with a bit of a nervous laugh. The escape was nearly upon her, and she was beginning to feel the anxiety of it all creeping up through her stomach. It was no small thing she was undertaking, and the gravity of it all had not yet settled fully into her mind. It was all happening so fast; she had not had the time to process it properly.
“Then, I am off,” Jacob said, clicking his heel against the stone floor. “Take care, sister.”
“I shall,” she whispered back, watching him turn. He paused for a moment at the door as if he were going to say something else, but the words must have failed him, for, after one last look, he walked out of the room and down into the crumbling castle.
