“Acts like one, though, does he nae? Bless ye, lass. Well, I reckon ye are in for a long wait.”
Laurie’s heart sank. “We have to meet Aunt Helena. And I want to go inside. It’s too hot here, and I’m hungry.”
The man clicked his tongue in sympathy. “Poor lass. Look, Lady Nora and her sister havenae seen each other in a good long while. Lady Nora thought she wasdead. They’ll have a good deal to say to each other.”
“Should I tell them that I want to go inside?”
“Ah, ye daenae want to interrupt them, do ye? That would be unkind.”
Laurie bit her lower lip, hard. She didn’t want to be unkind. But shewasbored.
“I suppose I’ll just have to wait, then.”
There was a pause, then the man gingerly lowered himself into a crouch, putting himself at her eye level.
“Ye must be bored,” he murmured, nodding. “I tell ye what. Why daenae ye and me go off on an adventure, aye?”
Laurie tilted her head. “An adventure?”
“Aye. I ken a nice, pretty place nae too far from here. There’ll be ripe brambles and river water for drinkin’. And a view! Ye like pretty sights, daenae ye, Laurie?”
She nodded eagerly. “Will Creighton come with us?”
“He’s a wee bit busy, I’m afraid. But we can go, eh? What do ye think of that?”
Laurie considered. It couldn’t be bad to go with him. After all, she knew exactly who he was, and Creighton always made the point that it wasstrangersshe should be wary of. And Nora wasstilltalking.
“Very well,” Laurie said, suddenly decided. “We can go on an adventure.”
“Excellent choice,” he responded, straightening up. Extending a hand, he smiled down at her. “Come on, then. Take me hand, we daenae want ye gettin’ lost.”
Laurie slid her hand into his, just as she’d done a thousand times before. Together, they pushed into the crowd. The crush of bodies around her was overwhelming, as it always was, but he held her hand firmly, fingers tightening around her wrist. It was a little too tight, but if she pulled away, she might get lost in the chaos, and nobody wanted that. Squeezing her eyes shut, Laurie let herself be gently pulled through the throng of people. They parted around him with a kind of respect, eyeing the tartan draped over his shoulders.
After what seemed like an eternity, they pushed through the last few dregs of people, and Laurie found herself standing at the gate. Like all the other Keep gates, it looked like a mouth. There were the portcullis teeth, gleaming and pointing sharply downwards. Stone lips formed a gaping maw, and beyond it was a different world entirely.
“Are we goin’ outside the keep?” she asked warily, tugging at his hand. “Creighton said that I’m nae to go outside the keep without him.”
He didn’t slow down. She couldn’t pull her hand free from his. The grip was getting a little uncomfortable, but perhaps that was just because he didn’t want to lose her in the crowd. Creighton feared her being lost.
“He willnae mind,” he responded comfortably. “After all, ye are with me. Ye are safe as houses, lassie.”
“Oh, I kenthat. I’m just afraid that he willnae be able to find me if he looks for me.”
“I shouldnae fret about that. He kens exactly where ye will be.”
The last of Laurie’s worries dissipated. Well, there was nothing to complain about, then? She was with a man she trusted, who knew her so well. Creighton knew where they were going. Heapproved. What else was there to worry about?
A knot of unease lodged in her stomach and refused to dissipate, no matter how much Laurie fiercely told herself that all was well. Allwaswell.
They passed through the gates and suddenly left the path, heading toward a steep uphill slope surrounded by trees. Laurie turned around to get one last look at the keep. Then the trees closed in around them, and all she could see was greenery.
“Laurie?Laurie!” Nora shouted, pitching her voice above the chaos of the marketplace.
It didn’t work well. A few of the people directly around her turned and stared questioningly, but most simply let their gaze slip past her. Most people couldn’t even hear.
The MacCrimmon man seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“I only stepped away for a moment,” he stammered to the other soldiers and Helena. “I turned me back for a minute…”
