Her nipples hardening as she remembered his mouth suckling her, his tongue teasing her, while between her thighs she ached for wanting him even now when it felt as if her heart were breaking…
“No, Iwillnago,” she said under her breath, shaking her head as a determined resolve flared within her.
She had told him that she didn’t believe in curses! There had to be something she could do to show him that they weren’t real at all. Something so shocking where she could prove to him those other deaths had been a tragic coincidence and nothing more…
Her heart racing, Magdalene jumped out of bed and ran to pick up her shift from the floor and pull it over her head—no time to do anything more.
Already Gabriel would be in the bailey gathering the men that he wanted to ride with him—och, had he forgotten that she could have been killed last year at the convent if not for Robert the Bruce? She would be no safer there than here; aye, she would tell him that, too!
She would shout it loud enough for everyone to hear that she defied the MacLachlan family curse to strike her, Magdalene running barefoot to the door and flinging it open only to stop dead at the sight of Rhona looking up at her.
“Maggie, you’re awake!”
Such a bright smile lit the child’s face while Magdalene glanced down the hall, relief filling her to spy Grania near the steps, clearly come looking for her young charge.
“Rhona, go back tae your room with your nurse, will you? I promise I’ll come and find you straightaway and we’ll have breakfast together. Would you like that?”
“Oh, aye!” was all Magdalene took time to hear after hugging Rhona and giving her a gentle push in the direction of Grania. She followed her down the hall for only a short way and then ducked into the stairway that led to the roof, her heart already pounding.
Och, mayhap she was mad after all to attempt such a feat!
Magdalene raced up the circular steps, around and around until she felt dizzy, but she didn’t stop. Not until she had reached the heavy door and pushed her way outside, the morning air fresh and bracing after the dank mustiness of the stairway.
The sun was just peeking over the distant mountains as she took a deep breath to try and calm herself.
She felt suddenly as if she had a heavy weight crushing her chest as fear overwhelmed her—heaven help her, she hated heights! Only the din of masculine voices below—Gabriel’s among them, she was certain of it—made her move toward the crenellated parapet so she might look down into the bailey.
“Oh, God…” she whispered, gritting her teeth as she leaned over and saw him talking to Finlay, who must have spied her for he grabbed Gabriel’s arm and pointed upward at the tower.
She didn’t waste another moment, but hoisted herself up on the parapet no matter she winced from scraping her knees against the rough stone.
Slowly, carefully, she stood up, doing her best to balance herself as a strong gust of wind whipped her shift around her legs.
“Magdalene!”
Gabriel’s stricken voice echoed from one end of the bailey to another as she stepped over the gap in the wall, raising her voice so he could surely hear her.
“You see, husband? I told you I dinna believe in curses—and if there is such a thing, I dare it this very moment tae dash me tae the ground!”
Magdalene held her breath and glanced skyward, praying that the Almighty would both forgive and protect her as she stepped over another gap—a stronger gust of wind making her come close to tottering.
Her arms flung wide, she struggled to maintain her balance. She heard shrieks of alarm, servants gathered now with the men, but she saw no sign of Gabriel when she hazarded a glance below.
Behind her, she heard the door to the tower slam against the wall—dear God, how could he have run up the steps so quickly? She crouched down to climb off the parapet as a high-pitched voice rose above the gusting wind.
“I would have let you live if you’d been mad, aye, I pitied you, but no more!”
Magdalene froze to see Grania rushing toward her, the nursemaid’s face twisted into a mask of rage that terrified her.
“I loved the MacLachlan but he chose another—so Icursedhis wife and every bride after and now you will die, too!”
Magdalene shrieked as Grania grabbed her at the same moment she managed to jump down from the parapet, and shoved her headfirst into the nearest gap.
Her shoulders held by talon-like hands so strong that Magdalene stared with stark fear into the bailey below, people pointing upward and screaming.
Screaming as did Magdalene, Grania pushing her closer to the edge though she tried mightily to fight her.
She heard another scream, too, a child’s, Magdalene realizing that Rhona must have followed Grania up the steps to the roof.
