Page 43 of Highlander’s Dangerous Gambler

"Aye." She smiled, making light of it. "My robes were completely ruined, so the laird kindly gave me some more."

For a minute, she wondered if Mary was on to her. Had she figured out that she had left all her robes on the day of the race? Had someone noticed the missing armor from the castle artillery? Aileen's heart bumped as she watched Mary's face.

Then, Mary nodded. Relieved, Aileen sank into the freshly drawn bath. She lay back as Mary washed her hair.

"So then, miss, what happened?" she asked, her eyes widening as she scrubbed her hair.

"Happened?" said Aileen sleepily. The water soothed her aches, and for the first time since arriving back at the Duncan castle, she felt alright. "What do ye mean, what happened? Och, the accident? Well, there's nothing to tell. I just fell from my horse!"

Mary nodded but then looked more closely. "I mean, what happened after ye got there?"

She looked keenly at Aileen. "The McLeod estate, what is it like?"

Aileen laughed. She might have realized that her disappearance was the chatter of the servants. Not that many of the household staff had ever left the clan, let alone gone as far as the McLeod estate.

"Och, ye ken, the castle walls made o' gold," she quipped. Mary's eyes rounded so largely, Aileen thought they would pop out of her head. Eventually, she was forced to correct her.

"I'm joking, Mary," she said softly.

Mary looked crestfallen.

"Och, it's just a castle, a wee bit like our own," Aileen said, sinking her head into the herbal bath. For a couple of minutes, she was in bliss. As her head went back into the waters, it occurred to her that actually, she had not seen very much at all of the McLeod castle.

In fact, she had barely seen a thing.

"Ye ken, it's a funny thing," said Mary, rinsing Aileen's hair and combing it. Aileen lay back, wonderfully relaxed. "But Billie was up there that way, around about that time. An' yet he didnae see ye!"

Aileen stifled a laugh as she tried to sound surprised. "Och, um, really? Fancy that..."

"What were ye doing up that way anyway, miss? It's a muckle lang way from here."

"I, um, I just fancied it," said Aileen somewhat unconvincingly. Then, frowning, she changed the subject. "Anyhow, I was just pleased to be taken into the castle. If it hadn't been for Scott, I would still be lying in a heap somewhere in the middle o' the McLeod clan."

"Scott?" said Mary, looking around. Aileen wondered what Fiona had told her about him. Maybe nothing. Thinking about it, there wasn't really anything to tell. Which was the problem.

"Aye, um, Scott, he's the guard who brought me here. Anyhow, he was the one who found me an' took me to the laird's estate." Aileen twinkled.

"Och, so a proper hero!" trilled Mary, finally finishing her hair. She brought a towel over to dry it, shaking the water from the ends. Aileen was relieved to feel clean again. She should probably get out of the bath before the waters cooled too much, but all of a sudden, she was just too cozy. Thinking about Scott laid bare her feelings.

He had, if she had forgotten, saved her. And it tugged at her heart that she hadn't properly thanked him.

Yet.

"Aye!" said Aileen, drifting into a dream. "A proper hero!"

"Nay, doon lad. Nae like that. Dinnae tickle him!"

Scott's voice cut through the training yard. Blinking, Aileen came to the window. It was first light, the early morning sun cutting through the thick haze in the bedchamber. But although it was early, there was a commotion in the yard. Rushing to look, Aileen made out Scott, deep in combat with a number of the Duncan guards.

For a minute, she nearly yelped. It looked so serious, she just assumed it was for real. But watching more closely, she realized they were sparring.

Aileen watched for a few minutes longer as Scott danced about the yard with his long silver sword. Even though he was alone, he was still making a good job of intimidating the Duncan soldiers.

For a few minutes, he was locked in hand-to-hand combat with three of them. Somehow, managing to pin one of them to the ground and still fend off two more without making it look difficult. Aileen found herself drawn to watching him. Impressive though it was, she was a little concerned for the castle's security!

Wrapping a brat around her shoulders, she dressed at speed. She did not remember going to bed last night; perhaps Mary had helped her there. And she certainly had not got undressed,

which was helpful because all Aileen had to do was to secure the shawl around her and head for the yard.