Page 18 of How to Woo a Highlander

She made it to the stables without incident and luckily found a stable boy alone cleaning a horseshoe. Not wanting to interrupt his work, she stepped as close as she dared, causing him to look up.

Spotting her, his eyes widened in question. Even a polite smile stretched his features.

"Good evenin' miss, how may I help ye?" he asked, getting to his feet and letting the foot of the horse go.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and for a moment, she could not speak. When she had approached the stable boy in England, it had been in her father's house. The risks were a lot less than they were now, no matter which way she looked at it. Doubt gnawed at the back of her mind.

It's not too late to walk away, you can just turn around, and nothing would be awry except for him being somewhat puzzled.

"Good evening, I'm sorry to disturb your work, I was hoping to… make a trade…?" She said before she lost her nerve, bringing the pouch of coins into his view.

His eyes widened at the pouch and then narrowed at her suspiciously as he took a step back.

"A trade? What dae ye want to trade miss? I dae nae want any trouble. I am nae that kind of man." He said, wariness showing in his eyes. She stepped forward, shaking her head.

"It is not any trouble. I only hope to trade your silence and a clean outfit," she said.

The stable boy stopped retreating and cocked his head to the side, looking her up and down.

"Ye want me to purchase clothes for ye?" he asked incredulously, "Why nae have one of the maids dae it? A lass should be better at these things."

She shook her head again, staring at her feet to hide her blush of embarrassment.

You are an idiot, Jane

"No, I want you to bring me your clothes, just as long as they are clean. Ones that you have not worn since the last wash. And a pair of ghillies if you have them in my size."

He was staring at her as though she were mad, and she could only blush beneath his gaze, wondering if she was not indeed crazy.

"So miss, what ye are sayin' is that ye want to buy me clothes and dress up as a man," he added, his voice colored with disbelief.

She could only nod. He was a teenager at most seventeen years old, so he would be around her size, just like the stable boy back in England. She had already come this far, and he was the perfect candidate. She hoped he would agree.

"How much will ye give me?" he asked, his voice now curious.

Excited that he was showing interest, she took a step forward, holding the pouch in front of her.

"A hundred silver coins," she announced. His eyes widened again, and he whistled, this time very excited.

"For just me clothes and some shoes? That money could feed me family, for months. For that many coins, I would dae whatever ye ask me tae, even after I give ye the clothes." She laughed as he jubilated, but then he paused again.

"Wait, ye are nae hurtin' anyone are ye?" he asked.

She smiled and sighed with relief. He was clearly a good person, just a little young and naive.

"No, I am not hurting anyone," she assured him.

"Ye sure are a strange one, miss, but I will help ye."

Overjoyed, she watched him run off to get what she needed.

I cannot believe I pulled that off. The next thing is to figure out how to leave the castle grounds in my disguise and find somewhere to let myself loose.

Chapter Nine

Alastair rarely rode in his carriage as he preferred to ride his horse, but the carriage was best this time as he wanted to relax as much as possible. His head felt full, and he worried he might explode if he continued to go on as he was.

William had gone off that evening, leaving him to look after the castle and his guest, Jane. He would have preferred to be the one to go, as staying back meant that he worried, not just about the clan, but also about his strange attraction to the English girl.