Page 41 of It’s in his Highland Kiss

“For helping me feel hopeful,” she said. “And . . . and I suppose that if you wish for me to go to England, then I will. I will do whatever you think is best for me.”

“Ach, lass, that’s so verra good to hear,” Adaria said, as she wrapped her arms around Marion and pulled her into a tight hug.

Marion allowed it for a few moments, but then she pulled back, giving the other woman a small smile.

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to rest now,” Marion said. “I’m afraid that the news has taken a toll on me.”

“Of course,” Adaria said as she stood, making her way to the door. “Everythin’ will be fine.”

“I know.”

With one last look at Marion, Adaria left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Marion was finally alone, and she wasted no time.

She didn’t need anyone else’s help, and she certainly wouldn’t sit back and wait for someone else to rescue Eiric. She knew that Eiric would have come to rescue her had their roles been reversed, and she refused to allow the fact that she was a woman stop her.

Edan, the laird, and even Eiric didn’t know what they were saying, she decided, as she stared at herself in her mirror. She wasn’t helpless; she had spent many years of her life being helpless, and she knew how it felt. Now, facing death and bodily harm, she didn’t feel helpless; in fact, quite the opposite. She felt powerful, enough to know that she could fight entire armies, entire nations if it meant that she would keep Eiric safe.

Just hold on Eiric. I’m coming. I won’t be long.

Chapter Eighteen

Marion sneaked around the castle, tiptoeing her way to the servants’ chambers. With some luck, they would be empty, as everyone was busy preparing for lunch, cleaning, and tending to the needs of the noblemen and women that resided there.

She looked behind her shoulder every now and then, ensuring that no one had seen her, and she eventually made it to the door, opening it just enough to take a peek inside.

It seemed empty, nothing but beds and a few changes of clothes hanging from the wall. Just what she needed.

Marion stepped inside the room, closing the door gently behind her. The servants were all small, not as plump as their lucky masters, and Marion knew that she was bound to find something that fit her in there, even though the clothes belonged to men.

“What are ye doin’ here?”

The voice caught Marion by surprise, and she jumped, her heart racing. She turned to see one of the younger servants there, Davie, a boy who couldn’t have been older than fifteen, she thought.

“Davie!” she said, clutching her chest. “You scared me.”

“So did ye, me Lady!” Davie said. “I thought that Mrs. MacKay was here to grab me by me ear!”

He must be taking a break without Mrs. MacKay’s knowledge. Poor boy.

“No Mrs. MacKay,” she told him. “Just me.”

“Weel, why are ye here?” Davie asked. “This is the male servants’ chambers.”

“Yes, I know,” Marion assured him. “Please, Davie . . . please don’t say anything to anyone. I just came here to borrow some clothes.”

Davie scrutinised Marion in a way that made him look much older, much more cunning than his years should allow. She could only imagine the kinds of things that the boy had seen, what he had gone through in the few years that he had been alive.

“I willna say anythin’ if ye dinna say anythin’ to Mrs. MacKay,” Davie said, and although Marion had no intention of informing Mrs. MacKay of Davie’s little insubordination, she was eager to agree.

“I promise. Mrs. MacKay won’t hear anything from me,” she said.

Davie nodded, a pleased smile on his face as he approached Marion and offered her his hand, ready to seal the deal. Marion shook it, and Davie turned and walked back to the door.

“Try those,” he said, pointing at some clothes in the right corner of the room. “They should fit ye.”

Then, he was gone, and Marion was left to change in peace.

She had forgotten what it was like to breathe. She had been wearing those wonderful dresses for so long, their corsets and layers upon layers of fabric making it impossible for her chest to expand and weighing her down with every step that she took.