Page 69 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

Scarlett embraced her again and Callie squeezed her hard in return.

“Hopefully, we’ll see each other again someday,” Callie said as she urged Scarlett toward the horse. “Now, ye must go, before the guards patrol this way. There’s a path through here on the estate. Ye’ll easily see it in the moonlight. Take it as far as the trees and drop tae yer left. There’s a second much smaller bridge that will take ye across the moat to the other side. Safe journey, dear Scarlett.”

“Until we meet again, Callie.” Scarlett clasped her friend’s hand before pulling herself onto the saddle. Looking back at the castle, her heart ached. It had truly begun to feel like home. It not only hurt to leave it, but to part from the person that mattered to her more than any other. Noah.

She snapped the reins and rode away.

* * *

Jerking upright, he looked all around. He didn’t know what awakened him. Had there been noise of some kind? Pushing the idea away, he rolled over in bed and reached for Scarlett, only to meet empty covers on the bed, and nothing more.

“Scarlett?” He expectd her to appear from the privy room, but she didn’t. Clambering out of bed, he moved toward the room and knocked on the door. There was no answer.

Where is she?

“Callie.” The answer came suddenly. “Perhaps she didnae feel well.”

Noah hurried to dress. Fearing something wrong, he left the room as quickly as he could and trailed through the corridors until he came upon some of the guards.

“My laird?” one said as they all stood at attention. “Is all well?”

“Aye. Have ye seen Lady Sca… Lady Eloise pass through here?”

“Nay, my laird.” The guard shook his head and looked to the two men at his side, who also shook their heads. “Is something wrong? Shall we look for her?”

“’Tis nothing.” Noah had no wish to cause alarm and offered a smile. “Return tae yer duties. Goodnight.”

Striding out across the courtyard, he took the shortest route to the turret in the outer castle wall where Callie’s rooms were. Hurrying up the stairs, he repeatedly looked about, hoping for some sign of where she was, but there was none.

At Callie’s chamber door, he saw a slither of candlelight under the wood, suggesting she was awake.

“Callie?” he tapped on the door, but there was no answer. “Are ye there?” He turned the door handle and stepped inside. He’d expected to find Callie checking on Scarlett, to find that all was well, but the room was empty. There was just one candle lit on a table. Judging by the way the tinderbox had been discarded with its iron wool, the candle had been lit in a rush as Callie had left her bed.

What is going on?

A horse’s nickering disturbed his thoughts. He went to the window and peered out. From here, he had a view of the castle lawns. Two figures caught his attention. Callie held the reins of a horse. The second figure was Scarlett, who embraced Callie before mounting. They shared a few more words before Scarlett turned the horse around and departed.

Callie waved, watching after her.

Where does she go in the middle of the night?

Noah could not make much sense of his next actions. He sprinted to the stable and took off after Scarlett.

If there is deception here, I will hear it from Scarlett’s own lips.

He could not imagine why else Scarlett would leave their bed in the middle of the night and creep away without a single word to him. It suggested something was afoot, some plot she did not wish for him to know.

He caught up with her quickly as she didn’t appear to be in a hurry. He suspected she was still too tired to ride hard. He trailed her through the trees, always staying out of sight. When she came out of the woods, she took a path to a village at the edge of the clan.

Noah let the distance increase on the open path, and when they entered the village, Scarlett slowed and stopped at a tavern where she dismounted. Noah tethered his horse behind a barn and watched from afar.

She stared at the tavern, waiting, until two people emerged—a tall broad-shouldered man and a woman in a hooded cloak who approached Scarlett as she lowered the hood.

Zounds—they are the same!

Noah watched wide-eyed as Scarlett ran to throw her arms around the woman, her mirror image, who embraced her in kind.

This is the woman Ian described tae me.