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About a week had passed for Lyndsay, although it felt like an eternity. Once again, she was sitting in front of a window looking out at the world going by rather than running through the fields and basking in the glory of the trees. She sighed as she sat there with embroidery on her lap, idly threading the needle through the fabric, her mind wandering to such an extent that it was driving her mad. Her pale blond hair was tied back in a ponytail, and it was impossible for her to hide the sorrow in her blue eyes, eyes that looked akin to when the light was fading in the world on a winter’s afternoon.

“What is the matter, Lyndsay? Is there anything I can do for you?” Liza asked. She was a waif of a girl, just as slender and willowy as Lyndsay was, and of the same age. Her eyes were green, though, and her hair was as dark as the night. “Perhaps I can fetch you a drink or something to eat? Or would you like me to draw you a bath?”

“It’s far too early for a bath.” Lyndsay dismissed the notion with a wave of the hand. Instead, she turned to Liza and furrowed her brow. “Let me inquire something of you, Liza. Do you ever wish that you lived my life?”

Liza’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson shade, and she shook her head vehemently. Her eyes darted away, and she made a great show of denying it. “I would never presume such a thing, my lady. You are nobility, and I am but a maid.”

Lyndsay smiled, for it seemed clear to her that the thought had crossed Liza’s mind once or twice, at least. “I won’t take any offense, Liza, I promise.”

“Well,” Liza said after a time, “I suppose that perhaps I have wondered what it would be like. Not that I would ever think I have the same grace and beauty as yourself,” she hurriedly added.

Lyndsay allowed the remark to pass without comment. “The truth is that in these past few days, I have been thinking about what it might be like to live as a maid.”

“Oh, I do not think you want to imagine that. While it’s an honor to serve you, it’s far beneath your station.”

“Yes, and yet there are still advantages you have that I don’t. Tell me, is your heart taken with anyone at the moment?”

Liza’s cheeks turned crimson again, and she wore a sheepish smile. “Actually there is. There’s a merchant’s son who delivers things with his father. Sometimes we speak, and we steal a few moments together.”

“I see.” Lyndsay felt charmed by her maid’s innocent glee at this touch of love. “So you think fondly of him?”

“I do,” Liza confessed. “My heart skips a beat whenever I see him. I find myself longing for the days to pass so that I can see him again. He brings me gifts, and he says that one day when he inherits the wagon from his father, he will come and make me his wife. He’s handsome, and he always makes me laugh.”

“See, that is what I envy about you, Liza. You are free to pursue this kind of thing. You like this merchant, but you would be free to chase after a shepherd if you were so inclined, or a stable hand, or anyone else.”

“I would never set myself about so loosely. I may be a maid, but I still have standards,” Liza said, measuring her sharpness so it didn’t seem as though she was rebuking her mistress.

“I didn’t mean to imply that you would,” Lyndsay said, quickly apologizing for misspeaking. “I merely wish to express how envious I am that you have this freedom to do whatever you wish. You don’t have to end up being married to an old man with the requirement that you give him a son as soon as possible.” Lyndsay shuddered at the thought of what she was going to have to do to become pregnant.

“But he is a nobleman, and you will be well-respected. You will have fine clothes, you will never lack for comfort, and when people look at you, they will see a fine example of a woman, one who has achieved much with her life and who is a source of inspiration.”

“That is a very sweet thing to say, Liza, and I appreciate it,” Lyndsay said, although it didn’t make her feel much better because the price she had to pay for that was just about everything that made a person a person. Her own dreams and desires had to be subsumed for the sake of the man she was marrying, and nothing she gained in return seemed adequate compensation for such things. She sighed again as she gazed out of the window.

“I don’t mean to trouble you with such strange conversation, but I fear I am losing my mind being cooped up here all week. When Father said he was bringing me back to the estate for one final time, I assumed that I would actually be able to enjoy the place,” Lyndsay said, placing the embroidery down.

“You cannot go outside. The baron gave you explicit instructions to stay here. It’s far too dangerous, especially now when you are so close to being married. If any Scotsmen should take you…” Liza’s voice trembled with nerves, but Lyndsay rolled her eyes and dismissed the maid’s concerns.

“We are safe here. We may be on the border, but this is still English territory. They would not dare to attack us when they know that the armies of England will respond. Besides, what harm would taking a little walk do? It’s not as though they’re beyond the horizon as we speak, waiting for someone to walk outside. Father is being far too protective of me and treating me like some precious item rather than a person. I fear that all he sees are the benefits he is going to receive from my marriage to the baron.”

“I can’t believe that’s the case. Your father loves you,” Liza said.

“Yes, well, love takes many forms. I suppose he resigned himself to the fact that he was going to lose me a long time ago. I am still getting used to the prospect, although I can’t shake the feeling that he is a little like this merchant boy of yours, selling his wares. It’s just that his wares happen to be his daughter.”

Lyndsay’s words were tinged with melancholy. Liza’s hand reached out and clasped Lyndsay’s.

“I hate to see you like this, my lady. Please don’t feel this way. You must know that your father loves you, and he is only doing what he feels is best. I’m sure you will feel better once this is all over and you are beginning your new life.”

“Perhaps,” Lyndsay said. “I don’t think it helps that this will be the last time I see this place. I have so many fond memories from my childhood here. Father has already said that I will be wed before the month is over, and I feel as though I can see the sun setting on my life.”

“But there is always a new dawn that follows,” Liza said. “Try and think about that.”

Lyndsay was impressed by how positive Liza was trying to be, but now more than ever, Lyndsay wanted to free herself of this imprisonment and go outside. While she was unmarried, she wanted to enjoy the time that was left to her. She placed her hand on her head and leaned back in her chair, acting as though she was faint and frail.

“Liza, I do apologize, but a headache has come on. Would you fetch me something to try and dull the pain? I’m sure the chef will have some herbal remedy,” Lyndsay said.

Without hesitation, Liza rose and scurried out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Lyndsay rose from the chair and strode out of the room, pressing herself against the wall in case anyone should see her. She made her way to the nearest door and ventured outside, breathing a sigh of relief as soon as she felt the outside air on her soft skin. There was a slight breeze that tugged at strands of her hair and that carried a sweet scent of flowers. She skipped away through the gardens and was determined to enjoy at least a short walk outside. Her father would no doubt have some stern words to say to her, but it was a price she was willing to pay for the sake of this small amount of freedom.

As she walked along, her mind wandered. She thought about her destiny and if she had been foolish in ever thinking that something else was going to happen. There were moments when she hated her father, but what else was he supposed to do? In a way, they were all prisoners of the way society worked. Still, she was certain that there was someone closer to her own age at least, someone handsome who could have made her happy. In all the conversations she had had with her father about Baron Adams, he hadn’t yet spoken about how Baron Adams would treat her or what they had in common; he only spoke about the wealth he was willing to trade in exchange for her hand in marriage and how eager Baron Adams was to have a son.

It was a cruel thing to think, but perhaps the only respite she had was the fact that Baron Adams was getting on in years. He wanted to bear another son before he left this world and passed into shadow, so her marriage might end up lasting only a few years anyway. Yet still, she did not look forward to the prospect of becoming a widow with any glee, nor did she know what this meant for her prospects of remarrying. Still, those were all things for the future version of her to deal with. Right now, she needed to cope with the fact that she was going to be married to a man she did not love or even know.

When she thought of Liza’s positivity, Lyndsay tried to take the quality herself and think about the possibility that she might actually fall in love. Perhaps Baron Adams would prove himself to be a romantic, charming man and he would be able to alleviate her concerns and find some way to overcome the initial lack of physical attraction. It would certainly be a difficult thing to accomplish, but not an impossibility. But then she started to think about the freedom that Liza had as well. Lyndsay’s gaze turned to the outside world that was not barred by walls or fences, that was endless and liberating and filled with possibilities. Breath caught in her throat as she considered the prospect of actually fleeing her home. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about running into the Highlands and fashioning a new life for herself. The only problem is that she didn’t know what kind of person she would become. What place was there for a noble English girl?

She doubted she belonged in the Highlands any more than she felt she belonged with Baron Adams. It was a sad state of affairs when she realized this.

With her heart descending into sorrow, Lyndsay turned around to return to the estate when she realized that it was farther away than she had thought. Her thoughts had preoccupied her to such an extent that she had left the grounds completely, and if her father knew exactly how far she had walked, then he would be even angrier than he no doubt already was. While she wasn’t that concerned about coming across any Highlanders—she thought the entire thing was more a paranoid worry than anything else—she didn’t like to be alone out here for very long.

But just as she was about to walk back, she felt a tremor in the ground and heard a rumble that sounded like thunder. The sky was clear, though, so it wasn’t a storm. But if it wasn’t a storm, then there was only one thing it could be. She pressed herself against a tree to gaze into the direction of the noise. There was a long field that led to the estate, which she had just walked across, and which she would have to traverse again if she was to make it back to safety.

Over the horizon, the horses appeared, with tall men on their backs. Although Lyndsay did not know their intentions, there was nothing but dread in her heart. Breath left her throat, and she pushed herself away from the tree, forcing her legs to move even though her fear told her to stay rooted to the spot. The ground trembled under the might of the horses. The only place she could be guaranteed of safety was the estate, so she sprinted back as quickly as she could with only one thought in her mind: if she could see the men on the horses, then they could surely see her as well.