Page 13 of Sins of a Scot
Silence resumed, and in the quietness, Iseabail thought about Owen’s words.
“…yer circumstances are yer own doing.”
That’s how he saw it, but it was not true. In fact, if she had been given any choice at all, she would much have preferred to be safely back in her father’s castle with both her father and brother at her side. Traipsing the country by herself to find a crystal no one had heard of was not her choice at all. This circumstance had been forced upon her, and yet, she could not tell him that, for then, she would need to tell him things she did not wish him to know.
Stuffing one bannock into the pocket of her cloak, she slowly nibbled at the other. Just like the water, she had not realized how hungry she was, and soon, the freshly made bread was devoured. But as she had been eating, her mind had begun to work, and she had devised a plan.
Owen would not return until he was beckoned. He had made that perfectly clear, which meant it was now only her and the guard. She was nothing if not cunning, and having already been forced to try and seduce a man, she knew what she was capable of.
While at times her stunning beauty could be the bane of her life, on occasion, it had proven quite useful. She had no doubt that this would be one of those very times, though she did not particularly like using her gift, for it drained her power.
Taking the last sip of her water, she left the tankard on the floor, and then readied herself for her performance. The guard would likely be ready for anything, and thus, this had to be convincing. Slipping her cloak off, Iseabail placed it on the floor. Her corset hugged her slender figure, and now, the flesh of her bosoms could be seen. She needed him to be as distracted as possible.
Purposefully not looking at the guard, she placed a hand on her forehead and began to moan. “Ooh, ooh.”
She heard him moving, and continued moaning, only now, she stumbled forward, pretending to feel dizzy.
“What’s the matter with ye?” the guard barked.
“I… I dinnae ken,” she panted. Her other hand was now on her stomach, just beneath her breast. “I feel dizzy,” she breathed. “I cannae breathe. I cannae breathe,” she cried, before relaxing her knees and collapsing to the floor.
“Bloody hell!” the guard cried.
As she lay there with her eyes closed, she could hear the jingling of his keys, and a second later, that screeching sound hit her ears as he pulled the gate open. Another second later, she felt him drop to his knees beside her, and taking her head in his arms, he cried out in panic.
“Miss? Miss?” he said, tapping her face with his fingers.
Iseabail’s eyes shot open and, looking him straight in the eyes, she said, “Let me go this instant.”
Shocked and bewildered, the man blinked and did as he was bid. Struggling to his feet, he watched as Iseabail pushed herself from the ground to stand directly in front of him.
The guard went to run toward the gate. “I’m going tae sound the alarm,” he cried, clearly now in panic.
“Ye will dae nay such thing,” Iseabail replied calmly. “In fact, ye will stand there, perfectly still, and tell me how tae get out o’ the castle without getting caught.”
The young guard blinked and then frowned. “There are guards everywhere. Ye’ll have tae use the tunnels. They’ll bring ye out on the other side o’ the castle. There’s a small gate at the castle walls with only one guard.”
“Where? Tell me where they are and exactly which way tae go.”
“It’s complicated, so ye must listen carefully,” he said intently. “Go out o’ the cell and when ye reach the corner, turn left.”
That was easy enough. It was the way Owen and Daire had brought her in.
“Travel passed the staircase for about ten feet. There’s a door in the wall that opens intae the first tunnel. Follow that tunnel until ye get tae a point where it breaks away intae three other tunnels. Follow the second tunnel. Continue on until ye come tae the end, and then turn left. Climb the steps, and take a right. Walk a bit more and take another right. At the end o’ that tunnel, take a left.”
I’ll never remember all o’ this.
“At the end o’ that tunnel, take another left, and then follow that tunnel tae the far end o’ the castle. The door will lead ye out ontae the gardens. Move across the gardens until ye reach the wall. Follow the wall tae yer right, and soon enough, ye’ll come upon the guard and the gate.”
For a long second, Iseabail could only stare at the guard. He had said it was complicated, but she hadn’t realized just how much. She had tried to pay intense attention to him, but there had been a lot of directions.
Ye can dae this, Iseabail. Just go ‘afore anyone else arrives.
“Thank ye. Now, forget everything ye have just told me.”
The guard blinked again and suddenly looked bewildered. “What the devil?” He took several steps back.
“Stop, and dinnae move,” Iseabail ordered, and just like that, he stayed in the exact spot.
