Page 31 of A Forbidden Night with a Scot
“Late,” said Alicia. “But I cannae sleep.”
“An’ ye thought ye’d go tae the loch?”
“Aye,” Alicia said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
“I’m nae goin’ with ye.”
Alicia rolled her eyes, giving her sister a gentle, playful shove. “I didnae ask ye tae come with me,” she pointed out. “I’m only tellin’ ye in case Faither looks fer me. I dinnae want him tae punish me fer goin’ tae the loch an’ fer disappearin’ without sayin’ a word.”
“Ye woke me up fer this?” Katherine asked and Alicia thought it was a fair question, but one she answered with nothing but a shrug. “I’m never goin’ tae sleep now.”
“Ach, o’ course ye will,” said Alicia, pressing a kiss to Katherine’s cheek before she sprang off the bed and headed to the door. “An’ if ye cannae, ye ken where tae find me.”
Alicia left the room before she could hear Katherine’s reply, knowing it would most likely be a complaint. Now, she had the task of leaving the castle—mostly—undetected. The only people whom she could allow to see her were those she knew would not run to her father and tell him what she was up to, and that left her with very few options. Creeping close to the shadows, Alicia made her way to the back of the castle through the usual passage, the same stairs she had taken when she had returned from the tavern with Katherine and Samuel, hoping that since Samuel had promised not to tell anything to her father, the same guards would be there, at the small back door. Once she gotthere, though, she realized it wasn’t them, but rather another set of guards, older and most likely far more responsible.
Alicia cursed under her breath. How had Samuel managed to get her father to change the guards without telling him anything about that night?
Faither respects his opinion. If Samuel told him tae change the guards, he would.
Alicia just had to find another way out.
Climbing the walls was impossible; not only were they too high, but they were also guarded, soldiers patrolling at all times of the day. The main door was certainly not an option. That only left her with a side door, one close to the stables. It was a long walk from where she was, a walk through the courtyard, where there were few places for her to hide, and there was no guarantee whoever guarded it would let her pass, but she couldn’t figure out another way.
And then she saw it: a rock on the ground, heavy and big enough to make some noise. Alicia grabbed it, her fingers barely managing to wrap around its circumference, and then gathered all the strength she could muster before throwing it hard at the wall, as far from the small gate as she could.
Just as she had expected, the guards were alarmed by the sudden sound, both of them drawing their swords. One of them quickly rushed to investigate while the other followed at a slower pace, keeping half an eye on the gate.
Dinnae look. Dinnae look.
Alicia waited for the perfect moment, holding her breath. When the two men were far enough from her and neither of them was looking, she broke into a sprint, keeping her footsteps light and silent, and slipped right out of the castle.
Returning might be more difficult, she thought, but that was a problem for a later time. For now, she was free.
The light of the full moon was enough to light Alicia’s way as she moved down the path with the practiced ease of someone who had crossed it hundreds of times before. On horse or on foot, she knew precisely where to step and how fast she could afford to go, where the path was steep and where it was smooth, allowing for fast travel. Half-running and half-walking, she quickly made it to the lake, its waters shimmering under the moonlight.
Just as she had expected, the place was empty at that time of the night, and so she didn’t hesitate before she shed her clothes and jumped into the water with a splash.
Instantly, the cold bit into her skin relentlessly, like a thousand pins digging into her flesh. At the same time, though, the sensation was invigorating, clearing her mind of everything else and leaving behind a calmness she didn’t think she could achieve in any other way. There was nothing but her and the water, the sting of it, the gradual fatigue of her muscles as she swam.
She wished her life could always be like this, without distractions, without worries, despite the knowledge it couldnever happen. How long did she have until she had to meet Laird MacTavish? Her father could claim that nothing was yet certain, but Alicia already knew what her fate would be; Laird MacTavish would not say no to this marriage.
What if he loves another? Could I ever be so lucky?
But if he loved another, he would have already married her and he would not have reached out to her father for a betrothal. Such wishful thinking only hurt the soul, she thought, making her yearn for something that could never happen.
Submerging her head into the water, Alicia tried to chase those thoughts away once again and replace them with the calm blankness of the first dip. When she broke the surface, she pushed her hair off her face and wiped her eyes as dry as she could, staring up at the full moon and all the little pockmarked details of its surface.
And then the quiet was broken by a noise; footsteps, fast and quickly approaching.
There was no time for Alicia to get out of the water and dress before the intruder reached her. She wondered who it could be at that time of the night; a traveler perhaps? Or could it be a brigand who had spotted her from afar and had now found his chance to attack while she was trapped in the water?
Taking a deep breath, Alicia let herself plunge deeper in the water, only her eyes and the top of her head visible as she tracked the intruder’s movements. She hoped that if she stayedentirely still, she could be hidden in the water even with the light of the full moon above her.
No one could see her like this. She was entirely nude, with nothing nearby to cover herself.
The figure came to a sudden halt at the bank of the lake and Alicia cursed in her head, closing her eyes and dipping even lower in an attempt to remain hidden. Before she could resurface, though, a splash disturbed the waters of the lake and within moments, strong arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of the water as she screamed and thrashed, heart beating like a drum in her chest. Fear gripped her, but she didn’t let it paralyze her. Instead, she fought her captor, water splashing wildly around them as she kicked and punched at him, madly trying to get away.
“It’s me!” the man shouted; a voice familiar even in Alicia’s panic. “It’s me, Samuel!”
