Page 41 of Claimed By the Heartless Highlander
“Where’s Connor?”
“I think he’s with the fellows patrollin’ the borders, lass.” Braden crouched down to her level. “But if ye dinnae mind me sayin’ so, ye look fairly distressed about somethin’. Will ye tell me what it is?”
“Ailis is leavin’.”
“The lady in the carriage?”
“Aye.” Lily felt tears well up in her eyes and wiped them away. She didn’t want Braden to think she was a weepy, little bairn. “She’s nice, and I dinnae want her to go.”
“Well, I’m sure she’ll be back. But did she tell ye where she was goin’?”
“Goin’ to visit her friends. I wanted to go with her, but she said it’s too far.” Lily pouted.
“Too far? For a bonny lass like ye?” Braden frowned. “Well, I can see ye’re a strong, little lass. Mayhap she was just sayin’ that because yer faither wants to keep ye close?”
“He’s always keepin’ me close! I wanted to go with Ailis!”
“Well, if that’s the case…” Braden frowned. “I ken yer faither said ye’re to stay within the castle walls, but… he told me to keep ye happy and give ye whatever ye desire…”
His frown disappeared. “Well, ye ken, Lady Ailis cannae be goin’ far, nae in the carriage. Less than a day’s ride, like as nae. Which means that if we hurry, we can catch up to her. Then ye could meet her friends and have some fun, and be back afore the Laird kens ye’ve gone out.”
“But Faither said I’m nae to leave the castle.”
“Aye, but did ye get punished when the Lady took ye?”
Lily felt a sudden burst of hope. “Nay…”
Her father had scolded her, but he hadn’t made her stay in her rooms for days, or given her nasty chores or extra lessons. He hadn’t even forbidden her from having dessert or given her a warning swat to her bum.
“He’s cautious, the Laird is, but ye’ll be with me, as well as Lady Ailis and her guard, so ye’ll be well safe on the road. And I’ll let ye ride with me, so ye’ll be safer still. I think we could manage fairly well.”
“But… what if Ailis… She told me to stay…” Lily bit her lip.
“Och, that was like as nae to placate yer faither. I bet she’ll be well pleased with the surprise if we were to follow her. Only, we’ll have to hurry if we’re to catch up to them.”
Lily thought about it.
Braden was right. Her father hadn’t beenthatangry when she’d gone outside to the sea with Ailis. It might be all right. And Ailis liked surprises. She was always happy when Lily brought her flowers or honey cakes to share.
“Well, lass? We need to get movin’ if we’re goin’ to catch up to the carriage.” Braden stood up. “Do ye want to go with Lady Ailis?”
Lily considered a moment, but the siren call of adventure and Ailis’s presence were too much to ignore. She jumped to her feet. “Aye!”
“Well then, let’s bundle ye up in me cloak until we get past the walls, and we’ll go join her.”
Lily huddled close to Braden’s side, grinning as he led her to a small side gate and swung her up onto a horse. She might get into trouble later, but for now, she could have some fun.
And maybe, when she and Ailis came back safe, her father would finally see she wasn’t a wee babe. He might start letting her go out more often.
Filled with excitement, she never realized that Braden hadn’t spoken to any other guards, or that the path they took was different from the one that Ailis’s carriage took.
* * *
Duncan watched from the wall as the carriage with his betrothed rolled down the road toward the borders they shared with Clan MacDean until the carriage itself was a mere speck against the backdrop of the woods. He watched, straining to catch just one more glimpse of Ailis’s fire-bright hair, until she’d long since disappeared from sight.
With a growl, he turned away from the wall and stomped his way down to the courtyard. After a moment of consideration, he turned in the direction Lily had run after saying goodbye to Ailis. His daughter was fond of the woman he’d brought into their lives and was likely to need some consoling.
Assuming that she wasn’t as furious and determined to ignore him as Ailis was.
