Page 4 of Saved By the Cruel Highlander
“Everythin’ is going as planned, but I have to be careful,” Felix said, his voice pleading. “We cannae afford for her to become suspicious.”
“Tell me again what ye’re plannin’.”
Holly scowled at the woman’s simpering tone. She could imagine the lady running her hands up Felix’s chest, seducing him. She narrowed her eyes and resisted the urge to look around the corner.
“I’ll wait until a few days after Holly and I are wed, then I’ll start puttin’ the poison in her tea. I’ll make sure nae to put too much at once, so it will look like she died suddenly from some unknown malady.”
A pit formed in Holly’s stomach, and she felt it widen as bile rose in her throat.
Felix is plannin’to kill me once we’re wed?
She couldn’t believe it, yet here she was, hearing him brag about her demise with her own ears.
“And then what, me darlin’?” the woman simpered.
There was a rustling noise, as if Felix took the woman in his arms and her skirts brushed against his legs.
“And then I will get her inheritance, and ye and I will go off together and never have to worry about money again.”
Holly clenched her fists and took one angry step forward, intent on confronting the scoundrel, but someone went into the alley at that minute and told Felix to get back to work.
Holly flattened herself against the wall and tried to slow her breathing. It was a good thing the man had come out and interrupted her before she could make such a dangerous mistake. If she had confronted Felix and his lover right then, she would have done so out of anger, and that would have only made things worse. Then, they would know that she’d discovered their plans, and they might have killed her right there.
No, she had to think about what she was going to do.
Hiking up her skirts, she peered around the corner and let out a relieved sigh when she found no one there, then took off running, her boots squishing in the mud.
At home, she went to her room and plopped down on her bed. Immediately, Ollie, sensing his mistress’s upset, jumped up on the bed. Holly absently ran her hand through the cat’s long, gray fur as she considered her predicament.
“Whatever shall I do, Ollie?”
The British longhair tabby meowed, but his answer was of no use to Holly.
“I cannae confront him.” She talked absentmindedly to Ollie while stroking his soft fur. “And I cannae break off the engagement. If I did that, he’d likely become suspicious and lock me up until the wedding, then force me to take me vows somehow.”
Holly stood up and smoothed her skirts as she paced her bedchamber. “I could run and hide, but where would I go? It would only be a short-term fix, though. Eventually, I’d have to come home. Or Felix would track me down.”
She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Och, Ollie, this is drivin’ me mad! I need some fresh air to clear me head. At least I ken I’m safe until after the weddin’.”
She plucked a dark blue cloak off the chair by the hearth and left her home. It was a long walk back to town, but it helped to calm her nerves and allowed her to think a little clearer. By the time she reached town, her stomach was rumbling. When was the last time she had eaten?
Holly slowed her pace as she reached town. All the work she’d done to calm her nerves evaporated like water on a hot rock. Was Felix here? Her gaze searched both sides of the street and inside every store window she could see.
Was that him?
A man in a modest brown suit came out of the apothecary’s carrying a small bag—presumably his purchases. Was that Felix buying the poison to kill her?
Holly shuddered, then relaxed slightly when the man turned and she saw his full beard. Felix did not have a beard. Still, the thought that it had been him had frightened her. Her breathing was still a bit fast, and she even felt a little dizzy.
She ducked into the next door she came across, then stopped once inside. A tavern? It was not a place she had visited before, but she had always wondered what it was like inside. She turned and reached for the door, but the thought of running into Felix stopped her from opening it.
Why had I thought coming into town would be a good idea?
Her stomach rumbled again, louder this time, since the smell of roast meat reached her nose. Her stomach overruled her good sense, and she slowly walked further into the establishment. She ignored the blatant stares aimed her way and found a small table in the corner, away from everyone else. She’d barely sat down when a woman with blonde hair pulled back into a long braid rushed over to her.
“Me Lady, what brings ye to this fine establishment?”
Holly blushed slightly. The woman’s voice was loud. Loud enough to carry across the room. It seemed as though every eye in there was trained on her, every ear straining to hear her words.
