Page 59 of Highlander's Runaway Seductress
Looking up from the counter, Hana frowned. “He might be in his study, and havin’ a meetin’, me Lady.”
“Can ye show me where it is?” Amelie asked.
“Aye, this way, me Lady,” Hana dipped her head, then headed off to another set of stairs.
Following her, Amelie was led to another part of the castle that she had not been in before. These corridors were thinner and had a runner down the lengths of them, and Hana led her to a room. From a few feet away from the door, Amelie could hear voices inside. As Hana moved to knock, Amelie stopped her and pressed her ear to the door.
The tones were muffled but she heard one man say. “We’ve found Damien. He was unconscious in the woods for a while and is still sleepin’ in the barracks.”
Shock and relief washed through Amelie like waves of a loch and she pressed a hand to her chest in utter disbelief. All this time he had been in the woods and unconscious—it was a miracle that he had lived. Tears of relief began to swim in her eyes, but she managed to blink them back.
“When we found him, he was blue from the cold, he was injured, and without his shoes, the snow did some damage to him, and it looks like he waded through a river to get to the other side to find his way back to the city. That too did more damage to him, but we found him in time that the cold hadnae killed him. He’s warmin’ up at the barracks at the Northern Territory now, me Laird,” the soldier finished.
Peeling herself away from the door, Amelie gestured to Hana and the left to head for the lower floor. At Hana’s questioning look, Amelie explained. “There were men inside and from what they were sayin’, it seems as if they are all me faither’s soldiers. I dinnae want to disturb them but the good news is that they have found Damien.”
“I’m very happy for ye, me Lady,” Hana said, as they went back to the kitchen. “I ken his Lairdship’s men are incredibly good at what they do. Cook made some lovely meat pies this mornin’, will ye want one to celebrate?”
“I think I will,” Amelie nodded.
While Hana went off into the pantry, Ben came shuffling into the kitchen.
“Mornin’ lass,” he smiled. “Ye look happy.”
Hana came back with the pie in her hands, then saw Ben. “Good morn, Mister McLowe, just a moment, I’ll get ye another pie.”
As the maid left, Amelie stayed where she was, allowing the relief she felt from news about Damien to settle inside her. Thank goodness that he was alive! He had not abandoned her as Ben had suggested, and to her shame, it was a reason that she had believed.
Overjoyed at seeing him, Amelie said, “Ben, great news! Damien hasnae gone back to Inverness, he hasnae run off. They found him in the woods, they say he was robbed and injured. He might come back to us soon. I hope he tells us who did it to him so we can catch the culprit.”
Ben nodded. “That is wonderful, lass. Do ye ken when he’ll be around?”
“I dinnae hear much as faither was in a meetin’ and I listened through the door,” she blushed. “But this is good news, Ben. Damien is alive. He could be here by tomorrow.”
Hana rested the steaming pie before Ben and gave them happy parting words. Amelie tucked into her meal and Ben ate his as well, while he uttered between bites his astonishment about Damien.
“I am glad I was wrong,” Ben said while finishing his meal. “Seems I misjudged the boy.”
Wiping her mouth, Amelie rubbed her forehead. “And I am sorry I believed it.”
Nodding, Ben stood. “Would ye take a walk with me, lass? I want to stretch me knees as they’re gettin’ stiff.”
Still happy about Damien, Amelie agreed, “Where would ye like to walk?”
“Nowhere in particular,” Ben shrugged. “‘Tis a fair day, we can go anywhere. Shall we fetch our coats and go?”
“Aye,” Amelie happily went to her rooms and donned her coat. Her heart was tripping over itself at the thought that Damien would soon be with her. He would awake and come to her father, they would have a sit down, and she knew her father would listen and appreciate what Damien had done for her.
Gleefully, she went back downstairs to wait for Ben and when he did slowly descend the staircase, they headed out to the castle’s inner courtyard, and then to the trails that led to the keep. They circled the bailey and Ben spotted the stables.
“Do ye think we can persuade yer drivers to take us to town?” Ben asked. “I’d like to ken the place.”
Amelie shrugged. “I daenae see any harm with that. I’d like to ken the town too. I think they’ll take us.”
She walked to the door of the stables, breathing in the faint smell of linseed hay, and horse manure. A few men were inside but they were not the soldiers her father sent to fetch her from the inn.
“Good afternoon,” she greeted. “I’m nae sure ye ken, but I am—”
“Lady McDulah,” one the men bowed. “Aye, we ken, me Lady, tis that none of us has had the pleasure to meet ye yet. Me name is Angus, this is Samuel and over there is Rauri, what can we do for ye?”
