Page 75 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
Well, I have come this far…
She climbed the ladder, her feet slipping on each cold rung as she reached the top. It appeared to be a trapdoor, and she pushed it open with all her strength, delighted to find herself in the castle pantry.
She climbed out, looking around her for any servants who might be lurking, but all was quiet. The room was piled high with food—wrapped cakes and preserves as well as endless loaves of bread.
She pushed the trapdoor closed behind her, but as she lowered it, it slipped out of her hands and fell back into place with a clang.
There was a clatter from the adjoining room, and Emily held her breath as the door burst open. She yelped as a man with a knife burst into the room.
But it was Adam. He looked gigantic in the doorway, breathing heavily, ready to slay whoever had dared enter his kingdom. He had a dirk in his hand, his hair wild.
“Emily,” he said, swallowing his food and putting the knife swiftly away. “I thought ye were raiders come to kill us all.”
Emily relaxed, her heart still hammering in her chest.
“However did ye find yerself here?” he asked and then looked down at the trapdoor. “Damn Theo.”
“I was hungry.”
“Ye might have called for a servant.”
“And I couldnae sleep. I thought I would come down and see if I could get some food. What are ye doin’ here?”
He stood back, and she saw beyond him a plate on the wide kitchen table and a glass of milk beside it.
She walked into the vast kitchen. It was cold inside, the fires of the ovens long burned out. She jumped as she felt something heavy being placed around her shoulders—Adam’s jacket.
“Ye’re cold,” he said gruffly. “Come, I’ll get ye some food.”
He bustled about the room, gathering some butter and a few slices of bread. Emily couldn’t fight a smile, as he looked so domesticated. She would have preferred some bannocks, but she didn’t argue. After the day’s argument and after their intense night in the woods, this tenderness felt good.
Adam looked absurd in the kitchen. His shoulders were so wide that he had to hunch forward to reach into any of the cupboards. The plates and knives looked like children’s playthings in his giant hands. Emily found herself focusing on those long fingers, remembering how they had felt inside her body.
She stood watching him awkwardly, wondering if he wanted her to join him or not. He returned with a plateful of breadand cheese and some bannocks on the side. She took the plate, grateful for his attention but still mindful of his words to her earlier that night.
“Thank ye, but I cannae stay. I left me room without permission. I suppose I should return before yer guards come to find me.”
She turned to leave, but at his sigh, she glanced back.
“Please stay.” He sounded weary. “We must be able to eat together without fightin’.”
His gaze on hers was almost hopeful. The plate was heavy, and she knew she could never hope to get back down that ladder while carrying it. There was something nice about the quiet kitchen, too. It was inviting, his presence familiar and comforting.
She was used to spending her time and energy taking care of others, whether it was for her family or her clan. It was nice, in the darkness of the room, to feel cared for, and to have someone else make her decisions for her.
She pulled his jacket tighter around her shoulders and nodded. He glanced up at her briefly as he took his seat, but then returned to eating his food. She did the same, and they fell into an awkward silence for a long time.
“Who built the passageways?” she asked.
Adam gave a crooked smile. “Me great grandfaither,” he said. “Quite mad, he was.”
“How so?”
“Och, he thought there were goblins and trolls livin’ under the foundations of the castle. He decided to build the tunnels to ensure they didnae have a place to live. Me great-grandmaither could see that he had lost his senses and, instead, ordered the tunnels to be built as an escape into the forest. They werenae used for years, but since Theo came, he has cleaned them out, and now the servants use them regularly.”
“They are well cared for, I must admit.”
“And where else did ye go tonight?” His eyes were twinkling now.
