When she paused, her ears straining to ensure she hadn’t spoken too loudly, she realized that she could no longer hear the guards. Usually, they carried on conversations while they stood watch. She was never able to pick out the exact words they were saying, but she was always aware of their presence.
Slowly, careful to keep her footsteps light, she walked to her door. Pressing her ear against the wood, she listened for any signs of life. There wasn’t any conversation nor the shuffle of feet against the cobblestone. She stayed there for a long time, drawing on the patience from her stint in the tower, but she didn’t pick up on even the rustle of clothing.
“Is anyone there?” she asked, straightening out.
When she didn’t get a response, she tested the latch. To her surprise, it gave under her touch. Then, centimeter by centimeter, she opened the door.
Me guards are… gone?
Not quite believing her eyes, Amelia took a single step into the corridor. Looking left, then right, confirmed her suspicions. For some reason, her guards were absent.
She furrowed her brow and put her hands on her hips. While thislookedlike freedom, it didn’t feel like it. In fact, it felt like something was terribly wrong.
“Jinny!” she called when she couldn’t make sense of the situation for herself, wishing to quell the panic that threatened to mount in her chest. “Jinny, are ye nearby?”
“Aye!” Jinny said, her head appearing from around a corner. “I’ve been sittin’ in this alcove watchin’ the guards trainin’. Perhaps ye’re ready to break yer fast? I can help ye get dressed, or if ye’d like, I can bring up a tray. I ken that yer ribs were botherin’ ye yesterday evenin’.”
The maid’s excitement and quick speaking were enough to make Amelia’s head spin. Instead of parsing through the chatter and responding properly, she asked, “Where have me guards gone?”
“Ach, Laird Fraser dismissed them when he left the castle at dawn,” Jinny replied with a smile. “He’ll be away for several days on estate matters, but before he left, he gave clear orders that ye are nae longer confined and that ye may move freely within the keep.”
“I see,” Amelia murmured, a swirl of emotions bouncing around within her.
“I will bring yer meal to yer chambers,” Jinny said decisively when Amelia said nothing else. “Then, perhaps ye’d fancy a walk in the gardens. I can accompany ye if ye’d like.”
“I daenae ken if I’m well enough for a walk,” Amelia observed, though she wasn’t being entirely truthful. Despite now having the freedom she was desperate for, she felt dismissed. “I may be feelin’ up to it tomorrow, though, if the offer still stands.”
“Of course, it will,” Jinny said with a brief but enthusiastic bob of her head. “Shall I fetch the healer to check yer injuries?”
“Nay,” Amelia said, taking a step back into her room. “Me pain isn’t what’s botherin’ me.”
Jinny examined her face, and for a moment, Amelia was sure the maid would press her for answers. When she said, “Aye,” and began to walk down the corridor, Amelia let out a slow breath.
She retreated into her quarters, walking over to the window seat. Outside, people still hustled to and fro. She could be amongst them if she wanted. She’d been given permission.
Had he granted this on any other day, perhaps I’d feel differently.
But now, after the kiss they’d shared that had made the ground beneath her feet unsteady, it felt like a compromise. What transpired between them wasn’t something he truly desired. Allowing her this freedom was a firm message that they could not allow that to happen again.
She traced the grains in the wood she sat on, her fingertips light over the smooth wood. With a quiet sigh, she told herself that she should be relieved. Trusting a man with her heart was even more treacherous than trusting him with her safety.
That did nothing to fill the emptiness that settled in her chest.
“Ach, what is wrong with me?” Amelia muttered under her breath, rising from her seat.
She paced the room, the nervous energy flowing through her demanding to be felt. And, as she did, she realized that she was listening for Darragh’s footsteps right outside. The corridors remained stubbornly empty.
* * *
The faint smell of peat smoke and ink filled the chamber. Darragh scanned the scattered reports in front of him, accounts of the hunt’s dismantling. In the past, he may have been grateful for the attention to detail, but now, he knew that these pages could be filled with false claims.
“The supply stores have taken a significant blow,” Alexander, a senior advisor, said. “And yer only explanation is raids?”
“It has been years since we were in the field,” John, another advisor, reminded him. His eyes slid between Darragh and Ewan. “Though I was under the impression that bandits had become easier to deal with over the past twenty years.”
“I believe the two of ye are focused on the wrong issues,” Ewan said from his place by the hearth, his arms crossed over his chest. “Aye, the supply routes have been takin’ a hit, but with the discovery of the hunt and the network that extends far past what we dismantled, the safety of our women and girls has taken precedence.”
“Ye’d save a few lasses over ensurin’ yer people are fed?” Alexander challenged.
