Page 57 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

When Muriel left Liam's chamber the night before, he didn't notice. He'd dozed off, and while he felt more rested than he had in a long time, he regretted not staying awake with her. He wished he could have spent hours talking to her, staring at her, the two of them planning their future together, wherever that might be.

He didn't want to be apart from her for another moment, especially not while they were in that keep. But Muriel was nowhere to be found when he left his chamber that morning, now that he was free. He searched for her alone, sneaking around the keep to avoid detection, which also helped him become acquainted with the place, but he never came across her. Finally, he remembered where she had told him her chamber was, and he decided it was worth a try to see if she was still there.

Liam made his way to the keep's south wing, scrambling to hide behind a wall as four guards passed by. He listened to their footsteps, waiting until he couldn't hear them echo through the corridor before proceeding, easily tracking Muriel's room.

He knocked once, twice, and then decided to try the doorknob when no one answered. When he opened the door, he frowned at the sight in front of him.

The room was no bedchamber. It was a small library filled from top to bottom with books, their spines cracked and well-loved. It looked like a room where Muriel could spend a lot of time but it certainly wasn’t her chamber.

Liam cursed under his breath. She had lied to him, given him a false location so that he wouldn’t find her when he set his plan in motion. There was no other way to explain it.

I dinnae understand why she’s so stubborn. I ken that she doesnae wish to marry him! I’m givin’ her a choice!

He was taken aback by the thought. Was he truly giving her a choice, or was he pressuring her to flee? But he wasn't like Macleod, nor was he like her father. Muriel had wanted to avoid that marriage since the moment she heard about it, and Liam was providing her with an escape route. Besides, he'd never force her to stay by his side if she didn't want to. She'd be free to do whatever she wanted once they were out of there.

Liam refused to listen to Muriel. She was making a mistake by agreeing to that marriage out of fear for her mother’s life. He could save her.

He could save both of them.

It didn't matter that she had directed him to the wrong room to look for her. Liam was determined to find the right one, even though he knew the longer he waited, the more likely he'd be caught wandering around the keep. Instead, he went to the courtyard, where he could be easily seen and pretended to take a stroll while looking up at the windows around the castle.

If Muriel was in one of those rooms, perhaps he would see her.

The servants and the guards in the courtyard watched him curiously but didn’t try to talk to him. He had the excuse of being cooped up in his chambers for days, after all, practically the laird’s prisoner and no one would question him for taking a walk around the grounds.

As he looked up, scanning the windows, he caught a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair and thought he saw her. But, upon closer inspection, he realized it was someone else. Someone who had a striking resemblance to Muriel.

Her maither.

That was a start, at least. He knew where her mother was and so he could go to her first, help her escape the keep and ask her where her daughter’s chambers were. She had to know, he thought, and she was the only one who could help him.

Before Liam could return inside, he heard the rattle of the gates as they opened. He watched as several men on horses rode through with a gilded, intricately carved carriage in the middle of the procession. At the same time, Laird McNeil, followed by Kenneth and a group of servants, rushed out of the keep to meet the guests.

Liam’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the carriage. He was certain that he had seen it somewhere before but he couldn’t place it. At least until the door opened and Laird Macleod stepped out; dressed in his finest cotton and silk.

Liam's blood ran cold at the sight of him. He wasn't sure if it was a game for Laird McNeil, bringing the man there just so Liam could see him, or if he had simply arrived at the wrong time, but it enraged Liam nonetheless. The mere presence of Macleod caused his stomach to churn and his fists to curl so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, almost drawing blood.

It got worse when he saw Laird McNeil walking towards him after greeting Macleod, with him by his side.

“Ye’ve already met Liam McAlpine,” Laird McNeil told Macleod. “I figured that the two of ye may want to be reacquainted noo that ye have nothin’ to make ye enemies.”

“Russell McAlpine,” Liam said without missing a beat. As much as he wanted to play along with the laird so that he wouldn’t raise any suspicions, he simply couldn’t. “I may have agreed to yer terms, me laird, but I never agreed to meet Laird Macleod. The reason for our animosity still exists, ye see.”

“Does it?” Laird McNeil asked with furrowed brows. “And what would that be?”

“Laird Macleod kens. Ye ken verra weel, too, since I have expressed me concerns to ye.”

It was all Liam said as he pinned them both with a cold stare. He had no desire to be around Macleod for any longer than he had to and any conversation he had to have with him would be kept short.

To his credit, Macleod did not attempt to speak. Laird McNeil appeared to be about to say something but stopped himself, his lips pressed together and his face a deep red.

“If ye’ll excuse me, noo, I must prepare for me journey,” Liam said. “Thank ye for yer hospitality, Laird McNeil. I hope we willnae see each other again.”

With that, Liam was gone, walking back into the keep to grab his personal belongings. Once again, he would have to hide and stay undetected until nightfall but it didn’t bother him. With Macleod and his men there, Laird McNeil would be more than busy trying to entertain them.

As far as opportunities went, that night seemed to be one of the better ones when it came to escaping.