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“It was given to me by a Highlander on the road. He said to tell you to meet him in the secret garden and to come alone.”
Fia’s eyes darted upward. Her heart skipped a beat. Besides the girls and Branton, no but Alastair knew about the secret garden. “Thank ye,” said Fia, handing the boy a coin from her pouch. He scooped it up eagerly and then turned and hurried out the gate. Quickly, she unwrapped the parcel, delighted to find her bracelet inside.
Knowing for sure this came from Alastair, she felt leery but excited to possibly see him once again. He must have found her bracelet when she dropped it in the garden. But why did he want to see her and why did he say to come alone? Perhaps his stitches broke open, and he needed her to sew him up again. Her head told her not to go, but her heart made her trust the man. She wanted to be with him again. He was a Scot like her and, right now, she wasn’t happy being on this side of the border. Perhaps, if she went to meet Alastair, she could convince him to help protect her family and clan when he headed back to Scotland.
“Fia, who was that?” asked Maira as the girls walked up to join her.
Fia quickly hid the piece of plaid in her pocket, turning around to show them the bracelet.
“Yer bracelet!” exclaimed Morag. “Where did ye find it?”
“That peasant boy gave it to me,” she explained.
“Where did he find it and why would he bring it here?” asked Willow suspiciously.
“I gave him a coin, and he was happy,” was all she said, turning and walking away.
“Fia, you are up to something.” Maira rushed up behind her. “What is going on?”
“Nothin’,” she told her cousin, hating to lie, but knowing if she told the girls the truth they would not let her go. “I feel like wearin’ my crown today,” she told the others. “I am goin’ to go back to my chamber to get it.”
Fia hurried back to her chamber, getting her crown and placing it on her head. She wanted to look her best when she met with Alastair since he was a laird. She waited until she saw her sister and cousins head to the mews. Then she hurried down to the courtyard and took a horse, bringing it to the postern gate that was well hidden behind the gong pit. No one used this gate anymore, and most people had even forgotten it existed at all. It was covered in vines and hidden in the wall. It was directly behind the gong pit that contained the feces from the garderobes. The area stank horrendously. A new postern gate was built years ago at the east end of the castle.
Fia looked over her shoulder and then found the hidden key and opened the gate. After she went through, she replaced the key behind a loose brick, got on her horse, and headed into the woods to meet Alastair in the secret garden.
* * *
“Over there,”said Alastair, pointing to the castle from his hiding position on the ground. Niven and Earc were at his side, while the rest of his men were spread out. They were waiting and watching the outer castle walls. Alastair knew Fia was sneaking out somehow without the guards seeing her. He had to know how she was doing it, and how his men could enter the castle without being seen.
“It’s a secret door,” said Earc.
“She hid the key behind that brick at the top,” added Niven.
“Take the others, get to the dungeon and set the men free,” Alastair instructed.
“Do ye really think it’s goin’ to be that easy?” asked Niven.
“We saw Lord Beaufort and most of the soldiers leave, so the castle willna be well protected,” Alastair told them. “Get Brohain and the others and meet me at the border at our designated spot.”
“What about ye?” asked Earc. “Where are ye goin’ that ye’re no’ comin’ with us?”
“I’m goin’ to see Lady Fia once more before we leave.”
“Och, ye’re no’,” said Earc, shaking his head in disagreement. “Why would ye do that? We ken how to sneak in now; ye dinna have to meet with her.”
“Nay, I dinna, but I want to. I am a man of my word. If I say I’ll do somethin’, then I do it.”
“Nothin’ guid can come from it,” said Niven. “My laird, I beg ye no’ to go. Let’s rescue the others and head over the border to meet with the rest of the clans in our designated spot.”
“Aye,” agreed Earc. “Richard’s army is strong and large. Scotland needs us to join with the others to defeat those stinkin’ Sassenachs.”
“Just go and do what I told ye,” said Alastair, wanting to thank Fia for sewing him up before he left and never saw her again. “I’ll only be a moment. Then, I will meet ye there.”
With that, Alastair turned and rode toward the secret garden to say thank you and goodbye to the bonnie Scottish lassie. It was the least he could do after she went against the English to help him in the first place.
