MacDougall 01 - Laiden's Daughter Read Free Page A

finger to his lips to bid her be quiet.   “I am so sorry for what he has done to you!   I should never have taken you to him.   It was fear for my own well being that made me do it!” The thought of what had happened to this sweet young girl sickened him.   He felt guilty and ashamed for he knew all too well what the earl did to young women.  
    Baltair had not expected the young woman to fight so! He had heard a good deal of what had taken place in the earl’s room for he had waited outside the chamber door.   When he realized that the earl was beating her, he quickly made a plan to help her escape.  
    He had gone to saddle a horse for her and was both surprised and relieved to see her standing on the stairs when he returned.   He had worked many years in this castle and knew every inch of it by heart.   He had grabbed her when he realized she was going to attempt to escape through the kitchens where people were still awake.
    “No one deserved what he did to you and it is my fault for it,” he told her.   “I’ve a daughter about your age, Aishlinn.   I’d never want her to go through what you did!”  
    Aishlinn could see the guilt in the man’s eyes. She was about to thank him for helping her when he grabbed her hand and led her to the large fireplace.   “We must move quickly before anyone wakes!” he whispered as he pulled back a large tapestry that hid a small narrow doorway.  
    “Say nothing,” he told her. “The sounds carry here.”  
    Aishlinn followed him through the hidden doorway and into darkness.   She stayed close to him; one hand clung to his, the other grasped the back of his coat. The pain in her ribs and chest intensified with each step she took. There would be time to think of the pain later, for now she had to concentrate on escape.
    Baltair led the way through a maze of corridors and tunnels that seemed to snake along endlessly. Aishlinn had no idea where he was leading her. She hoped the sound of her pounding heart would not echo through the hidden corridors. An eternity seemed to pass before they came upon a very narrow passage. It led through the thick walls of the castle and spilled out into the courtyard.  
    Creeping quietly in the darkness, Baltair held a firm grip on Aishlinn’s hand. She wondered how Baltair was able to see in the darkness, for she could barely see the back of his head.
    The night air was frigid and brought goose bumps to her bare skin for she still wore only her shift. She did not complain of the cold or the stones and sticks that her bare feet walked upon.   Freedom was now within reach.  
    They hugged the castle wall and walked silently a great distance before Baltair led her toward the large arched entranceway of Castle Firth. Soon they passed through a small wooden door hidden by heavy vines and before she knew it they were walking along the dirt road that led away from the castle.
    She could smell and hear the horse before she could see it. “Aishlinn” Baltair whispered, “this will be a good mare for you.   Stay upon this road until the sun breaks at your back.” Before she realized what was happening Baltair grabbed her about the waist and set her upon the saddle.   An unbelievable amount of pain shot through her ribs and back when he had lifted her.    She nearly tumbled off the other side of the horse before taking a firm hold of the saddle.   “When the sun breaks, leave the road and head north and west!”   He tucked the reins into her hands.
    Aishlinn had planned to flee to London, which was to the south and east.   “But London does not lie in that direction, Baltair!” she argued.  
    “You’ll not want to go to London, Aishlinn!” he told her.   “I’m sending you to Scotland.   They won’t think to look for you there.” His voice was anxious as he led her down the road.   “If you want freedom Aishlinn, you must go to the Highlands.   Trust me!”   He sounded desperate as well as fearful.