Tempted by the Highland Warrior Read Free Page A

silken ribbon, imagining it was the
curve of Marguerite’s cheek.
    He would never stop trying to escape. Even if it was only for
the chance to see her, one last time.
    One week later
    The fortress was on fire. Smoke billowed into the night
sky and, outside, she heard the battle cries of men fighting. Marguerite’s hands
shook as she reached for her cloak, silently murmuring prayers that somehow they
would make it out alive.
    Though it should have been safer to remain hidden within her
chamber, the fire might spread to the main tower. Dying by the sword was at
least swifter than being burned alive.
    Her maid Trinette was openly weeping as she packed their
belongings into a bundle. Marguerite went to the window and stared at the chaos
below. Swords rang out against shields, the roar of the prisoners breaking the
stillness. The earl shouted orders, unsheathing his own weapon while smoke
tainted the air.
    This was their best chance to escape, while the men were caught
up in the fighting. She seized the bundle from Trinette. ‘We have to leave.
Now.’
    When her maid looked hesitant, too afraid to move, she gave her
a slight push. ‘Go!’ she ordered, and Trinette hurried down the spiral stone
stairs. Marguerite held on to the bundle in one arm while following her maid.
The smoke created a dense fog within the main gathering space and in the
darkness she couldn’t see the doorway.
    Her heartbeat raced as she struggled to see, her throat raw in
the smoky haze. She dropped low to the ground, trying to discover where Trinette
had gone. She crawled upon the earthen floor until, at last, she spied the flare
of a torch outside.
    There. With a burst of energy, Marguerite fought her way
towards the entrance, keeping her head down.
    Outside, the cold air burned her lungs and she coughed again,
trying to clear the smoke. The prisoners were escaping. She could see them
pouring from their crude shelter, fighting hard, despite their chains. Another
Scottish clan had attacked and half of the men created a diversion, while the
others worked to free the slaves. Vengeance lined their faces while they struck
hard against the Cairnross soldiers.
    It was a welcome sight, watching the men go free. The only
disappointment was knowing that if he’d been here, Callum MacKinloch would have
been among them. Because of her interference, he was still a prisoner.
    It simply wasn’t fair.
    Marguerite huddled against one of the outer stone walls, tears
clouding the back of her throat. She didn’t know what to do or where to go and
dropped the bundle of her belongings upon the ground. She closed her eyes,
wishing she could silence the sounds of death and fighting. Fear locked her feet
in place.
    ‘Are you a hostage?’ a man shouted at her in English.
    Marguerite turned her head slightly and saw a tall, dark-haired
man standing before her. She gripped her arms, too afraid to move. He could kill
her with a single blow if he chose to do so. But the look in his eyes held no
threat and she saw a resemblance to Callum in the man’s features. She remained
motionless when he reached out and lowered her hood, revealing her veiled
hair.
    ‘If you want to leave this place, my brother can grant you
sanctuary,’ he offered. ‘My wife will look after you and I promise you’ll face
no harm.’
    Marguerite closed her eyes, wondering what to do. Her first
instinct was to refuse. It made no sense at all to leave Cairnross, fleeing a
burning fortress with the strangers who had attacked it.
    Yet the only choice was to remain here with a man she despised.
She stood, trying to make a decision, when, in the distance, she spied her maid.
Trinette had started to panic and screamed, running towards the earl, as if he
could protect her from the brutal fighting that surrounded them.
    Lord Cairnross was caught up in his own fight, too busy to pay
Trinette any heed. When she ran too close, Cairnross reached out with his dagger
and sliced it across the woman’s throat.