“The gatehouse,” he confirmed to his men, who immediately began to gather their things and head for the door.
“My lord…” Ailis began.
Alexander turned to her and raised a hand to forestall the protest she was undoubtedly about to make over the decision to have Ranald accompany her to her chambers.
“No, no, my lady, do not thank me for the escort.” His eyes gleamed mischievously as he knew he was getting under her skin. “You are soon to become my bride and as such you are very precious to me. I don’t want you to worry about a thing, sweetness. From this point forward, I will ensure that there is someone to watch over you at all times.”
The fury his words caused was evident in her eyes but there was nothing she could say without giving away the intention to flee that he suspected she harbored. She nodded in acquiescence. Satisfied that he had her well in hand, Alexander took his leave of her with a quick, courteous bow and went to seek out his brothers.
* * *
Ailis fumed silently as the door to her bedchamber slammed shut behind her. Things were not going as she’d planned. Before Alexander de Moray had arrived at the castle, she’d decided to capitulate and do her duty in marrying the man as the king had commanded. There were certain benefits to it, after all. As his wife, she would be able to ensure the welfare of the clan and perhaps persuade him to make some improvements on the land. But, the moment she’d laid eyes on the man she was expected to wed, her resolve to do what she knew she ought to had crumbled into dust.
Given that he was widely known as the devil, she’d expected that Alexander would be intimidating but, in the flesh, he was so much more than she’d ever imagined. He was so tall, so muscular, with something dark behind those piercing blue eyes. Her senses had been completely overwhelmed by the man. She’d felt her body betraying her as his presence awakened something desperate and primal inside her. Being near to him had sparked an awareness of her own desires more acute than anything she’d ever experienced before. Even as he spanked her, she’d wanted to feel a more tender touch from him. This was a man who would consume her completely if she let him. What scared her the most was that part of her yearned to be swept away by her desires and engulfed by his command.
So, she’d made up her mind as soon as that humiliating spanking was over, that she was going to escape. She had thought that she might be able to slip out through one of the side doors unseen and head for Inverdonnell. It was risky with soldiers from the Scottish and English armies roaming the land, but if she made it to the small market town safely, she could surely have bribed someone to hide her for a day or two. Then, when the hunt for her had quietened down, she would have moved on, to seek out her mother’s people in the far north. Ailis had never met them, but she was sure that they would take her in. Now, though, it seemed she might be trapped here.
Gripped by a wave of despondency, Ailis walked to the window and looked out into the darkness. A smile spread across her face as an idea came to mind. Alexander de Moray thought that he’d clipped her wings when he had his man bring her up here and stand guard outside her door. What he didn’t know, however, was that she had climbed out of this window and down the castle wall many times. She had a length of rope tied to the post of her bed that could be thrown out of the window to reach almost to the ground. Her feet were small enough to fit in the holes that had been used to secure scaffolding when the castle was built, and she knew where each of them lay. She might be in one of the highest rooms in the tower, but it was no prison, not for her. Although it was several years since she’d last scaled the walls, and she’d never made the descent in the dark, she was certain she was still nimble enough to make it.
Hurriedly stripping off her dress and the coarse linen shift she wore beneath it, Ailis went to the trunk at the foot of her bed and looked inside it for something more suitable to wear. There was no way she would be able to climb down those walls in a dress but, a long time ago, she’d worn a man’s clothing when she helped to tend to the horses and she was sure that the garments would still be there. She raked through several drab woolen dresses, her standard uniform, and threw aside the one beautifully embroidered surcote she owned but had never had the occasion to wear. Right at the bottom of the trunk, she found the masculine hose and tunic she was looking for. Dressing quickly, she found that the clothes were a little tighter than before. Since she’d last worn them, she’d filled out to a more womanly shape. Still, they would do.
When she’d finished lacing the hose, she took a moment to adjust to the rubbing of the fabric against the reddened flesh of her poor, chastised buttocks. She slid her feet back into her own slightly worn leather shoes and reached under the bed for the rope that was still tied to the post at one end. She returned to the window and threw the length of rope out. Taking a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, she was about to haul herself up onto the ledge when she was startled by a knock at the door. Before Ailis could call out to the person on the other side to tell them to leave her to dress in peace, the heavy wooden door swung open. Bracing herself to face Alexander or one of his minions, Ailis was relieved when Margaret stepped into the room.
“Since you’ve never bothered to take a maid, I have come to help you to dress.” Margaret’s brow furrowed as she studied Ailis carefully, taking in her strange attire and her position by the window. “What on Earth are you doing?”
“I cannot marry him, Margaret. I must get away from here.”
Margaret rushed across the room to Ailis, her pale blue eyes filled with concern.
“Ailis, tell me you aren’t planning to go out the window.”
Seeing no point in denying it, Ailis just shrugged her shoulders. She knew it was a bold, even perilous plan, but could see no other way.
“Are you mad?” Margaret screeched. “It’s far too dangerous. You are not a child anymore, Ailis. You cannot behave this way.”
Lips forming a pout, Ailis narrowed her eyes. “You won’t help me?”
Margaret shook her head. “No, Ailis, I am sorry, but your plan is foolish. You could be killed.”
“There is a risk, certainly, but if I am forced to marry that man, I will surely die.” Ailis knew she was being overly dramatic, but she could see some sympathy for her in the other woman’s eyes. If she played on that, she was sure she could convince her to help. “Margaret… Maggie… Please help me. The man is the very devil. We are not even married yet and he has already beaten me. You must help me.”
“He beat you?” Maggie looked doubtful.
“Well, he spanked my bottom,” Ailis clarified, “and it hurt.”
“As I imagine it was meant to. You were quite rude to the de Morays when they arrived.”
Ailis snorted, but with time passing quickly, she had no intention of standing there debating with Margaret over whether or not she’d been rude.
“Margaret, please.” She clenched her fists by her sides, already ashamed of what she was about so say. “If you don’t help me, I will be forced to tell Edane about your dalliances with Niall. I doubt she will approve.”
Ailis almost took the words back as the other woman’s face drained of all color, but she was desperate, so she stood firm.
“I would be sent home to my father in disgrace.” Margaret looked as though she might start to cry at any moment. “You would really tell Edane?”
Reluctantly, Ailis shrugged her shoulders. “If you won’t help me, I’ll have no choice.”
“Very well.” The hurt in Margaret’s eyes was almost more than Ailis could bear. “I will help you, but if you’re caught, you mustn’t implicate me. My life would be over of they found out I’d aided your escape.”
Ailis nodded eagerly. “I promise you, Margaret, I will not say anything to get you into trouble if they catch me.”
She meant what she said. The woman might be Edane’s companion, but she was cut from a very different cloth to Ailis’ sister-in-law. Besides that, she meant something special to Niall and, as far as Ailis was conc
erned, that counted for a lot. She would not see Margaret banished for helping her. Not that she intended to get caught in the first place.
“But,” the pretty brunette said, “I cannot stand by and let you climb out of the window. It’s far too dangerous and even if you do choose to tell Edane about me and Niall, I am not prepared to let you take such a risk.”
“Very well,” Ailis conceded. “Do you have a different plan?”
“Aye,” Margaret replied after a moment’s thought, “bind my hands and feet. Make it look as though you have overpowered me and place a cloth in my mouth, so it seems you’ve tried to silence me. Then I will knock something over to make a noise that will bring de Moray’s guard into the room. As he runs in, you can strike him and then tie him up before he recovers.”
“And then what?” Ailis asked.
“Then you can escape down the stairs and out the postern gate to the sea loch. There is bound to be a boat moored there and you will be able to get away faster.”
It was a ridiculous plan. The chances of her somehow being able to hit the enormous brute of a guard Alexander had set on her with enough force to render him insensible were remote. Even if she did succeed, she would still have to get past any of his men who were lingering in the hallway below. Then, if she made it through the postern gate, which was likely to be locked now that darkness had fallen, there was no way she would be able to navigate a boat through the treacherous waters of the sea loch in the dark. No, she was going to stick with her original idea.
However, there was one part of Margaret’s plan that would be useful. Tying her up would prevent her from going for help before Ailis could complete her descent. Not wishing to alert Margaret to her true intentions, Ailis smiled broadly.
“Yes, that is a better plan.” She pulled Margaret close and kissed her cheek. “We will do things your way.”
As they broke their embrace, Ailis could see that the other woman was crying. Guilt pricked at her once more.
“If you do get away, try to send word that you are safe,” Margaret sniffed. “I could not bear to think of you lying hurt somewhere.”
“I will,” Ailis promised. “Now, lie on the bed and I will bind you.”
Margaret quickly took up her position on the bed and Ailis tore strips off one of her well-worn linen shifts to tie her arms and legs. She gave an apologetic grimace as Margaret gasped at the constriction of her bindings, but Ailis knew, for both their sakes, that they had to make this convincing. As she stuffed a square of cloth into the other woman’s mouth, packing it in tightly so she couldn’t spit it out, she pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
“I am sorry, Margaret,” she said and shrugged her shoulders as the other woman’s eyes widened. “Your plan would not have worked.”
Leaving Margaret bound on the bed and unable to summon help, Ailis ran to the window and looked out into the night once more. Her heart was pounding. She tucked the tunic into her hose. Then, sending up a silent prayer that she would make it safely, she hopped up onto the ledge, swung around so that she lay on her belly, and carefully lowered herself out into the darkness.
Chapter Six
Alexander felt Adam’s hand slapping down heavily on his shoulder as he finished arranging his plaid and fastened it with a silver pin bearing the family crest. He had never imagined that he would look forward to taking a wife. He’d always viewed marriage as a necessary evil, something that had to be done for the procurement of a legitimate heir. Now that he’d got a closer look at the beautiful, feisty woman he was to marry, his whole attitude was transformed. He was excited about what his future with Ailis might hold. He was still not entirely convinced he was ready to settle down, but he appreciated the great honor the king had bestowed upon him by gifting him the vast MacDonnell lands.
There were also definite compensations that came from pledging himself to the lovely Ailis. She was a comely lass, with just the right amount of meat on her bones. There was a hint of wildness about her that he might never completely tame, but that was fine. He liked a bit of a challenge and she would certainly provide him with that. Somehow, he knew that he was destined to be the man who would successfully take her in hand. When she’d lain across his lap so he could spank her naughty little bottom, it had felt right.
“I must congratulate you on your bride,” Adam said. “She possesses a rare beauty.”
“Aye, she does.” Alexander felt his chest swell with pride as he basked in his older brother’s obvious approval, something that was rarely bestowed upon him.
“She’s a brat, though.” This sour note came from Iain, who still wore that same dark glare he’d been wearing all evening. If Alexander hadn’t been so content in his current circumstances, he might have been tempted to slap the glowering expression right off his brother’s miserable face.
“Ailis is spirited, I’ll give you that,” Alexander conceded. He couldn’t help but allow himself a smile as he thought about how she’d wriggled on his lap as he took her to task for her impertinence. “Like a wild horse, preparing to bolt.”
“You think she might try to run from you?” Adam asked.
“Aye, she had that look about her.”
He’d seen her eyes flitting toward the door, had felt the frustration coming off her in waves as she realized he was giving her an escort to ensure she didn’t run away. Alexander had no doubt that if she attempted to escape, he would catch her, but he would prefer not to have to chase her through the wind and rain.
“And yet you allowed her to go to her chambers to dress alone?” Iain challenged.
“No,” Alexander said slowly. His younger brother was really starting to test his patience now. “I sent Ranald with her to stand outside her door. I believe the room is high in the west tower. She will not be able to get out without him knowing.”
“Hah!” A snort of disagreement came from Niall, who was lounging by the roaring fire on the other side of the room. As one the de Moray brothers spun around to face him.
“What? Is there some hidden corridor?” Adam asked. “Is there a secret passage by which she might leave the castle?”
“No,” Niall replied, a wry grin on his face. “No hidden corridors in that part of the castle.”
“And yet you think she can escape from there?” Alexander couldn’t imagine how that would be possible. Ranald was no fool and would not allow her to charm her way past him.
“I don’t think it,” Niall replied, getting to his feet. “I know it. Wouldn’t be the first time wee Ailis went out the window.”
“That is a jest, surely?” Alexander asked. Could she really be so foolish as to climb out of a window in the dark? It had been raining for much of the day and so the chances of her losing her footing on the wet stone seemed high. To try such a thing would be suicide.
“No jest,” Niall said solemnly. “She knows her way down that wall. She’s climbed it many times.”
Alexander paused for a moment to digest that information. Then, cursing loudly, he ran from the room, his brothers and Niall close behind.
“Which way to her chambers?” Alexander yelled at Niall as they came out into the courtyard. He felt a sudden surge of panic that disoriented him, and he realized he had no idea where to look for Ailis.
Niall pointed to the west tower and Alexander hurried inside. Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached the third floor quickly, startling Ranald as he came out onto the landing. Pushing the other man aside, he flung open the door. His heart lurched as he took in the sight of the bound woman on the bed who began to gesture wildly toward the window. His eyes followed a line of rope across the floor and out over the ledge.
“Hell’s teeth!” Alexander roared as he raced to the window.
He leaned out as far as he could, but his massive frame would not allow him to get into the narrow space properly. In any event, there was nothing to see in the pitch black. He stood back and quickly gathered his thoughts. As he turned around, he was greeted by an array of stunned faces. Cl
early the others shared his disbelief.
“MacDonnell, Adam, see to the lassie,” he ordered as he waved his hand in Margaret’s direction. “Iain, with me.”
Leaving the two men behind to untie the young woman, Alexander headed for the stairs. Grabbing a flaming torch from its wall mounting, he flew out through the postern gate and ran onto the grassy bank that encircled the castle. All the time, he looked for some sign of a small, broken body lying at the foot of the wall. As the sea crashed on the rocks behind him, creating a roaring in his ears, he scanned the darkness. He could see nothing of Ailis.
“Hah!” Iain barked out a sudden, incredulous laugh and pointed upward.
Alexander looked to where his brother was directing his attention and his breath hitched. His bride-to-be was making her way slowly, steadily, down the castle wall with remarkable agility. She seemed to know instinctively where the footholds lay. If he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it possible. She was now clambering deftly down the last few feet. As impressed as he was by the confident way she was making her descent, his admiration was outweighed by fury with her for risking her safety in that way. As much as he hated to admit it, he was also undeniably aroused by the sight of her rounded buttocks in the clinging leather of the hose she wore. She had some audacity climbing out of a window in a man’s clothing. That was something else to take her to task for.
Passing his torch to Iain, he moved silently toward Ailis. He didn’t want to spook her in case she lost her grip on the rope and fell. As she came within his reach, he grabbed her by the waist and swung her over his shoulder. She was a slight wee thing, but she had quite the set of lungs on her. The screech of protest she let out almost deafened him.
“Let me go, you son of a whore!” Ailis spat.
“Denigrate me all you like, but never drag my mother into it,” Alexander warned her.
His Conquered Bride Page 5