CHAPTEREIGHT
Jane awoke with the feeling that she wasn’t alone.
The nape of her neck prickled with fear as she quickly opened her eyes and sat up in her bed.
A maid was standing in the doorway. Sunlight streamed in through the window, piercing through the gaps in the curtains and dancing around the room.
“Pardon the intrusion, my lady.” Her voice came out with a gruff note as she curtsied. “I was instructed tae look in on ye tae see if ye had woken yet.”
“I am awake now.”
The maid nodded and moved toward the window to pull the blinds apart. It was then that Jane realized that she must have slept for quite a while.
“How far gone intae the day is it?”
“Far gone, my lady.”
Past noon?Jane’s eyes widened as she sat up straighter, berating herself for sleeping so long.God in heaven!No prisoner sleeps as long as she had. It crossed her mind that she could have slept through an opportunity to escape, or a message from her father, or even any omen that could’ve given her hope. It shouldn’t matter that she’d been completely exhausted after the journey. Jane knew that she must have her wits about her if she truly wanted to slip out of Darach Robertson’s grasp.
When the maid was done, she turned to face Jane. “The laird has instructed the cook tae hold yer morning meal for ye.”
“I thank ye.” Jane stared helplessly up at the maid, unsure of what to do with this unexpected show of kindness from her captors. Yesterday, Darach exuded such coldness.
“I would like tae ken if ye would like yer meal brought up.”
Jane thought about it for a minute. She frowned. She didn’t trust anyone but was famished and needed to eat. She decided she’d rather not go down to face that grumpy cook, and it was better for her if her meal was brought up.
“I’d like ye tae bring it here.”
“Aye, my lady.” The words were accompanied by a short bow as the maid backed out of the room and closed the door behind her.
After the girl stepped out, Jane stretched and flexed her toes and then immediately winced as pain snaked from her ankle through her body. Despite a hot bath and a comfortable bed, the pain hadn’t faded. Still, she could move considerably better than the day prior, and she was certainly well enough to sit on a horse on her own and ride towards her escape if she needed to. Nothing was going to stop her.
She pushed back the furs on her bed and placed her feet gently on the stone floor. It was cold, butproceededto the window. The sunlight was streaming in and sizzling like liquid flame across the room. The warmth of the sun soaked into her skin as she closed her eyes and basked in its glow.
This was a beautiful day, as beautiful as a day could be in the Highlands. She would usually spend time with Aileen on days like this. They would ride over the plains behind the keep, enjoying the comforts of home. For the first time in many long years, Jane was seeing the sun shine over a land that was no home to her.
Sadness pulled at her heart as she opened her eyes and stared across the hills and fields in the distance. She thought about how worried Aileen must have been. The poor girl would probably be going out of her mind with fright. And her father was too proud a man to be content with his daughter being stolen away from under him. He would already have devised methods to get her back and punish the Robertsons… wouldn’t he?
Jane must play her part. She understood a rescue from a place like this could not be done without help from the inside.Thatwas her own part to play.
She curled her fingers into tight fists. “I willnae fail,” she whispered.
Sadness was slowly dethroned by hope, tightening in her chest. She might soon be home. At least there she could read people’s truth and know her true friends.
She closed her eyes again and whispered a fervent prayer for God’s mercy and protection. Surely, He would provide for her in her hour of need, and He would forgive her blackened heart.
The maid came back with another in tow. She was carrying a tray which she gently placed on a table while the other maid laid out a simple gown on the dresser.
“Lady Lorna will be waiting for ye when ye are done. She said ye shouldnae be bored in yer room alone.”
Jane nodded, not leaving the window. Both maids bowed and left without uttering another word.
Jane’s stomach rumbled. Judging by the smell of the food, there had been a good hunting day for the men recently. Still, she went to pick up the dress first. It was a simple gown with a neckline embroidered with flowers. Not wanting to waste any more time, she ate quickly and donned the gown, glad to have something else to wear besides her night shift.
Jane hurried toward the door and hesitated when she reached it, feeling suddenly unsure of herself. Would going out there be the wise thing to do? An answer quickly came to her mind. Beingfamiliar with the castle and its defenses might prove advantageousin herescape, and she was not going to accomplishthat while sitting in her chamber.
Lorna greeted her in the hallway with a bright smile. “Good afternoon tae ye. Are ye feeling better today?”