A Forbidden Night with a Scot (Sins in a Kilt #1)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

“ W e cannae simply leave him there!” Katherine shouted as she and Alicia ran to the horses. “What if they kill him?”

Alicia glanced over her shoulder at Samuel, who was fighting all four of those men at once as they all threw themselves at him at the same time, while their friend was propped against the outside wall of the tavern, still swaying on his feet as though he could hardly keep himself upright.

They willnae kill him. He’s too good fer that.

But they could still harm him, Alicia supposed, and even Katherine was reluctant to flee and leave him there all alone. Her fear for Samuel’s life seemed stronger than her fear for her own and Alicia couldn’t help but think she had a point. They couldn’t leave him there to fight all alone. The least they could do was help him escape, if not fight the men.

Though he had his sword in his hand, Alicia saw that he was hardly using the blade, as if he didn’t want to cause too much damage. As the men rushed towards him, he punched and kicked his way out of the cage they tried to form with their bodies to contain him, doing his best to fight them off without killing them.

“Quickly!” Alicia told Katherine. “Get on yer horse.”

Katherine, never one to not listen to her sister, did as she was told and Alicia followed her, jumping on her own after she grabbed a fallen branch from under the tree where they kept the animals. As Katherine lingered by that tree, Alicia put her horse in motion, but instead of fleeing like Samuel wanted her to do, she galloped towards him just as one of the men attacked him from the back, a knife’s blade glinting in his hand as he raised it to strike.

Before he could, Alicia reached them and swung the branch, hitting the man right on the side of his head and knocking him out cold.

“Jump on!” she called to Samuel as she brought the horse to a sudden halt. Her hands gripped the saddle, holding on as the horse reared and stomped its front legs at the harsh command, before finally calming and allowing Samuel to climb up behind her.

Alicia wasted no time before turning the horse around and fleeing that place, following Katherine down the path, who had already begun to ride when she saw that Alicia had rescued Samuel. Behind them, the men shouted drunkenly at their retreating backs, throwing insults and taunts at them, but neither Alicia nor Samuel paid them any mind. It would be foolish to go back to finish a fight just to prove themselves to a group of drunkards, after all.

Instead, she and Katherine rode back to Castle MacCallum, on the same dark path they had taken earlier that night, when they were making their way to the village, only this time, they were in a frenzied hurry, uncaring of who may see or hear them even as they reached the castle gates.

Behind Alicia, Samuel was a solid presence, his chest brushing against her back with every movement the horse made. His arms circled her waist as he held onto the front of the saddle, and Alicia was painfully aware of their proximity, as well as of the fact that they had never been this close before. Whenever Samuel had visited the castle, they had always kept a respectful distance from each other, especially after Alicia had grown into a young woman, but now his warmth was all she could think about—those strong arms around her, the ripple of his muscles as he adjusted his stance on the horse, his breath on the back of her neck occupied her mind entirely.

It was only when they were close—too close—to the castle that Alicia brought her horse to a halt once more, Katherine stopping too when she realized Alicia wasn’t following her anymore.

“We cannae go in through the gates,” she reminded her sister. “Dae ye think they have seen us?”

“They havenae raised the alarm,” Katherine said. “Nor does it seem like they have sent someone out.”

Samuel’s laugh rang in her ears. “Ye wish tae go inside unseen? It willnae happen. Yer faither’s men are better trained than this.”

“We left unseen,” Alicia said, looking at Samuel over her shoulder. There was hardly any light around them, only that of the moon, but she could see the humor drain out of him as his expression turned serious—perhaps even a little impressed. “So we can return unseen.”

Alicia and Katherine guided the horses to the same opening in the walls, hoping that the same men who had been there when they had left would still be there to let them in. A little flirting was all it had taken them to slip out undetected by everyone else, but now Alicia trembled at the mere thought that she would have to charm the guards with Samuel there, listening to her. What other choice did she have, though? If she wanted to go back inside the castle without the other guards noticing and notifying her father, then some sacrifices had to be made.

Upon their approach, she saw that the soldiers were, indeed, the same, and they stood straighter as Alicia and the others jumped off the horses, their hands on their swords, ready to draw them. Alicia was quick to wave at them, rushing alone towards them so they wouldn’t raise the alarm.

“We’re back,” she told them, relief washing over her as they finally relaxed when they recognized her.

“Me lady, ye’ve brought someone with ye?” one of the guards asked when he spotted Samuel. “I dinnae ken if we should?—”

“That man is Laird MacDougall,” Alicia interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. “Surely, ye willnae refuse entry tae me faither’s good friend?”

Once again, the guards snapped at attention, standing tall upon hearing Samuel’s name. “Forgive us, me lady,” said the other man. “But why does Laird MacDougall nae come in through the front gates?”

That was a good question, one that made Alicia hesitate—but then she remembered she didn’t really need to explain herself to the guards. She was the laird’s daughter. As long as she didn’t get them in trouble, she could do as she pleased.

“I dinnae question what Laird MacDougall does an’ neither should ye,” she said. “Surely, ye recognize the man! Ye’ve seen him plenty o’ times.”

As she spoke, she looked over her shoulder and gestured at Katherine and Samuel to come closer, pointing at him when they reached them. “See?” she said. “Laird MacDougall, in the flesh.”

Flustered as they were, the two guards gave Samuel a hasty bow before they opened the door for them to slip inside the castle grounds. Still, much to Alicia’s chagrin, Samuel paused as he passed through, giving both men a stern look.

“I willnae inform the laird o’ this,” he said, “but ye should think twice afore ye allow his daughters tae leave the castle unaccompanied in the middle o’ the night. Didnae ye think, even fer a second, that somethin’ may happen tae them? That someone may harm them?”

The two guards averted their gazes, thoroughly chastised and clearly embarrassed by their actions. The last thing Alicia needed, though, was for those guards to try and stop her the next time she would need to sneak out of the castle like this. She didn’t want Samuel meddling with her plans.

“Laird MacDougall,” she said in a warning tone, but Samuel ignored her entirely.

“Well, I suppose ye should ken that they were lucky I was there,” Samuel continued. “Somethin’ terrible could have happened tae them tonight an’ ye wouldnae even have kenned. What would ye dae then? What would ye say tae yer laird?”

“Samuel!” Alicia snapped, clenching her jaw in annoyance. “Leave them be. Let us head inside.”

Samuel didn’t move at first. He only stared the two men down, even as they avoided his gaze, looking pointedly at the ground before their feet. When he followed Alicia, he did so while still filled with anger, eyes blazing in the night.

“They must learn tae protect ye,” he said through gritted teeth as they walked through the shadows, Alicia making sure that they all stayed away from the torches that lined the walls. “An’ ye must learn that ye cannae dae such dangerous things.”

“We’re nae fools,” said Alicia.

“Then why dae ye act like ye are?”

Rage coursed like fire through Alicia’s veins then, burning hot and all-consuming. She didn’t need Samuel to tell her any of this was a bad idea. She had known from the start and she had weighed the risks against the reward before deciding the reward was greater. She didn’t expect him to understand, even if she could battle her embarrassment long enough to explain to him why she needed the book. He was a man, after all. He had known about such things even before he married his wife, and Alicia was quite certain he had never had to go through the same fear and uncertainty as she did.

“Had I been born a man, would ye still think me a fool fer leavin’ the castle at night?” she demanded, her voice barely more than a hissed whisper, coming to a sudden stop to turn around and glare at him, only to have both him and Katherine bump right into her. “I dinnae think so. An’ there are guards everywhere here so if ye truly wish tae keep this a secret from me faither, then I suggest ye keep quiet.”

Samuel opened his mouth as if to speak, but Alicia held a hand up, shushing him. Then, she spun around and continued her trek through the bushes until she made it to the northernmost side of the castle, where a small door led inside.

“What is this place?” Samuel asked, squinting in the dark to look around at his undoubtedly unfamiliar surroundings. Guests had no reason to be there, and so Alicia doubted he had ever seen this place before. In fact, hardly anyone other than the servants working in the kitchens had any reason to be there at all, as it was nothing more than a storage room for grains—but one that also led, through a narrow, rickety staircase, right by the corridor where Alicia’s and Katherine’s chambers were.

“Up,” Alicia said instead of providing an explanation. She waited for Samuel and Katherine to walk up the stairs before she followed them, making sure that no one had spotted them, unlikely as it was that anyone would be up at that time of the night.

Once she had climbed the stairs, Samuel looked at her with a soft chuckle. “Ach, I see,” he said. “Gavin should have never given chambers so close tae that wee room tae ye.”

“Maither chose the chambers fer us,” said Alicia with a small shrug. “We’ve had them since we were bairns an’ I doubt it ever occurred to her we would be leavin’ the castle through that room. An’ faither doesnae ken we ever dae an’ ye promised ye wouldnae tell him.”

With a sigh, Samuel walked them both down the hallway, stopping first by Katherine’s chambers. Katherine, her gaze glued to the floor, gave him a quick curtsy and a mumbled goodnight before disappearing into her room, eager to flee his presence.

“Goodnight,” Samuel called after the door was already shut, before turning to Alicia. “Dae ye think she heard me?”

Alicia couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she continued down the hallway, Samuel following close behind. Her own chambers were only two doors down from Katherine’s and she had half a mind to go inside and close the door to Samuel’s face, but then again, she didn’t want to be so terribly rude to him.

Instead, she leaned against it and asked, “Will ye truly nae give me the book?”

“Truly,” said Samuel. “I dinnae even have it.”

Alicia raised a curious eyebrow. “What dae ye mean ye dinnae have it?”

“I dropped it by the tavern when I was fightin’ those men. I dinnae have it.”

All that gold, wasted!

Groaning, Alicia let her head fall back against the door with a thud. It wasn’t just the gold that she couldn’t help but miss now. It was also all the effort she had put in this, from sourcing the book to sneaking out of the castle, to enduring the danger of being in that tavern and embarrassment of getting caught by Samuel. None of it was worth it in the end, and on top of everything else, she wouldn’t even find the information she needed now.

“I willnae tell yer faither,” said Samuel. “I dinnae wish fer his heart tae give out.”

That was perhaps the only good thing about all this, Alicia thought. If Samuel insisted on telling her father, then she couldn’t even imagine the consequences she would suffer. Surely, she would always be under surveillance, guards following her every movement until she was married off to the best suitor.

For a while, both of them stayed silent, Alicia simply observing Samuel under the light of the torches. He looked the same as the last time she had seen him, with his blonde hair that fell in soft waves around his crown and the blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. The only indication that any time had passed at all were the fine lines around his eyes when he smiled.

Alicia’s gaze fell to Samuel’s lips, as it often did, and she noticed the cut there, a consequence of his fight with those men. “Ye should take care o’ that,” she said, nodding at his face. “It looks like a deep cut.”

“It’s fine,” Samuel assured her, waving a hand dismissively. She should have known, she thought, that he would simply ignore it. He never liked seeing the healer. “It’s naething. I’ve had much worse.”

For a few moments, Alicia hesitated, thinking it would be best to send him on his way, go in her rooms, and forget any of this had ever happened. But then the urge to call him inside, to spend even a few more moments near him, was too strong to resist and she opened the door, gesturing at him to enter.

“Come,” she said. “I have a paste the healer gave me.”

“Alicia—”

“I said come.”

Samuel glanced left and right down the hallway, as if he feared that someone would be there to see him. No one was there, though, and after Alicia’s insistence, he followed her into the room, standing awkwardly near the door as Alicia looked for the paste she had been using for the previous week on her leg after tripping on a large rock and falling on the ground. She grabbed some clean cloth and water as well, bringing everything to her vanity and grabbing Samuel’s arm to push him into the chair.

Samuel went easily, laughing at her antics. As Alicia cleaned the wound, he stayed very still, hardly even breathing at all, and it was then she realized just how close they were once again, sharing the same air as she gently cleaned the wound.

When she finished with the cloth, Samuel’s tongue darted out and swiped over the cut, and Alicia froze, her breath hitching.

This is foolish. I’m too old now tae be infatuated with him.

She simply had to remind herself that nothing could ever happen between them. At thirty-seven years of age, Samuel was perhaps not as old as some of the suitors who would be asking for her hand in a few weeks, but the fact that he was older was not the only problem. He was her father’s good friend. He had lost his wife and was surely still processing that grief. Alicia had no role to play in his life other than the one she was already playing.

“Why did ye want that book so much?” Samuel asked, pulling her out of her thoughts just as she began to apply the paste on his lip. “Why is it so important tae ye?”

Alicia stayed silent. She would never admit the real reason, especially not to Samuel. The mere thought colored her cheeks bright red with embarrassment, and she hoped the dim light in the room wouldn’t be enough for him to see it.

Thankfully, he didn’t pressure her for an answer. Instead, he reached for the cup of tea that had been left on Alicia’s vanity before she had snuck out of the castle and took a sip, instantly frowning at the taste.

“It’s cold,” she said. “What did ye expect?”

“It’s bitter,” said Samuel. “An’ that is worse than it bein’ cold.”

“The maid steeped it fer too long.”

“An’ ye couldnae have put some honey in it?”

Alicia shook her head. “I never eat honey. Simply the thought that it comes from bees…”

She let her words trail off, shuddering a little at the mere mention of the insects. Samuel knew better than to ask her to elaborate and Alicia was glad about that. He only remained silent, placing the cup back on the vanity, and allowed her to finish applying the paste before he stood, making his way to the door.

On the one hand, Alicia was relieved that he had broken the unbearable tension. On the other, she wished he could stay a little longer.

There, by the door, Samuel lingered for a moment, picking up a book from the small table that stood there.

Alicia waited and then Samuel placed it back where he found it and opened the door.

“Goodnight, Alicia,” he said.

“Goodnight.”

The moment he was gone, Alicia closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh, letting her eyes fall shut. She hoped Samuel wouldn’t stay there too long. In the past, she would have done anything to keep him just a day longer in the castle, but now it sounded like torture, having him so near while forced to keep her distance.

If he stays, it will be a long few days.