side.
And there was not a trace of her to be seen, not in the emptying room behind him, nor in the press of the crowd hurrying forward.
Once again, she was gone.
Chapter 6
Ian took a seat beside Murian at Widow Grier’s table. Outside, clouds rumbled uneasily, a bitter wind shaking the trees until the trembling leaves crashed overhead like the waves of the ocean.
Murian rested her chin in her hand, her spirits as dark and restless as the weather. Upon returning home from the dinner party, she’d bathed and scrubbed the paint from her face until her skin burned pink, yet it was nothing to the deep burn of disappointment that stung her soul. “Damn Lord Loudan for posting guards in every hall of the castle.”
Widow Grier looked up from the pot she’d been stirring. Tall and thin, with light brown hair and fair skin decorated with a spattering of freckles, she was the youngest widow in their small band. She had one child, a round, chubby-cheeked lad who was even now sleeping in a crib by the fire and whose three-toothed grin won the hearts of all who saw him. “There were guards in e’ery hall?”
“All nine. The four floors in each wing, plus the main hall.” Ian looked as despondent as Murian felt.“E’ery last bloody hall ha’ guards, and there were four stationed ootside his bedchamber. There was no way past them.”
From where she sat across from Murian, Widow Reeves asked, “Did the guards see ye?”
Murian nodded. “Aye, but your sister did a fine job with my disguise. No one knew me at all.”
“She was pleased to help. No’ many know this, but Lara was an actress fer a short time when she was young.”
“Was she now?” Widow Grier looked impressed. “When I was younger, I wanted to do the same.”
“Aye, at seventeen, she ran away to Edinburgh determined to become an actress. It near broke our mither’s heart, it did, but Lara was determined and she e’en met wi’ some success, too. She made her living tha’ way fer several years, and was quite guid, but then she met her Daffyd. He was a carpenter as worked upon the sets. Eventually they returned here, and she was hired into the kitchens at the MacLures’ and Daffyd given a job helpin’ aboot the estate.”
“And now she’s their head cook.” Widow Grier placed the wooden spoon to one side and put a lid on the pot. “Yer sister seems quite close to Lady MacLure.”
“Her ladyship likes food, especially sweets. She’s always plotting wi’ my sister aboot the newest dishes. They’re closer than most servants and mistresses, I think. ’Tis why my sister stays where she is, even though the MacLures canna pay well.”
“I owe your sister a debt of gratitude,” Murian said. “She knew exactly what we needed for my disguise.”She managed a smile, though her shoulders sagged. Such an excellent disguise, and yet still no journal. All that work for nothing.
The most difficult part had been planning a believable distraction. It had taken a lot of convincing to get the vicar’s sister to make a grand entrance and pretend she’d been held up on the way to Loudan’s dinner party. The ploy had worked like a charm and had sent the guards running to try and catch the thieves. Two entire squadrons had ridden away from Rowallen and into the woods, but it hadn’t been enough. They’d known Loudan had hired more guards, but no one knew how many.
Too many.
She sighed, placed her elbow on the table, and rested her chin in her hand. It had been nice of Miss MacLeod to help them. The older woman had been spurred on by the fact that the earl rarely bothered to attend Sunday services. And when he did, he slept through them, snoring rudely.
Even worse, the man hadn’t donated so much as a penny to the parish, a grievous error that had lit the fires of wrath in the heart of the vicar’s protective older sister. So Miss MacLeod had been very glad to help Murian for the opportunity to “stab Loudan in his overblown pride.” She’d
And there was not a trace of her to be seen, not in the emptying room behind him, nor in the press of the crowd hurrying forward.
Once again, she was gone.
Chapter 6
Ian took a seat beside Murian at Widow Grier’s table. Outside, clouds rumbled uneasily, a bitter wind shaking the trees until the trembling leaves crashed overhead like the waves of the ocean.
Murian rested her chin in her hand, her spirits as dark and restless as the weather. Upon returning home from the dinner party, she’d bathed and scrubbed the paint from her face until her skin burned pink, yet it was nothing to the deep burn of disappointment that stung her soul. “Damn Lord Loudan for posting guards in every hall of the castle.”
Widow Grier looked up from the pot she’d been stirring. Tall and thin, with light brown hair and fair skin decorated with a spattering of freckles, she was the youngest widow in their small band. She had one child, a round, chubby-cheeked lad who was even now sleeping in a crib by the fire and whose three-toothed grin won the hearts of all who saw him. “There were guards in e’ery hall?”
“All nine. The four floors in each wing, plus the main hall.” Ian looked as despondent as Murian felt.“E’ery last bloody hall ha’ guards, and there were four stationed ootside his bedchamber. There was no way past them.”
From where she sat across from Murian, Widow Reeves asked, “Did the guards see ye?”
Murian nodded. “Aye, but your sister did a fine job with my disguise. No one knew me at all.”
“She was pleased to help. No’ many know this, but Lara was an actress fer a short time when she was young.”
“Was she now?” Widow Grier looked impressed. “When I was younger, I wanted to do the same.”
“Aye, at seventeen, she ran away to Edinburgh determined to become an actress. It near broke our mither’s heart, it did, but Lara was determined and she e’en met wi’ some success, too. She made her living tha’ way fer several years, and was quite guid, but then she met her Daffyd. He was a carpenter as worked upon the sets. Eventually they returned here, and she was hired into the kitchens at the MacLures’ and Daffyd given a job helpin’ aboot the estate.”
“And now she’s their head cook.” Widow Grier placed the wooden spoon to one side and put a lid on the pot. “Yer sister seems quite close to Lady MacLure.”
“Her ladyship likes food, especially sweets. She’s always plotting wi’ my sister aboot the newest dishes. They’re closer than most servants and mistresses, I think. ’Tis why my sister stays where she is, even though the MacLures canna pay well.”
“I owe your sister a debt of gratitude,” Murian said. “She knew exactly what we needed for my disguise.”She managed a smile, though her shoulders sagged. Such an excellent disguise, and yet still no journal. All that work for nothing.
The most difficult part had been planning a believable distraction. It had taken a lot of convincing to get the vicar’s sister to make a grand entrance and pretend she’d been held up on the way to Loudan’s dinner party. The ploy had worked like a charm and had sent the guards running to try and catch the thieves. Two entire squadrons had ridden away from Rowallen and into the woods, but it hadn’t been enough. They’d known Loudan had hired more guards, but no one knew how many.
Too many.
She sighed, placed her elbow on the table, and rested her chin in her hand. It had been nice of Miss MacLeod to help them. The older woman had been spurred on by the fact that the earl rarely bothered to attend Sunday services. And when he did, he slept through them, snoring rudely.
Even worse, the man hadn’t donated so much as a penny to the parish, a grievous error that had lit the fires of wrath in the heart of the vicar’s protective older sister. So Miss MacLeod had been very glad to help Murian for the opportunity to “stab Loudan in his overblown pride.” She’d
Similar Books
