Read Online Amanda Scott by Highland Treasure - Free Book Online
Authors: Highland Treasure
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quick prayer, she let go with one hand to reach up with the other to yank the material free. For a dizzying moment, her weight seemed to be too much to hold, and the hand gripping the rope slipped. Then her other hand grabbed hold, and the moment passed.
Glancing toward the one corner of the courtyard that she could see, and taking courage from the fact that it remained unoccupied, she began to let herself down hand over hand. She had hitherto thought her hands and arms quite strong from doing housework and riding, but she quickly realized that she was not strong enough to dawdle. The turret being near the battlement helped once she was below the latter’s top edge, for by swinging slightly she could push against the curtain wall with her feet. That relieved her hands of the weight and made her descent easier.
Not until she reached the end of the rope did she realize that it was not as long as she had thought it was. Some six feet of open space remained below her, and the top of the steep escarpment was barely narrow enough for a foot path. If she stumbled, or tripped on the cloak that was lying there, she would tumble some fifteen or so feet farther into the icy waters of the loch. She did not think the fall would kill her, but it would certainly do her no good.
Turning so that her left side was against the rough wall, and resisting a strong impulse to shut her eyes, she drew another breath and let go. She landed, bending her knees to soften the shock and grabbing the wall to steady herself.
She had done it. Glancing quickly around, she saw no one. The water gate lay around the corner in front of her, however, and she wanted to reach the hillside behind the castle as quickly as possible without being seen.
The path on which she had landed was no more than a foot wide, but it seemed to go right round the castle, so picking up her cloak and putting it on, she turned and followed it, regretting that she had no way to retrieve the rope now that it had served its purpose. There was none, however, so she dismissed all thought of it from her mind and hurried to the next corner, pausing there long enough to peek round it and be certain that no guard awaited her. None did. The hillside was clear.
Hugging the wall, knowing it would be less likely for someone to see her in the shadows there, she hurried along till she came to where the distance to the trees seemed shortest. Just as she was about to make a dash for it, someone hissed at her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She had been watching the woods and listening for sounds from above that might warn her of guards looking over the battlements. Now, seeing Chuff emerge from a narrow opening just ahead, clutching a small duffel, she remembered that she had told him he could go with her. To her shock and dismay, however, she saw that he held a little girl tightly by one hand.
“Chuff, who is this?”
“She’s me sister,” Chuff said. “I’ll explain it all when we get safe. There is nay time the noo for blethering.”
Mary agreed wholeheartedly with the last statement, so she said no more, asking instead how they had got outside the castle walls.
“Postern gate,” Chuff said.
“Did no one see you?”
“They paid us nay heed,” Chuff said. “Black Duncan’s wi’ the laird, ye ken, and one o’ his men be just inside the door. The other two stand by his boat, and the laird’s men who dinna be watching the doorway be watching them.”
“Is there no one on the battlements, then?”
“I didna see anyone. The laird keeps only six or eight men here the noo.”
“Well, if Black Duncan has only the ones he brought with him, it will be the smallest tail he’s commanded in a long while,” Mary said thoughtfully. “We must take great care, Chuff.”
“Aye, I ken that fine, mistress. We must whisk across quick, though, or they will be after us. That dangling rope will tell them all they need tae know.”
“I blocked the door,” Mary said. “Perhaps
Glancing toward the one corner of the courtyard that she could see, and taking courage from the fact that it remained unoccupied, she began to let herself down hand over hand. She had hitherto thought her hands and arms quite strong from doing housework and riding, but she quickly realized that she was not strong enough to dawdle. The turret being near the battlement helped once she was below the latter’s top edge, for by swinging slightly she could push against the curtain wall with her feet. That relieved her hands of the weight and made her descent easier.
Not until she reached the end of the rope did she realize that it was not as long as she had thought it was. Some six feet of open space remained below her, and the top of the steep escarpment was barely narrow enough for a foot path. If she stumbled, or tripped on the cloak that was lying there, she would tumble some fifteen or so feet farther into the icy waters of the loch. She did not think the fall would kill her, but it would certainly do her no good.
Turning so that her left side was against the rough wall, and resisting a strong impulse to shut her eyes, she drew another breath and let go. She landed, bending her knees to soften the shock and grabbing the wall to steady herself.
She had done it. Glancing quickly around, she saw no one. The water gate lay around the corner in front of her, however, and she wanted to reach the hillside behind the castle as quickly as possible without being seen.
The path on which she had landed was no more than a foot wide, but it seemed to go right round the castle, so picking up her cloak and putting it on, she turned and followed it, regretting that she had no way to retrieve the rope now that it had served its purpose. There was none, however, so she dismissed all thought of it from her mind and hurried to the next corner, pausing there long enough to peek round it and be certain that no guard awaited her. None did. The hillside was clear.
Hugging the wall, knowing it would be less likely for someone to see her in the shadows there, she hurried along till she came to where the distance to the trees seemed shortest. Just as she was about to make a dash for it, someone hissed at her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She had been watching the woods and listening for sounds from above that might warn her of guards looking over the battlements. Now, seeing Chuff emerge from a narrow opening just ahead, clutching a small duffel, she remembered that she had told him he could go with her. To her shock and dismay, however, she saw that he held a little girl tightly by one hand.
“Chuff, who is this?”
“She’s me sister,” Chuff said. “I’ll explain it all when we get safe. There is nay time the noo for blethering.”
Mary agreed wholeheartedly with the last statement, so she said no more, asking instead how they had got outside the castle walls.
“Postern gate,” Chuff said.
“Did no one see you?”
“They paid us nay heed,” Chuff said. “Black Duncan’s wi’ the laird, ye ken, and one o’ his men be just inside the door. The other two stand by his boat, and the laird’s men who dinna be watching the doorway be watching them.”
“Is there no one on the battlements, then?”
“I didna see anyone. The laird keeps only six or eight men here the noo.”
“Well, if Black Duncan has only the ones he brought with him, it will be the smallest tail he’s commanded in a long while,” Mary said thoughtfully. “We must take great care, Chuff.”
“Aye, I ken that fine, mistress. We must whisk across quick, though, or they will be after us. That dangling rope will tell them all they need tae know.”
“I blocked the door,” Mary said. “Perhaps
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