Scot of Deception (The Mackintosh Clan #6)
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
M oy Hall, Inverness
March, 1714
Kathleen’s boots sank into muddy patches of earth as she snuck around the castle grounds. It had rained earlier that day, leaving the land moist and soft, which only served to make the silent, stealthy trek to the stables even harder for her.
It didn’t help that she had to carry everything she would need in one oversized bag. Both her travels and her stay in Castle Stalker would be short, but she would need several changes of clothes and even more accessories for her looks. A lady of her rank could not be seen in any state other than perfection, especially for an event as important as a wedding .
The early morning air was crisp and cold, the chill stinging her face. Her fingers were already frozen and with her free had, she tightened her wool cloak around her shoulders, holding the fabric tightly. Every step she took was laborious. Not only because of the weight of her bag, but also because she had to be on alert, watching carefully around her for any sign of guards.
If they caught her, they were bound to take her straight to her father, and when he found out that she had left home against his explicit orders to remain where she was, he would not allow her to leave Moy Hall for the rest of her life.
But it was a risk she had to take. Her best friend, Fenella, needed her more than ever, and Kathleen refused to deny her her presence when she knew how much it would help her. The letter she had received from her a week prior spoke of a terrible fate—an unwanted marriage, an unloving husband, a lifetime of torment ahead of her. Ignoring the risks of travel to make sure she was there for a friend was only natural for Kathleen.
She had fought tooth and nail to be heard before deciding to leave secretly. She had tried to reason with her parents, to explain to them that Fenella needed her at her wedding, but they had refused to allow her to go. Even when Kathleen had asked for guards, pointing out that she would be safe with them, her parents had not given in. Clan Campbell was preparing for war, they had told her. there was a good chance they would soon attack, and every Mackintosh had to be in the safety of the keep when that happened.
Naturally, Kathleen hadn’t listened, for she was determined to go help her friend.
Nothing but the last light of the moon was there to guide her as she walked towards the stables. Soon, the flicker of dawn would wash over the castle and it would be impossible to hide from prying eyes. She had to leave as soon as possible, before she was discovered.
Just as she rounded the corner in the narrow path that led to the stables, a hand shot out and grabbed her, and Kathleen couldn’t help but yelp. She muffled the sound with a hand over her mouth, but it was already too late—not only had she been caught, but the sound rang out across the gardens before she had managed to cover her mouth.
“Where dae ye think ye’re goin’?”
The voice was painfully familiar and Kathleen didn’t need to turn around to know who her captor was, once the first wave of her panic had subsided. Her heart was still thundering in her chest, her hands shaking from the fear that she had been discovered, and she couldn’t help but look around her for a moment to see if anyone else had heard her .
Only once she determined there was no one else around did she manage to breathe again. With a roll of her eyes, she smacked Devon’s hand off her and turned to face him, her features twisting with indignation.
“What are ye daein’?” she demanded, giving him another push for good measure. “Ye gave me a fright, ye fool!”
In the dim light of the moon, Devon was little more than a shadow. Only his blond hair shone in the moonlight, but she could tell he was terribly pleased by the sound of his laughter.
“Did I scare ye?” Devon asked, and there was no hint of regret in his voice.
“O’ course ye did!” Kathleen hissed. “It isnae funny.”
“I disagree,” said Devon. With a satisfied smile that was barely visible in the dark, he began to walk backwards towards the stables, nodding in their direction. In an affected voice, he said, “Come. Yer steed is prepared fer ye, me lady.”
It had been a struggle to convince Devon and Kieran to help her with this. At first, she had had no intention of asking for their assistance, but it wasn’t long before the two of them found out about her plan, when she had been making arrangements with the stable boy regarding her horse. Kathleen had narrowly escaped a terrible fate—Kieran revealing everything to her father out of concern for her well-being. Convincing the ever-serious Kieran that it was something she had to do had been far from an easy task. If anything, she suspected the trip in itself would be easier than convincing them to let her go to Castle Stalker.
With Clan Campbell threatening war against Clan Mackintosh, everyone in Moy Hall was on high alert. No one was supposed to leave the keep, not even for an event such as an allied clan’s wedding, and so when Kathleen had received Fenella’s invitation—along with the letter she had secretly folded within it, which was meant just for her—she had known her parents would never allow it. So, in the end, she did what had to be done.
If she had to do it alone, then so be.
Kieran and Devon had agreed to help her, preparing her horse for her and sneaking her out of the castle so she could depart undetected.
Once in the stables, Kathleen blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light of the torches that lined the walls. Kieran was already there, finalizing the last preparations and ensuring the saddle was properly placed on the horse.
Kieran and Devon were identical twins. Had it not been for the different way they wore their hair—Devon’s longer and messy, always tangled from the wind, while Kieran’s was shorter and neatly tied back at all times—Kathleen doubted anyone would be able to tell them apart unless they opened their mouths.
“Are ye both out o’ yer minds?” Kieran asked in that smooth baritone voice of his. Frazzled, he stomped over to them and pointed an accusatory finger at them both. “Dae ye ken what will happen if anyone finds out we’re daein’ this?”
“They’ll find out eventually,” Devon said with a small shrug, entirely unconcerned.
“It was his fault!” Kathleen pointed out. “Devon’s the one who scared me!”
“Ye’re actin’ like a pair o’ bairns,” said Kieran. “I dinnae even ken why I agreed tae this.”
“Because even when ye complain, ye always wish tae help,” Kathleen pointed out.
Kieran didn’t try to deny that, though he rolled his eyes as if to protest. He really did simply enjoy complaining. Silently, he held out his hand for Kathleen to hand him her bag and once she did, he strapped it on the saddle .
“Remember… we’re only allowin’ ye tae dae this under the stipulation that ye send us a letter every other day,” Kieran said sternly. For someone who was only two years older than her, he could certainly assume a fatherly air with frightening ease. “If we dinnae receive one, we will come after ye.”
“Then maybe ye can come tae the weddin’ too!” Kathleen teased, but while as Devon snorted with mirth, Kieran gave her no reaction.
“This isnae a laughin’ matter,” he said.
Devon cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to hide his grin. After a few moments, though, he appeared a little more serious, a little more restrained.
“Kieran is right,” he told Kathleen. “Ye should be careful. But it isnae as though ye’re walkin’ intae a death trap!”
“Perhaps it isnae a death trap, but it isnae safe either,” Kieran said flatly.
“Ach, we’ve done much worse than this,” said Devon. “Remember the time when we snuck out o’ the castle an’ went tae that tavern?— ”
“I think that’s enough!” Kieran exclaimed, slapping a hand over Devon’s mouth, much to Kathleen’s chagrin. She would have like to have known what had happened in that tavern, but chances were, they would never tell her.
At least Kieran wouldn’t—if she played her cards right, maybe she could yet get the truth out of Devon when she returned.
Both Devon and Kathleen struggled to stifle their giggles as Kieran shook his head in disappointment. After a moment of hesitation, when Kathleen wondered if she was doing the right thing after all, she hugged them both and then took the horse’s reins from Kieran, ready to start her little adventure.
Sneaking her out of the castle was no easy task, as there were guards everywhere, but naturally, all the guards knew Kieran and Devon well. And with Devon’s easy charm and friendliness, they slipped past even the most suspicious of them. By the time they made it to the rear gate of the castle, Kathleen’s heart was beating fast, her eyes searching for any signs of anything or anyone who could prevent her from leaving. The closer she got to her freedom, the more she feared that it would be snatched right out of her hands. In the end, though, no one stopped her.
After saying her goodbyes to her cousins and promising them once again that she would write to them every other day, she stepped out of the castle walls and into the wilderness that stretched behind it. Castle Stalker was approximately four days’ worth of riding away, and Kathleen was determined to make the most of it, travelling as fast as she could.
Dawn broke in the distance as she rode away from the castle, the imposing building getting smaller and smaller over her shoulder as she left it behind. A dull blue glow fell over the land—the first light of the day as cold and biting as the wind. Around her, there were nothing but trees and open land. The first birdsong of the morning reached her ears and for the first time in days, she allowed herself to believe that perhaps her plan would work out, after all.
An hour had passed by the time she couldn’t bear the silence anymore. The dull dawn had turned into an even duller day, the sky gray and domed with clouds. The emptiness all around her gave her no comfort. She had never travelled alone before—she had never even been this alone in her life.
Kathleen began to hum a song to herself, one that her mother had sang to her when she was a child. It helped a little; she didn’t feel so alone, so isolated from the rest of the world.
But then, just as she took a turn on the path, the thunderous sound of hooves echoed all around her. Wide-eyed, Kathleen looked frantically around her to locate the source of the sound, though she couldn’t see any signs of danger—not until three men rushed out of the treeline just ahead of her, heading straight towards her .
And in that moment, she understood that being all alone on that path would have been a blessing.