Chapter 10 #3
Edward gathered his things and put them away.
“Aye, I will.” The guard escorted him to the housekeeper, conveying the laird’s directives.
The housekeeper showed him the room he would use, then led him to the great hall so he could find his way again.
“I need to retrieve my clothes from my horse in the stable before I settle in. What times are meals served?” The housekeeper explained meal times.
Edward walked to the stable and retrieved his sack before returning to his room.
Behind the closed door, which could latch, Elayne let out a sigh of relief.
That was only part of the battle she faced.
At least in this room, she had privacy and could wash.
She couldn’t let her guard down and needed to ensure she was only seen as Edward.
The threat of discovery of her true identity loomed over her for the duration of her contract.
She had secreted coins and sewn them into her cloak and the hem of her pants for emergencies. They should remain safe enough for now.
She would sleep in her clothes, not allowing herself to be caught unawares.
So eager for Cailean’s release was Elayne that she wasn’t sure if she could sleep tonight.
Once Cailean and his guards left, she would sever all ties to her home.
Whatever sacrifices she needed to make, it was worth it to free Cailean.
But he should never discover her location, or his life would be in jeopardy again because she knew he would come to save her.
Elayne ate a hearty dinner in the great hall and sat alone in the corner, astutely observing people at the top table and how they interacted with the laird.
Tired after her long journey, she retired early.
In bed, she listened to the sounds that echoed down the long stone hallways.
Doors creaked and people called out to each other.
A small hearth in her room held only a negligible amount of wood laid next to it.
Elayne did not look forward to working in the heat of the forge by day and freezing in here during winter nights; she would have to get more wood.
Expecting the laird would have spies watching her every move, she ken her life would now be restricted to the castle boundaries.
I have done this before, and I can do it again.
Forced apart from Cailean for long periods of time, Elayne was grateful she had skills to use to barter in exchange for setting Cailean free.
Tomorrow, she would watch him from a distance and hopefully reassure herself of his welfare before he returned home.
She would need to save up those precious images during her servitude here.
Even though she couldn’t sleep, morning came all too soon.
Elayne washed and ensured her breasts were tightly bound, then fastened on her work belt with her dirk and hammer, her hat secured over her head.
She ate a full breakfast in the great hall.
Then she walked to the forge and stoked the fire and placed iron in the forge.
While it heated, she familiarized herself with the locations of items and their organization.
Retrieving the heated iron, she took her hammer and pounded away to start making the horseshoes.
The blacksmith had yet to arrive. When he did, Edward had surprised him; the lad was hard at work, having already made one horseshoe.
“Good morning, lad. I see ye are an early riser. Thank ye for fetching the water for the forge.”
Determined to keep the conversation to a minimum, she only nodded and continued to hammer out another horseshoe.
Elayne had a view of the courtyard from where she worked.
Cailean and his men would be visible from her vantage point when they rode out.
She would remain hidden in the dark shadows of the forge.
An hour later, she heard people gathering and saw saddled horses led by grooms, presumably to await their riders.
The former prisoners were led to the area in front of the forge.
The men appeared clean and were all grim faced.
Guards had provided water and soap to wash with early this morning, and even a lavish meal to break their fast before they returned to their clan.
Warriors led Cailean to the front, and her breath caught.
At the sight of him, her heart surged with longing to be with him.
Cailean looked magnificent in his tartan, standing proudly with a wide stance, but watched warily.
Why does yer heart call to me so, Cailean?
The laird announced they were now free, and he wished to avoid bloodshed for both clans over the matter of their being “detained” temporarily by his clan.
The Cameron laird directed them to mount their horses, and guards returned their swords and dirks to them, along with bows and quivers of arrows.
The laird gave no reason for their release.
Eager to leave and return home, the men clenched their fists and shuffled their feet in suspicion and agitation.
Not wanting to give herself away, Elayne pounded on an item.
She could have stood there transfixed, looking at Cailean.
She kent he and his men would leave any moment and he would once again vanish from her life.
But back in the MacPherson castle, Elayne always had the hope to see him.
Now even that hope would be nonexistent.
She wished fervently she could gaze deeply into his eyes once again.
But it was not to be. After the men mounted their horses, Cailean raised his arm and signaled their departure.
The men on their mounts rode away, with the sounds of their galloping horses’ hooves clacking on the cobblestones as if in a rush to get home.
Her hollow heart answered, echoing its longing.
Cailean was but a fleeting memory again.
Drawing in gulps of air, Elayne leaned for a few seconds against her anvil to steady herself.
Thankfully, the blacksmith had left to watch the spectacle outside.
It was harder than she had thought it would be to watch Cailean ride away and out of her life again.
Perhaps it was for the best, for soon Cailean would need to take a wife. His father would not allow him to remain unmarried for much longer, even though he was the youngest of his children.
Her life was bleaker than ever before When she worked long hours at home, her father occasionally let her ride a horse to the loch or to hunt.
Those few hours of freedom had been precious.
Thinking of it sparked her imagination, envisioning the elation Cailean and his men must have felt to be free again.
Now riding, hunting, and fishing would be distant memories for her.
Elayne thought fondly of Thomas. She kent he would continue to gain skills and do a good job for her father.
She regretted the need to leave Mrs. Logan, her father, and Thomas but did not regret her decision in the least.
At least Elayne had work to keep her focused and her mind busy during the day.
And she enjoyed eating hearty and delicious meals in the great hall.
The warm food provided her comfort and nourishment as she ate and pondered what her family and Thomas were busy doing.
Elayne hoped her father was not angry with her and that he understood her need to leave.
She did not want to disappoint nor worry him.
Night was the loneliest. She used her lantern to read one of Cailean’s books she had brought. She felt closer to him as she read the book, knowing his fingers had touched these pages as he read the same passages.
The same night Cailean and his men rode away, Elayne allowed herself to cry in the privacy of her room.
He had looked so handsome, masculine, and strong.
She’d felt the tension radiating from him though.
Cailean had stood rigid with the hard set of his jaw.
Elayne noted the glacial glare in his eyes as he stared at the laird of the Cameron clan.
Regardless, most important to Elayne, Cailean and his men were free.
They could return home and see their families once again.
Their return instilled hope in her return home—and to Calean.