Chapter 24
Although Sloane had gotten more practice on a horse, the long trip was a grueling one.
Freya was an excellent rider and kept pace with the guards well, but Sloane ached all over.
Still, she tried to pretend nothing was amiss or she feared she would face Lachlan’s wrath.
With so many eyes on them, he barely paid any attention to her at all and when he did, his words could be cruel.
She thought it was hard being alone with him, but now she was alone while surrounded by people.
“I am so glad that ye are coming with us,” Freya murmured as she dropped back on her horse to join Sloane. “But ye arena yer usual chatty self. Are ye not happy being out of the keep?”
“Oh, aye. ’Tis a beautiful day,” Sloane said as she glanced around to make sure that Lachlan wasn’t watching. He hadn’t told her not to speak to Freya, but she didn’t want to get her friend in trouble. “Are ye excited?”
Freya blushed. “Aye. ’Tis not how I imagined that I would get married, but it is the man that I want to marry. Gair has promised that when the heat dies down from the fighting, I will be able to come to visit as often as I like, so I willna be gone long.”
Sloane didn’t say anything. Her friend was optimistic.
They had no idea how long her father’s bitter need for revenge would last, but it didn’t matter.
She wouldn’t be there when Freya came to visit.
She’d hoped that she could see Freya’s wedding and then escape on the way back to the MacFarlane lands, but Lachlan’s attention would be solely on her during the return journey.
Now, he was more concerned about his sister’s safety.
Plus, if she left now, Lachlan would not come after her himself because he would not abandon Freya.
As Laird, he would be forced to attend the wedding meant to be a union between the two clans.
He would choose duty to his people over duty to his wife.
It didn’t upset her. He was a good laird and she was the one exploiting that.
Deep down, she knew he would find it unforgivable that she had left him, but she saw no other option.
Once Sloane left, she didn’t know where she would go.
She would not be welcome at any of the five neighboring clans, but if she traveled to the lowlands, no one would know her there.
She would be safe and she wouldn’t get anyone hurt.
If she was lucky, she might get herself a small cottage somewhere and a garden.
Maybe a horse and a dog to keep her company.
She was used to the quiet life, so that would suit her.
The sun started to set and they stopped to make camp.
With a sigh, Sloane hoped that no one else could hear, she slipped off her horse and grabbed the saddle before she fell to the ground and made a fool of herself.
Only when she started getting the feeling back in her legs did she finally let go and make her way to the center of the camp.
The other night, she’d slept in Lachlan’s tent, although she knew that it was just for appearances. The distance between them was hard to swallow and tonight she wanted to avoid that altogether.
“Lachlan,” she said slowly as she approached him. “I realize that it’s a little unorthodox, but I was hoping that ye might let me spend the night with Freya. Tomorrow, we will be on Brisbane lands and she will be marrying. I wish for some alone time with her.”
Turning, he swept his gaze over her. “Planning on giving her some tips about being a good wife? Or perhaps you’d like to turn my sister into a spy for her new husband?”
Hurt, she inhaled sharply and turned away from him.
“Sloane.” He’d managed to turn her name into a command and she froze. “You may spend the evening with Freya.”
A mixture of relief and pain swept through her. “Thank ye.”
Knowing that she might not ever have a private moment with her husband again, she looked over her shoulder at him and wished she knew the right words to say.
“I know that ye have no reason to trust me, but I am not being glib when I tell ye that ye have been a wonderful husband. I am sorry that I caused ye pain and I hope that ye find happiness.”
“Ye mean that we find happiness,” he said softly. “Did ye love me, Sloane? Even a little?”
Yes. With every beat of her heart, she loved him. “It doesna matter now, does it? Ye will never be able to love me.”
Reaching down, she grabbed her bag and ducked under the tent. Tears burned in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn’t let her feelings get the best of her or she would never find the strength to leave.
By the time Sloane reached Freya’s tent, her tears were gone, and there was a fake smile plastered on her face. “Surprise! Lachlan said that I could stay here tonight!”
Freya’s eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed suspiciously. “Said ye could or ordered it? My brother is the most bone-headed bloody…”
“I asked to stay here,” Sloane interrupted quickly. “I wanted to spend tonight with ye seeing as how tomorrow, ye will be at yer new home.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but ‘tis not like we are never going to see each other again. I think that ye should spend some time with Lachlan. Ye two need to mend this rift.”
Rift. How light Freya could make everything.
“It takes more than a night to do that after what I did to him. Besides, we are spending the nights together.”
Freya frowned and studied her. “Ye mean in the same bed?”
“Aye.”
“Oh,” Freya breathed and reached for her hands. “No wonder there is so much pain in yer eyes. I doona think I have ever hated my brother more than in this moment.”
Sloane shook her head and settled on the bedroll.
“He isna being cruel to me. He wants to protect ye and now, he is protecting me, but his protection of me is only because it was in his vows. I lost whatever affection was between us and rightfully so. Now, I am putting everyone around me in danger because my father couldna let go of his bitterness enough to love me.”
“Please, doona think that nobody can love ye, Sloane. Ye are a wonderful woman and my brother will see that in time.”
“Freya, ye have no idea how much our friendship means to me. Despite all the horrid things my father said and planned, ye forgave me and stood up for me. I cannae thank ye enough for welcoming me into yer family and being my friend.”
“Sloane,” Freya chuckled. “I will always be yer friend and ye will always be welcome in my home.”
“I know.”
Hugging Freya, Sloane tried to silently tell her friend goodbye before she slipped into her bedroll.
Her heart ached. Part of her wondered if this was the cowardly way out.
By running, she was avoiding the punishment she was rightly due.
Lachlan would protect her, of that, she was certain, but she would never forgive herself if he or another lost their life in the process.
“Sloane,” Freya asked softly as they slipped into their bedrolls. “Do ye hate yer mother?”
Startled, she turned to face her friend. “Why do ye say that?”
After some hesitation, Freya reached over into her bag and pulled out a familiar piece of ribbon. “I had hoped that perhaps ye left it behind by mistake, but ye have not been searching for it. I can only imagine ’tis because ye blame yer mother.”
Quietly, Sloane rolled over on her back and stared at the top of the tent.
Outside, the snores of the men were louder than the natural sounds of the woods.
“I wasna there,” she said finally. “I cannae know what really happened or what she was thinking, but I willna keep her on her pedestal any longer. She is dead and I doona need something as silly as a ribbon to make me hope that she loved me.”
“Ye fear that she did not.”
“I fear that a happy marriage isna in my blood. Go to sleep, Freya. Tomorrow is a big day for ye and ye will need yer rest.”
Slowing her breathing, Sloane waited until the camp grew quiet.
When she knew that Freya was asleep, she slowly got up and rolled up her mat.
She’d packed a few extra biscuits for the trip.
They would only last her a couple of days, but hopefully, by then, she would have put enough distance between herself and her father’s lands to slip into a tavern without anyone trying to kill her or turning her in for whatever bounty her father was paying.
There were guards posted at the perimeter of the camp, but they were keeping people out instead of in. It would look a bit obvious to claim that she needed to look after her personal needs with her bag attached to her, but she had a plan for that as well.
Luckily, most of the camp knew that Lachlan hated her.
“I am so sorry, Freya,” she whispered. “I wish I could see ye get married. I hope that ye have nothing but happiness in yer future.”
Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Sloane kept the flap open and pulled one of Lachlan’s shirts out to hang over the side. Knowing that she only had one shot at this, she’d carefully thought her plan through and stuffed his shirts in while she was packing.
Quietly making her way through the men sprawled out on the grounds, she approached Jamie. As the youngest and most inexperienced, he would be the easiest to dupe. Perhaps too trusting. It turned her stomach to think of using him like this.
“Sloane,” he asked quietly. “Where are ye going?” His gaze moved to her bag.
“I would ask that ye not tell Lachlan that I am sneaking out so late. He… He asked me to clean some of his shirts and I should have done them earlier, but I was tired after the trip. If I could get them done before morning, he will be none the wiser.”
Pity swept over his face. “We arena close enough to the river for me to hear if ye get into trouble. I will escort ye.”
“Lachlan willna like it if ye leave yer post. I will be quick.”
“There are enough guards here that I can escort ye,” he assured her with a small smile.