Fraser 01 - Highland Legacy Read Online Free PDF Page B

wild spirit and temerity would prove to be her demise. In her attempt to appear brave, and to stave off the attack, she’d foolishly told her assailants who she was.
    She could not stay in the castle and risk being caught. Nor would she betray Connor to absolve herself. She had to sneak out again, but how? To escape when English soldiers swarmed the keep would be nearly impossible. With her ear pressed against the door, she listened as Eildth and Drummond continued on their way. When she no longer heard their retreating footsteps, she opened the door wide enough to see into the hall.
    Myrna stood near the door of the kitchen. Cailin softly cleared her throat. When the maid glanced in her direction, she brought a finger to her lips and motioned with a wave of her hand for the girl to come to her. She closed the door and stepped into the shadows. When it opened with a creak, she held her breath in anticipation.
    An expression of concern crossed Myra’s face as she stepped into the storage room and quickly closed the door. “Och, m’lady, you are in great danger and must flee. If the English find you, they’ll arrest you and see you hanged for murder. The commander of the garrison, Lord Borden, claims you killed his brother.”
    Cailin gasped and clutched a shaky hand to her throat. “Lord Borden, are you certain?”
    “Aye, I was in the great hall when he arrived and was announced to your father. Do you know him?”
    An icy shiver ran down Cailin’s spine. She knew the man all too well, and had hoped never to see him again. “He visited the keep a few years ago, on king’s business. When no one was around to witness, he made improper advances. He held me against my will, kissed me, and told me it was his right as an English lord to be my first lover.”
    Myrna’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “What did you do?”
    “I fought him, scratched his face, and then ran as fast as my legs would carry me. He left that same day, and I prayed I would never lay eyes on him again.”
    “You dinna mentioned this to anyone?”
    “I had just turned five and ten summers. My father hardly acknowledged my existence, and I am sure Lord Borden would have called me a liar.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. It had been three summers, but it seemed like yesterday. “He never told my father what happened, but vowed I would someday pay for my defiance.” She wrung her hands and began to pace. “Now he accuses me of murdering his brother. I fear he has finally found his means of revenge.”
    Myrna threw her arms around her mistress’s shoulders, pulled her into a tight embrace, and then held her at arm’s length. “Tell me you dinna kill his brother,” she pleaded. “I could not bear to think of you at the mercy of those Saxon swine. Surely if you tell your father what happened in the past, he will not stand for this.”
    Cailin pressed two fingers to her friend’s lips. “Myrna, please, if you prattle on, someone will overhear. I dinna kill anyone, but Lord Borden would never believe me. The fact that the soldiers meant to rape and murder me will not matter. He’ll be more interested in retribution for the past than the truth.”
    “Did they harm you? Your gown is torn and your cheek is bruised. Why were you beyond the castle walls without an escort, and however did you manage to escape? Tell me they dinna force you to do unspeakable things.” An excitable girl, Myrna asked the questions in rapid succession.
    “This morning, my father and I quarreled about his plan to see me marry Laird MacMurray. He would not listen to reason, and my only option was to leave Dunkeld. I’d have left sooner, but I needed your help to gather some supplies. Besides, you’ve been like a sister to me, the only friend I’ve ever known. I could not leave without saying goodbye. I even thought to ask you to come along, but decided it was too dangerous. It was while I waited, the soldiers attacked me.”
    Myrna’s