Page 87 of Defy the Highlander

That was when he realized she was sobbing.

“Lilia?” he said, rushing to her and grasping her by the arms. “What’s wrong? Why are ye weeping?”

“We have to run,” she gasped. “Brody, we must leave now!”

He looked at her with great concern, seeing dark droplets on her shoulder and hand. It didn’t take him long to realize it was blood. His eyes widened.

“Bleeding Christ,” he hissed. “Are ye hurt? What happened?”

She wiped at her eyes. “Colly attacked me,” she said. “She said she recognized ye. She tried to force me tae confess… something. I dunna even know what she wanted before she attacked me with a stool. She was trying tae kill me so I stabbed her with my scissors. I had no choice!”

She was off on a crying binge and Brody pulled her against him, holding her tightly as the news settled in.

The old nurse was dead!

“God,” he finally hissed. “Where is she?”

“In the manse,” Lilia wept. “Brody, we must run! We must leave before Lady Currie discovers her!”

Brody understood the situation for what it was – critical. Even if Lilia had killed in self-defense, she was a servant and the magistrates would not look kindly upon her. If Lady Currie pushed hard enough, Lilia could be severely punished.

She might even be executed.

Not now, he thought in a panic. We’ve come too far tae see it all slip away now. God, not now!

Leaving Lilia sobbing by the door, he rushed to the horse and unfastened the tethers. “We must leave,” he said to Angus and Tynan, who were standing in shock. “If they come looking for us, deny ye ever saw us. ’Tis the only way ye’ll not be held accountable in this, so deny everything.”

Angus nodded firmly. “No one would bother a silly old man,” he assured him. “Get along, Brody. Take the lady and go.”

Brody didn’t need to be told twice. As he ran to the entry where Lilia was standing, leading Aethon behind him, Tynan scampered after him.

“Brody!” he cried. “Will ye still let me fight for ye?”

Brody turned to the child, who was looking as if he were losing his best friend. He smiled at the lad. “Ye know I will,” he said. “When ye’re older, I’ll come for ye. Do ye believe me?”

“Aye.”

“Then be a good lad. Be strong for yer mother.”

Tynan nodded, furiously wiping at his eyes so his tears would not be seen as Brody grasped Lilia by the hand and, together, the two of them rushed across the stable yard to the postern gate, which was unmanned and unwatched.

Slipping through the gate, they mounted the horse and took off towards Edinburgh, leaving the heartache, death, and destruction of Hawkhill behind them.

Forever.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The pounding on his door was frantic.

Laird Currie was sitting at his cluttered table, counting out every single piece of silver that Brody had brought back to him. He was putting them into neat little stacks, at least those that were the least misshapen and could be stacked, but the rest of them ended up in a pile.

He’d deduced that everything was there. Every single pence.

And then the pounding on the door.

He could hear a voice on the other side, begging him to open it. He knew it was his wife, so he let her pound a little while longer before he decided to answer. Throwing the heavy bolt, he pulled open the right-hand panel.

Lady Currie was standing there, her pale face streaked with tears.