Page 56 of Tess and the Highlander
“What should I be telling her?”
“That she is being punished for herheartless behavior toward me.” Evelyn met the old servant’s gaze inthe mirror. “Tell her that all mercy lies in the hands of Sir DavidBurnett. Tell her that she should work on improving her manner forwhen she meets him.”
“How about if I just tell her that yerladyship will send for her when ye’re ready?”
Evelyn turned sharply in her seat to scoldthe old woman, but Jenny quickly slipped from the room.
“The devil take you, too,” she said harshly.“Just wait until Sir David hears about your insolence!”
The thin gray light of dawn filtered throughthe narrow window, and Tess drew her knees tighter to her chest. Anuntouched trencher of food sat on the trunk at the foot of the bed.The traveling clothes that she’d washed the mud from herself hungfrom a single peg on the wall. Neither the chamber pot nor thebasin of water that she’d used to wash up had been removed from theroom.
Last night, Tess had waited until long afterall the noises of the castle had died away before giving up hope onEvelyn sending for her. And for the rest of the night, she had layawake on the narrow bed, staring vacantly at the red glow of dyingembers in the brazier and trying to make some sense out of hersituation.
During her years on the Isle of May, shehadn’t been able to remember her childhood. But now she had a clearrecollection of how things had been. Her nurse Elsie had been theone in charge of raising Tess. Lady Evelyn’s role had been toscold, to correct, to be critical of everything and everyone aroundher, and to list Sir Stephen’s numerous flaws daily to the youngTess. Her mother had been unhappy then, and Tess guessed that notmuch had changed in her mother over the years.
But what were they going to do to her now?What was the reason for locking her up like this? Jenny and anotherservant had brought the food and water and brazier to the room lastnight. Neither had said a word. Jenny had refused to answer any ofTess’s questions.
Her greatest worry lay with Colin. What ifthey had imprisoned him in the same way that they had locked heraway? Even worse, what if they had hurt him?
A heavy door squeaked on old hingessomewhere down the steps. A few moments later, she heard snatchesof a conversation outside her door. Quietly, Tess placed her feeton the cold wood floor and stared anxiously at the door.
After what seemed like an eternity, a bar lifted onthe far side. Tess stood as the door swung open just enough forJenny to enter. The heavy oak door banged shut behind her.
The woman was carrying a single platter that sheplaced next to the untouched trencher from last night. She made herway around the room, checking the chamber pot, adding a block ofpeat to the small brazier.
“Good morning,” Tess offered, knowing that, despiteher own frustration, this woman was not the cause of hertroubles.
Instead of answering her, the servant cast a furtiveglance at the door and made a gesture that someone might belistening there. Tess’s spirit lifted as she realized that shemight have an ally, after all, at Ninestane Castle. While fanningthe flame in the brazier, the woman motioned to her to speak. Tessnodded her understanding.
“Look,” she said loudly, “I’ve waited longenough. Why are they holding me like this?”
“I cannot say, mistress,” the servantreplied before dropping her voice to a whisper. “Yer Highlander’sback. He sends word that he will be waiting for ye, tomorrow atdawn, past the village and up the river a wee bit…at the placewhere ye first stopped when ye saw the castle.”
“But how will I get out of here?” Tesswhispered back.
“Ye and I will be changing places when Ibring yer food in the morning. The guard who’ll be watchingtonight—” She pointed at the door. “—he’s fond of his ale and hissleep. And this early in the morning, no one will stop ye if ye godown the stairs, out through the kitchens and head straight for thevillage. Servants and workers go back and forth all the time thisearly in the morning.”
“Bless you, Jenny.” Tess clutched the old woman’shand. “Is there anything I can do for you.”
“I’ve been paid well already by yerHighlander, mistress. Also, I have been with yer mother long enoughto know ye’ll be far better off far away from here.” The oldwoman’s face grew serious. “For sure, though, ye’ll be wanting tobe out of here before Sir David arrives. The master can be a fierceone, and I’m thinking ye’ll not be liking him one bit.”
“She is Theresa, I tell you. The creatureismy daughter.”
“And?” Sir David Burnett asked casually,eying Evelyn, who was pacing impatiently before him. The Lowlanderhad arrived at sunset—a day earlier than expected—but before hecould settle down for his supper, he was told that Lady Evelynneeded to have a private audience with him immediately.
“Do as you have to do to her,” she ordered sharply,turning to him. “She is like her filthy father—in looks, inmanners, in her arrogance. Send her to hell, for all I care!”
“Things are no longer so simple,” he saidthoughtfully, scratching his beard.
“Thenmakeit simple,” she repliedhaughtily. “And do it now, as I don’t want to hear from her, seeher, or have anything to do with her. I couldn’t sleep last night.And all day I have been having visions of that brute Stephen,appearing from nowhere before me. Bury her alive. Drown her if youwish, but—”
David’s grip was bruising when it clampedaround Evelyn’s wrist. With a single movement, he yanked heragainst him.
“Watch your tongue,” he growled into herface. “You are behaving like a madwoman. I’ll have no talk of deadmen appearing. And I tell you, after your reception of theMacpherson lad yesterday, you could find my head on a spiked polewith that kind of talk.”
“That filthy Highlander deserved to be…”
“That filthy Highlander happens to be a cousin ofthe queen herself. That filthy Highlander is a scion of the mostinfluential clans in Scotland.”
