Page 65 of Highlander’s Mercenary Lass

Andrew, who was still catching his breath, did not know what to say at first.

"I just came from the dungeon," he finally said, unaware that there was blood dripping from a scratch on his torso as well as a scar on his forehead. "I came as fast as I could!"

Aileen's eyes were dancing with fear.

Grabbing her, Andrew asked her fearfully, "Where's Grace?"

"She went intae Paton's chambers wi' Fiona. It was some hours ago. I havenae seen them since an' I cannae get inside the room tae find them. I've been knocking, but no one answers!"

"She went in there?" said Andrew, his heart sinking. He wished he had been around to stop her from doing anything that involved Paton.

"Aye, they found proof that Paton has been lying tae Grace an' tae everyone," said Aileen desperately. By now, they were running, the pair of them bolting across the corridors that led to where Paton's chambers were.

"There's no one there," wailed Aileen as they approached the heavy oak door to Paton's chambers.

In vain, Andrew tried the handle. It was locked. Looking around, he tried to see if there was any other way of getting in.

"Grace?" he yelled. Pressing his ear to the door, Andrew thought he heard a noise. It was muffled but sounded like it was coming from inside the room.

"Grace?" he called again, exchanging glances with Aileen. "Fiona?"

There was no answer, but a loud crash from behind the heavy oak door confirmed his worst suspicions. Without waiting a second longer, Andrew pushed against the door, but it was heavy and would not budge.

"Ye'll nae do it," said Aileen, doomfully, as Andrew used his body as a battering ram against the door.

"Braw, that's just the encouragement I need," said Andrew, between gritted teeth. His eyes glistened with determination. Then he turned to Aileen. "So are ye gonnae watch me fail or help me win?"

Andrew's eyes twinkled for a while, and Aileen relented.

"Of course," she said, with a half-smile. "But how?"

"There must be something..." Andrew's voice trailed off; he thought about the furniture in the nearby room. In an instant, he raced back inside the upper bedchamber and yanked out a heavy wooden chair from the corner.

Moving it was not straightforward. The chair weighed a ton, and getting it out of the room took time. Finally, he had dragged the thing up to the room. Now outside Paton's door, Andrew tried once more to get it to open.

"Grace? Are ye in there?"

Nothing.

He had waited long enough. Lining the chair up against his shoulder, Andrew told Aileen to stand back. Then, he pressed his body hard against the chair and hurled both himself and it at the door.

But the door was well-constructed, and it would take more than that to bring it down.

Wiping his brow, Andrew began to despair.

"Andrew?" Grace's muffled voice came from behind the thick door. She sounded panicked.

Andrew's resolve immediately reignited. With the strength of ten, he pushed the chair harder, wielding it like a lance; this time, he didn't stop. He kept going until the door creaked painfully on its hinges.

Then, quickly, he removed his sgian-dubh and began jabbing at the joints. Finally, the constant battering paid off. At long last, the wooden door opened in a hale of splints, and Andrew burst through.

"Grace?"

The scene he ran into was one of utter chaos. Paton's chambers looked like the sight of a battle; furnishings were overturned, and drinks spilled. At the side of the dresser, a shattered looking-glass lay in many pieces, and nearby, a smashed candelabra was strewn on the floor.

"Och, my God!" whispered Andrew, feeling his heart go cold. It took some time for him to see where she was, but eventually, he found Grace curled up behind a large chest. Beside her, Fiona sat, crouched.

Dragging her by the hand, Andrew lifted Grace out of the corner, and then he reached for Fiona.