Page 14 of Conquer the Highlander

… did he?

His curiosity had the better of him. Puzzled, he set his spoon down and stood up.

“Where is she?” he asked.

The sentry jerked his head in the direction of the entry to the Ludus Caledonia. “The gatehouse,” he said.

Titus followed him out into the night, ignoring the inquisitive stares of his friends. It was a warm evening as far as evenings in Scotland went, a symptom of a summer that had been unusually dry.

Titus was dressed for the weather, in only linen breeches, boots, and a tunic that he didn’t even have laced up. It was open in the front, down to his waist, baring his tanned and broad chest. He followed the sentry through the north section of the warrior’s encampment with its dozens of tiny cottages, passing by Caelian Hill, which was the name given to the keep of the Ludus Caledonia, the crown jewel of the complex.

Caelian Hill was surrounded by an enormous curtain wall, circular in shape, with a gatehouse and portcullis built into it. The sentry took him straight to the gatehouse, a two-storied structure, and as he approached, he could hear a woman shouting angrily.

Only they were words he could not understand.

Spanish.

Titus eyed the sentry curiously when the man paused by the door to the guard room built into the gatehouse, but the sentry simply indicated for him to enter the room.

Warily, he did.

Immediately, his gaze fell on Esme as she sat in a corner, surrounded by three heavily armed guards. No one was touching her, at least at the moment, but that beautiful green brocade dress with the yellow border that he’d seen her wearing earlier was dirty and disheveled. One sleeve was torn. Baffled, Titus walked up between the guards, shocked at what he was seeing.

“Great Bleeding Christ,” he muttered. “What are ye doing here, lass?”

Esme’s expression went from frightened to relieved in a split second. “Do you remember me from today?” she asked, her voice suddenly quiet and trembling. “I was with Lady Ayr and we saw you at the apothecary in Edinburgh, and…”

He cut her off, though it wasn’t harsh. “Of course I remember ye,” he said. “Ye’re Flaca… I mean, Dian… Dianca…”

“Esme,” she said helpfully. “I came to find you but these tontos grabbed me and tore my dress. I told them I wanted to speak with you, but they thought it better to drag me here and humiliate me. I…”

She suddenly stopped speaking, looking at the guards standing around her, and evidently unwilling or unable to speak further in front of them. After a moment, she lowered her gaze and Titus swore he saw her lower lip tremble.

He didn’t know why she was here, but he was going to find out.

“Back away,” he told the guards. “Get out. I will speak with the lady.”

The guards obeyed. They backed out of the little chamber and Titus shut the door behind them so he and the lady would have some privacy. With the door shut, he stood there a moment, looking her over. It only confirmed what he’d seen this afternoon, that she was as fine a beauty as he’d ever seen.

And she looked very lost.

Scratching his ear, he stepped in her direction.

“They’re gone,” he said. “Now… what are ye doing here? Did Lady Ayr send ye?”

Esme lifted her eyes, looking at him. “Nay,” she said. “She did not send me. I came because I need your help.”

“What help?”

“I want you to help me escape and go home.”

He eyed her with some confusion. “Escape? Go home?” he repeated. “I dunna understand. Where is home?”

Esme’s big eyes were filling with tears, which she was quickly flicking away. “Navarre,” she said softly. “I want to go home.”

“Then why come tae me? Why not simply tell Lady Ayr?”

She shook her head. “You misunderstand,” she said. “I am not a guest or a ward of the duchess, as she has told everyone.”