shrunk in death. Robbie’s shirt and coat fit him. Aidan didn’t bother with the rest of the clothes but tied Packy’s body to the chair.
In all, he’d spent ten minutes in the cellar, but at any moment someone might notice the guard on the cellar was missing. The time had come to leave. “Hurry,” he urged. Robbie nodded that he was ready.
Aidan said, “When you leave the estate, go to the Widow Ewing’s house. Do you remember her?”
“How could I forget Mavis? We’ve romped under the covers more than one night.”
Aidan couldn’t help but smile. Robbie was sounding more and more like his old self; he was beaten, but he was a survivor. “Tell her I will make it worth her while if she takes you in for a stay. She’ll do it for me.”
“She’ll do it for me,” Robbie refuted.
“Just see you don’t let any harm come to her,” Aidan answered, and hurried him toward the door. “You go first, I’ll follow.”
Robbie took the guard’s post. Aidan waited the space of several heartbeats and then lifted the guard’s body on his shoulders. He cracked open the door, listening, and was about to slip out when he heard voices. The watch! Probably the two men who had been gossiping under the tree.
Aidan took a step back so that if someone entered, he would be behind the door. He waited.
The guards said something to Robbie, who grunted his answer. Robbie’s response must have been enough, because a moment later, he knocked on the door, a signal it was safe.
Aidan slipped out. “They didn’t notice?”
“They’ve been drinking,” Robbie whispered with disgust. “I’d shoot any of my men who drank on watch. Well, now, go on. Hurry…and God be with you, Laird Tiebauld.”
Aidan didn’t answer, but started back to the village. The sun would soon rise. It was close to three in the morning when he found himself in the graveyard. He made quick work of burying the guard and carefully put the shovel and pick back in the shed where he’d found them.
If anyone noticed anything out of place, they’d probably think it spirits and ghosties. The idea gave him no amusement.
He had to make his way back to Anne without tipping off the guards, and he was running out of time.
Anne thought she’d been alert and wakeful, but when the door opened, she gave such a start, she knew she’d been dozing. She threw her arm over the mound of pillows masquerading as Aidan and pretended to sleep. The door closed.
“It’s me, Anne,” her husband whispered.
She rolled over on her back and then scrambled up, tucking the sheet around her. Aidan closed the door, his shadowy presence almost larger than life. “What are you doing coming in the door?” she whispered. “I thought you’d use the window.”
“I didn’t have the strength to climb back up and I decided at this hour of the morning, no one would expect me to walk right in. So I removed my boots and tiptoed up the stairs. Our guard is asleep. Both he and Lambert snore.”
Aidan appeared exhausted. He walked past the bed to peer out the window. Night was passing, replaced by the first hazy glow of dawn.
“Weren’t there guards anywhere else?” she asked.
“Major Lambert’s men are a lazy lot,” he answered, his voice subdued. “He has patrols out but they are easy to dodge.” He set his boots down and crossed to the wash stand.
“The major checked on you. The ruse worked.” She told him of Major Lambert’s conversation with the colonel. While she spoke, he poured water into the wash basin. Carefully, he splashed water on his face and hands. Then he began lathering with the soap. Over and over he kept washing his hands.
Anne’s voice trailed off. She stood, wrapping the sheet around her. “Are you all right?”
He didn’t answer, but kept rubbing the lather over his knuckles, along his fingers.
“Is it Robbie?” she whispered. “Could you save him?”
“It is too soon to tell.” He stopped washing his hands and stared at the lather covering them as if he couldn’t quite comprehend how it had gotten there.
Anne crossed to him. Lifting the pitcher, she rinsed off the soap.
Aidan didn’t look at her. “My clothes are filthy. Dirt. Everywhere.”
“I’ll brush them off. Here, remove them and let me have them.”
It seemed to take several minutes for her words to sink in. Almost absently, he began to undress, but got lost in the motions.
Gently Anne guided him to the bed and pushed him