Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

T ossing and turning in bed proved useless to Abigail, though that was hardly a surprise. There was too much on her mind for her to sleep. Exhausted as she was from all the travelling, her thoughts kept constantly returning to Finnian and the plan he and his brother had to kill her father and Domnhall.

What would they do now that Abigail had some proof, at least, of the state of their clan? What would they do now that their schemes would be revealed to everyone? Both Niall and Finnian seemed like the kind of men who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted and though they had hidden their real selves well, Abigail knew them for what they were: cruel and hungry for power and wealth, two men who were far too dangerous to those around them.

A war seemed entirely unavoidable but she didn’t know how the Chattan Clan planned on winning. Did Niall have some tricks up his sleeve they hadn’t yet predicted? Did he have allies who were strong enough to defeat not only the Robertsons, but also the MacAuleys and the MacThomases?

As unlikely as it sounded, Abigail didn’t want to discount the thought entirely. It was better to be prepared for the worst, to believe that anything could happen. Anything else would leave them vulnerable.

Giving up on sleep, Abigail pulled on her cloak and snuck out of her room, keeping her footsteps light as she roamed around the castle. A walk would do her some good, she thought; it would help burn off some of that energy that had gathered inside her, building up until it had nowhere to go.

It was late at night, the moon shining high up in the sky, and the castle was empty for the most part. Abigail didn’t feel like explaining her late-night walks to anyone, so she tried to avoid the guards who were patrolling the grounds, remaining hidden in the shadows and in the hallways that saw the least foot traffic.

By the time she stepped out into the courtyard from the back door, she had managed not to encounter anyone on her way. The air around her was fresh and crisp, chilly but not uncomfortably so, and Abigail drew in a deep, calming breath, some of her worries, at least, melting away. She shifted her gaze to the sky, watching as the grey of the clouds passed over the stars, sometimes obscuring them and sometimes revealing them, as if a veil was parting.

The gardens were quiet, the only sounds around Abigail those of the small critters that roamed the land at that time of the night. Somewhere in the near distance, an owl came to sit on a branch, disturbing the leaves. The moon was big and bright, not quite full but getting there, shedding its light over the narrow path that led through the bushes and the trees. Abigail followed its winding route, walking slowly among the flowers, but it wasn’t long before she came to a sudden halt.

She glanced over her shoulder, the short hairs on the back of her head standing at attention. She didn’t know what exactly it was that had startled her—a strange sound, perhaps, or simply a feeling of being watched, something her subconscious picked up without her conscious mind realizing it. There was no one there, though, as far as she could see. There were no moving shadows, no sounds to indicate someone was there. And yet no matter how much she tried, Abigail couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Taking a deep breath, she continued to walk through the gardens, almost laughing at herself for even thinking there was a threat close to her. The castle was guarded well; Domnhall always made sure of it. No one could have come in without the guards noticing and few would even be foolish enough to try.

There was nothing for her to fear, she told herself. She was simply nervous after everything that had happened, too cautious and startled by the smallest things when there was really nothing to fear.

But then, when she had hardly managed to take more than a few steps, a hand clamped around her mouth and an arm tightened around her waist, immobilizing her. Abigail’s heart lurched in her chest, rabbit-fast as she struggled against her attacker, feet kicking out desperately, her throat convulsing as she tried to scream, only for the sound to be muffled entirely by that hand.

“It’s me,” said a familiar voice, but for a moment, the words did not matter to Abigail, her terror so strong that she could hardly understand their meaning. “Abigail, it’s only me. It’s Hugo.”

Stilling, Abigail turned her head just as Hugo relaxed his hold on her, confirming that it was indeed him. Relief washed over Abigail, so overwhelming that her knees almost buckled under her, but it was quickly replaced by a rushing and steeling anger that had her slapping her palms against Hugo’s chest.

“Ow!” he said, taking step after step back as Abigail continued her assault, trying to avoid the slaps. “Hey! Stop that.”

Grabbing her wrists, Hugo pulled Abigail close once more, holding her against his chest. She was far from done, though. Even knowing she was safe, her body was still flooded with fear, her heart beating so fast that she feared it would burst right out of her.

“Why would ye dae that?” she demanded, yanking her wrists away from him. “Ye scared me tae death! Ye couldnae have simply greeted me normally?”

“I wanted to show you why you shouldn’t be walking around all alone so late at night,” Hugo said with a small shrug. “You are a very reckless girl, Abigail. Sneaking into castles, running around in the middle of the night. You have us all worried.”

Abigail couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Hugo. “I suppose ye’re right, up tae a certain point, but who will attack me here, in the castle? Are ye sayin’ I should fear even here? I should even fear when I return home an’ when I’m visitin’ me sisters’ homes? I dinnae wish tae be scared all the time, simply waitin’ fer an attack tae happen.”

“I only wish you to be more cautious,” said Hugo as he took her wrist once more and pulled her closer. This time, Abigail allowed it, sighing softly as Hugo’s lips pressed against hers. “I do worry about you. A lot. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Naething will happen tae me,” Abigail assured him. “On the morrow, ye an’ Domnhall an’ Ellair will teach me how tae fight an’ then I will ken what tae dae if someone tries tae hurt me.”

“I don’t think one lesson will be enough, Abigail,” Hugo pointed out good-naturedly, smiling at her. “You will need much training.”

“Then it is a good thing we will begin,” Abigail said, entirely undeterred. “Why are ye out here so late?”

“I could ask you the same,” said Hugo.

“I couldnae sleep.” Abigail shrugged, her hand resting on Hugo’s chest, brushing gently over his shirt. “I thought a walk might help me clear me mind.”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” Hugo admitted. “So much has happened lately. So much more has yet to happen.”

“It’s difficult tae avoid thinkin’ about it, is it nae?” Abigail asked. “I wish there was somethin’ I could dae, somethin’ tae take me mind off all this.”

“Well, I have something in mind,” said Hugo with a teasing smirk, leaning closer to Abigail to whisper in her ear. “Do you trust me?”

Abigail frowned, pulling back just enough to look at Hugo with a scrutinizing gaze. “I did, but I’m nae so sure now. What dae ye have in mind?”

Hugo said nothing. He only began to tug Abigail towards the other side of the path, where there was nothing but a gardening shed and the stables, places she had never visited before in Castle MacAuley. Her frown deepened when it became obvious that Hugo was, in fact, leading her to the gardening shed, a small, old building where the only light came from the moon and the stars, bathing its cold interior in a silver glow.

“What are we doin’ here?” she asked as Hugo pulled her inside. There was nothing in there but a rickety table in the middle, some tools spread over its surface, while more tools and plants lined the walls, obscured by the shadows.

“I told you, I can help push those thoughts out of your mind,” said Hugo as he crowded Abigail against the table and kissed her, his hands falling to her hips. It didn’t take her long to understand what it was that he meant, why he had pulled her in that shed in the middle of the night, and a jolt of excitement ran down her spine, the thrill of being with him there leaving Abigail breathless. “So, Abigail, do you want me to?”

Abigail gasped against Hugo’s lips when he kissed her, nodding. “Aye,” she said. “I dae.”