Free The Highlander's Heart by Amanda Forester Page B

but she had not and it was too late to undress now.
    Isabelle was almost to the next window. She reached out with her left foot, found a toehold and released her left hand to find her next hold. Suddenly, the rock beneath her left foot began to wobble. She lurched to the right to grab the wall with both hands as the stone gave way beneath her and fell with a crash to the garden below. Shaken, Isabelle grasped the wall, her muscles quivering with fatigue. She was going to fall if she didn’t get to the ledge soon.
    She clung, frozen, her hands starting to sweat. Her arms shaking, she forced herself to reach out again and continue edging along the wall. She was almost to the window. One more stretch and she would have it. She reached out for the ledge, but the sheet rope held her fast. It was too short!
    Her fingers trembling, she struggled to untie the knot. The sheet rope slithered away, leaving her alone, clutching the wall without her safety line. Her muscles shook, pushed beyond the point of endurance. She was inches from the ledge and seconds from slipping from the wall. Forcing her arms to move, she shifted along the wall and grabbed on to the ledge. With her last ounce of strength, Isabelle pulled her body onto the window ledge.
    Her breath came in gasps, her heart pounded loud in her ears. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the small stone ledge, waiting for her body to stop shaking. She did not look down. The moon shone down on her, a silent witness to her desperate plan. She rested on the ledge until her breathing slowed, and her heart stopped hammering out its pounding complaint.
    The inn was quiet, the perfect time to escape. All she needed to do now was climb into the room, get into the hall, and slip down the stairs to freedom while the others slept. What she required was a bit of luck… and for this room to be empty.
    Isabelle began to work at removing the screen. It was hooked on the inside, making the operation awkward. She tried to be as quiet as possible, not knowing what inhabitant may be sleeping inside. She heard no noise from the room and hoped for the best. She managed to lift and push the screen until it started to move. Slipping from her fingers, the screen fell from the window to the floor of the room with a loud crash. Isabelle froze. There was nowhere for her to hide.
    She held her breath and listened for movement, still concealed by the heavy brocade curtains that hung over the window. Presently, as she heard nothing from the room, she dared to open the curtain just a crack to peek into the room. The room was dark, nothing to see. Gathering her courage, she opened the curtains a little more, the moon illuminating the small room. It was empty. Isabelle released her breath in relief.
    She stepped down into the room and propped the screen back against the wall. The click of the door latch froze her to her core. The door creaked.
    Someone was coming.

Nine
     
    “Ye must ken how important this is, David. I need to know ye will stand wi’ us,” said a man, speaking in a low voice. Isabelle gathered her skirts and crouched back into the window ledge, concealing herself with the curtain.
    “Ye are my mother’s kin. We have always supported the Stewarts, I see little need to prove our loyalty now.” That voice! Isabelle’s heart sank. It was Campbell.
    “There is mischief about, lad. I have heard that our king wearies of his captivity wi’ the English, enough to make a treacherous deal wi’ the Sassenach devils. I have information that our king plots wi’ the Douglas to overthrow me from the stewardship of Scotland in return for his release from captivity. Our useless king will also agree to give over the succession of the Scottish throne to one of King Edward’s own sons.”
    A chill ran through Isabelle that had little to do with the cold night air. Was Campbell talking to Stewart, the man acting as the steward and ruler of Scotland? If she was discovered, she was dead.
    “Nay, I canna