Free The Runaway Highlander (The Highland Renegades Book 2) by R. L. Syme

such opulence. No jewels, a plain green frock, and her grey wimple, unadorned. With only her face visible among all the fabric, the features they shared stood out. Sometimes, Anne was certain that she looked in a mirror when she looked at her sister. A prettier, more delicate mirror, but similar enough that if their hair had been the same shade of blonde and Elena an inch or two taller, they might have been able to pass for twins.
    Once her sister had fully dressed, Anne sank down into the covers and pretended sleep. She’d soaked a damp cloth in the basin that morning and kept it under the mattress so that each time someone came to check on her, she could pass the cloth over her forehead and cheeks and appear to be in the worst of spirits.
    Her mother, instead of coming herself, had sent one of the waiting ladies to be certain of her illness. Elena had checked several times, and the young woman who brought their breakfast had even come to her bedside to offer her services if Anne needed anything.
    Only to be left alone , she’d wanted to say.
    Instead, she asked if she might have some hot broth just after noon, so she could sleep the morning away. And could the girl leave the broth out side the door so as not to wake her.
    When Elena at last closed the door, escorted by both guards as per Andrew’s supposed instructions from the Sheriff, Anne threw back the covers. She’d been nearly overheated in her wool dress. Worried that Elena would be late for church, as usual, Anne had woken near sunrise, dressed herself, eaten the apple and slice of bread she’d saved from dinner the previous evening, washed herself, and climbed back in bed before Elena even stirred.
    She’d also prepared traveling packs for her and for her sister, which she hid in the back of their retinue, behind their very formal dresses which wouldn’t be taken out if they never arrived to be dressed for the ball.
    A surprised Andrew had agreed to her price of two extra stowaways in their escape. Being forever a fugitive would be preferable to being the captive, abused, and potentially murdered wife of a barbarian.
    As per Andrew’s plan, they had a very short time to accomplish a very difficult task.
    Anne waited by the door until she heard the last of the footsteps on the far stairs, then snuck into the hallway and took off in the opposite direction. She had also worn her wimple, just in case she was stopped in the castle, and she could feign wellness and a desire to attend mass.
    The castle would be near deserted during the hours the town was in church, and the cathedral was on the way to the sea, not the gate, which would be open all day to allow for those from the surrounding lands to attend mass and travel freely.
    It would also allow them the opportunity for the other two men who had come with Andrew to secure their transportation, and give Anne plenty of time to get back to her room and the men the cover of the exeunt from mass to cover their escape.
    A plan that had been months in the making, as she understood, and one that had cost more than one life in the readying. But as Andrew told it, also a plan that would provide all their comrades in the dungeon an opportunity for freedom.
    Including Broccin. It was the least she could do for him after her mother had annulled their marriage contract upon the accusations of treason that stripped the family of their earldom.
    Once she reached the main floor of the castle, she wound her way back to the dungeon stairs, careful to check every corner before she rounded it. Andrew had promised that guards would be at a minimum, but she still wanted to avoid confrontation if possible.
    She waited at the mouth of the stairs, allowing the putrid stench to wash over her again, readying herself to drown in that smell when they entered the belly of the dungeon.
    A loud click sounded behind her and she jerked around to find a set of guards approaching. She averted her eyes, heart in her throat, in case they were on