Summer of Love (38 page)

    
"And what if we’re caught?"

    
"You’ll hardly be in more trouble that you already are! Come, let’s go
now."

    
"But you?"

    
"I’ll be in trouble too, then. I might as well be if you are."

    
She quickly gathered the beard hair and hid them inside the mattress.
Touching Joe’s shoulder, so murmured: "Thank you, Joe."

    
"It’s my pleasure, lady," he chuckled.

    
She checked the cell briefly, adjusted Andrew’s hat a bit, and
whispered: "Keep your face down!" Then she knocked at the door,
calling: "Guard! … Sir, we’re ready to leave!"

    
After a few seconds, they heard footsteps, the door opened, and they
stepped into the dark corridor. The jailer briefly looked into the cell,
locked it, and then led them back to the spiral staircase.
Now comes the
real test,
went through her mind, as they entered the guard room.

    
The turnkey scrutinized them for several seconds, grinning. Helen had
that sinking feeling of defeat.

    
"Already leaving? … You know, lady, you could’ve stayed longer. But
that’s your business."

    
He turned and unlocked the iron door. For a second, she hesitated. She
could hardly believe it. He hadn’t noticed the switch. Andrew nudged her
gently, and she walked out the door.
We’re out! It was so easy!
were her
jubilant thoughts. She hooked her arm into Andrew’s and they walked
briskly along the tolbooth to the alley where she had left Owen.

    
They had not gone more than thirty feet when Owen caught up with
them from behind.

    
"Lady, there are four suspicious-looking Highlanders hiding in the
alley. Let’s leave by another way. Hurry please!"

    
He dashed ahead across the square to a close that led into High Street,
rather than the Trongate, the way they had come. Taking Helen’s hand,
Andrew hurried after him. He didn’t dare to run. This might draw them
to the attention of the guards, should any be watching the square. They
had almost reached the narrow entrance where Owen was waving
frantically, when four men charged into the square and came running
after them.

    
"Quick," urged Owen, "follow me!"

    
He rushed ahead, down the dark close between two rows of four-storey
tenement houses, barely six feet apart. Partway down it was blocked by
a brick wall. With surprising agility, Owen climbed it, finding hidden
footholds where none could be seen. Andrew lifted Helen halfway up
onto a small ledge in the corner.

    
"Come up here, sir. You can pull your lady up from here."

    
With difficulties Andrew scrambled up the wall. The sounds of
running feet came rapidly closer. Just as he straddled the top and began
to slide over to Helen, the first of their pursuer got to the wall and
grabbed her feet. She lost her footing and fell away, desperately trying to
hold on to the top of the wall. Her hand slipped from his grasp just as he
reached for it. Four arms caught her at the base of the wall.
Oh, no, it’s
father,
was her frightened thought. But the moment her feet were on firm
ground, she began to yell and kick and punch her attackers. Dougal’s big
hand quickly smothered her screams. She looked up the wall and saw
Andrew ready to jump down to her.
No, don’t! run!
she wanted to shout,
but could only shake her head violently.

16

"I told you we would catch her if we watched the tolbooth," bragged
Robert, as he and Dougal dragged the struggling Helen along the narrow
alley, the other two walking behind. "I knew it. I knew it."

    
"Yes, you were right," answered Dougal, with an edge of exasperation.
"Come, lass, stop fighting. It’s no use. Or do I have to slap you?"

    
He is right,
agreed Helen silently. There was no point getting a black
eye, now that Andrew got away safely.

    
"That is better. Your mother will be glad to see you," said Dougal, a
pleased tone in his voice.

    
So he had no intention of killing me. Strangely, she didn’t feel
relieved.

    
Robert sneered immediately: "After she got a good hiding! You said
that would set her right. You said so yourself."

    
Helen met his insipid grin with a hateful glare.

    
"Oh, oh, she has lost none of her fiery temper. But I’ll tame her once
we’re married."

    
"I’ll never marry you. I have a husband already. I married Andrew last
Saturday," she replied coldly.

    
"That will hardly matter, lass," retorted Dougal. "We will find a
minister who will marry you again. Anyway, didn’t master Andrew get
arrested on the same day? So we can claim that the marriage was never
consummated and can be annulled."

    
"But it was consummated. I’m with child."

    
Her father frowned for just a moment and then grinned: "Good try,
lass, but I was not born yesterday. I know that you have your woman’s
pains just shortly after your mother and she had them three weeks ago. So
if you know that you are with child, and I don’t believe you, it cannot be
master Andrew’s."

    
Helen blushed. She hated being caught in a blatant lie like this. Robert
snickered. A strong revulsion rose in her. How could she ever have
agreed to marry this bully? But he had not been such a bully, then.

    
They walked along silently for a short stretch. Suddenly, Robert broke
out laughing, gasping between bouts: "Isn’t it hilarious that your lover
boy gets copped for stealing a horse lifted by your cousins? We rolled
over laughing when we found out, didn’t we, Fergus? You recognize
your cousin Fergus?"

    
"That was real mean of your father to sell Andrew a stolen horse,
Fergus."

    
The lad answered with a loud laugh, and Robert had another case of
the snickers. "Anyway, your lover boy will soon be on his way to the
colonies. I hear they die like flies there! Saves us killing him," he
sneered.

    
They hadn’t recognized Andrew!
She ground her teeth together so as
not to rise to his bait and looked straight ahead. All at once, her spirits
seemed lighter. She was certain that Andrew would rescue her. She only
hoped he would keep a low profile and wait until they were on their way
back to Killin, rather than try something in the city and risk getting
caught again.

    
"Hello, Helen," she heard her brother from behind. "It’s good to see
you again."

    
"Hello, Robin. I’m disappointed that you act against your own sister
like this."

    
Robin answered with an embarrassed chuckle. "I could hardly let my
own blood run away with a Campbell of Argyle, could I, sister?"

    
No, probably not
. "I see, blood runs thicker than water, as your father
says when he runs out of arguments."

    
"Right you are, sister!" exclaimed Robin, with a short laugh, while
her father faced her angrily.

    
"You will learn the truth of that sooner or later too, lass," he grumbled.

    
Helen ignored him and asked Robin: "How’s Betty?"

    
"She was very upset when she heard that we were going after you."

    
"Tell her, I miss her."

    
Robin pressed out another laugh, while Dougal growled: "Lass, you’ll
soon be able to tell her yourself."

    
"Not if I can prevent it, father," she murmured.

    
Suddenly, he asked: "Who was that man and the boy?"

    
For a short moment her heart missed a beat. "The boy is the son of the
innkeeper where I stay. He showed me the way to the tolbooth. The man
is a clerk of my solicitor. He came with me to talk to Andrew."

    
"Ah, the lady has her own solicitor now," sneered Robert again with
a derisive laugh.

    
"Stop riling her, lad!" said Dougal sharply. "You better try to mend
things if you want to live with her in peace."

    
"I’ll tame her; you just wait."

    
"Not by getting her mad all the time, nor will I allow you to mistreat
her. You hear me!"

    
It was said rather forcefully. Robert’s face became somber, but he
seemed to make a strong effort to control his temper.

    
"Thank you, father," said Helen.

    
"Don’t thank me yet. I am not finished with you, lass. You will get
your punishment. And this time, you won’t give me the slip either, I
promise!" His angry tone of voice made it obvious that he meant it.
"Making me chase you all through the Lowlands. You never went to
Edinburgh, didn’t you? We searched every inn there," he ended up
muttering.

    
So he didn’t discover that they had left the road, went through her
mind.

    
"And where are you staying?" he continued.

    
"I won’t tell you." The firmness of her voice left little doubt that he
wouldn’t get that out of her.

    
"It doesn’t matter. You left with nothing and you will come home with
nothing, except this new dress. I saw you already did some shopping.
That blue dress you wore in the church in Stirling suited you. Too bad
you have to leave it behind. I doubt Robert will ever buy you anything
that nice."

    
"Oh, it’s unlike you to notice a beautiful dress. Andrew liked it too.
He’ll buy me many more fine gowns," she parried his sarcasm.

    
"Not while he labors in chains in the colonies," laughed Robert.

    
Helen ignored him. Nothing vexed him more than being ignored, she
remembered well.

    
They emerged into Trongate. The first workers and clerks began to fill
the wide street on their way home.

    
"And now, lass, you better behave! I don’t want any fuss, or you will
regret it badly."

    
For a moment she was tempted to break loose. Her body must have
tensed up slightly and Dougal sensed her intention. His grip tightened
and he strode out faster. Without any further talk, they went down King
Street and turned left on Bridgegate, where they entered a short alley on
the south side leading to the Inn of the Golden Eagle. Dougal took her up
two flights of stairs to a sizable room, with bedding strewn all over the
floor. All four of them must have slept here for a night or two already. He
made her to sit on a chair and tied her arms and legs securely to it.

    
"Sorry, lass," he said, as he did it. "We cannot take any chances. You
brought this upon yourself."

    
"Will you untie me if I promise not to run away, father?"

    
"Your promises are not worth much, lass. No, you remain tied up until
we leave tomorrow morning." He looked at the kerchief that he had
crumpled up in his hand and added: "If you promise not to yell, I won’t
gag you. But one squeak and I will stuff that cloth into your mouth…
You promise to be quiet?"

    
"What’s the use of promising, since it isn’t worth anything?"

    
"Mind your tongue, or I’ll gag you right now and give you a taste of
the hiding you will get once we are back home," he growled.

    
Helen bit her lips to prevent herself from answering. Then she
murmured: "I promise."

    
He turned away from her. "Come, fellows, we all deserve a feisty meal
to celebrate our success."