naked, I tell ye. 'Tis Scots who have
breached the abbey; 'tis why we've hidden Lady Helen. 'Tis the Cameron, I'm sure. We must
see her out of here. Ye ken what'll happen to her if she falls into Cameron's hands.”
The silence following her announcement was long and thick; then Sister Blanche began to
move. She was out from behind the tapestry in a heartbeat. Following her, Seonaid watched
with amazement as the woman began to tug at her clothes, dragging the habit off with
little thought or warning.
“What are ye doing?” she asked with amazement.
“I left the door unbarred,” was Sister Blanche's grim answer. “Mother Elizabeth ordered
it. She hoped your Englishman would take you away. She is still upset about her crystal.
And Sister Meredith.”
Seonaid cursed. She had knocked the abbess's crystal decanter from her desk on her first
day here. She had tipped her scabbard backward to avoid hitting a glass on a table beside
the desk only to knock over the decanter instead. As for Sister Meredith, Seonaid had been
kneeling at the altar saying her prayers when the good sister had walked by, tripping over
her feet, whichin truthdid stick out farther than anyone else's. Sister Meredith had
broken her ankle as she fell.
“Iam sorry,” Blanche said with obvious distress. “She ordered me to watch for your
betrothed's arrival, empty the garden, order everyone to the big chapel, and unbar the
door. I could not refuse her order. She threatened to return me to England in shame. I did
think to warn you, but I could not find you.” She glanced at Helen as the woman slid,
white-faced, out from behind the tapestry. “I thought they were Englishmen,” she said
plaintively, guilt flushing her own face as she took in the other woman's fear. Then she
shrugged her own feelings impatiently aside and pushed her dress into Helen's hands.
“Put on my gown.”
Seonaid's eyebrows rose at the snap of authority in the sister's voice. She wasn't at all
surprised when Helen responded to it and immediately began removing her own clothes.
“We will switch clothes, then I shall show you a secret way out of here.” Sister Blanche
helped Lady
Helen disrobe as she spoke. “Should we run into them, the habit may keep you safe. Men do
not even really look at nuns. We may fool them with the switch.”
Turning away as the women set about exchanging clothes, Seonaid moved to the door and
listened for sounds in the hall. Aeldra followed, and they stood silent for a moment,
listening. Then Seonaid suddenly glanced down at herself and frowned at the long gown and
plaid she wore. Her outfit would hamper her movements if they encountered trouble, and it
did appear trouble was brewing.
Gesturing for Aeldra to take her place at the door, Seonaid removed her plaid and used her
dagger to cut a slice into the plain white shift she'd worn beneath the plaid. She cut a
couple of inches below waist level, then tore the cloth all the way around her body until
the bottom of the gown fell away to land in a soft pile around her feet. She then tucked
the much shortened shift into the top of the plaid braies she had been wearing beneath the
gown and plaid. Seonaid and Aeldra usually ran around in the plaid braies and a short
tunic at home. They had only donned the gowns for their stay at the abbey to keep from
shocking the abbess and nuns. But now that trouble had arrived, the nuns' sensibilities
were less important than practicality. Should they need to fight or run, they could do
both much easier in braies than long gowns.
Finished with her own garb, Seonaid quickly used a bit of cloth to tie her long black hair
back, then took Aeldra's place at the door. She would keep watch while Aeldra made the
same alterations to her own dress.
“Where the devil is everyone?”
Blake shrugged at Rolfe's muttered question. The gardens had been empty, as had the
breached the abbey; 'tis why we've hidden Lady Helen. 'Tis the Cameron, I'm sure. We must
see her out of here. Ye ken what'll happen to her if she falls into Cameron's hands.”
The silence following her announcement was long and thick; then Sister Blanche began to
move. She was out from behind the tapestry in a heartbeat. Following her, Seonaid watched
with amazement as the woman began to tug at her clothes, dragging the habit off with
little thought or warning.
“What are ye doing?” she asked with amazement.
“I left the door unbarred,” was Sister Blanche's grim answer. “Mother Elizabeth ordered
it. She hoped your Englishman would take you away. She is still upset about her crystal.
And Sister Meredith.”
Seonaid cursed. She had knocked the abbess's crystal decanter from her desk on her first
day here. She had tipped her scabbard backward to avoid hitting a glass on a table beside
the desk only to knock over the decanter instead. As for Sister Meredith, Seonaid had been
kneeling at the altar saying her prayers when the good sister had walked by, tripping over
her feet, whichin truthdid stick out farther than anyone else's. Sister Meredith had
broken her ankle as she fell.
“Iam sorry,” Blanche said with obvious distress. “She ordered me to watch for your
betrothed's arrival, empty the garden, order everyone to the big chapel, and unbar the
door. I could not refuse her order. She threatened to return me to England in shame. I did
think to warn you, but I could not find you.” She glanced at Helen as the woman slid,
white-faced, out from behind the tapestry. “I thought they were Englishmen,” she said
plaintively, guilt flushing her own face as she took in the other woman's fear. Then she
shrugged her own feelings impatiently aside and pushed her dress into Helen's hands.
“Put on my gown.”
Seonaid's eyebrows rose at the snap of authority in the sister's voice. She wasn't at all
surprised when Helen responded to it and immediately began removing her own clothes.
“We will switch clothes, then I shall show you a secret way out of here.” Sister Blanche
helped Lady
Helen disrobe as she spoke. “Should we run into them, the habit may keep you safe. Men do
not even really look at nuns. We may fool them with the switch.”
Turning away as the women set about exchanging clothes, Seonaid moved to the door and
listened for sounds in the hall. Aeldra followed, and they stood silent for a moment,
listening. Then Seonaid suddenly glanced down at herself and frowned at the long gown and
plaid she wore. Her outfit would hamper her movements if they encountered trouble, and it
did appear trouble was brewing.
Gesturing for Aeldra to take her place at the door, Seonaid removed her plaid and used her
dagger to cut a slice into the plain white shift she'd worn beneath the plaid. She cut a
couple of inches below waist level, then tore the cloth all the way around her body until
the bottom of the gown fell away to land in a soft pile around her feet. She then tucked
the much shortened shift into the top of the plaid braies she had been wearing beneath the
gown and plaid. Seonaid and Aeldra usually ran around in the plaid braies and a short
tunic at home. They had only donned the gowns for their stay at the abbey to keep from
shocking the abbess and nuns. But now that trouble had arrived, the nuns' sensibilities
were less important than practicality. Should they need to fight or run, they could do
both much easier in braies than long gowns.
Finished with her own garb, Seonaid quickly used a bit of cloth to tie her long black hair
back, then took Aeldra's place at the door. She would keep watch while Aeldra made the
same alterations to her own dress.
“Where the devil is everyone?”
Blake shrugged at Rolfe's muttered question. The gardens had been empty, as had the
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