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brother s memory and to all who had died by the hands of the Resurrectionists. If she
could get to Edinburgh before Lucas arrived, she could wait for him before she revealed
her presence to him. Then, together they could expose the Resurrectionist s plot to the
authorities.
Noiselessly she cracked open the door and peered down the hallway. The only
sound she heard was the hiss of the torches, offering minimal lighting to the dark
hallways.
Leaving the room, she paused momentarily to listen, and then closed the door
behind her. Tiptoeing down the carpeted hall, she held her cape over one arm until she
could place it upon her shoulders.
Down the stairs she padded, gazing around her to make sure no one was about.
As she passed the large meeting room, she could hear the hissing and crackling of the
dying embers in the unattended fireplace. Creeping to the main door, she paused to catch
one last fleeting glance at the castle she had hoped to call home. She might never return
to this place.
She had taken note of the direction of the stables and distance from the castle and
had also paid close attention to the horses in the stable. One in particular had captured
her interest, Sir Lancelot. He was a leggy, chestnut gelding with a docile temperament.
Lucas had pointed him out as the perfect mount for her since he was a gentle ride. She
entered the voluminous stable and headed directly for his stall.
The rustling of straw and a quiet nicker greeted her as she approached Lancelot.
She grabbing a bridle and saddle and gently ran her hand along the satiny neck of the
horse. His soft nicker and flexing neck told her he trusted her.
She saddled and bridled the animal, before leading him to the stump she would
use as a mounting tool. Flinging the cape around her shoulders, she stepped up onto the
HANDSOME DEVIL Donna McAteer 121
stump, and mounted. Quietly, she walked him over the bridge and through the gates of
the castle. The guard must have slept, for no one stopped her from leaving the castle
grounds.
When she was a safe distance from the wall, she urged the horse into a trot. One
hand rested protectively upon her stomach, and she wondered if the bouncing would
harm the infant she carried. Since she posed as a male during her trip, she had chosen a
conventional saddle rather than a sidesaddle, so she posted in time to the horse s trotting,
thereby lessening the bouncing she would endure. She needed to make time to
Edinburgh, for if Lucas awakened and discovered her departure, he would be hell-bent on
catching her.
Hours passed and she had long since slowed Sir Lancelot to a brisk walk. The
moon high above offered her sufficient light to show her the road to Edinburgh, yet she
was careful to watch for holes and ruts in the road that could injure her horse. To her
complete relief there had been no one on the road, for even though she looked like a
male, she was not completely safe from the thieves of the roadways.
Another hour came and went, and Elizabeth was weary of the ride. Just as she
considered stopping for a while, the lights of Edinburgh Castle peeked through the trees.
Positioned high above the city, they were the very first thing seen by a traveler.
She entered the city and made her way towards the unmistakable lights of the
School of Anatomy. She would not travel to the main gates of the gloomy place, but
would instead take a side street and arrive alongside one darkened section of the great
wrought-iron fence.
It was her intention to tie the animal to the fence and wait until Lucas arrival in
the morning. By that time he could not deny her assistance. Securing the reins to the
bars, she wrapped her body in the tartan and hid behind a large clump of shrubbery. She
would nap in the underbrush until daybreak.
Bracing herself against the scrub, she gazed at the large structure that was the
school. Torches blazed from their holders, creating large areas of lawn that were awash
with light, alternating with areas that were blanketed in solid darkness. As she watched,
the figure of a tall man dressed in a long black cape crossed the yard and entered a rear
door. She stood abruptly, wondering if the man was Lucas. Her decision was swift as
she dropped the tartan and began to search along the fence for an opening.
She warred with herself, as to whether she should remain there in safety or follow
Lucas. Her eagerness to follow won out when she noticed a sizable space between the
brick post and one section of iron bars.
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| Cytat |
Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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