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as quickly as she could, warning her brother of the English coming and telling him where she and Tavish were trapped. She paused for a moment to consider how this might be received—it could only be not well—and wondered if she should provide some excuse or reason. In the end, out of respect for time and space on the page, she kept it brief. She would face the consequences later.
    With some thread pulled from her hem, she attached the note to one of Winifred’s legs, hoping someone would find it quickly and bring it to David.
    “Well, let’s see what she can do.” Elyne removed the hood from her hawk and allowed her to take flight.
    “She goes back to the mews, ye say?” asked Tavish, tracking the bird in flight.
    “Aye.”
    The bird circled and then swooped down, rising again with effort, a rabbit in her talons.
    “See, I told ye she was a good hunter!” exclaimed Elyne.
    The bird dropped her dead quarry at their feet and then rose back up, circled twice, and flew out over the forest in the direction of Alnsworth.
    “Looks like she is heading the right way. This might work!” Tavish nudged her shoulder with his in a friendly manner but the sudden contact sent shivers to her core.
    Dangerous. He was a dangerous man. She should not be near him.
    “We’ve done what we could. Not much more to do but play lord and lady o’ the castle until our English neighbors depart.” Grant grabbed the supper provided by Fred and offered Elyne his free arm. “M’lady.”
    She took his arm and walked back into the great hall like she was being escorted to a feast. They were trapped in this castle.
    Alone.
    Together.
    More shivers slid down her spine.

Five
    Elyne was right. The roof would not keep out the rain. The beautiful sun of the morning gave way to low-hanging clouds in the afternoon and rain by evening, She and Tavish debated whether or not to light a fire, but the inky darkness and steady drumbeat of rain made the chances of the distant English soldiers seeing their smoke unlikely. Besides, the cold and the practical concerns of cooking the rabbit drowned out any remaining concern.
    Fortunately, Tavish had been anticipating an adventure and had come more prepared. He lit a fire in the driest tower room he could find. Elyne hoped the chimney would prove sound, and for once, she was in luck.
    Tavish quickly skinned the rabbit and Elyne took over the cooking while Tavish scoured the remains of the castle for useful items. As long as Elyne remained busy, she could put aside her current circumstances and focus on the task at hand. She fashioned a spit to roast the meat and placed it over the fire, turning it at the right moment to enhance the flavor and cook the rabbit through, while not letting the outside get burned. It was a bit of an art and she was competent to do it.
    It was not until Tavish returned to the tower room with a large headboard that the reality of their situation became unavoidable.
    “What is that?” croaked Elyne.
    “Headboard. Cracked here, so it was left behind, but it should be serviceable. I found some other pieces from another bed we can put together.” Tavish dragged in another large piece of polished wood and gave her a satisfied smile, as if she should be pleased with his ingenuity.
    Elyne only heard the words “bed” and “together.” Her mouth went dry and her palms began to sweat. Lovely.
    “I doubt we should need all this,” Elyne said weakly.
    “Must sleep somewhere. Might as well enjoy our comforts while we can.”
    “Our comforts?” Elyne swallowed convulsively. When had it gotten so hot in the room?
    “Aye, I ken what ye’re thinking.” Tavish cast her a sly look.
    Oh no, he couldn’t know that, could he? “I wasna thinking anything.”
    “I’ve no’ brought ye a mattress. Now it took a little effort, but I found some ticking that wasna so bad. Course the straw had been removed, thank goodness, or it would have been ruined. Earlier today I had cut a bunch of