Nelly pulled on Helen’s hand as the two made their way down the narrow stone stairway to the long hallway. “I will try to sneak you out the gate. Keep your head down. Act like you are a sick servant girl. And don’t look anyone in the eye.”
Nelly pulled Helen largely ignored, through a group of women who were unloading baskets of leeks, onion and cabbage. To her great relief the gate was still open. “When we are outside just keep walking, don’t run. You are almost free.”
“Will you come with me?”
“Na, my place is here with my mum and Nan. Look at that you’re free!”
“Hey! Stand right where you are!” Nelly froze and Helen looked down.
They were a few paces beyond the gate and Nelly cursed through her teeth. “It’s Jacko,” she whispered. “Don’t say a word. You’re sick. Very sick with something catching.” She looked into Jacko’s enquiring eyes and tried to smile. Inside she was terrified.
“Who’s this? You’re not going to tell me she’s Fergus.” Jacko held out a long wooden staff and tucked the end under Helen’s chin gently raising it to see her face. “Jacko, I wouldn’t get too close, she’s sick. Let me take her out or we’ll all get the cough.” Nelly nodded her head at Helen, hoping Jacko would not see her coaxing. “It’s the cough, Jacko.” Nelly smiled behind Jacko’s back as Helen coughed, but Jacko did not back up.
“This is no servant that I have seen before. I would remember such a beautiful face. She doesn’t look sick to me.” The guard removed his staff and put his hand beneath Helen’s chin and lifted her head higher. “Come with me,” he ordered, and pulled Helen by the arm toward the covered stable.
Nelly sidled up to Jacko trying to avoid the puddles as she walked. “Where are you going? She is sick I tell you. Will you stop for a moment, Jacko?”
“We’ll get to the stable and out of this fowl wind and rain. Then I want some answers Nelly.”
Nelly quickly caught up and tightly held onto Helen’s free hand. She knew Jacko well. After all she would bed him from time to time in exchange for favors. But, she was not the only servant who bought favor from the guards in that manner. There would be a limit to Jacko’s help. Besides, she was sure that he had recognized Helen.
“Ah, Jacko just the man I was coming to see.” A guard approached holding a young boy by the scruff of his neck. “This lad claims he was invited to the castle by Dugald himself. He says this gold Keith medallion, proves it.” He opened his palm to show Jacko a gold coin.
“Don’t move, either of you!” Jacko ordered the two women. “See to it that they don’t, while I deal with this boy,” Jacko ordered the guard.
“He rode up on that excuse for a horse as bold as can be, showed me this coin and said that Dugald himself had told him to come to the castle.” The guard chucked as he walked toward Helen and Nelly.
Nelly looked at the boy, but it was the horse that seemed to catch Helen’s attention.
“Where did you get that horse?” Helen suddenly asked the boy, and Nelly dropped her hand and took a step away.
“Be quiet or they will arrest us both,” she whispered
The boy, stood rigid. “It’s mine.”
“No it isn’t.” Helen walked toward the boy. “Where’s the man who owns that horse? This boy is a thief!”
Jacko grabbed hold of the boy, and looked at Nelly who felt panic creeping through her as she stared at Helen who stared at the horse that, with big eyes, and ears erect actually seemed to smile back. For a moment nobody moved.