Highlander's Trials of Fire

She surely looked the part. With a trembling hand, she wiped the tears from her cheeks, only for them to be replaced a second later. Matthew glanced at the Laird to see that his face was unmoving.

“Have ye already spoken to the brigands?” Jonet turned to her father. “Do they recognize her?”

“Nay,” said the Laird. “They daenae. They claim that they dinnae get a good enough look at her to ken for sure who the woman was.”

Jamilyn was certainly petite. That did not work well in her favor.

“Please!” Her voice came out as a rasp as she sank to her knees. “Ye have to believe me. I dinnae do it. I dinnae kill anyone!”

“Silence!”

She squeaked at the Laird’s scathing hiss. Her eyes grew round with fear as she stared up at him.

“Ye have been found guilty for murder, lass. And I will have ye punished.”

With such a cryptic sentencing, the Laird stalked away. After a moment, so did Jonathan. If he had said those words merely to strike more fear into Jamilyn’s heart, he had succeeded. Matthew had no doubt that she would spend the better part of the night thinking about all the ways he would try to punish her. All the ways she could be put to death.

Jonet did not move, so neither did Matthew. Jonathan left the torch behind, casting a faint glow over the three of them. Jamilyn rose to her feet, gripping the bars once again.

“Please, Miss Jonet,” she begged. “Ye have to believe me.”

“How?” Jonet sounded broken, as if she wanted a reason to believe her. “How can I believe ye? What proof do ye have that ye dinnae do it?”

Jamilyn’s mouth opened andthen closed. Her shoulders sagged with defeat.

“I’m sorry, Miss Jonet.” She began to sob, wiping desperately at her eyes though that did not stop her tears. “But I really dinnae do it. Please…”

Jonet took a step back. She looked pained and unsure. She took another step back, then another. She was retreating, putting distance between her and the maid who claimed innocence. Without words, she told Jamilyn that she did not believe. Or perhaps, she simply could not.

Whichever it was, Jamilyn broke. She slid to the floor again, stifling her cries behind her hand. Jonet turned on her heels and walked away, plunging herself into the darkness of the dungeons. She made her way out safely, Matthew behind her.

The moment she was out, she let out a shuddering breath, putting her back to a wall. “I cannae believe this…”

“Are ye all right?” He could not tell how many times he had asked that question over the past few days. Every time he did, he was a little tense, wondering if this would be time she would break. She was withstanding so much that he would not be surprised if she did.

“She’s convincin’,” she said sadly. “I daenae ken if I can believe her or nae.”

“Ye cannae,” Matthew refused strongly. “She escaped right after she found the body. She must have known that she would be found out soon and was tryin’ to make a run for it before we had the chance to catch her. It makes sense.”

To escape right after she had found the body? That had only made her seem even more suspicious. Wouldn’t it have been smarter to escape in the dead of night? Suspicioun continued to nag at Jonet.

“Aye, it does.” Jonet closed her eyes, sighing. “But it doesnae feel right. Does it to ye?”

She peered up at him at the question, imploring. Yet Matthew knew it made more sense to rely on what he knew. He knew she appeared guilty. He knew she had little to say in her defense. He knew, from his own experience, that people could be very adept at lying.

For Jonet’s sake, he hoped she was the culprit. He hoped that they had finally locked her away, to put this entire ordeal behind them.

“I do,” he nodded. “It’s what makes the most sense. I ken ye ken that too.”

She sighed again.

“Daenae worry about it too much,” Matthew went on. “I’m sure the Laird will do whatever he can to make sure he’s gotten the right person.”

“He will,” she confirmed with a nod. “He was angry tonight, but I’m certain he willnae allow that to confuse his decision. He’s a good Laird. He’ll do a fair trial.”

“Then we daenae have any reason to worry. Let’s leave this in his hands.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, steering her away. “Come. Let’s return to bed.”

“I want this to be over, Matthew. I want us to finally be happy.” J