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Ruby nodded and Lizzie rushed out the door again

Ruby returned her attention to the sheets She hauled the duvet aside and jerked the sheets off the bed Now she had four sheets, and she was sure they'd be long enough to drop her to the ground Just then, Lizzie returned By that ti and unlocking the door

"Aye there, lassie, I found soht fit ya"

Ruby took the pants, shirt, and boots Looking old and e for her, they were not like any type she had ever seen before But they would have to do She thanked Lizzie for her trouble, and when Lizzie left, she got back to work

She started tying the sheets together Just then, Westies woke up He ca her hand She patted his head and said, "Good boy, now go play"

Westies barked and jumped excitedly as he rushed away to lie down near the bathroo was very cute, but unfortunately, she couldn't take him with her

She went into the bathroohtly loose around her waist, and the shirt was also too large She tied the he loosely on her She tried on the boots, but found them very uncoether

Rushing back into the bedroom, she picked up the rope sheets and tied one end to the bedpost

That finished, she sighed with satisfaction Hands on hips, she scanned the roo like the Grinch with his bag of stolen presents on Christet the brass candleholder on the bedside table With her weapon in hand, she flew back toward the , pulled out a chair, cliht--sainst the

Theshattered into pieces, glass falling everywhere on the floor and outside the building onto the ground below

Slee, she jumped down, ran to Westies and said, "Well, it's tiood life"

Standing up, she found the boots, and hung them over her shoulder as she turned and picked up her rope-sheet She threw it out theand glanced down, sucking in her breath She hated heights She had always been afraid of them But she had to conquer her fear and climb down

With a deep breath, she perched on theledge Then she grabbed onto the first bed sheet and started to rappel doard

"Don't look down," she whispered to herself

Slowly, she started descending the rope-sheet

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Ruby glanced up to see that Westies had cli must have jumped on the chair and then onto the

She panicked

"No, Westies, go back inside," she whispered

The dog kept barking before ju down to her

Ruby's heart nearly dropped on the ground as she held her breath, watching the dog juainst her chest

"Westies, you naughty boy! How could you do that to iveat her incomprehensively, she continued her endeavor

She was surprised she could cli in her arhts

Once she was at the very botto on her backside with Westies in her arrass and hastily pulled on the boots, saying, "Look here, boy, I simply can't take you with me I know you're cute and all, and you'd make me very happy, but I just can't It's just notpulled her boots on, she left the dog there and ran across the field She was just about ready to start crossing the strea loudly

"Oh, that stupid dog," she mumbled as she ran toward the forest

SEVEN

The BlackBerry kept ringing insistently as Alec drove into the courtyard He sla for the cell phone, he flipped it on

"Sue?"

"Alec! I have good news Alec, I'm at Westwick Castle with Brian and his sister"

Alec grinned "That's good, Sue, and everything is going according to plan, I daresay?"

"Yes, Alec This is the best ever," Susan said "I love you, Alec Oh, how is Captain Snow, by the way?"

Alec turned the car engine off and opened the door "I presu is fine"

"What do you oing to be a cozy evening for me and Brian, just the two of us in front of the fire It's supposed to rain, and I ihed "Well, got to go now"

"H off into the distance at the dark clouds gathering Susan was right There was a big storht

"Bye then," Susan said before hanging up

Alec flipped his cell off and walked into the manor

"Mrs McKenzie!"

The housekeeper e rooe the vase with peonies

"Master Alec?" she said with raised eyebrows

"Captain Snow all right?" he asked

"Aye, sir, Captain Snow's havin' a fine ti her head and grinning from ear to ear

Alec stood there hesitantly and said, "And, er, Ruby?"

"Aye, Miss Ruby, now there's trouble Coht Said she couldn't sleep a wink, she did Why didn't ya ested, nodding her head

"She complained about the storm, did she?" Alec asked, his hands in his pockets

"Aye, she did, sir I fear fer her, those blasted s coulda break any day noif the storm And lookin' outside now, it wouldna surprise ht"

Alec nodded again "Thank you, Mrs McKenzie" He turned and took a step up the stairs

Just then, there was a continuous yapping fro toward him

"What's theon the head The dog jus He ran to the door, turning back to look at Alec, and continued barking furiously

"What on earth is Captain Snow doin' 'ere?" Mrs McKenzie said in horror "'E's supposed ta be wif Miss Ruby upstairs"

Alec snapped his head up and glanced at Mrs McKenzie, who stared at hie brown eyes He shot up and sprinted toward the stairs, racing across the second floor corridor, before halting at Ruby's door He unlocked it, and shoved it open

"Shit!" he grohen he saw thejust outside the brokenHe rushed down the stairs, taking them three steps at a time

He was at the front of thebehind his

Alec ran to the north side of thebed sheets dangling from the second floorof Ruby's bedroom He looked wildly around for her

Westies reached hi the vase Westies barked and ran toward the strea up and down there, and turned around to bark at Alec

Alec raced over to the dog There he saw a pin-sized Ruby running into the woods

"Shit!" he swore again

"Oh dear," Mrs McKenzie said

Alec hurried to the barn, found the Land Rover, juine

That little fool! What is she thinking? Running into the woods when the stor?

Ruby was cold and shivering froered, dragging her weary body forward, to where? She didn't know She was los

t The woods were so dense with no clear path that could lead her to somewhere safe

The rain was getting heavier, and now and again, the clouds gruer over her head She felt afraid

What if the lightning struck her? What if it struck one of those big trees, causing the tree to fall on her? The thought was too horrible to contemplate

She kept wandering like a lost toddler, wide-eyed and frightened, and soon lost track of tis that occupied her ainst her quivering chest, her fear that she'd never get out of this horribleshe'd probably die here The blasted storm didn't seem like it would abate anytime soon