The Veiled Lass

Chapter One

PLEASE NOTE, THE WORK YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS A ROUGH DRAFT. 

There will be errors, inconsistences and it is unfinished.

The full completed book will be released in May.

Elsabeth didn't despise travel.

She could tolerate how much more cruel travel seemed to make her masters. 

She could withstand the looks the foreign townspeople would give her.

She disliked how hard being in new places was on Hamish.

But those were all things she could handle; the part she hated was the fear that gripped her every time she left the walls of her Master, Laird Douglas's keep.

Sitting in the cart with Hamish surrounded by her clan's warriors she felt safe. Even with her toes numb and fingers purpling dangerously from the cold she felt safe. It was the prospect of leaving the safe haven of this cart and entering the domain of another Laird, "one the the most powerful lairds in all of Scotland" her mind supplied that had the strongest possibility of ending her life. Not the cold, not the aching hunger and not her Laird and Lady's cruelty. 

Her biggest danger was her secret being revealed.

"El, did you hear a single word I've said"

Elsabeth snapped out of her deep thought to engage the lad next to her. 

Hamish, her only friend; He was the one glowing ember in the dead ashes of her life. His clouded eyes flickered all around her general direction in vain. His fiery curls hung around a cherub like face, choppy from a angry seamstress armed with scissors. Hamish had a care-free boyish charm that one would not usually see in a blind servant boy but he made it work. One might not even realize anything was wrong for him if it wasn't of the clouded film over his eyes and spider web of thin scars that seemed to grow outwards from them.

"I'm sorry Ham; I was thinking what is it?"

Her companions deep chuckle surrounded her with warmth. 

"I overheard the men saying Laird McDonnell's land is in view, is it El can ye see it? Please describe it everyone has been gossiping about how opulent their keep is" The boys voice was pleading as he reached out to cup her frigid fingers.

Elsabeth couldn't help but smile, though Hamish would never see it for more reasons than one.

She turned toward the road and looked ahead. She had the squint to get the clearest picture through the lace of her veil. 

She both hated and loved the bloody veil. 

She hated the obstruction, the heaviness, and the heat it caused in the highland summers.

She adored the safety it brought her.

The veil was linen that was draped over her head and secured into her thick plaits of hair. The solid linen ended right below her breasts. She was able to breath and see through a square of thick ivory lace sewn over the eyes and nose.

She could she a giant stone structure standing out against the stark white of the winter landscape.

"Honestly Hamish it looks like any other keep merely larger. Perhaps the opulence is the interior"The lass murmured softly her voice rough with lack of use.

"Or the scullery maids don't know a damn thing" Hamish huffed as her relaxed back against the heavy wood chests.

Elsabeth began to reply when the caravan came to a erupt stop. She giggled at the colorful language her companion released when the stop caused him to smack his head against the chest.

"We're here"