by Meara Platt
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ve never had to face death before. But I’m not a coward. If I have to risk my life to protect you, I’m going to do it.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “Over my dead body.”
She frowned at him. “If that’s what it takes to protect you, then… yes.”
CHAPTER 7
“THE HELL YOU will,” John said with a growl. “Let’s set some ground rules, shall we? Rule number one, I protect you. Rule number two, I keep you safe. Rule number three, you keep hidden if there’s any danger. Rule number four, you don’t protect me. Rule number five—”
“What if you’re outnumbered and I can help? Am I supposed to sit by quietly and watch you die?” Men could be such dolts sometimes.
“Yes, and you can close your eyes. Then you won’t have to watch me die.”
Nicola chafed at his words. “That isn’t funny. Don’t ask me to do nothing at all. It isn’t in my nature and I’ll never agree to it.”
He hugged her a little tighter to him. She wasn’t certain whether he’d drawn her closer out of annoyance because she was riling him or out of his obviously protective instincts. His need to keep her safe seemed to run so deep within him, it was as though his soul would die if any harm came to her.
No, that was ridiculous.
He growled again, and although he was angry with her, that low, throaty sound stirred her heart. He meant it as a warning, but to her it was a mating call.
He tugged on the reins to slow Valor down as they began their climb into the mountains. “Do you see me laughing?”
“I understand the seriousness of our situation. I’m not suggesting that I will do anything reckless.” She doubted he would believe her since he thought her stealing Somersby’s book of accounts was the height of folly, and now he was stuck having to keep her alive while getting that book to the proper authorities.
“Then do as I say. I mean it, Nicola.” There was something in the way he now held her, as though wanting to take her into his heart and keep her tucked in there forever. Was this how he felt whenever he was on assignment? Did his need to protect run as deep with everyone he was charged to watch over? Or was she different?
“Warning taken, John. I know Somersby will be relentless in his pursuit of us. I’m more than a little scared of what might happen if he finds us. Terrified, actually.”
He eased his grasp on her. “Good. Stay that way. If he finds us, you need to keep out of my way and let me handle him.”
She nodded.
They rode in silence a while longer and Nicola allowed herself to be distracted by the scenery, marveling at the splendor of the rough pines and tall oaks that soared to the sky and blocked most of the sun from the forested paths. They crossed crystal blue streams that flowed over pristine rocks and rich, brown earth. Green and amber grasses grew in abundance along those stream banks.
They were safest while keeping to the forest, for the thick vegetation hid them well. But they would also have to cross large expanses where they would be forced out into the open, exposed to anyone’s view from as far as the eye could see. Crossing barren hills and open meadows was the most dangerous part of their journey. Although those hills and meadows might look beautiful in their sweep of purple heather, they offered no protective cover. Their low shrubs would never hide them.
As the sun began to dip below the trees, John drew Valor to a halt beside a stream. He dismounted and then helped Nicola down from the saddle, holding her by the waist until he was certain she’d recovered her footing. “There’s an old military trail that runs near Aviemore. We’ll make better time once we pick it up.”
“Do you think Somersby knows of it?”
John nodded. “Likely. Part of any smuggling operation is to get the goods distributed as efficiently as possible. Old roads that are little used and remain in relatively good condition are what any smuggler would favor.”
“Then why are we using it?”
“Because he will be looking for us on the main roads. He knows that’s where we’ll make the fastest time, and that’s where he’ll ride to find us.”
“He saw us go into the mountains.”
“Yes, but he doesn’t believe I’d be so foolish as to take you over those mountain peaks. There’s a road that runs eastward we could have taken about three hours ago, one that skirts Inverness and takes us a little south of it to Cawdor and Nairn. That’s where he thinks we’re heading, into Shakespeare’s MacBeth territory where we can pick up another boat to sail us to Edinburgh, perhaps even London.”
While Valor drank from the stream and began to graze upon the nearby grass, John sliced a few chunks of the bread and cheese he’d removed from his pouch and handed some to Nicola.
She accepted the food gratefully. “Thank you, I’m famished.”
They sat on the trunk of a fallen pine, and when they’d finished their meager fare, John knelt beside the stream and cupped water into his hands to drink. Nicola was surprised when he offered her the water first, then realized that this was John behaving true to form. He thought of others before he ever thought of himself.
She smiled at him and drank the offered water. Only then did he take some for himself.
“Um, John… I need to take care… um, personal matter.”
He laughed, understanding what she was trying to say. “You’ll find privacy over there.” He pointed to a row of bushes not far from the stream. “I’ll stay here. Don’t take too long.”
She hurried away, for the call of nature was persistent. She finished quickly and then washed her hands in the stream. The water was cold since it came down from the mountains, but felt bracing when she splashed some on her face and neck as well.
When she returned to John’s side, his big frame was stretched out on the grass. His eyes were closed. He was on his back, his head resting on his arms that he’d crossed behind his head to form a pillow. Shrugging, Nicola sat down beside him.
He eased one eye open and shifted slightly to hold out his arm to her. “Come here, brat. Valor needs another twenty minutes or so to rest and we ought to do the same.”
She nodded and scrambled to lie down beside him. If not for the threat of death hanging over them, she would consider this was a moment of heaven. For years, she’d longed to be in John’s arms. Here she was now, resting her head on his chest as he held one arm around her shoulders to draw her close to the heat of his body. “John, shouldn’t we be reading that book of accounts instead of sleeping?”
“No, brat. It will take us about a week to reach Edinburgh over land. What’s more pressing at the moment is to lose Somersby and his men.”
“But you think he’s following a false trail into MacBeth territory.”
“Yes, but I can’t be sure. He will consider every possibility. His own life is at stake and the lives of all those involved in his operation. He won’t be alone in hunting for us. I don’t know how many men he can muster to track us down, but he’ll be dispersing them throughout Scotland in order to cover every potential route.”
“But we have the advantage for the moment. Right?”
John nodded. “Right, he has to guess where we’re headed, and with every new choice, every crossroads he reaches, he has to give up a man or two to follow that possible trail. He expects us to end up in Edinburgh or London, but he can’t be sure of that either. Nor will he know whether we’ve hired another boat or will continue over land. There are several roads leading into Edinburgh. I expect he’ll have men positioned at each entry point with orders to shoot us on sight. He’ll have men watching the docks and the regimental headquarters. He’ll be desperate to stop us before we speak to the regimental commander.”
“All the more reason for us to ride straight to London.”
He gave her shoulder a light caress. “And give him more time to find us and that book? We’re two riders on one horse and have little food or money between us. He can ride
on open roads while we have to keep to mountain trails. He’ll call on unsuspecting friends and give them some lie about us. Perhaps that I’ve abducted you, that I’m crazed and dangerous and must be shot on sight.”
Nicola sat up abruptly. “No one would dare shoot you. I would tell them the truth.”
He looked at her and shrugged. “It won’t do much good if they’ve already shot me.”
“John, you’re as well-known as Somersby. No one is going to harm you. The notion is ridiculous.”
“Fine. Then stop fretting and don’t ask me any more questions.”
He held out his arm to her again.
She sighed and settled against the muscled line of his body. Although she was tired, her mind was too active to sleep. Or so she thought. The next thing she knew, John was lightly shaking her to wake her up. “What? I must have…” She blinked her eyes open and saw the elongated shadows across the forest floor. “Has it only been twenty minutes?”
John shook his head. “An hour, to be precise. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“Oh, John! I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. We all needed that extra time and can make up the lost half hour at any point. We’ll reach Aviemore early tomorrow. Somersby will likely have his men posted there as well.”
“They’ll see us.”
“That’s why we can’t risk riding into town. We’ll forage on the outskirts, hopefully find something to eat. Perhaps a chicken left to roam wild, abandoned by a crofter who gave up on farming the land. The terrain is rugged up here and there ought to be more than a few abandoned crofts along the way.”
“Do you think we might sleep in one? I hope we come across one tonight. I know we can’t light a fire, but at least we’ll be protected from the wind.”
He helped her to her feet and then lifted her onto Valor’s back before climbing up behind her. “We’ll see. I’d like to get another three or four hours of riding in this evening. There’s a valley that runs between these mountains and we need to cross it by night. There’s no cover for us in daylight.”
Nicola settled back against his chest. John’s body was becoming familiar to her. She loved the size and strength of it and knew that she’d never tire of being in his arms. But it was foolish to wish for their time together never to end. There was no question that it would end as soon as they reached Edinburgh… or London, if he could be persuaded to take her there instead.
What would happen once he delivered Somersby’s book to the Prince Regent? Would he ever admit he cared for her? Would he consider courting her? They’d be safe once the book of accounts was in royal hands. Somersby and his cohorts would have no time to plot revenge while on the run from the British army.
John could then court her if he wished. But she knew deep in her heart that he would return to taking on dangerous missions for the Crown.
He’d push her away and pretend she did not matter to him.
She would lose him once they reached London.
Was there any way to win his heart before then?
JOHN FELT A shiver run up his spine. He and Nicola had slept in the forest last night and had now been traveling for several hours when he sensed they were being followed. He’d learned to trust his instincts and always rely on them, so he knew for a certainty that someone was on their trail. But those same instincts told him it was not Somersby, for the marquis was not a patient man and would have made his move by now.
So who was following them?
He maintained an easy, loping pace until the trail turned sharply to the right and put them out of sight of their trackers for a moment. As soon as they’d passed the bend, he quickly dismounted, grabbed Nicola by the waist to take her off Valor, and then led them off the narrow path toward a copse of trees that was thick enough to hide them all. “Stay here,” he said with quiet urgency. “Keep Valor calm.”
Nicola’s eyes rounded in alarm. “John—”
“No questions now. I need you to keep hidden.” He hurried back to the trail with knife in hand, prepared to take on whoever rounded the curve.
Within moments, several stragglers came into view. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he muttered and stepped in front of the lead horse. “If it isn’t Red Sammy Fraser. What are you doing in these parts, you old horse thief?”
The portly Scot swung his leg over and slid off his aging mount with surprising agility for a man his age and size. “Bainbridge? Don’t tell me I’ve been wasting my time following ye these past hours. We heard the shots yesterday and saw Captain Grant’s boat suddenly veer toward that broken down dock. Where’s the girl and that magnificent horse that came off the boat with ye?”
John had dealt with the canny Scot in the past and trusted him as far as any man could ever trust a reiver. It was the other three men he didn’t know and had no reason to believe wouldn’t harm him or Nicola. “The girl happens to be my wife and she’s pointing a rifle at your heart, awaiting my word to shoot.”
It was an outright lie, but Sammy’s companions would not know that.
Sammy took off his tam and ran a hand through his thick, white hair that had once been a blazing, fiery red, thereby earning him the nickname of Red Sammy. “Ye’re married, lad?” He arched a snowy eyebrow in surprise. “Couldn’t have been long ago.”
“Only a month. Married in London. Came up here to hunt and enjoy the scenery, but we got into a bit of trouble.”
Sammy glanced at his companions and all four of them grinned. “Those shots we heard,” Sammy said with a nod. He glanced toward the copse where Nicola and Valor were hidden. “Ye saved m’life last year and I won’t be forgetting that any time soon. Tell yer wife to set down her weapon and come greet yer old friend.” He then turned to his companions. “The horse and girl… er, lady, are his and that’s the way they’ll stay.”
He turned back to John with a sad shake of his head. “Too bad. That’s the finest bit of horseflesh I’ve ever seen in these parts. But I give ye my word, laddie. Ye and yer wife and that magnificent beastie of yers shall have safe passage through the mountains. Ye’ll be on yer own beyond Loch Avon though.” He cleared his throat. “We had a bit of a misunderstanding with a regiment of Scots dragoons a few months back and seems they’ve put a price on my head.”
John winced. “What did you do this time?”
“Ain’t never harmed no one, if that’s what ye’re thinking. But we misappropriated a wagon they were delivering to Braemear. We thought it carried casks of ale. How were we to know it carried their payroll?”
John groaned. “You stole from the royal exchequer? Sammy, not even I can help you out of that scrape. But I’ll see what I can do. Are you willing to return what you stole?”
“Don’t need yer assistance, m’lord. But thank ye for the offer.” He turned back to his three companions once more and scowled at them. “Get off yer horses and come pay yer respects to the man what saved yer father’s life, m’boys.”
John arched an eyebrow in surprise. “These are your sons?”
Sammy nodded. “Archie, Malcolm, and the youngest is Angus.”
The boys, who were all lean and strong in appearance, did not look too pleased about their father’s command. Upon closer inspection, he saw the family resemblance. Sammy had likely been a handsome man in his younger years, but harsh Scottish winters, too much home-distilled whisky, and a fondness for treacle pies had not been kind to his body.
Archie was the eldest and served as spokesman for all three sons. “We appreciate yer saving Sammy’s life, Lord Bainbridge. He speaks highly of ye, so ye need have no fear of us. We don’t steal from our friends.”
John smothered a grin as he tucked the knife he had been holding back into his boot. Sammy and his sons were reivers, which meant they’d steal from their own grandmothers if the opportunity presented itself. They wouldn’t blink an eye before stealing from family, friends, or neighbors. However, he had no choice but to take them at their word, for saving their fa
ther’s life was no small thing to them. “I’ll fetch my wife.”
He hoped Nicola had overheard their conversation and understood that while he trusted Sammy and his boys to some extent, he did not trust them entirely. He wasn’t certain what they would do if they ever found out she was not married to him. Not that they would do anything immoral. No, his biggest fear was that one of those lummoxes would decide it was time to take a wife for himself and choose Nicola.
If they were stupid enough to steal a royal payroll, they’d be stupid enough to steal a young woman, no matter her aristocratic connections or her objections.
He strode to the copse. “Nicola… my love.” Lord, it felt so right to call her that. “Er… it’s all right. You needn’t be afraid. These men are friends of mine. They are eager to meet my bride.”
He took her by the hand, unable to bring himself to release her while in the presence of Sammy and his sons. Friends such as Sammy could never completely be trusted. The old Scot owed him a favor and took that debt seriously, but that debt would be repaid once he’d given them safe passage through the mountains.
What would Sammy do then? John wasn’t certain.
In truth, probably nothing sinister would happen. John was grateful for his assistance and knew that these Frasers would not hesitate to protect him and Nicola from Somersby’s men. After all, Sammy did have somewhat of a code of honor.
“A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen,” Nicola said, casting them a smile that could not help but win them over with its heartfelt sweetness.
Nicola was a beautiful girl. He’d always thought so, but never more so than now. She needed no elegant gown or expensive adornments to enhance her looks. The simplicity of her clothes and casual style of her hair brought out her natural beauty and allowed it to shine through.
