The beads around her neck warmed. A soft gasp of surprise escaped her lips. Encouraged, knowing she was right, Laura walked her horse closer to the Mitchell patrol. Out of the corner of her eye, Jamie’s posture tensed, but his casual expression never altered.
“How. Dare. You. Stop. Me.” She spat each word. The men remained silent, like reprimanded schoolboys. “I’ll make sure to tell my father how Lord Bryce takes liberties with Glen Kirk property. Or should I tell him a Ravencroft patrol lost their way in the forest and I needed to provide them with directions?”
Scarlet stains appeared on the leader’s cheeks. Laura was aware she made an enemy, but with good cause. The Mitchell men stared at each other, not knowing what to do.
Jamie pulled up beside her, relaxed, touches of humor around his mouth and eyes. His men on either side of them.
The Ravencroft leader gave Jamie a begging stare.
“Don’t look to me for help. I don’t envy your position.” Jamie nodded to Laura. “I’m sorry for it, but I can’t offer you any protection. You’ll have to deal with Lady Laura yourself.”
Bryce’s man stared at her, a slack expression on his face.
“Forgive me, Lady Laura. We thought something improper—”
“Improper. How ridiculous.” Laura’s horse reacted to her shout. She took a strong hand and calmed him. “Lord James is my mother’s cousin. Not that I need to give you an explanation. But,” she said, pretending to be soothed, “I do thank you for your concern for my safety and assure you that your assistance is not needed. I can certainly handle one Scot and four of his men.”
Jamie sat on his mount, his hand casually on his sword hilt.
“Leave us now. I’ll tell my father what’s happened here and let him decide what to mention to Lord Mitchell.”
“Yes, m’lady.” He dipped his head in a quick bow and signaled his men. They wheeled around and made a fast retreat.
Jamie’s small company didn’t move. They waited until they no longer saw or heard Mitchell’s men.
With speed, he moved the group across the field to the shore of Bells Burn. Jamie’s man, Sean, and the eleven Collins men waited for them on the other side.
Their small caravan didn’t stop. Twelve riders pulled into line, the only acknowledgment being Jamie’s brief nod. They rode on through the forest for an hour before anyone spoke.
She couldn’t read his face, but she knew Jamie well enough to grasp the irritation boiling below his cool aloof façade. In his decision not to tell her the whole truth, why they took the more dangerous route, she was justified in not communicating her intended action.
“We’ll rest the horses by the Liddel Water up ahead.” Jamie’s voice startled her after the long silence.
They rode on through the thinning forest, the end in sight, she and Jamie the last to ride out of the trees onto the narrow plain and meandering Liddel Water.
Jamie helped her down from her saddle. She held on to him until she was steady on her feet. Several hours in the saddle stiffened her joints, a painful reminder why she disliked long rides. He threaded her arm through his and walked with her.
“Next time we meet a group of soldiers—”
“Please, no lecture. I was aware what was at stake. I’m not a child. Those men were ready for a fight whether they knew I was with you or not. I came out fighting and put them in their place.” Her breath came in spurts. His muscles tightened under her hand. She didn’t care that she vexed him. She wasn’t one of those senseless ninnies that gathered around him willing to jump and do as he commanded. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.
“I’m not your enemy. Perhaps you should let me finish my sentence, if not my thoughts.”
She stopped walking, but he pulled her along.
“Mitchell is looking for a reason to come across the border and for a way to extend his holdings. Glen Kirk is in his sights.” Laura pulled her arm away from his. He grabbed it, re-threaded it through his and pulled her along, again.
“It would be easy for you to have an unfortunate accident. Those men do not care. Once they grasped you rode with us, I imagine they thought to rescue you from the grips of the likes of me and tell everyone you didn’t know any better. After all, you’re only a girl.”
“I can protect myself. Richard made sure of that.” Laura jerked her hand away from him and wound her arm, ready to let loose.
He caught her fist in his hand and pulled her close.
“Here, here. You know I speak the truth.”
She didn’t struggle. Her heart sank to her toes one minute then rushed to her throat the next. Any time now, it may settle back in her chest. She was sure after all these months apart her childish fascination for him had subsided. She was no better than the Glen Kirk women who fussed over him for attention. She didn’t want a trifling relationship, certainly not another of his conquests.
But the closeness of him took her breath away. A deep breath to slow her hammering heart didn’t work. Instead, her head filled with the aroma of leather and spice that was uniquely him. Pull your hand away. But instead she let it linger. His hand was smooth and soft. His grip gentle yet firm.
“You’ve been protected at Glen Kirk as a young girl should be, but these are dangerous times, for both of us. Don’t argue with me on this. You’re more than capable of taking care of yourself with words, but you still need me in a brawl. If I’m to fight, it will be on my terms, no one else’s.”
“Let me go.” They stared into each other’s eyes. She dropped her gaze. “Please,” she added softly.
He released her and stepped back. A flash of red rushed up his neck.
“I understand,” she said. Young girl. That galled her. She didn’t rant like a petulant child. As if she didn’t know these were dangerous times. Calling out Bryce’s men was reckless. To keep the words on the tip of her tongue behind her teeth, she bit the side of her mouth and was rewarded with the salty taste of blood. Didn’t he understand that she saved them all from a massacre?
“We best return to the men,” he said. “I’m sure the horses are refreshed.”
Laura turned with as much dignity as she could muster and walked ahead of him. To cool her temper, she dipped a small linen square into the river and washed her face and hands.
Young girl. That was still an insult. She was only a few years younger than him and he would bristle at being called a boy.
The heat of the argument over, clearer thinking prevailed. He was right. Tension was high between neighbors and confronting the Mitchell patrol had been a bold move. She didn’t want him or his men at any disadvantage. Calmer, she mounted her palfrey.
The troop continued on. At dusk, they reached Cannonbie on the Esk River. Sean rode up beside Jamie.
“The coach house won’t have enough room for everyone. Their surrounding grounds are too muddy,” Sean said. “The men and I are better protected and drier here at the edge of the forest. I’ll have everyone ready to move out at first light when you and Lady Laura return.” Jamie agreed and signaled the men to make camp.
With Laura’s bedroll and travel bag tied to her horse, she and Jamie came out of the woods and spotted a gray curl of smoke that smudged the dusky sky. The coach house was less than fifty yards away. She looked forward to getting off the horse and resting for the evening. The idea that she would be laying in a soft bed rather than on hard ground almost made her groan in anticipation.
They plodded down the trail and turned into the building’s court yard. Mud. She couldn’t locate one dry place to walk.
“Wait here.” Jamie dismounted. Noise filtered out of the door as he disappeared inside. She scanned the yard. The ground was mucked up from one end to the other. Great glops of filth sprayed the walls. Chickens stood at the partially open barn door, smart not to venture out.
The inn door opened and Jamie came out. He lifted her off her horse and set her on the small entry while a stable boy appeared and gave him their bedrolls and travel bag bef
ore he took the horse to the barn.
“We’re lucky. We got the last room.” He opened the door for her.
“One room. Where do you plan to sleep?” He didn’t plan to stay in the same room with her. The idea made her mind sputter. He ushered her into the public room.
“Look around. Do you think I’m going to leave you in a room by yourself even if they had two rooms?”
She stood by the public room door. Once white washed walls appeared dingy with smoke and spattered with food and ale. The hearth blazed hot and smoky. Scattered lanterns created small intimate circles around tankards. Men, many she wouldn’t want to be near, filled the room. Now that she looked with care, other than a serving woman, she was the only female in the lot. The odor of foul air filtered into the space. She glanced at Jamie. He didn’t appear much happier.
With her travel bag, two bed rolls and a blanket in hand, Jamie directed her upstairs. They passed through a door into an open-air gallery that ringed the coach house yard. At the far end, an open staircase led to the yard below. Jamie stopped at the last room and put a rusty key in an equally rusty lock. After a few strong shoves, the door sprung open. Hinges let loose with a clawing metallic screech sent chills up her back.
“At lease no one can sneak into the room at night. They would wake the dead.” He walked in first, scanned the room, then stood aside for her to enter.
A window with a tattered cloth hanging from a pole across the top filled the wall across from them. The makeshift curtain didn’t hide the damaged window or the bare oak tree that brushed against the building. On the wall next to the door, a chest with a broken piece of polished metal was against one wall.
She turned her focus to the massive bed to her right. Jamie pulled back the blanket and examined the linen. Laura shivered, not from the cold, but one look at what he expected her to sleep on made her ill. He laid the blanket over the mattress, then their bedrolls.
“You’ll be comfortable enough in the bed. You stay here. After I check on Sean and the others, I’ll speak to the men downstairs. Reivers roam this area. I want to know what we face tomorrow.” Before she could say a word, he left.
“The audacity of the man.” She stamped her foot. Did he expect her to sleep in the same bed with him? Like one of those… She stared at the door. Her fists so tight her fingernails left impressions. What was she supposed to do now? Laura shrugged out of her coat. Her temper didn’t ease as she paced.
Her stomach rolled from hunger. She stood in front of the door, her anger at a boiling point. Her stomach rumbled again.
The men in the public room may smell bad, but they didn’t scare her. She spent time in the public room by Glen Kirk, although she wasn’t acquainted with anyone here. Ach, the innkeeper’s wife would be nearby. Her decision made, she pulled on the door. It didn’t move. Again, she tried to open the door, still it didn’t budge. In frustration, she slammed the flat of her hand against the door by the lock and when she stepped back, it popped open without a sound.
“So much for waking the dead.” With a swish of her skirt, she left and closed the door behind her.
The sun had slipped behind the ridge, taking with it what little heat it gave. Laura, her arms wrapped around her for warmth and her breath leaving a trail of white puffs of frost, hurried along the gallery toward the public room stairs.
“I asked for Joseph when I secured the room. He’s run this inn since I was a boy.” Jamie was with Sean a few yards into the forest. “The innkeeper told me his brother, Joseph, passed away after a long illness following a reiver’s attack.”
“I didn’t know the man had a brother,” Sean said.
“He didn’t. There’s nothing we can do now. I’m glad you suggested the men stay here.”
“I suppose you want to make the castle by nightfall tomorrow?”
“Yes. The sooner we reach Caerlaverock, the better. Be ready to leave at first light. Assign one of the men to cover our tracks. At least they won’t know where we’re headed. That should give us some advantage. Safe night.”
“Many thanks for the warm wine.” Laura sat in a corner away from the other travelers and tried to smile though the tart, almost vinegary liquid forced her lips to purse. How anyone could drink this was beyond her, but she persevered.
“Where do you and your husband travel?” the innkeeper’s wife asked as she set down a bowl of greasy stew. Some splashed over the side and made a small puddle on the table.
The woman picked up a badly stained rag from the floor and wiped up the spilled stew. The rag’s sour fragrance was only a bit worse than her dinner.
“Jamie’s not my husband. He’s my mother’s distant cousin. He’s escorting me to Caerlaverock Castle. I have family there.”
“Would you like some more wine or bread, perhaps?” The woman’s tone was soft, but Laura was sure it held a slight bitterness.
She shook her head and dipped a slice of crusty bread into the stew. She should have stayed hungry. “No. This is quite enough.”
The door opened, letting in a chill and Jamie. The meal was bad enough. She had hoped he’d be with his men until she went back to her room. She turned away from his penetrating stare, but not fast enough. The corner of his mouth twisted with exasperation as he moved toward her. They had spent hours together. He must be tired of her company. She was tired of his.
“What are you doing here? I thought I left you in the room,” he said through clenched teeth.
Laura paused, her stew-soaked bread almost to her lips.
“Here, here. Don’t you disturb this fine woman,” the innkeeper’s wife said shaking the filthy rag at him. “She told me you’re not her husband. You have no rights here.”
The room quieted and Laura’s irritation turned to panic.
Jamie, his feet solidly planted and his hands on his hips, exploded into peals of laughter and caught everyone off guard.
Laura thought he was a crazy man. She was sure everyone else had a similar impression.
“And you believed her. I’ve been burdened with this woman for years. I would gladly give her up, however I just spent weeks searching for her. You see,” he said and turned to the rest of the room as if he was giving some great speech. “She ran away from me and our four babes. Left us just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “The wee one is so small, not even walking.”
That got her to her feet.
“Off to see the world, she said. And fancy things she wanted. She stole what little money I saved and spent it all on fineries. Look at her clothes.” His outstretched hand pointed from her toes to the top of her gown. A vicious rumble went through the room.
How dare he say she would leave her babies? If she had any, she certainly wouldn’t leave them with him.
Her chest heaved and her hands crushed her skirt, she grabbed it so hard. Unable to listen to another word, she took her bowl of stew and threw it at him. He ducked. The plate sailed past him and hit the innkeeper’s wife behind him.
The room went silent, the only noise from a patron who snored in his seat by the window. Mortified, Laura remained rooted to the spot. The woman slowly wiped limp pieces of onion and flecks of beef off her face with the dirty rag. The room burst into an uproar.
In two steps, Jamie hoisted her over his shoulder. Shouts told him to punish the ungrateful woman. She could only guess at the meaning of some of the words they threw at her. Jamie took the steps two at a time. He entered their room, kicked the door closed, then dumped her on the bed. He stepped over to the small table and lit the candle. The flame flickered from the breeze let in by the broken window.
“I’ll give you ten minutes to undress and be under the covers before I come back.”
“But—”
“Not a word from you. You could have gotten us both killed. What were you thinking? Ten minutes.” He left the room.
The sound of the tumbler falling into place echoed. She gaped at the door in disbelief. His high-handed actions were too much for her to tolerate. She
had no intention of spending one night in the same room with him.
A quick glance at what was at hand and she took action. Laura found a rag in the chest and stuffed it in the window to stop the breeze. It took some time, but she pushed the heavy chest in front of the door, then stepped back and admired her work. Satisfied with the results, she dusted off her hands. Let him try to break through that. She pulled her night clothes out of her travel bag. Eager to be ready when he returned and found his way barred, she hurried and changed. In bed with the candle out, she yawned and waited. He could spend the night in the forest with Sean and the others. She pulled her bedroll close and made herself comfortable. He could…
Her eyelids drifted close.
Sitting in the tavern near a window with an ale, he celebrated his first accomplishment, removing Laura from Glen Kirk. She may have protested Bryce wasn’t a cause for concern, but Wesley and Darla’s insistence he take her to Caerlaverock spoke otherwise. The reason had to be severe for her to leave now, while mourning for Richard.
Jamie sipped his drink and moved on to a more pressing issue, avoiding the thieves that traveled the roads. He observed other men in the room. He struck up conversations with some of them, most were farmers, although he was sure the men at a nearby table were reivers. Reivers raided farms and stole from travelers that had no protector or connection to the raiders’ own kin. This time of year, late fall, was best for raids, nights were long, and cattle and horses were fat from grazing.
An hour later, having gathered as much information as possible, Jamie climbed the stairs. They had a long way to go tomorrow if they wanted to reach Caerlaverock before nightfall.
He hoped giving Laura more time alone would ease her temper. Never in his life had he wanted to strike a woman, but she tried his patience. Another reason he needed to reach the castle at once. The faster he got her into Herbert’s care, the better.
A thin layer of ice glazed the gallery walk. His breath turned to frost as he hurried to their room and turned the key. The door opened an inch. He pushed on it, but the door wouldn’t budge. Something substantial blocked the other side. He peaked through the opening, but all he made out was wood. He straightened. The chest. She pushed the chest across the door. He started to slam his hand into the door jamb then stopped.
The Highlander’s English Woman (The Stelton Legacy) Page 4
