Highland Knight

by Hannah Howell

  "And mayhap they didnae like having their kinsmon revealed as the monster he truly was."

  "Aye, ‘tis possible. They also didnae like the fact that my mother inherited so much. ‘Tis small compensation for all she endured, and ‘tis hers by right, but the DeVeaux hate to give up anything."

  "E'en coin paid to mercenaries."

  "Aye."

  "Dinnae fear. I had already guessed that. Our backs are closely watched."

  Avery just nodded. She wished she had some idea of the fate of her kinsmen. From what little information she had gathered over the past two days, the slaughter had not been as great as it had appeared to be. She could only hope that someone would send word to her mother detailing just how dearly the DeVeau attack had cost her family. It could be months before she learned anything, but at least she might finally learn the truth. Avery prayed it would be good news, good enough to banish the lingering horror of that day from her dreams.

  By the time they stopped for a midday rest, Avery felt fairly confident the DeVeaux would not be a problem. Sir Cameron MacAlpin, however, was proving to be a very big one. Riding in his arms all morning had left her all too aware of her own weakness. She ached. It took more will than she thought it should not to turn to the man and tell him she surrendered, to order him to hurry and find some place private so that she could show him just how thoroughly she had capitulated. Her only consolation was that she was certain Sir Cameron suffered as well. Pressed as close to him as she was for the whole ride, she had been all too aware of the hard proof of his desire. She hoped it crippled the oaf.

  The moment her wrists were untied, she hurried away to seek a moment of much-needed privacy. It was not easy, but she strove to ignore the huge, hulking man plodding along beside her. Wee Rob was her guard, and if the flush upon his cheeks was any indication, he was as embarrassed as she was. Avery thought it a little odd that this would actually make her feel, if not exactly at ease, at least not so deeply mortified.

  Once done, she returned to the others and searched for Gillyanne. She almost smiled when she finally saw her cousin returning from the trees, having obviously suffered the same need she had. There was a big man trailing after Gillyanne as well, and her cousin looked furious. What was truly amusing was that the tiny Gillyanne's guard actually looked a little intimated by the girl. It was not amusing, however, to see that any attempt at escape would require eluding two very large men.

  "Are ye intending to listen to every wee word I say, too?” Gillyanne snapped at her guard when she reached Avery's side.

  Avery could not completely repress a soft laugh when both men hastily stepped back several paces. “They are only doing as their laird commanded them to, Gillyanne."

  "I ken it,” Gillyanne said, “which is why I endured it like the lady I am and didnae beat the fool o'er the head with the first stick I could set my hands on.” She took several deep breaths, then demurely clasped her hands in front of her skirts. “There, I am calm now."

  "Does that truly work?"

  "Sometimes, when I am not truly verra angry. As ye said, ‘tis nay Colin's fault. Howbeit, that dark devil who ties ye to beds and horses best nay get too close for a while. So, how fare ye?"

  "Weel enough,” Avery replied as she hooked her arm through Gillyanne's and began a leisurely stroll, almost smiling when she heard their reluctant guards fall into step behind them.

  "Truly? I thought ye might be a wee bit troubled. Just a sense I had."

  "And your senses are far too keen."

  "Aunt Maldie is verra pleased about that. Ye are nay without your own gifts. ‘Twas ye who sensed the danger coming the day the DeVeau men attacked."

  "A lot of good that did."

  "We are alive. If we had been caught completely unaware, we may weel have perished in that first bloody onslaught. Aye, and our kinsmen were warned. Truth, it was too late for them to be completely readied, but, mayhap a few more had sword in hand than would have if ye hadnae sounded the alarm. E'en as we ran, we could hear the benefit of your warning."

  "We could?” Avery was more than eager to hear that she may have been able to save a few lives.

  "Aye. The first sound we heard was the clash of swords, nay the screams of the dying."

  "That followed."

  "Sadly, aye, it did. But that sound of sword hitting sword, chilling though it is, told us that someone was ready to face the DeVeaux, if only to hold them back so that others might flee and survive. Dinnae fret so. There is naught we can do but pray for the souls of the dead, and that there werenae too many of them."

  "I do so. Often,” Avery murmured.

  "We must fix our thoughts upon our current troubles."

  "Aye. How to keep Payton free and unharmed."

  "True,” agreed Gillyanne, but then she fixed Avery with a steady gaze. “And how to ease your troubled heart."

  "My heart is troubled, is it?"

  "Aye. The lusting is bad, isnae it."

  "Oh, aye.” Avery shook her head. “My innards are knotted with it. My only consolation is that I believe his are, too.” She exchanged a brief grin with Gillyanne, then grew serious again. “I dinnae believe I have the strength to fight it for verra long."

  "Oh, dear."

  "Aye, just so."

  "Then we must set our minds to thinking of a way to steal some of the sweetness of victory from him."

  Avery nodded. “I have already begun. One thing is to be sure to make Payton ken that my chastity wasnae stolen; it was given away freely and willingly. It will ease whate'er guilt Payton may feel."

  "That will certainly lessen some of the bite of Sir Cameron's plans."

  Silently cursing the way her pulse increased at the mere sight of the man, Avery watched as Cameron approached her and Gillyanne. It was understandable in a way. He was, after all, an extraordinarily fine-looking man. Somehow she had to turn what could easily prove to be a weakness into a strength, what could be made into an humiliation into a source of pride. It was not going to be easy, especially when his every look or touch turned her mind to warm gruel.

  "But, first,” she murmured so that only Gillyanne could hear her, “I mean to make that mon ache, to make him want so badly that revenge is the last thing on his wee mind when I finally give in. I mean to drive him to the verra brink of madness."

  Cameron's steps faltered a little when both Murray lasses suddenly smiled brilliantly at him. They were tiny, dainty visions of beauty, their smiles warm and real. Their unusual eyes sparkled delightfully with laughter. A man should feel pleased and a little vain to receive such looks. As he took Avery by the arm and led her to his horse, Cameron wondered why those pretty smiles gave him the strong urge to don every piece of armor he could lay his hands on.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Four

  "We have become complacent, Gillyanne,” Avery said as she and her cousin strolled around the edges of the MacAlpin camp.

  "Have we?” Gillyanne paused briefly to study a little blue flower. “'Tis a fine time of the year to be complacent,” she said as she resumed her pace at Avery's side.

  "True. Howbeit, I believe we have been lulled into forgetting we are prisoners—and Cameron's plans for Payton."

  "'Tis hard to recall such unpleasantness when spring warms the air. I am surprised ye can e'er forget it all when he binds you all the time."

  "When ‘tis done so lightly and with such care nay to harm me, I find I become accustomed, that my anger o'er the treatment fades. And that is what troubles me. I walk about in such a haze of lust I become oblivious to the reasons we ride with the MacAlpins."

  "I thought your plan was to sink him into a haze of lust. ‘Tis what ye said three days ago."

  Avery sighed: “I believe I become too confused to ken if it is working. His temper is worsening, but is that because I torment him, or is he but an ill-tempered mon? Is it unrequited lust that sours his mood, or is it that his grand plan for vengeance isnae working with the ease he thought it
would?"

  "I think ‘tis unrequited lust. To be truthful, we should say unfulfilled lust, for ‘tis nay unrequited, is it."

  "Sadly, nay. In truth, I begin to fear it may run a great deal deeper than lust in me."

  "Then ye can do what cousin Elspeth did."

  "Chase him until he catches me?” Avery laughed with Gillyanne, then shook her head. “I dinnae have Elspeth's skill. I cannae just ken with one kiss that he is my mate. I think he might be. ‘Twould explain the mindless lust that besets me so quickly. ‘Twould explain how I can feel anything at all for him, considering how he plots to use me against my own brother. Of course, it doesnae really matter, does it? What he plans makes any future with him impossible."

  "Not necessarily.” Gillyanne shrugged. “The end to this adventure could be less dire than ye think. Ye must decide if ye wish to try and win all, to make him want ye above all things. Aye, no matter how I look at it, the path ye must tread isnae a smooth one, but every turn in it doesnae lead to failure and heartache."

  "Mayhap not. Howbeit, I do think we are making things far too easy for our captors."

  "I dinnae think we can escape, Avery."

  "I hold out no great hope for that, either, but that doesnae mean we cannae try.” She met Gillyanne's gaze for a moment, and then they both smiled.

  "Should we be clever or just bold for the first try?"asked Gillyanne, glancing back at their guards. “Wee Rob and Colin are a fair distance behind us and caught firm in an argument."

  "Weel, then, let us just be bold this time. On the count of three?” Gillyanne nodded and grabbed the front of her skirts, ready to lift them. Avery did the same as she counted, “One. Two. Three!” She bolted, not at all surprised that Gillyanne did the same, keeping close by her side as they ran.

  Cameron cursed as a cry went up around the camp. He stuffed the map he and his cousin Leargan were studying back into his shirt even as he surged to his feet. The only thing that surprised him when he saw the Murray lasses trying to escape was how fast they could run.

  "Curse Wee Rob and Colin,” he muttered as he started to run. “I told them to watch those lasses closely."

  "Ye cannae blame them completely,” said Leargan, keeping pace at Cameron's side. “They are just wee lasses and they have been verra weel behaved."

  "Which should have alerted us."

  Leargan laughed. “Ye speak of them as if they are dangerous, cunning foes."

  "Avery's mother managed to elude vengeful DeVeaux for a year, almost all on her own. Her father then managed to get them both out of France despite the huge rewards offered for their capture. Her cousin has just married one Sir Cormac Armstrong, a mon who managed to elude vengeful Douglases for two years or more."

  "Jesu.” Leargan was deeply impressed. “So, they may have learned a trick or two."

  "Aye, and they are cursed fast on their feet, too. Ye follow the wee one."

  "They are both wee."

  "Go after Gillyanne. I will go after that other bundle of aggravation.” Cameron ignored Leargan's laughter.

  It enraged Cameron far more than he thought it ought, to see Avery running away from him. He suspected it was because he hated to think she was not as infected with blind lust as he was. Then he told himself not to let his own doubts blind him. She felt the need as sharply as he did, he was certain of it. And, perhaps, he thought, that was why she ran.

  A grim smile curved his mouth as he chased her through the wood. He had no intention of letting her escape, not when he was so close to gaining what he craved. By the time they had stopped to camp for the night he had known that she was as twisted up with need as he was. Several times during the torturous ride, he had pulled a soft moan of want from her full lips, had made her shudder in his arms, and all with only the most subtle of touches. It was not thoughts of revenge that had him racing through the woods now, but a determination not to let the delight he was so close to gaining slip through his fingers.

  Avery signaled to Gillyanne to veer to the right while she ran slightly to the left. They kept in sight of each other as they ran, but forced their pursuers to split up. Chancing a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw only two men: Cameron and his handsome cousin Leargan. If there were any others, they were lagging far behind.

  Just as she began to think the game had been played long enough, for she was getting tired and Cameron was drawing nearer, she heard Gillyanne cry out. Avery immediately turned and ran straight for Leargan, who had caught hold of Gillyanne. She was briefly pleased when she saw how her sudden change of direction caused Cameron to stumble slightly before he could turn to follow.

  Without hesitating, Avery hurled herself at Leargan. He cursed, let go of Gillyanne, and fell on his face. Straddling his back, Avery grabbed hold of his dark hair and started to bang his head against the ground. When Gillyanne's cries of encouragement ended in a squeak, Avery stopped and looked around, not really surprised to see her cousin caught firmly by Cameron. Avery yanked Leargan's knife from its sheath. Tightly grabbing a hank of Leargan's hair, she yanked his head back and held his own knife against his throat.

  "A trade?” she asked.

  "Nay,” Cameron replied. “Ye willnae hurt him."

  "Are ye verra sure of that?"

  "I hope ye are, cousin,” Leargan muttered.

  "Verra sure,” Cameron replied. “Ye willnae hurt him, Avery, and ye willnae leave without this brat, either."

  "Brat?” Gillyanne cried in outrage.

  "Nay, I willnae.” Avery sighed, released Leargan, and stood up.

  Leargan stood up, brushed himself off, and held out his hand. “My knife, please."

  Avery cursed softly and clapped it into his outstretched hand. When Gillyanne ran to her side, she took her cousin's hand in hers. She was not terribly concerned about punishment, although Cameron looked furious. He might lash her with angry words and secure her more firmly, but Avery realized she was completely confident that he would never physically hurt her.

  "Did ye really think ye could escape?” Cameron asked as he grabbed her by the arm and started back to the camp.

  "One can always dream,” she murmured.

  "And just where did ye think ye would go with no horses and no supplies?"

  A good point, she mused, but she had no intention of letting him know she had only meant to plague him a little, even if that did leave her looking somewhat foolish. “We thought we would throw ourselves upon the mercy of the nearest church."

  "Aye,” agreed Gillyanne. “We meant to claim sanctuary."

  "Do ye really expect me to believe that?” Cameron cursed softly when both girls just shrugged. At the edge of the camp, they met up with the two guards and Cameron told the two red-faced men, “They are bonny and wee, but dinnae let that fool ye again.” He shoved the two girls toward their guards. “They are cunning and more trouble than they are worth."

  "Seek sanctuary?” Leargan said, laughter choking his voice as he and Cameron walked away.

  "Wretched brats,” grumbled Cameron. “They are up to something. They are too clever to think that escape could have worked. They kenned they would fail, which is why they fled empty-handed."

  "Then why would they e'en try?"

  "I wouldnae be surprised if ‘twas done just to annoy me."

  "Do ye think he has guessed our game?” Gillyanne asked Avery as they sat before Cameron's tent eating their evening meal.

  "The thought that we merely try to annoy him may have crossed his mind,” Avery replied, “but he willnae trust in that being the only reason. He will try to find some greater treachery behind it."

  "He doesnae much trust women, does he?"

  "He doesnae trust them at all."

  "That doesnae bode weel if ye decide to try and win his heart."

  "If he e'en has a heart to win,” Avery grumbled.

  "Oh, I think he does or ye wouldnae be having all this trouble. He just doesnae reveal it weel. Some men are like that."

  "And some men dinnae
wish to feel anything for any woman ever, and get verra good at locking up all feeling."

  Gillyanne nodded, then frowned slightly. “But, he lusts after you."

  "Lust cannae really be called a feeling, Gillyanne. Or rather, an emotion. ‘Tis too easy for a mon to feel it for any woman. ‘Tis nay from the heart is what I try to say. ‘Tis nay from the mind or soul, either.” She sighed. “Then again, it can sometimes become a crack in the wall a mon has built around his heart. But since I cannae see inside of Cameron to see if that crack widens, I must rely upon what I feel, and I am nay sure I can trust in that."

  "I pray the mon I finally set my heart on is nay so hard to ken."

  "He probably willnae be for you."

  "Mayhap, although I have some difficulty sensing things if ‘tis someone I ken weel or care about."

  "Of course, for ‘tis just when ye would like such a gift to be especially keen."

  Gillyanne laughed and nodded. “Aunt Maldie says my gift may weel be working, ‘tis just that I dare nay trust what I feel because my heart is involved. I think your heart is involved,” she added softly.

  Avery watched Cameron move around the camp talking to his men, and she sighed again. “Aye, I believe it is, yet I havenae e'en kenned the mon for a full week and he certainly isnae wooing me. It makes no sense. The only thing that keeps me from leaping on that mon in a lustful frenzy is the knowledge of how he means to use my weakness against my own family."

  "A lustful frenzy?"

  "Aye. There is nay other way to describe it.” Avery watched Cameron walk off into the surrounding wood with his cousin and was not surprised at how her gaze remained fixed upon his taut, well-shaped buttocks, or how her palms itched to touch him there. “Several times today I wanted to kick him out of the saddle, but ‘tis nay longer so that I can laugh at the oaf sprawled in the mud. Nay, I wanted him on the ground so that I could jump on him and start acting upon some of the crazed, heated thoughts which have tormented me."