by Katy Baker
The man straightened slowly. His gaze slid to Sophie and then back to Callum. “You have made a mistake this night,” he growled. “And an enemy.”
He glowered for a second longer, then turned and strode away. Callum watched, unmoving, until his footsteps had faded into silence. Only then did he turn to Sophie. She was leaning against the wall, her skin pale.
“Are ye all right?” he said gently. “Did he hurt ye?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t hurt me.” She passed a hand across her forehead and then straightened her shoulders, taking a breath. “I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
In the candlelight her skin seemed golden and her eyes shone. Aye, she was a beauty, that much was certain. The almost irresistible urge to touch her overcame him. A surge of protectiveness welled up inside him and he wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be all right.
But he didn’t. After what she’d endured, he had no right to touch her.
“I promised I would protect ye. I’m only sorry I didnae get here sooner. I should have known Rochford would cause trouble. I’ve met men like him many times before.”
“Creeps you mean?” she said, staring after Rochford with a scowl on her face.
“I dinna ken what that word means but can guess its meaning. Aye, Robert Rochford is definitely a creep.”
To his surprise, she suddenly barked a laugh. “That sounds strange coming from your mouth.”
“Why? Dinna I pronounce the words aright?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s...never mind.”
She fell silent, watching him. There were only the two of them down here and he knew it was unseemly for them to be alone together like this but damn him if he could bring himself to care.
“Come with me,” he blurted suddenly.
She blinked. “Come with you?”
“Tomorrow, I mean. When I leave. I shouldnae have asked ye to remain here. I made a vow to keep ye safe, it was wrong of me to bequeath yer safety to another.”
He didn’t trust anyone else with her safety, not after what he’d seen here tonight.
And ye think she’d be safer with you? A voice whispered in his head. Riding through the countryside with the Disinherited closing in? Is it really her safety ye are thinking of or your own selfish desire to keep her close?
“Come with you where?” she asked.
“To my home. From there I will help ye find this woman ye are looking for.” He took a step forward. “Dinna worry, lass. I am not like Robert Rochford. There is naught improper in my offer. I wish only to keep ye safe.”
She said nothing and he began to wonder if he’d spoken out of turn.
“If ye wish to stay here of course—”
“No,” she interrupted. “I don’t want to stay here. I want to go with you.”
Damn him, but hearing those words sent a wave of pleasure right through him. “Good,” he said gruffly. “We leave at first light. I’ll escort ye back to yer chamber.”
He walked away before he could say something he’d regret and make a fool of himself into the bargain. He led the way back through the castle and up the winding stairs to the guest level. A few servants gave him odd looks, and he suspected there would soon be gossip flying through the castle about how he’d escorted the lady back to her bedchamber. He didn’t care. After what had happened he would do whatever was necessary to keep her safe.
He halted at her door. “Here we are.”
“Here we are,” she echoed. She gazed up at him and smiled. “Well, good night.”
It was there again, that urge to touch her. That urge to run a finger through her silky hair or the pad of a thumb across her lips. Instead, he gave her an awkward bow.
“Good night.”
He whirled on his heel and hurried away.
SOPHIE EXPECTED TO have a bad night. She’d never slept in a castle before and after the incident with Rochford she thought she’d lie awake all night, thinking and worrying. She was wrong. She fell into a deep sleep punctuated by dreams of a sandy-haired warrior with smiling eyes.
But she jerked awake at the sound of her door opening and bolted upright in bed.
“My apologies, my lady,” said the maid as she crossed to the drapes and pulled them wide, spilling early morning light into the room. “I didnae mean to startle ye. I’ve come to help ye dress for breakfast.”
Sophie’s eyes felt heavy with sleep and her thoughts a little foggy. “Breakfast,” she mumbled. “Right. Great. What time is it?”
“The sun has just risen, my lady.”
Dawn? Sophie thought, yawning hugely. What time do these people get up? But she supposed that without the use of electric lights they probably went to bed earlier too. This was going to take some getting used to.
She threw back the covers and swung her feet onto the floor. Despite the thick rug, the floor was still cold enough to send goosebumps riding up her skin.
Memories arose of last night. The feast. The dancing and drinking—and what came after. Rochford’s hot breath against her ear, the smell of his sweat in her nostrils. She shuddered. If Callum hadn’t turned up when he did...
But he did, she told herself. Don’t think about it. Today is the day you start figuring out how to find Irene MacAskill and go home.
That thought made her feel better.
She climbed to her feet and padded over to the window. The dour weather of yesterday had cleared and the Highlands stretched out before her, clear and sparkling under the early morning sun.
Yes, today everything would be put right. She was sure of it.
“If ye would be seated, my lady,” said the maid. “I’ll brush out yer hair and then we can see about getting ye dressed.”
Sophie nodded and sat on the chair by the window, trying to keep still as the maid pulled a bone comb through her long locks. She wasn’t sure what to make of this pampering. It was definitely something she wasn’t used to and she couldn’t decide if she liked it or not. To take her mind off her predicament, she chatted to the maid.
“What’s your name?”
“Sally, my lady,” the young woman replied. “My mother, Breda, is Lady Elspeth’s maid and my father, Argus, is Laird Murdoch’s armorer.” She seemed very proud of these facts.
“Have you lived here for a long time?”
“All my life. Grew up in the village and when I was old enough, my ma secured me a place here at the castle. It’s a good life. Laird and Lady MacKay are kindly masters.”
Yes, Sophie had figured out as much. It seemed she’d had a streak of good fortune in landing in the path of Callum, Murdoch and Elspeth. If Robert Rochford was anything to go by, not everyone in this time was so trustworthy. What would have happened if it had been him who’d stumbled upon her in the chapel? The thought didn’t bear thinking about.
“I...don’t suppose you know of anyone by the name of Irene MacAskill?” Sophie asked.
Sally shook her head. “Canna say as I do, my lady.”
It was too much to hope for, Sophie knew, but she still couldn’t help the little twang of disappointment in her gut.
Sally finished brushing Sophie’s hair and then helped her into a green velvet dress with a tight bodice and billowing sleeves—another of Elspeth’s daughter’s dresses. Mary had just finished doing up the back when there was a knock at the door.
Mary answered it, her face folding into a frown as she saw who stood beyond.
“Is Lady Sophie ready?” came Callum’s rough voice.
“My lord!” Sally said, scandalized. “It isnae proper for ye to appear at the lady’s bedchamber!”
“I dinna care,” Callum growled. “The lady’s safety is my concern. I will escort her to breakfast.”
Sally opened her mouth for an indignant response, but Sophie called out before she could reply, “It’s okay! Let him in.”
Sally gave her a frown that told her exactly what she thought of that idea, but then stepped aside to allow Callum to sweep into the room
. He wore a crisp white linen shirt under his plaid and his sandy hair was damp, curling onto his neck.
He halted abruptly. “I...er...trust ye are well this morning?” he said to Sophie.
She inclined her head. “Fine. I slept like a baby, and Sally here has been taking excellent care of me.”
Sally flushed at the compliment. Callum glanced at the maid and then back to Sophie. “If ye are dressed and ready, I will escort ye to breakfast. The sun is already up and we have a long way to go today.”
His words sent a thrill right through her. We have a long way to go. He would be right by her side.
“Then what are we waiting for?” she said with a grin. “Let’s go.”
She swept out of the door ahead of him and then waited for him to catch her up before starting off down the corridor. In the morning light everything looked much more familiar than it had last night. Of course, she reflected, the fact that she was sober this morning probably helped.
“So what’s our route today?” she asked as they reached the end of the corridor and then took the spiral stairs down to the next level.
“Dun Saith, my home, lies many miles to the north. We willnae make it there today. We’ll head for Henborough, a small town about half way. Maybe ye can find word of yer friend there.”
She nodded. Maybe Irene will be there, she told herself. And she will send me home. By tonight I’ll be back in my hotel with a bottle of wine, a tub of ice-cream and a trashy movie for company.
They reached the hall and made their way through the benches towards the high table. The hall was busy, full of guardsmen and castle staff eating breakfast which seemed to consist of porridge, bannocks and watered down ale. Elspeth and Murdoch were already at the table and they rose to their feet when Sophie and Callum reached them. Elspeth rushed forward and clasped Sophie’s hands.
“Callum told us what happened! Oh, my dear, are ye all right?”
“I’m fine,” Sophie said. “Nothing to worry about.”
“It is plenty to worry about,” Murdoch said, his expression dark. “Any guest of mine is under my protection. Ye have my apologies for Lord Rochford’s behavior, my lady.”
“And Rochford himself?” Callum asked.
“Thrown out on his ear at first light,” Murdoch rumbled. “Him and his retinue and his damned letters of alliance. He can go running back to his brother and if the earl wants to know why, I’ll be sure to tell him what an animal his brother is.”
Callum rubbed his chin. “This could prove tricky for ye. Earl Rochford isnae a forgiving man. He will make a formidable enemy.”
Murdoch scowled. “So will I, lad. If the earl pushes me, he will discover as much.”
Callum clapped him on the shoulder. “The Sutherlands stand with the MacKay if it comes to it.”
Murdoch smiled. “I know that, lad.”
Sophie didn’t much like the sound of that. Would Rochford really make trouble for Murdoch and Elspeth?
“Enough of such talk,” Elspeth said briskly. “Breakfast is getting cold.”
They took their seats at the table and ate a hearty breakfast but all too soon Sophie found herself standing in the courtyard, about to bid farewell to the MacKays. Elspeth pulled her into a tight embrace and Sophie found herself returning it. She’d never known her real mother, but if she had, she hoped she would have been like Elspeth.
“Thank you for all your help,” she said to Elspeth and Murdoch. “I appreciate it.”
“Remember us, my lady,” Murdoch rumbled. “We will be here should ye need us.”
He glanced at Callum who stood holding the horse’s bridle. He said not a word but an unspoken something passed between them. Callum slowly nodded.
Then they were mounted and riding out of the gates. Sophie twisted in her seat to look over her shoulder, raising her hand in farewell. Elspeth stood watching until the distance swallowed her.
Sophie turned to face the front. This was it. The first step on her road home.
THIS WAS FOOLISH.
In fact, Callum thought as they rode away from Dun Garnon, it was beyond foolish. It was reckless. What had possessed him to think it a good idea to bring Sophie with him? There was a very good chance there was a murderer on his tail and if he had any sense at all, he would have left Sophie behind with Murdoch and Elspeth.
Yet here she was, seated in the saddle in front of him, her hair tickling his face and her shoulders brushing his chest whenever the horse jolted.
They rode double on his horse. Murdoch had offered Sophie a mount of her own this morning, the pick from his stables, but Sophie had gone pale and stammered that she didn’t know how to ride.
What kind of noblewoman couldn’t ride a horse?
He shook his head. She was an enigma indeed.
It was a bright morning, the spring weather deciding to be kind for once. A light breeze stirred the fresh green leaves and the rain from yesterday had left everything sparkling. Aye, a good day for riding but it did nothing to dispel Callum’s unease.
Sophie’s brow furrowed into a frown as they rode, as if she was looking for something.
“How long until we get to Henborough?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.
“If the roads havenae become too boggy, we should be there by late morning.”
“Good,” she said, almost under her breath. “That’s good.”
“Ye think ye will find yer friend there?”
“I hope so, although I’m not really sure. She’s not exactly the reliable type. She turns up when she feels like it and disappears again just as quickly.”
“Sounds like someone I know,” he said, thinking of Irene MacAskill.
“If she’s not there, then at least somebody in Henborough might know where I can find her,” she said with a smile. “And then I’ll be out of your hair.”
Callum said nothing. It would be best for everyone if she did find this friend of hers. Then Callum could leave her behind and she would no longer be his concern. But the thought sent a tiny, unexpected pang through him.
“Oh my!” Sophie said suddenly, peering around excitedly. “Look at this!”
Callum looked around but couldn’t make out anything other than the path that wound its way through the damp and spongy ground that surrounded them. “I dinna see aught, lass.”
“We are passing through a peat bog!”
“Aye. What’s so exciting about that?”
“Do you know how important a habitat it is? It only covers about three per cent of the world’s surface yet it holds an incredible amount of carbon. And some of these flowers are exceptionally rare. Look, there’s a bog orchid and cotton grass.”
“I didnae think a peat bog was aught to be excited about, lass,” he said, a little bemused by her excitement and very confused by her explanation. “And cotton grass isnae rare. We use it to make candle wicks and stuff pillows. It can even be used for dressings at a pinch. Ye are the first person I’ve met to get enthused by such a thing.”
She laughed. “I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to things like this.”
“A nerd? I dinna recognize the term, lass. Is it foreign?”
She laughed again, the sound sending a tingle through him. “No. It just means I can be a bit obsessive about studying plants. When I was a kid, I dreamed of being one of those famous explorers that trekked through the wilds and discovered new wonders.”
“And did ye?”
“Not quite. I run my own gardening business though, and that can be just as terrifying—particularly with some of my more ‘particular’ customers.”
There she went again, talking about things that made little sense. “Women dinna run businesses,” he stated flatly. “Especially not noblewomen.”
She twisted to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, you think?”
“Aye. A woman might run a business in conjunction with her husband or if she’s a widow but that’s the only time I’ve heard of such a thing.”
Sophie’s g
aze intensified, turning into a hard stare. She opened her mouth as if to say something then turned around, muttering angrily under her breath.
Callum frowned, puzzled. What had he done to offend her?
The weather held fair and they made good time, crossing the uplands and then winding down into the fertile river valleys to the north. The barren peat bogs that Sophie had got so excited about were replaced by grazing land with sheep and cattle. Small crofts dotted the landscape and columns of chimney smoke rose into the sky.
Finally the town of Henborough came into view. Sitting at the confluence of two roads, it had grown wealthy on the wool trade from the north and the merchant routes coming inland from the sea. Callum tightened his fingers on the reins. He hoped to pick up Alfred’s trail in the town. It was from Henborough that he’d sent his last fateful message. If luck favored him, Callum might find some clues here as to what had happened to his friend.
The place was busy, with both people and animals slogging their way down the streets, still thick with mud from the recent rains. Sophie looked around wide-eyed as they rode into town, her head swiveling from left to right, perhaps eager to find her friend.
He guided the horse to the inn that sat at the crossroads and pulled the beast to a halt in the stable yard. A wiry old man roused himself from where he’d been lounging on the step and approached.
“Will ye be wanting lodging and food, my lord?”
“Aye and stabling for the horse.” Callum swung down from the saddle and then held up his hand to help Sophie down.
She didn’t move. She stared around in confusion, her skin pale, her eyes round.
“I’m here,” she muttered under her breath. “I’m really here. A real medieval town.”
“Lass? Is somewhat wrong?”
Her eyes snapped to his. She swallowed thickly. “I...um...no...I’m fine.”
She didn’t look fine. She looked agitated but Callum didn’t point this out. Whatever was wrong with her would hopefully be helped by a bit of food and rest. After all, it had been a long journey.
