A Lesson in Passion

by Jennifer Connors

  He chuckled again. Obviously her blunder did not go unnoticed. “Well, now, Ginny, it seems we have a problem, aye? I canna verra well leave ya here, now, can I?”

  “You could tie me up, gag me. It would be a while before someone stops by to check on me. If you wish to drag me along with you, I promise not to make it easy on you.” Once again, Ginny thought that she had to be the dumbest person on the planet. That all her years in school had done nothing to provide her with the common sense to shut the hell up.

  Before she could talk him into another plan of action, something heavy hit her head. And then, she felt nothing.

  * Chapter 18 *

  The first thing she noticed was cold. Nothing unusual about that, Ginny was always cold, but this was different. She felt exposed and wet. She opened her eyes slowly. Although cloudy and raining, the light was blinding compared to her unconsciousness. It took her a moment to remember what happened and when she remembered Campbell, the anger woke her up fully.

  She sat up and noticed that she was in a large field. Looking around, Ginny couldn't see anyone or anything. No huts, no keep, just nature. The field was sloped downward, with groves of trees dotting the landscape. Where the hell am I? she thought, still trying to shake the last cobwebs from her mind.

  It was then that she realized that her arms were tied behind her back and her legs were tied together at her ankles. That bastard , she thought, realizing that Campbell left her to rot in the middle of nowhere, while he undoubtedly ran home. A slew of curse words flew from Ginny's mouth, worse than a sailor. “Whatever happened to chivalry?” she screamed at the top of voice. “Whatever!”

  Ginny knew that if she was going to get anywhere, she was going to have to at least get the binding off her ankles. Walking with your hands tied together was possible, but she had no plans to hop around trying to find help. The ankle sheath, which had once housed a knife, was unfortunately sitting in Ian's room back at his keep. It seemed she would have to think of a different way to free herself.

  Ginny got to her knees and reached down to see if she could untie the ropes on her ankles with her tied hands. Ginny knew in her own body, this would be impossible, since she was as flexible as steel. Of course, she wasn't in her body and Lady Chatham was smaller and more flexible. Ginny was able to lean back enough to reach the ropes. After a few frustrating tries, she managed to loosen the rope enough to kick them off.

  She laid on her side for a few moments, catching her breath. As she rolled over to get up, Ginny felt a rock at her back. Rolling to look at it, it had several large, sharp edges that would do quite nicely. Even nicer, the rock was large enough to be firmly stuck in the ground. Ginny carefully rolled over so the ropes at her wrists rubbed against the rock. Using what energy she had left, after not eating anything in quite some time and with a nagging headache that could possibly be a concussion, Ginny rubbed the binding against the rock.

  After a few minutes of trying to move her body against the rock, the binding gave way. Finally, she was free. But free to do what, exactly? She had no idea where she was and no idea which direction to head in. The overcast sky was a perfect backdrop to her mood: gloomy. Thirsty, hungry and in the worst mood she's had since arriving, Ginny began to walk down the slope to the first big grove of trees. The going was slow, especially with the pounding in her head.

  “After all I did for that ungrateful son of a bitch,” she mumbled to herself. “First, I sewed his chest, cleaned him up, probably kept him from dying of some nasty infection.” As Ginny kept mumbling, she didn't immediately notice the sound of horses coming. When she did finally hear them, she was just outside the trees, so she quickly ran inside and hid behind a tree, looking out to see who was coming.

  Please be Ian, please be Ian , she kept whispering to herself. Of course, that would have been the easy way and she knew that romance novels never did things the easy way. First, she saw the wrong plaid, but of course she could recognize it anyway. MacBain. Dammit, she thought, continuing to hide.

  She watched the men up the hillside stop where she ditched the ropes. Squeezing her eyes together, trying to recognize Campbell among the men, she noticed them arguing over the cut ropes. Ha, stick that in your pipe and smoke it, gentlemen. Aaaah, the first smile of the day. Nothing like sticking it to the man!

  Ginny was casually watching them look around. She still didn't move as they retrieved their horses and began to follow something down the hill. As a matter of fact, she didn't even consider they were looking for her until they started to gallop down the hills toward her increasingly smaller grove of trees. Crap , she thought, too late to actually effectively hide or run away. I used to be considered smart, until I came here, she shook her head in disgust.

  Giving in to the inevitable, and knowing that she'll only make them madder if she made them work for it, Ginny left the cover of the trees and walked into the open. The air seemed even heavier, the clouds darker, as the men came to halt in front of her. She searched each face until she saw the one she recognized.

  “My lady,” Campbell said with an exaggerated bow. Well as much as one can do on top of a horse.

  “ Campbell,” was her only reply, still staring at his face. It really is a pity , she thought, he is a fine looking man. Too bad he's a scumbag.

  “Verra good getting out of the binding. I thought we would be long back before ya even woke up.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Campbell. By the way, very nice knocking me unconscious and leaving me alone in a field. I really appreciated that,” he'd have to have been deaf and incredibly stupid to miss the sarcasm of her statement.

  Well, stupid at least. “I am sorry for that. With my injury, it was difficult to carry ya and ride at the same time. I did leave ya on MacBain land, though. Ya were never in danger.” She took it back, quite the gentleman.

  Releasing a heavy sigh, she scanned her audience as she said, “Well, what now?”

  Campbell raised an eyebrow as he considered how to respond. Suddenly, he let out a laugh and beamed his gorgeous smile at her and said, “Ya will come home with me. I canna give ya back to the McKenna and I see only one way to keep him from stealing ya back. Ya will marry me, Ginny.”

  Ginny bowed her head and closed her eyes. Her head was still pounding and she would have given her soul for a Tylenol. She reached up and began to rub her face with her hands. Fine , she thought, whatever . This guy, Ian, whoever. Does it matter? She wasn't where she was supposed to be, she wasn't when she was supposed to be anyway.

  “Do I have a choice?” she asked, just to be contrary.

  All the men laughed. Ginny just smiled and shook her head. Of course there was no choice. She looked up at Campbell once again and thought at least it's not Broderick.

  “ Fine. Who has water?” she asked. Before she could move forward, someone threw a skin at her and she promptly drank the whole thing down. As she walked toward Campbell, she threw the skin back to the man who had thrown it. She held out her hand to Campbell, waiting for him to lift her up to her new existence. It was then she heard the sound of horse hooves. What now, she thought grimly.

  All the men turned and started talking at once. Before she knew what was happening, Ginny was on Campbell's lap and the men where galloping toward the group of horsemen. It only took a moment for Ginny to recognize the McKenna colors. And there was no mistaking Ian, riding in front, looking quite put out.

  Both groups stopped within thirty feet of each other, Campbell taking point for the MacBains and Ian for the McKennas. It was silent, no one moved or spoke. The only sounds were the horses snorting. Ginny looked to the sky and realized it would start to rain at any moment, which would turn this battle into a cold, muddy mess.

  “Yar on MacBain land, McKenna. I can kill ya for just that,” Campbell said, sounding intimidating, with his low snarl.

  “Aye. Yar welcome to try,” Ian could sound just as intimidating.

  Ginny realized that this was probably the last place she wanted to be right no
w. So, without too much thinking, she elbowed Campbell in his chest, right where she knew it would hurt the most. He dropped her, and she promptly ran to the middle of the clearing between the clans. Both clans tensed and Ginny realized that she had a little power now.

  “Ginny, come to me now,” Ian's voice was low, but menacing. Ginny stood her ground for the moment. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to the McKenna clan to watch him marry someone else. Of course, it was at least a “known,” where the MacBains were completely “unknown.”

  She decided to hedge her bets and try to make Ian jealous. Stupid, yes, but her only weapon at the moment. “Campbell has offered me marriage, Ian. With you marrying someone else, maybe I should take him up on his offer.”

  Ginny chanced a glance at Campbell, who was smiling like he'd won Publisher's Clearing House. Then she looked at Ian, who was not smiling, and also looked a little sad. He let out a heavy sigh and said, “I wouldnae stop ya, if that is what ya want. But ya should know that the MacBains are heathens and would treat ya badly.”

  Campbell spoke up immediately, “Dinna listen to him, Ginny. He is only jealous ya would choose me over him. I will treat ya well. Ya willnae want leave my bed.” The MacBains laughed and snickered. Ginny rolled her eyes at the arrogance. Her only consolation was that people didn't live very long in this age and her potential husband, with all his arrogance, would probably die soon in some battle.

  Ginny looked Ian in the eyes. Despite everything, she still wanted him. Maybe it was the time they spent together or maybe she saw something else in him that no one else got to see. Ginny liked bantering with him and the tingly feeling at the thought of his touch. And dammit, hadn't she put up with enough to justify having the best sex of her life? Hadn't she lived without showering, pasteurized food, all the shows racking up on her DVR so she could fall in love with an unlikely individual, get married and have non-stop fantastic sex where she would orgasm by just being naked near him?

  Before she could think anymore, Ginny walked over beside Ian. He grabbed her and hauled her up onto his lap. Ginny turned and saw the frown on Campbell's face. “Ya made the wrong choice, Ginny. He willnae marry ya. He wants his alliance too much for that.”

  Not wanting Ian's arrogance to get out of hand, Ginny turned to Campbell and said, “Sorry, Campbell. I just can't see myself marrying a man who would knock a woman unconscious, then leave her tied up in the middle of nowhere. You're a swell looking guy, but a girl has to have her standards.” Hopefully, Ian wouldn't think she chose him because she wanted very badly to sleep with him. She doubted her deception worked at all.

  “Get off my land, McKenna. Ya have what ya came for, now go.”

  “I dinna get everything I came for, but we will go. Be warned, MacBain. If I catch ya near my land, I willnae leave anything to be healed. Aye?”

  Campbell laughed. “Aye.”

  The McKennas turned their horses around and began galloping off. Ginny remained silent. Ian figured she was forlorn about his impending marriage. He hadn't been brave enough to tell her that they were heading to intercept Broderick and the Laird MacDonald's daughter. The marriage needed to take place sooner, rather than later. All signs pointed to war and Ian wanted as many allies as possible. Ian only wished he knew exactly which clan he should declare war against.

  * Chapter 19 *

  When Broderick arrived at the MacDonald keep, he was tired, hungry and thirsty. He and his men rode hard, late into the night, getting up early the next day. It was essential that this alliance be made, especially without the knowledge of who the true enemy was.

  There was also something in it for Broderick. He loved Ian like a brother, fought beside him in many battles, risked his life for his clan, but he could not accept the Englishwoman as part of his clan. Somehow, she managed to get Ian to care about her, bewitching him. It was more than he could handle.

  When this task came up, he gladly took it. Both to guarantee it was done and to get away from her and her non-stop chatter. She spoke strangely, using words he'd never heard before. Although he didn't relish hurting Ian, making the Englishwoman suffer added to the joy of this task.

  A few MacDonald men met the McKennas outside the courtyard walls. Although not an official alliance, the MacDonald's had always been friendly to the McKennas. And so the men began to talk, exchange information and gossip, find out about relatives. They walked together to the keep, into the great room where the MacDonald laird was waiting with his daughter.

  Broderick was stunned. She was, by far, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She had red hair, not the dull brown kind, but true red hair. It was long and hung in a braid down her back. Her skin was pale, but covered in delightful freckles. They covered her nose and cheeks and made her look younger than her seventeen years. The girl had a thin face, long nose and a pair of mesmerizing green eyes. She was tiny, probably only came to Broderick's chest, but she carried herself regally.

  Broderick was shocked with himself. How could he feel lust towards his laird's future wife. He bowed his head to the MacDonald laird. “It is my pleasure to escort your beautiful daughter back to the McKenna.” Broderick was a man of few words, but did he really just call her beautiful to her own father?

  When he looked up and saw her eyes on him, he started to get hard. He immediately turned to the laird and put on his best grimace. The laird did not seem to notice his slip, since he was yammering on about the alliance and information he recently acquired.

  “Please, have your men sit and partake of a meal. I need to speak to ya about yar enemies,” MacDonald said, waving a hand to the table set up behind him. It was covered in food, meat pies, bread, cheese and ale.

  “ Thank ya, Laird. That is kind of ya,” Broderick followed the older man to one end of the table and sat down to eat. Once seated and served, he noticed that the laird's daughter had also joined them. How strange , Broderick thought. Since when would a laird allow a woman, even his daughter, to join in a conversation about war.

  The laird was too busy eating to start the conversation, so Broderick turned to his daughter and asked, “What is yar name, child?”

  Her chin immediately came up and she took on a haughty air. “I am no' a child. I am old enough to marry yar laird, am I no'?”

  She was a true Highland lass, with backbone. Ian didn't realize how lucky he was to receive such a gift. It made Broderick jealous and he knit his brows together over the confusion of his feelings. He took another bite of bread and continued to stare at her.

  “My name is Elspeth,” she finally revealed.

  “Tis a beautiful name,” Broderick replied. What was with his sudden use of the word beautiful. He was beginning to think there was something wrong with him. Broderick was no virgin. He'd had many women over the years, many young wenches who begged for a strong bed partner. But this was different. He knew this woman could be a true partner in life with him, not just in bed.

  Casting his eyes downward, he silently shamed himself. This was his laird's bride. He shouldn't have such thoughts about her. He glanced at her again and noticed that she had particularly large breasts for her skinny frame. This led to him getting hard again. Thankfully, she wouldn't be able to tell with him seated at the table.

  Suddenly, the MacDonald turned to him and stated plainly, “I have come to find out which clan committed the treachery.”

  “What?” Broderick was furious that he waited this long to tell him.

  “One of my men has family in the Sinclair clan. When he went to visit his sister, she told him the story. She had heard it from one of the warriors.”

  Broderick looked puzzled. “The Sinclairs? We are no' friendly, but the McKennas have done nothing so bad to cause this.”

  “Aye. I have heard rumors that the leader is hell bent on revenge. Tis war they want.”

  “Tis war they will get,” Broderick said through gnashed teeth. “I need to get Elspeth back as soon as possible. With your permission, we will leave before dawn.”

>   “Aye. That would be best. I will have five of my men ride with ya. I canna have anything happen to my daughter.”

  Broderick, perfectly serious and without reservation, said, “I will defend her with my life.” As he said it, he stared at the young enchantress. With her head bent, she stared at him through her long lashes and smiled.

  * * *

  After a few hours of riding, Ginny finally became curious. “I didn't realize Campbell rode so far from your keep with me. He complained to me that it hurt too much, which is why he left me in that field.”

  “Ya werenae that far from my keep, Ginny. We are riding somewhere else.” Ginny furrowed her brow at him. Was that all the explanation she was going to get. Where the hell were they going and why would they be bringing her along?

  “Okay, so where the hell are we going then?” she asked insolently.

  Ian smiled. It was her most endearing trait, her inability to accept his leadership without question. It was probably not a trait he should allow, but Ian found it refreshing at times. She could be so insolent, so hard headed. It made him ache just thinking about it.

  “We are going to meet up with Broderick. To bring ya back to the keep would take too much time. I need this alliance now,” Ian didn't want to reveal that truth to Ginny, but he wasn't going to lie to her either.

  “ Oh,” was all she said. Great, I get to attend the wedding as well, she thought. Ginny closed her eyes and tried to rest. The jarring of the horse and the constant feel of his hard chest against her kept her awake. She tried to envision what their sex would be like. Ian, of course, would be quite skilled and know exactly how to bring her to orgasm over and over again. Although she was a virgin, the pain would be temporary and quickly forgotten. It made Ginny's nipples hard just thinking about it.

  They finally stopped for the night. With her head still pounding, partly from her attack and partly from thinking about her potential lovemaking, Ginny begged to get some sleep immediately. Ian took her to the stream running nearby, so she could wash up. The water was freezing, but it felt so good against her skin.