Once everyone was in their saddles, she urged her horse to his side to express her gratitude and appreciation.
“You have purchased very fine horses for us. Thank you.” No one had bought a gift for her in years and certainly none so grand as the steeds. The idea of accepting such an expensive gift made her uncomfortable, but also gave her a glimmer of hope that she might succeed in her assignment. After all, no one would gift something so costly and not expect anything in return.
“A cheap horse is no a good horse, and we have a verra long distance to travel.” He gave an indifferent shrug and rode ahead to join Alec, leaving her alone as they departed the palace grounds.
The horses’ hooves clacked loudly against the dirty, cobbled streets and echoed off the tired buildings that housed man and business alike. Mariel was leaving London, leaving the overwhelming presence of Aaron, and the power he kept clutched in his bony fist.
Nothing held her to the filthy city; at least nothing she cared to remember. Nothing except Jack, with his silky black curls and precious smiles. The very thought tightened in her chest. The memories hurt more as time passed, but she did not shy from them. Coupled with the guilt she harbored for her actions to free him, the pain of her memories kept her human.
She turned back to her former home, facing the ugliness of the city. Somewhere in the filth and fog was her one reason for living, and she basked in the ache that pulled at her heart. She did this for a purpose, a reason more important than her own life.
Determination flared within and filled her with a renewed energy. She would be successful and when she returned, Jack would be free.
She glanced to where Kieran rode ahead of her. Even from her vantage point, she could make out his exposed forearm where he’d rolled up his sleeve. Though he maintained a relaxed hold on the reins, the strength beneath his tanned flesh stood out with sinewy muscle that would have left the Greeks desperate to sculpt him.
Seducing him would be easy enough. She’d seen the desire in his eyes, felt it in the warmth of his mouth when his lips almost grazed hers. Almost.
She could lose herself to a man like Kieran MacDonald.
Trepidation crept into her chest and squeezed the air from her lungs. She could lure the man into her bed, but would she be able to keep her own heart protected?
Chapter Six
Mariel swayed in time with her steed’s gait and her breath fogged in front of her. Pine trees crowded the narrow trail, scenting the air with a sharp tang.
The deep intake of breath did little to quell the anxious churning in her stomach. A fortnight had passed since they’d left London and not once had she had a chance alone with Kieran.
Not that Mariel hadn’t tried. True, he spoke to her often. His banter bordered on flirtation, and he seemed to seek her out for conversation, but all her suggestions to lure Kieran from the others had been thwarted with his petty excuses. As if he did not wish to be alone with her.
A disheartening fact echoed in the razor edge of Jane’s glare.
Mariel studied her maid’s childlike profile. The woman was not as old as her harsh words made her appear. Jane was similar to so many of Aaron’s other whores. Young, pretty, full of bitter self-loathing, pushed forward with the futile hope of rising above her station.
Like most of Aaron’s girls, she had doubtless been a street urchin lucky enough to clean up well and keep all her teeth to adulthood. Mariel, however, had a different beginning.
After her parents had fallen victim to the plague and neighbors turned her and Jack away in fear, she had become his sole caretaker. When hopes for employment found fruitless reality, they were forced onto the streets. They survived well enough for a few months by scavenging for food in the stinking masses of filth piled outside homes and shops. Then Jack got sick.
No doctor would look at him when she had no coin to pay, and all declared the same dismal fate—he would be dead within the week and wasn’t worth the expense.
Aaron had approached her then, elegant and handsome in his velvet breeches and fashionable brocade doublet. She was penniless and desperate to cling to any scrap of hope she could grasp. His words were soothing, delivered with a confidence she wanted to trust no matter how wary she had become. She knew better, but she’d had no other options.
Mariel glanced once more to where Jane rode beside her. How the woman had been pulled into their dark life was of little importance. They were both among the many on Aaron’s shelf of broken dolls, and for that Mariel could not help but feel sympathy toward her wayward companion.
• • •
Kieran watched Mariel’s straight back ahead of him. Her maid’s complaints had carried on throughout their journey thus far. Mariel, however, had tolerated the brutal pace in silence, even though her stiff-backed walk hinted her obvious discomfort.
Truth be told, he had enjoyed her companionship and was glad for her presence. It’d been a long time since anyone had really made him smile.
He edged his horse beside hers and tried to ignore the way the heady perfume of roses caressed his senses and coaxed his arousal. “We draw near Edinburgh.” He pointed to the buildings evident through the tree tops in the distance. “Can ye see it?”
Mariel craned her neck and a childish grin touched her lips. She turned toward him, her eyes alight with excitement. “Will we sleep there tonight? On beds?” The question held a note of excited hope.
“Beds? Ach, no. We got rid of those flimsy things years ago. We Scots prefer to sleep on the floor, but…,” he added straight-faced, “it’ll be a warm floor.”
The tinkling sound of her laughter warmed his chest. “Oh, Kieran, you’re wicked.”
“Aye, lass, ye get to sleep in a real bed tonight,” he conceded. “I’ll even let ye sleep late if ye ask nicely.”
“Is that an invitation?”
The light had faded with the setting sun, but he could still make out the slanted look she gave him. Desire dug her claws deep, leaving him overly grateful for the cloaking shadows blanketing the forest.
“Who’s being wicked now?” Kieran shifted in his saddle for a more accommodating position.
Resisting her affection was becoming more difficult by the day. She wanted to be alone with him. Her desire was evident in the way she remained by his side at camp, and the way her fingers lingered against his chest when he helped her down from her horse each day.
But he did not trust himself to be alone with her. Not when he knew a kiss would lead to so much more. Not when pain shone through in her eyes when she thought no one would notice. Not when his secrets were not his own to share. Women asked too many questions, and he could not afford to betray Blair and Dougal.
The heavy forest parted ahead and gave way to the high stone walls of Edinburgh. The aroma of baking bread and roasting meat wafted toward them and set Kieran’s empty belly snarling with anticipation. They would eat well that night.
Kieran had no difficulty locating Sheep’s Heid Inn. The food was good, the ale was fresh, and the beds were comfortable and free of vermin. A barmaid with brown hair winked at Colin as they entered.
Though they’d only been there a handful of times, something about the whitewashed walls and low, wood-beamed ceiling gave Kieran a feeling of home. Casual conversation murmured around them and the heavy spices of simmering stew hung in the air.
“Back now, are ye?”
Kieran turned to find a sturdy blonde making her way toward him. Her low-laced bodice displayed the tops of her full breasts. The smile on her face was as genuine as her purpose.
Gaira was always happy to see him.
Chapter Seven
Mariel tried to ignore how the voluptuous blonde’s gaze lingered on Kieran as she addressed them.
“Welcome back, gentlemen. I see ye found a couple companions along the way.” Her gaze settled pointedly on Mariel. “Ye know we’ve always got the extra ale and rooms available…if necessary.” She began clearing off the table nearest them. “Will ye have the
same three rooms, then?”
The subtlety of the question did not mask what she was asking, at least not to Mariel. Especially when the woman paused from her task and looked up at Kieran with her eyebrows raised in silent demand for an answer.
Kieran, however, seemed oblivious. “Aye, Gaira, with an additional one for Lady Brandon and her woman if ye have it.”
Lady Brandon. He had never called her that before. Again, she felt Gaira’s critical stare sweep over her and hated the flicker of self-consciousness that made her want to smooth a hand over her hair or pull at the bodice of her rumpled riding habit. She must look a mess after all the time spent on the road.
Mariel chanced a look at Kieran and found his face impassive. He did not stare back at Gaira with the same interest in which she gazed at him, nor did he appear to be overly glad to see the woman.
“I’ll get the rooms set up for ye,” Gaira said with a satisfied grin. “Ye hungry?”
While Mariel had discovered an immediate and profound dislike for the owner of the Sheep’s Heid Inn, she had to admit the woman knew her business. Within minutes their rooms were prepared, fresh ale foamed in the mugs, and a steaming tray of food was heading in their direction.
“Ye’re back sooner than I thought ye’d be,” Gaira said as she passed around their trenchers.
Kieran’s face darkened. “We werena able to find what we were looking for.”
“Well, whatever brings ye into my doors and gets ye into one of my beds always pleases me well.” She patted his cheek and sauntered off.
Jane arched her eyebrow at Mariel from across the table. Apparently the intimate gesture between the woman and Kieran had not gone unnoticed. Aaron would hear about it.
Mariel looked down at the contents before her. While the food was not what she was used to back in England, it smelled divine. A large piece of sausage-looking meat glistened on the tray, and the scent of cloves and other herbs rose with the wisp of steam. She sliced off a piece and slid it daintily into her mouth. The meat wasn’t cold cheese or gritty bread. No, it was moist and hot and flavorful and she almost moaned out loud as she ate it.
Jane, however, picked at the food with a slight curl of her lip, a clear indication of how she felt about the fare.
“Ye like that?” Kieran asked Mariel, his face skeptical. Colin and Alec, she noticed, also watched her carefully.
She drank deeply from the mug of sweet ale to wash down a mouthful of food before speaking. “I’ve never had anything like this. It’s delicious.”
“Ye dinna meet many English who have an appreciation for fine haggis, do ye?” Colin asked Gaira as she brought Mariel a second helping.
“It’s true,” the woman agreed and tossed a flirtatious smile in Kieran’s direction.
Mariel looked down at the food on her plate. “Haggis?”
A small, rare smile quirked on Alec’s lips. He wasn’t bad looking when he wasn’t scowling. “Let’s just say ye wouldna find this on yer plate at court.”
Considering some of the things Mariel had been forced to eat in order to survive years ago, haggis was a delicacy—whatever it was.
With a small shrug, she said, “What do English nobles know about good food?” She grinned and slid another bite into her mouth.
Alec nodded appreciatively and Kieran looked down at her with what could almost be described as pride. After the food was cleared away, a curvy brunette brought out several more tankards of ale and Colin’s eyes lit up.
“A bonny lass bringing me the finest ale in Scotland. Does life no get any better than this?” he asked. His smile deepened and the dimple appeared in his cheek. The woman blushed, lingering longer than necessary under the pretense of clearing the empty trays from the table.
Jane’s sharp gaze stayed fixed on Mariel, weighing upon her with an uneasy feeling.
“You look tired, Jane,” Mariel said sweetly. “Why don’t you go lie down?”
Jane’s eyes narrowed, and then dropped demurely to her lap. “I’m not as tired as I seem, my lady,” she murmured.
After almost two weeks of constant vigilance, Mariel had little patience. “I confess that it is I who is weary,” Mariel said. “I’d like for you to please go prepare the bed for me.”
With angry silence, the maid rose off the bench and made her way up the stairs. Mariel waited until Jane’s skirts disappeared up the final steps and heaved a sigh of relief.
The serving girl had given up the façade of cleaning and slid into Jane’s seat beside Colin. She leaned close and whispered something that raised his eyebrows.
Mariel chuckled and nudged Kieran. “Should we leave him alone with his conquest?” she teased.
“It may be best,” he replied with a slow grin and drained his mug.
Alec, she realized, had slipped away as well.
“Do ye want me to show ye to yer room?” Kieran stood and nodded toward the stairs.
“Yes, please,” she said and rose from the hard bench.
Across the room, another barmaid slid into Alec’s lap. His hands caught her waist, and her face tilted toward his.
Kieran gave Mariel an apologetic smirk. “They’ve been on the road a while now. They needed a little distraction.”
“No need to explain,” she assured him. She knew all too well how men worked.
“Gaira,” Kieran called across the room where the woman rummaged in a low cabinet. The woman’s head popped up with a smile. Mariel did not miss how Gaira stayed bent over with her ample bosom on full display.
“Can ye be a love and bring me an extra blanket when ye get a free moment?” he asked.
“Of course. I’ll be up in a minute.” Her eyes shifted to Mariel for a brief second before she turned back to what she had been doing.
A ball of ice hardened in Mariel’s stomach. Had he just propositioned Gaira in her presence?
His hand pressed Mariel’s lower back and nudged her toward the stairs. “Come on, lass. I’ll show ye to yer room so you can get some sleep.”
“An extra blanket?” Mariel bit her tongue lest she demand the real reason he wanted the buxom blonde in his room.
“Aye, the ones here are small and my feet stick out.” His nonchalant answer failed to ease the harsh squeeze of blatant rejection.
Mariel allowed herself to be escorted up the stairs. “Thank goodness Gaira can bring you another one.”
Kieran gave her a long look. “Aye,” he agreed slowly, “it is.” His brow furrowed for a brief moment. “That is yer room. I imagine Jane already got everything for ye, but let me know if ye need anything.”
She nodded and turned toward her door, desperate to escape. Having Gaira witness this moment would only make Mariel feel worse.
His large hand caught her elbow and spun her back to face him.
Her body tensed with the need to defend herself, to lash out aggressively and neutralize an attack before it could begin. Hard won lessons of the body were difficult to ignore. She forced her muscles to relax and met the challenge of his gaze.
“What?” Exasperation laced her tone.
The tips of his fingers caressed her cheek, his dark gaze wandering over her face.
“I shouldna be doing this,” he muttered.
His stare settled on her mouth and her pulse tripped.
She swallowed. “Shouldn’t be doing what?” she whispered.
“This,” he growled and his mouth crushed against hers.
His lips were warm, softer than she expected. A sharp contrast to the cool scrape of his unshaven chin.
Kieran’s arms tightened around her, and he pressed her against the door with his solid torso. He caught her jaw with one large hand and tilted her head back so her mouth instinctively opened to the coaxing caress of his tongue. Her nipples tightened beneath her bodice, straining against the wall of his chest as she rose on her toes to deepen their kiss. His tongue dipped into her mouth, savage in its seductive exploration. The sweetness of ale lingered on his lips.
Even
with layers of clothing separating their heated flesh, Mariel could make out the hard lines of Kieran’s body and the thick column of his desire where it pressed against her belly. The steady pulse of longing between her legs pounded with a need that left her breathless. She arched toward him, nudging the blazing heat of his arousal with her hips. A low moan slid from her throat and melted against his mouth.
He cradled her face in his calloused hands and pulled away from her, his breathing ragged.
“Gaira will be here in a moment,” he said in a low voice. His eyes burned bright as he held her gaze.
Mariel took a step back, her mind reeling with the power of his kiss. “What?”
He glanced toward the staircase. “Gaira. She should be here in a moment.”
Anger flashed through Mariel, singeing away the coil of desire. Her fingers fumbled with the doorknob behind her back, and she gave a sharp nod.
“I hope ye sleep well in yer bed tonight.” The weight of his stare pinned her in place, forcing her to think of an answer.
“I’m looking forward to a break from the forest floor.” She turned away with a mixture of disappointment and humiliation and stumbled awkwardly into her chamber before slamming the door shut behind her.
Jane was not inside the small room, but this did not surprise nor disappoint Mariel in the least. Given her current mood, she preferred the quiet reflection her solitude would allow.
A knock at the door startled Mariel from her thoughts and set her heart pounding with hope. Perhaps Kieran had changed his mind. Perhaps he had chosen her.
But it was not Kieran behind the door when she pulled it open. Gaira held out a thick, brown blanket and opened her mouth to speak. A look of confusion flitted across her comely face.
“Oh, forgive me.” The woman’s face flushed. “This is usually where Kieran…”
Mariel gave a terse smile and slowly closed the door, but not before noticing a few extra laces of Gaira’s bodice had been untied.
• • •
Deception of a Highlander Page 4
