by Bree Wolf
Blinking, Garrett shifted his attention from his wife to a man sitting by himself off to the side. His gaze was no longer directed at the drink in his hand but had travelled upward and was now sweeping over Claudia’s assets in a fairly intimate fashion. In the next moment, the man staggered to his feet and sauntered over, eyes fixed on her.
Pushing himself off the wall, Garrett gritted his teeth, willing his body to relax. Then he strode forward, cringing when the man reached Claudia’s side before him.
The man half-leaned onto the counter as he addressed her, his eyes nowhere near her face. “Do you travel alone, dearie?”
Frowning, Claudia turned toward the man who was so rudely interrupting her conversation with the innkeeper. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she looked at him like one would look at a bug.
Despite his anger, amusement tickled the corners of Garrett’s mouth, and once again, he knew exactly why she was the one for him.
Before Claudia could utter any kind of reply, Garrett reached her side, placing a hand onto the small of her back. Then he turned to look at the innkeeper. “Do ye have a free room for my wife and me?”
As the innkeeper nodded his head in affirmation, Garrett noticed the way the drunkard’s eyes dimmed before he stepped back and disappointedly sauntered back to the small table in the corner where he had left his drink.
Next to Garrett, his wife turned, her blue eyes meeting his, a hint of confusion in them. Her features, however, held sheer stubbornness as she seemed to dig in her heels, squared her shoulders and met his eyes. “I’m not staying here,” she hissed in a hushed tone. “I need to go. There’s no time to lose.”
Taking a step forward, Garrett brought his face closer to hers. “’Tis not safe to travel onward,” he hissed back, one arm still resting comfortably around her middle as though it belonged there. “Not in the dark. Ye need sleep, Lass.”
Her eyes hardened, and Garrett could see that she would not yield easily. So, when she opened her mouth in protest, he pulled her in close, her chest pressed against his. She gasped at the sudden contact, but to his surprise, she did not struggle to free herself from his grasp. “Ye will get some sleep, Lass,” he whispered against her lips, “if I have to tie ye to the bed. Dunno test me.”
Pulling back a little, she looked up at him, a slight frown on her face. “You called me your wife.”
“Aye,” was all Garrett said as he held her in his arms for the first time in almost a year. It felt utterly right.
Rolling her eyes at him, she groaned in annoyance. “Why?” she snapped. “Why would you tell him I’m your wife?”
Because ye are! His mind whispered, and yet, Garrett did not say so out loud. Something in her eyes made him hold back, knowing that right here and now she was not ready to hear it…if indeed she truly did not know.
“Ye will have noticed the place is full o’lonely men,” he whispered, his gaze shifting around the room before returning to hers. “I thought ye wouldna care for their company.”
Claudia frowned before understanding crossed her features. “I would bolt my door.”
A low chuckle left his lips. “I’ve no doubt ye would, Lass, but ye see there are always ways around a lock.”
Holding his gaze, she inhaled a deep breath, and he could see that she wanted nothing more but to lash out at him, to tell him to go to hell and do things her way. But she did not. He could see her mind work. He could see reason overcome the urge to tell him off. He could see her calculating gaze study his face.
Then she sighed, a hint of vulnerability back in her eyes. It almost stole the breath from his lungs. “Will I be safe with you?” she asked quietly, her blue eyes wide and trusting as she stood in his arms looking up at him.
Garrett sobered. “Aye,” he promised solemnly, no mockery in his voice now. “Aye, Lass, ye’ll be safe with me. I swear it.”
Again, she inhaled a slow breath before nodding her head. “All right then.” Leaning back, she stepped out of his embrace, her blue eyes holding his as though still needing the reassurance of his promise.
Clearing his throat, Garrett took the offered key from the innkeeper and asked the man to have someone see to their horses. Then he offered Claudia his arm and escorted her up the stairs, wondering if any woman would share a room with a stranger if she truly did not know who he was. If only he could be certain.
“Did ye get the answer ye sought?” Garrett asked as they walked down the small, dimly lit corridor.
For a moment, she frowned before understanding came to her eyes and a true and honest and utterly captivating smile lit up her face as though the sun had risen in the dark of night.
Garrett was speechless, cringing at the thought that another man had put it there. Who else could she be looking for?
Chapter Eleven – Those Who Are Lost
Stepping into the small room, Claudia’s mind was reeling with the innkeeper’s words.
After a moment’s hesitation that had nearly stopped her heart, he had told her that a few days ago a man and an infant had stayed at the Prancing Pony and had then headed farther north the following day. In that moment, Claudia could have sagged to the ground with relief, with joy, with utter exhilaration.
Then a frown had chased away her joy, and she had wondered why her brother had not told her that. Was he still searching, following this clue, without her knowledge? If so, why? Did he believe she would break if she knew? Why would he think that?
Or did he truly not know?
Claudia drew in a slow breath as she approached the window and glanced out into the dark, barely aware of the man who stepped into the room behind her and closed the door. She remembered her brother’s words to her only too clearly. Indeed, he had spoken to the innkeeper as well as everyone else they had met, and yet, they had discovered nothing. How was this possible? Had her brother lied to her? Or had the innkeeper lied to her brother? But why? What reason could either of these two men have to lie?
Turning around, Claudia faced yet another man of unknown loyalty.
Standing by the door, Mr. MacDrummond looked at her, his green eyes holding hers as though they had known each other for years and possessed that often unsettling ability to communicate without words. Claudia did not know what to make of him.
Indeed, she had expected him to turn back long before now. Never would she have expected such commitment. Even gentlemanly conduct had its limits. Then why was he here? After all, they were strangers. He owed her nothing. She was no duty or responsibility of his. Why was he still here?
Swallowing, Claudia wondered if he might have an ulterior motive. Had she been a fool to agree to this? To share a room? Had he truly insisted she pretend to be his wife only to protect her? Could she trust him? Or had she just invited the devil into her room?
Squaring her shoulders, Claudia cleared her throat. Do not show fear, she counselled herself for the second time that night, for a lone wolf always goes after the weak. Be strong!
“Why are you helping me?” she asked into the stillness of the room, her voice almost deafening to her own ears. “Why do you insist to stay?”
He shrugged. “Because ye canna do this alone, Lass. Ye’ve proved that more than once tonight. Dunno deny it.”
Pressing her lips together, Claudia glared at him for reminding her of the fact that she had indeed needed him that night, that without him she might not be standing here. “While that might be true,” she bit out, “it does not answer my question. I cannot believe that any man would follow a stranger merely out of the goodness of his heart.”
To her surprise, a teasing grin came to his face. “I’ve never met a Lass who would insult the man who has gone to great lengths to help her. Is this yer way of showing yer gratitude?”
“I did not insult you!” Claudia snapped. “I merely−”
“Aye, Lass, ye did,” he interrupted, his long legs carrying him closer to her. “Ye questioned the goodness of my heart. Is that not an insult to yer mind?”
G
ritting her teeth, Claudia glared at him. “I merely meant to point out that your behaviour does not make sense.”
“Neither does yers,” he said chuckling.
Ignoring his interruption, Claudia rested her hands on her sides, feeling her blood begin to boil. That insufferable man! “I am no one to you,” she snapped, pointing an accusing finger at his chest. “Why would you go to these lengths−as you put it−to help me? I’m a stranger to you. I’ve never met a man who would abandon his own plans and follow an unknown woman out of town in the middle of the night.”
“If ye recall, I offered to take ye home.”
Exasperated with his evasiveness, Claudia could have smacked him on the head. “Why will you not answer me? It is a fairly simple question, and I do believe I have a right to know.” Holding his gaze, she raised her brows. “Why are you helping me?”
His face sobered as they looked at one another. Then finally, he drew in a long breath and said, “’Tis the way I was brought up. ‘Tis the way of the clan to look after each other. No one is ever truly alone. There’s always someone there to turn to for help.” Taking a step closer, his green eyes studied her face, a question hanging in the air. “’Tis a question of honour to guard one’s family, those within one’s circle.”
Claudia swallowed, feeling the weight of his gaze as though she was back in his arms, enveloped and safe. “But I’m not family,” she whispered, unable to look away. “You have no reason to protect me. I’m not your responsibility.”
“Then where is yer family? Why are they not here? By yer side?”
Claudia dropped her gaze, her hands clasped around her arms. “It’s…complicated.”
Silence fell over the room as she kept her eyes on the floor, feeling her hold on her nerves slipping as she thought of her family. Had they already discovered her absence? What would they think once they found her note? Unable to explain herself, she had simply penned a few words of apology, saying that she could not sit at home and wait. She had to go and find her son.
“Who are ye looking for, Lass?”
Claudia’s head snapped up, and she found Mr. MacDrummond standing merely an arm’s length away from her, his green eyes gentle as they searched her face. And yet, there was an almost desperate need in those eyes to have her answer his question. Why did he care?
Swallowing, Claudia shook her head, unwilling to risk offending him. How would he react if she was to tell him that she was looking for her bastard child? As a gentleman with a high code of honour, he would most likely desert her on the spot.
Was that not what you wanted since your paths first crossed? A traitorous voice whispered. This is your chance. Rid yourself of him.
And yet, to her great dismay, she could not.
The thought of him turning from her and leaving her behind, alone, brought an aching pain to her chest. Oddly enough, his presence was reassuring, comforting. Despite the fact that they were strangers, she felt safe with him.
“I’m…I’m looking for a friend,” she finally said, carefully glancing up at him. “That is all I can tell you.”
His green eyes remained on hers, and she could see that he was disappointed. Still, he nodded, a shadow falling over his face. “I’m looking for my wife.”
Stunned, Claudia stared at him, momentarily speechless. “Your wife? You’re looking for your wife?”
Sighing, he nodded.
“What happened?” Claudia asked before she could prevent it, reminding herself that they were in fact strangers and that such a question might be too intimate in nature. Still, her eyes remained on his, all but begging him to answer her. Why was it that she cared so much?
Mr. MacDrummond shrugged. “I dunno know,” he whispered, his green eyes fixed on her face as though he was the one waiting for an answer. “One morning, I woke up and she was gone. I havena been able to find her since.”
Claudia swallowed, seeing honest pain on the man’s face. “How long has it been?”
“Almost a year.”
Claudia’s eyes widened at his words, and the thought of not finding her son any time soon−perhaps not ever−brought tears to her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, blinking them away. “You must be devastated.” Was that why he was helping her? Hoping that his wife, too, would receive help from a stranger, should she ever need it?
His jaw tensed, and she could see that he was gritting his teeth as sadness fell over his face. “I wish I knew why she left,” he whispered, and his gaze rose to meet hers. “She didna say a word nor leave a note. It eats me up not knowing.”
Swallowing, Claudia looked at him. Utter love shone in his eyes, and it was all too obvious how much his wife still meant to him. For almost a year, he had been searching for her with no success, and yet, he was far from giving up. If he never found her, it would haunt him for the rest of his life. She could only hope he would be spared that fate.
And yet, a small stab of pain assaulted her heart at the thought that his had already been claimed. If she was not thoroughly mistaken, he was indeed a true gentleman, and any woman would have been fortunate to call him her own.
Only his wife seemed to have been blind. Why on earth would any woman have left such a man?
Frowning at herself, Claudia wondered about how quickly he had won her over when only moments ago she had yelled at him. It seemed her mind and heart were constantly at war when it came to him. While her mind counselled her to be cautious−suspicious even−her heart all but urged her back into his arms. When he had pulled her into his embrace down in the taproom, it had taken all her willpower to step back. She was not certain she would be able to do so again.
A knock on the door shook them both from their thoughts, and Mr. MacDrummond walked across the small room to open it. A maid greeted him, handing him Claudia’s hastily-packed bag, then bid them a good night.
“I see ye came prepared,” he said, the hint of a teasing grin back on his face, as he put her bag down on one of the two chairs set around a small table.
Claudia returned his smile, but found herself feeling suddenly uncertain, not knowing how to continue.
“I shall head downstairs for a wee drink,” Mr. MacDrummond said, his gaze dark as it held hers. “Go ahead and slip into bed. I promise I’ll be quiet and not wake ye.” He took a step backwards and collided with the door, and yet, his eyes stayed on hers as though he could not bring himself to look away.
Claudia nodded, feeling his gaze almost like a caress travelling over her skin. “All right then,” was all she could manage as she tried her best to calm her thoughts. Who was this man? And why did he have such an overwhelming effect on her?
Swallowing, Mr. MacDrummond finally turned and left the room. However, before he closed the door behind him, their eyes met yet again, and Claudia felt heat shoot through her body, hot enough to singe her hairs. The thought of undressing in a room that they shared was utterly scandalous but tempting all the same.
Warmth filled her heart, and a smile claimed her face.
Then as though to punish her, her mind conjured the images of another room at another inn where she had woken after a reckless night spent with a stranger and then found herself unmarried and with child. It had been these feelings that had brought her all this heartache, that had put her in this place.
A place where she was alone and searching for her son. What if she never found him? What if she did? Would she be able to give him up again?
Claudia doubted it very much, and yet, it would be the right thing to do.
Why did the right thing never feel right? And why on earth could not the wrong thing feel as wrong as it was?
Chapter Twelve – Behind a Name
After an hour spent downstairs staring into the dancing flames in the hearth, Garrett finally returned to their room. His hands trembled as he opened the door and stepped across the threshold into the darkened room. She had extinguished the candle, and all he could see were vague shadows as he slowly made his way across the floor to where
the two chairs were set around a small table in the corner by the window.
His breath quickened as his senses reached out to her. After a moment, he could hear her soft breathing from the back of the room where the bed stood against the wall. His heart thudded wildly in his chest, and every fibre in his body urged him to slip into bed with her and pull her into his arms.
As though it had been yesterday and not almost a year ago, Garrett remembered the night he had spent holding her in his arms, watching her sleep, her head resting on his shoulder, her soft breath brushing over his skin. It had felt heavenly, and he had ached for her ever since.
Alone in his bed, he had felt abandoned, utterly lonely. How often had he reached out in his sleep searching for her? How often had he woken to feel the memory of her loss like a punch to his stomach?
And now she was here, across the room, sleeping.
Inhaling a deep breath, Garrett shed his coat and hung it over the back of a chair. Then he pulled off his boots when the sound of their steps on the wooden floor suddenly seemed all too deafening. Carefully and with the greatest of care, he approached the bed, his eyes searching for her in the dark.
At first, he only saw the soft rise of the blanket covering her body before his gaze wandered upward and then finally touched her face. In the dim light from the window, her skin seemed pale, and yet, the silvery light of the moon gave her face an ethereal glow. Her thick lashes rested gently on her soft skin, and her mahogany curls lay strewn about the pillow, wild and untamed.
Garrett smiled, remembering how she had told him that she hated to put it in a plait. Even in sleep, the small tugs on her scalp whenever she turned had always felt like a confinement. He had run his hands through her wild curls then and told her he never again wanted to see it bound. Had she slept without a plait ever since that night? Or was it only now, away from the boundaries of her old life, that she dared to unleash her inner self?
A small sigh left her lips, and she turned onto her back, one hand resting against her forehead as though she was in deep thought.