by Bree Wolf
Grinning, he nodded. “So, when we’re alone?”
Claudia scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. “Perhaps this is a mistake,” she mumbled more to herself than to him.
“I doubt it,” Mr. MacDrummond−Garrett−replied to her thoughts.
“Of course, you wouldn’t think so,” Claudia snapped. Shaking her head, she frowned at him. “You do what you do for no good reason, at least not that I can see, and then you criticise me for−” Clamping her mouth shut, she dropped her chin, belatedly realising that she had been about to reveal more than she had intended. What on earth made her speak to him so freely? Without restraint?
“We all have our reasons,” Garrett said, his voice now gentle as he tried to catch her eye. “Whether they are deemed reasonable by another is a different matter. I do what I think right, and I try not to concern myself much with what others think of my reasoning. After all, ‘tis my life, not theirs.”
Closing her eyes, Claudia felt a smile curl up her lips. Then she turned to look at the man riding beside her. “I’ve never met a man like you, Garrett,” she said without restraint, knowing that he would not fault her for it, “but I’ve always wanted to.”
For a moment, he stilled, and his eyes grew darker in intensity as he held her gaze. She could see that her words had affected him as he inhaled a slow, almost torturous breath. She could see that he wanted to say something, that there was something on the tip of his tongue, and yet, he remained quiet for a long time.
“Neither have I met a woman like you, Claudia,” he finally said, his gaze holding hers as though watching for her reaction, “not since the night I met my wife.”
His words felt like a punch to the stomach, and for a moment, Claudia thought she would be ill.
His wife! Of course, he had a wife!
How could she have forgotten that? How could she have forgotten that the man who was endearing himself to her more and more with each passing minute was already married? No matter how she was beginning to feel about him, nothing could come of this.
Not only his heart but also his hand had already been claimed. As much as he acted like her knight in shining armour, he was not hers. She would do well to remember that!
Digging her heels in, Claudia urged her mare into a gallop, unable to look at the man beside her. Her eyes remained on the road ahead and then shifted to the structure appearing on the horizon. Another inn! Perhaps it would mean another clue. Another clue that would lead her to her son. That and nothing else was what she ought to think about.
When they reached the inn sometime later, Claudia felt her breath come in fast gasps. Her mare, too, seemed ready for a break.
“We should rest here,” Garrett said beside her. Not since he had mentioned his wife had they said one word to each other. “The horses, too, could do with a wee bit of a break.”
Claudia nodded. “Will you see to them?” she asked, handing him the reins. “I will go inside and…make enquiries.” Not waiting for his reply, Claudia simply headed toward the door, unable to even look back at him over her shoulder. She knew he wanted to know more about who she was looking for. He had made that abundantly clear. The only thing she did not know was why. Why was it so important to him to know who she was looking for?
Pushing all these thoughts aside, Claudia opened the door and stepped inside.
Once again, she found herself at an inn, hoping that the innkeeper could tell her what she needed to know. She told herself that the chances of that happening were slim. She told herself that he would shake his head and tell her he had not seen a man travelling with an infant. She told herself that there would be other ways to learn what had happened to her son.
She tried her best not to get her hopes up. A fall from such heights would be devastating.
To Claudia’s great surprise, she did not fall.
“A man and a babe, yes, they were here,” the innkeeper confirmed, scratching his head. “Thought it a bit odd that they were travelin’ alone, but who am I to judge?”
“Do you know where they headed?” Claudia asked, feeling her heart dance and her head grow dizzy as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
“North,” the innkeeper replied without a moment’s hesitation. “They headed north.”
In that moment, Claudia paused−although she could not say why. “North?” Claudia replied as the situation she found herself in reminded her too closely of the one at the Prancing Pony. “Did he tell you that?”
The innkeeper frowned. “I suppose.”
“You suppose?” Claudia’s eyes narrowed. “What did the man look like?”
The innkeeper shrugged. “He was…eh…tall…and…eh…wore dark clothes.” He shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t remember more. There’re so many people coming and going here. It’s hard to remember them all.”
And yet, you remembered that they were headed north, Claudia thought. The same as the last innkeeper. Oddly enough, it felt as though the man who had taken her child was leaving bread crumbs for her to follow.
At the Prancing Pony, the innkeeper had not spoken to her brother about a man with an infant. Claudia was certain now that her brother would not have lied to her about something so important. That would mean that the innkeeper had lied? But why? And why had he told her without a moment’s hesitation? Had he been told or rather paid to give this message to her and her alone?
Claudia’s thoughts raced, and she barely took note of Garrett as he appeared by her side, telling her that he had stabled the horses. Then he guided her to an empty table and ordered a hearty luncheon. Claudia ate, but her mind remained elsewhere.
Who would take her child and why, and would they then lead her to them? How would the kidnapper even know that she would follow? If she had not, then all his messages would have been for nothing.
“Are ye all right, Lass?” Garrett asked, brushing a hand over her arm in order to get her attention. “Ye havena said a word in over an hour, and I’m beginning to worry.” A tense smile crossed his face as he tried to look into her eyes. “What’s on yer mind, Lass?”
Claudia blinked, his words belatedly finding their way to her mind. “I’m fine,” she said, trying to smile at him. “It’s nothing.”
Frowning, he sat back in his chair. “Quite obviously, no one has ever told ye this,” he began, crossing his arms in front of his chest in a rather annoyed gesture, “but ye’re not a good liar. If ye dunno wish to tell me, then say so, but dunno lie.
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Claudia nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, her eyes on the man who continued to watch her like someone trying to decipher an ancient text. “Don’t look at me like that.”
His brows rose. “Like what?”
“Like you know me.”
A teasing grin came to his lips. “Do I not?” Leaning forward, he rested his arms on the table top, his green eyes rather unnervingly fixed on hers. “Ye feel trapped in a life ye did not choose. Ye wish and ye dream, but ye force yerself to abide by their rules. Yer head and yer heart rarely agree so ye often feel torn about what to do. And yet, yer heart still has hope, and so ye speak yer mind, doing at least that if nothing else.” He grinned. “Until now. Now, ye’ve chosen to walk yer own path and damn who disagrees.” His gaze narrowed. “Why? Why now?”
Overwhelmed, Claudia could do little else but stare at the stranger across from her. The stranger who seemed to know her almost as well as she knew herself. Had he truly been able to learn all that from what little time they had spent together?
His hand reached across the table and gently settled on hers. “Claudia?”
Claudia flinched, instinctively jerking her hand back. “I-I need to go,” she stammered, pushing back the chair and rising to her feet. She was already halfway to the door when his hand came around her arm, pulling her back.
Urging her sideways into a corner of the room where they were hidden from the other guests, Garrett looked down at her, his green eyes s
trangely compelling. “Whether ye like it or not,” he whispered as he towered above her, “there’s something between us, Lass.” When she dropped her gaze, he reached out and grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I know ye can feel it. I can see it in yer eyes. Why will ye not admit to it?”
Trying to catch her breath, Claudia stared up at him, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that his words were true. There was something between them. She could feel it every time he looked at her, every time the sound of his voice reached her ears, every time he touched her.
“You have a wife,” she finally said, her voice hard. If she did not break the spell now, she might lose her heart to him, and her heart was in no shape to withstand another loss. She simply could not risk it. She needed him to leave her alone. She needed him to stay away from her. “I doubt she would care for the way you speak to me.” Then she jerked her chin from his grasp, shoved him aside and rushed out the door, tears stinging her eyes.
Chapter Fourteen – A Wall In-Between
When the sun began to lower itself below the horizon, they reached the next inn on their way north.
Despite her best efforts, Garrett had not abandoned her. Even though his face had held barely-controlled anger, he had saddled his horse and followed her as before. Claudia did not know if she was relieved or not. His presence still calmed her, put her at ease, and yet, it also did things to her heart and her body that frightened her.
He is married! She kept reminding herself, wishing her heart would listen and abandon its pursuit. He has a wife!
Once more tossing him the reins of her mare, Claudia headed inside yet another inn without another look back, welcoming the distraction as her mind once more focused on what had led her here. Wondering what would happen, she approached the counter and waited for the innkeeper to hand a key to a young couple before addressing the man.
Strangely enough, the same thing happened again. It was as though the man had been all but expecting her so he could deliver his message and be done with it. His words, too, largely resembled those she had heard at the previous inns. They’d all spoken of a man and a babe, staying one night and then heading north the next morning. That seemed to be the extent of their knowledge. No more and no less.
In that moment, Garrett walked in the door, heading straight to her side. However, before he could utter a word, Claudia once more turned to the innkeeper. “Do you have rooms available?” she asked, keeping her gaze sternly forward. “One for myself and another for my companion?”
The innkeeper nodded and turned to a wall full of keys.
All the while, the man beside her said not a word, and yet, she could almost feel his anger coming off him in red, hot waves. His body had tensed at her words, and he had dropped her bag.
Good, Claudia thought. Perhaps now he would keep his distance. Perhaps now he would leave her as she had made it clear that there would be nothing between them.
Claudia swallowed, but then forced a smile back onto her face, not caring in the least whether or not he would be able to see through her lie. “Are you hungry?” she asked lightly. “I admit I’m quite famished. Shall we sit down and have some supper?” Without awaiting his answer, she picked up her bag, took the proffered key from the innkeeper and then headed into the taproom.
Settling at a table, Claudia exhaled the breath she had been holding when she found him following her into the room and taking the seat across from her. Still, she could not help but be disgusted with herself for seeking the company of a married man.
As before, they ate in silence, only the occasional glance exchanged between the two of them. And yet, Claudia found that she had never been more aware of another person than she was now in that very moment of the man who sat across from her. The hum of voices from the guests around them wrapped them in a world of their own, and it seemed as though no one and nothing else existed.
The emotions she could read on his face changed from anger to something softer then back to a steely glare directed at her. Sometimes his mouth would open as though he wished to say or ask something, but it was only near the end of their meal when he finally spoke. “Who is Aiden? And why are ye looking for him, Lass?”
Claudia froze and was about to shoot to her feet when his warm hand reached out and settled on hers, grounding her to her seat. “Ye need to tell me for I do believe I deserve to know,” he whispered, and yet, his voice held a touch of anger, of urgency and the will not to be denied.
Ignoring the feel of his hand on hers, Claudia shook her head, her eyes holding his, taking note of the small flare that lit them like burning embers.
“Was he yer lover?” he forced out through gritted teeth, his hand tensing on hers. “Did he desert ye? Is that why ye’re looking for him?”
Annoyed with his overbearing attitude, Claudia jerked her hand free. “As I’ve told you before, this is none of your concern.” Then she shot to her feet. “If you cannot accept that, then you should leave. Good night.”
With quick steps, she crossed the room, heading for the staircase. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she could all but feel him following her with his eyes. Anger fuelled her movements, and she stomped up the stairs, earning her looks of bewilderment from the other guests. Claudia could not have cared less. Hastening along the dim corridor, she located her room, unlocked the door and headed inside, slamming it shut.
Or she would have…if Garrett had not silently followed on her heel, his hand catching the door as it was about to swing closed.
Spinning around, Claudia stared at him as he stepped across the threshold, his face dark with anger. He closed the door with a kick of his boot and then tossed her bag into the next corner.
Claudia had forgotten all about it. Too preoccupied had she been with the man in front of her. “Out!” she shrieked, only too aware of the anger that sent a tremble up and down his arms. “Get out of my room!”
His lips pressed into a thin line as he came stalking toward her, his green eyes dangerously dark as they held hers. “Answer me,” he snarled. “Who is Aiden?”
Gritting her teeth against the tears that threatened, Claudia shook her head, tapping into her anger rather than her grief. “You have no right to an answer,” she snapped, glaring at him despite the shiver that ran down her spine. “I never asked you to come. You were the one who insisted. I told you to go, to leave me alone before we even left London. I told you again and again, but would you listen? No, of course, not.” Shaking her head, she stemmed her hands in her sides. “Men always think they know better.” Claudia was only dimly aware that his mouth opened a couple of times in order to reply, but she could not stop herself. Her anger and confusion and fear came pouring out of her. “If you had listened to me, then none of this would have happened. You would be back in London, doing whatever it is that you do, and I would be well on my way to−” Clamping her mouth shut, Claudia stomped her feet, annoyed with herself for almost saying more than she had intended − again.
“On yer way to what?” Garrett asked as he took a step closer, his gaze not wavering from hers. “Or to whom?”
Again, Claudia shook her head. “As I’ve told you before you may ask−as annoying as that is−while I may choose not to answer.”
His jaw tensed, and she took note of his hands balling into fists. “I swear,” he forced out through gritted teeth, “if ye dunno tell me, I will tie ye to my horse and take ye back to London.”
The breath caught in Claudia’s throat. “You wouldn’t!”
“Try me!” he hissed, lowering his head to hers. “As I’ve told ye before, I canna in good conscience have ye roaming the countryside on yer own, Lass.”
Stomping her foot, she glared at him. “You wouldn’t!” she hissed once again.
Taking another step toward her, he grasped her chin, his face now only an inch away. “Try me! I dare ye!”
Chapter Fifteen – The Memory of a Kiss
Anger held Garrett rigid as he stared down at his wife.
Her eyes were wide, and he could see the small tremors that shook her. She was holding on by a thread, one that would snap at any moment. Did she truly think he would leave her alone? And in this condition?
Cursed woman! Why could she not simply tell him the truth? After all, she did not know that he was her husband. Why should she fear to upset him if she revealed the truth about the man named Aiden? Why could she not simply be honest?
“Did he leave ye?” Garrett asked again, feeling her chin begin to quiver. Still, her eyes were as steely as before, and a part of him was impressed by the strength she showed. “Did he leave ye, Lass?”
A small sob escaped her throat before a lone tear rolled down her cheek and onto his hand. “He was taken from me,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Highwaymen took him.”
Never would Garrett have expected her to answer thus. “He was taken,” he repeated, a lump forming in his throat, one he could not dislodge no matter how often he swallowed. “Who was he to ye? Who…who is he to ye?” Again, he tried and failed. “Did ye…do ye love him?”
Longing stood in her eyes, bright and clear, and yet, a cloud descended upon her face before the steel returned to her gaze. Her eyes hardened, and her lips thinned before she pushed his hand away, removing it from her chin. “I’ve answered your question,” she hissed, her lips quivering. “I will tell you no more.”
Garrett gritted his teeth. He was so close to the truth, the complete truth in all its devastation. He could not stop now.
Again, before he could speak, she cut him off though. “What reason do I have to trust you? Why should I−?”
“What reason?” Garrett growled. “I’ve done nothing but help ye, Lass. I−”
“But why?” she interrupted, her hands gesturing wildly as her anger overwhelmed the pain he had seen in her eyes. “Why would anyone do what you did?” She shook her head. “No, there has to be an ulterior motive. One you conceal. One you refuse to name.”