She wanted nothing more than for the Scotsman in her bed to grab her and wrap her up in his arms. She could not believe that she was thinking such a thing, let alone sharing a bed with a Highlander. If only the other ladies back in Gordontrent could see her now. She did not know if any of them would know she was to be married to a Scottish Laird.
Juliana had not yet got her head around the fact that she was to be married to a Scotsman, and she recoiled a little at the thought of sharing a bed with one, but not with this one. This Scotsman was different from all of the others, she was sure of it. This man was polite, courteous, and courageous. She shook her head slightly at the thought of everything that was happening. It had happened so quickly that she had barely had time to think any of it through.
She felt Andrew turn away and knew that he would soon be asleep. For Juliana, sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. She slowed her breathing to try and calm her beating heart. She had never shared a bed with a man before, but this felt natural, even though the situation she was in felt unnatural.
If only I was not promised to the Laird, but then I would never have met Andrew. I cannot think of a way to resolve this issue. I do not have feelings for the Laird, and I am not sure that I ever will, but I fear that I am starting to have feelings for this man sleeping beside me.
Juliana lay awake in the bed all night. Andrew lay beside her the entire night, not moving a muscle. When the sun began to rise through the window, she felt the bed move slightly, and Andrew get up from it. She watched him as he walked over to the window and looked out, stretching his arms up in the air.
Even with his body covered, she could see the muscles beneath it. He was tall and strong, but it was only now that she was starting to see just how muscular he was. He looked like a warrior from one of her books, the window framing him, and the rising sun coming through the open window bathed him in an orange glow that contrasted with his plain clothes. When he turned toward her, Juliana closed her eyes and waited until she heard him leave the room.
She finally opened her eyes again and lay in silence, the room empty once more. She had hoped that something would happen during the night, but nothing had, and part of her was glad for that. She did not want to start a new life with the Laird having an indiscretion against her. Andrew was a perfect gentleman, and she had to start thinking like a perfect lady too.
When she got downstairs, the men, including Andrew, were packing up the carriage once more. Some food was handed to her, and she ate greedily, finding herself to be hungrier than she had thought.
“Did ye sleep well, Miss Petrey?” asked John.
“Pardon?” There was a slight hesitation as she looked over at Andrew. She saw him looking at her before looking away as she caught his glance.
“I’m wonderin’ if ye slept well.” John looked well rested and yawned as he stretched.
“Oh, yes, I did. And you?” asked Juliana.
“Aye, Miss Petrey, I did. There was not much room, but I feel for Andrew more. He had tae sleep outside.”
“Is that so?” asked Juliana with astonishment in her voice. “Well, I hope that he rested well. If I had known that he would have to sleep outside, I would have suggested riding to the next village.”
“Aye. Well, we will be off soon,” said John.
“Thank you,” said Juliana. She watched the men work to load the carriage with the remainder of the bags and supplies, handed over her own, and enjoyed the changing colors of the sky as it turned from shades of orange and red to pink and then blue.
They would leave England today, and she hoped that it would not be too much of a change. There was already so much change in the air, that she could not take the place and the people being so different too. Andrew, John, and Edward were the first real Scotsmen that she had met, but they were not so different from everyone else, save in the way that they talked. They were not like the Scots that she had imagined, either. They were not as barbaric as she had feared, but she had only met the three so far.
When the carriage was packed up, they were on their way again.
* * *
The next few days were spent in mostly the same fashion, save for one important detail. Juliana had hoped for a repeat of the first night with Andrew. She was torn between relief and disappointment. A part of her wanted to be closer to Andrew, but another part of her pushed away, reminded her of the Laird and her promise, to him and to her family.
When they stopped at subsequent inns, she hoped there would not be room for all of them, but there always was, either in the form of another room or in a space where the three men could sleep together. Juliana hoped that he would sneak away one of the nights and come visit her, but he never did.
The days were a different matter entirely, and she would enjoy being in the carriage with Andrew. They would talk about everything. Andrew would tell her about life in the Castle, and his relationship with his father before he had passed away, and Juliana would tell him about her life before being promised to the Laird, as boring as she thought it was, but he seemed to hang on her every word.
She had to admit that Scotsmen were not much different from English men. They did talk differently, and she caught sight—and smell—of their food from time to time, but people were people. And, in that regard, Andrew was one of the best that she had met.
Then there was the scenery. Juliana could see that the people were the same deep down, but it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the beauty of Scotland. She loved her home, and she loved England too, but there was a majesty and mystery to the North that Juliana had not expected.
It was when there was a lull in the conversation that Juliana noticed the scenery change. When they had crossed over from England to Scotland, there had not been much of a change, but it was in stark contrast now. She had no idea how many days they had been traveling, the days all blurred into one, and had no idea where they were.
“Where are we?” asked Juliana.
“The Highlands,” said Andrew.
Juliana could hear the pride in his voice as he said it, and she knew that he had every right to be proud. She looked out of the carriage window as the scenery moved past them and could only think about how magnificent everything was.
She took a moment to absorb it all. She had been reluctant to travel so far north, and marry a Scottish Laird that she did not know, but this made it all worth it.
The water was flowing crystal, reflecting subtle shades of blue. When they stopped, she could see the fish swimming below, and the round rocks and stones on the beds of the rivers. When they traveled past in the carriage, the still waters were a mirror, reflecting the summer sun, and the rich azure of the sky above.
The colors were not what she expected. She had heard people talk of the dullness of Scotland, but the colors were anything but. There was not a wide range of colors like you would find in an English garden, but each color was more vivid and beautiful. Juliana drank it all in.
There were greens and purples. Each blade of grass on the Scottish mountains shone as if they had been perfectly crafted from emerald or jade. The purples were sapphires, reflecting the sun with sparkling grace, and shining even in the shadows. She was not sure if she had seen heather before, but she fell in love immediately.
And the mountains! She had seen mountains before, but not like this. They towered above them, higher than anything she had ever seen. The bases were covered in the rich emeralds and sapphires, and the tops gave way to strong and rugged peaks of grey rock. In the early mornings, they were always draped with a thin covering of fog, as if they slept in it, before shrugging it off to welcome the morning sun.
It brought tears to Juliana’s eyes. She did not think that she would find as much beauty in Scotland as she had found in one of its men, but here were the Highlands.
“They are amazing.” Juliana was overwhelmed by the beauty.
“Aye,” said Andrew.
“This is your home?” asked Juliana.
“Aye.” The so
litary word came one more.
“It is beautiful.” Juliana could not believe that Andrew had spent his life in the beautiful Highlands. “I just wish that I could hear more about your childhood here, but I fear that I have asked you everything about it.”
“Aye, I dinnae have any secrets tae share with ye,” said Andrew.
That made Juliana feel a little ashamed. The reason that she was traveling all the way up here was to marry the Laird and save her family. She had secrets that she had kept from Andrew, and the shame ran through her. She came close to telling him at that moment and might have if it were not for the jolt that ran through the carriage.
The carriage had been rumbling along the dirt road, the thud of horse’s hooves apparent in front of them. The vehicle had been bobbing up and down gently as it had navigated the divots in the road when there had been an almighty crack. It sounded like thunder at first, and the way that the carriage had lurched had made Juliana think that they had been struck by lightning.
Juliana was thrown up into the air, the bench bucking her like a startled horse. She felt something bump into her head, and was not sure, in all of the commotion, if it were the top of the carriage or not. The entire vehicle lurched to the other side, and Juliana was thrown sideways this time. There was shouting coming from the outside, and then a feeling of safety.
The jolt had thrown her across Andrew, who had caught her in his arms. The way that she had fallen, they were facing each other, her body pressed against his, their eyes locking as the carriage stopped moving, and their lips only an inch apart. Juliana’s heart slowed and beat like a drum.
Only one inch. That was the barrier that Juliana had to cross. She wanted him to do it, but he sat there, breathing heavily and staring at her with his alluring eyes. She almost lunged forward, fully embracing him when a face appeared at the window.
“The wheel is shot,” said John.
“Are ye hurt?” asked Andrew. He pushed Juliana gently back into her seat beside him.
“I am fine.” The moment was broken.
“What happened tae the wheel?” asked Andrew.
“We hit a rock or somethin’. Edward’s takin’ a look at it.” John sighed, this was obviously not the first time that something like this had happened.
“All right, I’ll come to take a look,” said Andrew. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“I will come too,” said Juliana. “I could do with the fresh air.”
Andrew got out of the carriage first, helping Juliana down onto the step that was now sitting at an angle, with the entire carriage sloped to the side. When her feet hit the ground, she took in a deep breath. Juliana had not noticed just how fresh the air was until she got out of the carriage.
They had been traveling fast and making good time, but there had not been a chance to stop and breathe in the fresh air. It was only now, stopped in the Highlands, that Juliana was able to stand still and take in the freshness of the air around her. She breathed in deep and felt healthier just for doing so.
Juliana stretched her legs a little, circling around the carriage, before coming back around to the side where the wheel was obviously broken. The wood had split where it had hit the rock, and there was even a piece of the wheel missing. Juliana glanced back down the road to see pieces of wood splayed across the dirt road.
Andrew was crouched down beside the wheel and was shaking his head. John and Edward stood there too. There was no attempt made to fix what was now broken.
“It’s at least a few hours ride tae the next village,” said John. “Ye’ll have tae take the horses. Edward and I will try our best tae get this fixed up, but I dinnae think that there is much that can be done.”
“Aye, thankfully, we are close tae home, so we can get some help from someone,” said Andrew.
“When will help come?” asked Juliana.
“We have tae go and find some,” said Andrew.
“Who is going?” There was some worry in her voice. She did not want to be separated from Andrew.
“Dinnae worry, ye’ll be comin’ with me,” said Andrew. “This is no place for a lass tae spend any time. There’s nothin’ for miles around, but ye cannae be too careful. There are wild beast and bandits, no doubt.”
Juliana did not say anything, but the nervousness came back, the same feeling that she had felt when Andrew had caught her in the carriage. She looked back at the carriage. There were two horses there. She hoped that that would mean it would only be her and Andrew going.
“The two of us will ride, and send help back for the carriage,” said Andrew, granting her unsaid wish immediately.
Juliana tried not to smile at the thought of her and Andrew riding off by themselves. She stilled her beating heart and thought of the possibilities when it was just the two of them. More and more, she was forgetting all about the Laird that she was supposed to marry.
6
A Mountain Lake
The horses were soon unhitched from the carriage, and saddles were placed on them, a precaution taken in case something like this should happen. There were some small saddlebags that were added, and that was enough to pack a small number of belongings, but not too much.
Juliana watched the preparations with the horses and did not say a word. She was expecting at any moment that the dream was going to be taken from her. John went off for a walk around the surrounding area to make sure that there was no one nearby that couldn’t help, and once again, Juliana felt her heart in her throat.
In less than an hour, John had returned, and the horse had been prepared. The three men worked to lever the carriage up onto the single working wheel, and the carriage was pulled across the road. They pushed it into the thick bushes and trees, to hide it should anyone come along, though John and Edward would keep watch too.
Strangers on the road could mean help, but it could also mean trouble, and the two men were ready for both. After what seemed like an eternity, Juliana was finally on her horse, and Andrew was saying farewell.
“We’ll send for ye soon,” said Andrew.
“Aye, safe travels,” said John.
And, with that, Juliana and Andrew were riding off together. Juliana had not had as much experience riding when compared to Andrew, but she had taken lessons from an early age and knew what she was doing. She could tell that Andrew was impressed with her, and she kept up without any problem. She even noticed that Andrew upped his speed at one point when he realized that she could ride as well as he could.
Juliana felt free. She was not sure that she had ever felt free in her life. Her life in Gordontrent had been a good one, there was no doubt about that, but she had never truly been without constraint. As she rode through the Scottish Highlands, she did not have a care in the world.
The past was forgotten for now, and she pushed the thought of the future from her mind. All that mattered was what was in front of her, and that was the Highlander on his horse and the vast Highlands. Juliana stayed in the moment, wishing that it could last longer. She had so many wishes, but they were all going to go unanswered.
“Do we have far to go?” asked Juliana. She hoped that they did.
“Not too far,” said Andrew. “The village is close, I mean, but I’m takin’ us a different way. I just want ye tae be safe.”
“Will it take longer?” asked Juliana.
“Aye, a wee bit longer,” said Andrew, “but safer for ye. I can take us the faster way if ye want.”
“No, no, that is fine,” said Juliana. “The safer path is better, even if it does take a little longer.” She felt the happiness glowing inside of her.
She wanted to spend every minute with this Highlander, and hoped that he felt the same. He was taking them the long way around to the next village, and there was the hope that he was doing it to delay their arrival. She still could not tell if he wanted to spend the time with her or was doing all he could to protect her for the Laird.
The hours passed as the two of them rode through the Highlands. Juliana
had ridden through the English countryside on numerous occasions, but nothing had been as glorious as this. She spotted a small herd of deer at one point, the male stags with large antlers, kings of their own small nature kingdoms. One stood on a rocky ledge above them as they rode below, he surveyed his lands and allowed them to pass without incident.
The day was warm, and the sun was high in the sky. After riding for a while, Juliana took off her shawl and packed it away in one of the saddlebags.
“We can stop for a rest if ye want,” said Andrew.
“No, it is fine, I can ride for a while…” said Juliana, rising to the challenge. She caught herself in her own defiance and added, “but we should perhaps stop for some lunch soon. I should rest a little.”
Consumed By The Lost Highlander (Steamy Scottish Historical Romance) Page 6