The Highlander's Bride

by Donna Fletcher

  “Thank the Lord for that.”

  Once on their horses, Alexander tucked safely in his father’s arms, they took off, their tempered pace allowing a good distance to be covered. There was no time to converse or dwell on worries. Attention had to be kept to the road, ears had to listen for unexpected company and minds to remain focused.

  It would take over a week to reach St. Andrew Harbor, and anything could happen in that time. They had to remain cautious, take no chances, and always be alert and aware that at any moment the earl’s soldiers could pounce on them.

  Alexander’s presence made that all the more difficult. They had to stop more frequently, and the worry that he would cry out or make noise when silence was imperative was an ever-present concern. That was why they continued to remain off the main roadway and chose the less frequently traveled path.

  Two days of travel passed without incident, and they knew they would soon reach the market where they had once spent a pleasant day together. This time, however, they would need to be cautious while replenishing some supplies.

  “You’ll stay here with Alexander while I go collect what we need,” Cullen ordered.

  “That’s a foolish decision,” Sara said, though she kept a smile on her face as she and Alexander piled stones on one another on a blanket.

  “And I suppose you think it would be better if you went?”

  “You know it would be,” Sara challenged. “The soldiers look for you, not for me. I’m just another woman going to market. I have a far better chance of slipping in and out unnoticed than you do.”

  “Damn, I hate when you’re right,” Cullen said, joining her and Alexander on the blanket. “I don’t like sending you into harm’s way. What if you should need help?”

  “Unless I’m foolish, which I’m not, I should have no problem,” Sara insisted.

  “You’ll not dally?”

  Sara rolled her eyes. “That question wasn’t necessary.”

  “With you it is necessary,” he teased.

  She jumped up. “For that I will not bring you back any sweet cakes.”

  “Da!” Alexander said, pointing to his father and nodding.

  “You tell her, son. Da needs sweet cakes.”

  Alexander laughed and patted his chest.

  Sara laughed. “It looks like your son wants a sweet cake too.”

  Cullen glanced up at her. “You be careful, wife. I don’t want to lose you.”

  Her heartbeat skipped twice before settling back to its normal rhythm. Lately he kept catching her off guard, making her think that he truly cared for her, perhaps even loved her in his own way.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, and her smile confirmed it.

  “Yes you are,” Cullen boasted. “You’re going to America with Alexander and me.”

  Alexander looked to his father at the sound of his name, his full red cheeks puffed with a grin, and nodded along with his father.

  Sara leaned over and kissed father and son on the cheeks. “Love you both.”

  Before she reached her horse, Cullen called out, “You come back to me safe, wife.”

  She grinned. “As you wish, husband.”

  Cullen winced. “Promise me you’ll hold your tongue while at market.”

  Sara mounted her horse and took hold of the reins. “Now you’re asking for the impossible.” She laughed and took off in a trot, ignoring her husband’s shouts to behave.

  The busy market provided perfect cover for her to move about without detection. She was just another peasant woman among many searching for bargains. All she had to do was keep to herself, purchase the few items they needed, and not forget the sweet cakes.

  She stabled her horse with the farmer that had looked after their horses the last time they were there. More soldiers roamed about than usual and kept suspicious eyes on any man or couple who entered the market, though not single women, unless they fancied them. Sara didn’t have that problem and did not draw a notable glance.

  She was quick to make her purchases with the money Cullen had provided, and even found another whittled animal for Alexander, this one a dog. She neared the sweet cake stand happy to be near done when chaos broke loose.

  A soldier had grabbed a young lass and was dragging her off, screaming. Those who tried to help found themselves threatened by soldiers protecting their own.

  Sara couldn’t ignore the young woman’s agonizing screams for help. It wasn’t right, and brawn would not help in this matter. She knew it would take a quick mind and mouth to outwit these fools, and she was glad she hadn’t promised her husband that she’d hold her tongue.

  She hurried over to the sweet cake table, the soldier having dragged the young woman behind it.

  “Four sweet cakes,” she said, placing a coin on the worn wooden planks supported by four barrels. She stretched her neck, staring outrageously at the soldier, who laughed at the woman’s struggles.

  “What are you looking at?” the soldier demanded when he caught her stare.

  Sara took her bundle of sweet cakes. “You do know who you’ve got there, don’t you?”

  “She’s a peasant,” the soldier barked.

  “True, but a favored one,” Sara said, and turned to leave.

  “Who favors you?” he asked the girl, and when she didn’t answer, he called out. “You! Wait there.”

  Sara turned.

  “Who favors her?” the soldier asked.

  Sara shrugged. “It’s not for me to say.”

  The soldier moved off the lass and stood yanking her to her feet, to drag her around in front of Sara. The lass trembled and her terror-filled eyes pleaded for help.

  Sara did not fear the soldier, a runt of a man she was sure she could send flying with one good blow to his soft gut. But she knew his lingering comrades might object.

  “Tell me,” he ordered with a raised fist.

  She almost laughed at his puny threat, but that wouldn’t help her cause, and besides, she had to make him think the lass was favored by someone he would fear enough to release her.

  “I really shouldn’t say, and she certainly won’t,” Sara said, shaking a downcast head.

  “One of you will tell me now,” he shouted.

  “We’d rather face your wrath than his,” Sara said with a quiver.

  She didn’t expect to be backhanded across the mouth, and the taste of blood from her split lip sent her temper soaring. But it would do her no good to lose it now, she told herself. She had the woman’s safety to consider, and then there was Cullen and Alexander. She could not jeopardize their safety any more than she already had.

  She slowly gathered the packages that had been knocked from her arms and stood to face the soldier once again.

  “Need I tell you again, woman?” the soldier demanded.

  Sara performed courageously, shaking her head and shuddering. “I will not speak his name. Do what you may to me but I will not speak his name.”

  The young woman finally realized what Sara was about and joined her charade.

  “She is right. His name should not be spoken, not even whispered.”

  The soldier hastily shoved the lass aside as if she had the pox. “Be gone with you.”

  The lass retreated quickly, though not before sending Sara a slight nod of gratitude.

  The soldier brazenly approached Sara. “Perhaps I should take you in her place.”

  Sara smiled. “If you don’t mind the pox.”

  He stumbled backward. “Be gone with you and don’t show your face around here again or I’ll see you imprisoned.”

  Sara hung her head and with repeated whispers of gratitude rushed off. She was quick to get her horse and make her escape, not wanting to be around when or if the soldier discovered the truth and saw himself for the fool he was.

  She enjoyed a battle of wits rather than a battle of brawn. It was so much more challenging and satisfying when victorious. However, she wasn’t foolish enough to believe herself superior, and took precaution
s on her return trip to make certain she was not followed.

  Her split lip swelled and refused to stop bleeding, and she had to spit the blood from her mouth as she rode along. Cullen wasn’t going to be pleased with her actions, but how could she have left that woman to such a horrendous fate and do nothing?

  It wasn’t her way to ignore the defenseless, and Cullen would surely realize that, since she had done the same for his son. She walked with pride and bowed to none, believing all people were the same, none holier or greater than others. From what she had heard of America, she might just fit in nicely.

  Clouds gathered overhead and thunder rumbled in the distance, promising rain soon enough. She hurried her pace, keeping a keen eye for possible shelter from the impending storm.

  She took a moment to slip the hood of her cloak over her head to keep the chill off her cheeks and to hide, if only briefly, her wound from Cullen. Then she entered camp, to find Cullen mounting his horse, Alexander in his arms.

  “I’ve found a cave not far from here,” he said. “We’ll be safe from the storm.”

  “Good,” she called out, keeping her face from his view, and turned her horse, ready to follow him.

  “Sara?” he questioned.

  She pranced her horse away from him. “We should be on our way.”

  He came up beside her quickly, and just as quickly slipped her hood from her head.

  Sara had no time to keep him from seeing her wounded lip, which had stopped bleeding but swelled considerably.

  Her breath caught in a gasp at the fierce glare in his dark eyes, which was pure murderous.

  Chapter 33

  Cullen sucked in his anger and held it deep in his chest as his horse, sensing his master’s fury, pranced nervously.

  “I got us sweet cakes,” Sara said holding up the bundle.

  He gritted his teeth. “They cost you dearly.”

  Alexander cried out when fat raindrops began to fall in earnest.

  “You’ll explain after we take refuge in the cave,” Cullen growled like an animal ready to attack. He could barely contain his rage as he sped to the cave, the vision of Sara’s badly wounded lip burning vividly in his mind.

  It did not help his mood that Sara had responded to his evident anger with an offer of sweet cakes. Though her thoughtful gesture touched him, it also annoyed him. He hoped she hadn’t suffered a wounded lip for those sweet cakes.

  Knowing her, he imagined there was more to it, and he was determined to find out what it was. He settled Sara and Alexander in the cave, then tethered the horses to a tree, gathered their things and rushed out of the rain to join them in the enclosure.

  Sara sat with Alexander on a blanket. His smile was wide, his little mouth sticky from the sweet cake Sara shared with him, though she tore even tinier bites off for herself.

  Cullen’s anger bubbled up again, though he kept it from spewing over.

  Sara pulled a wooden dog from one of the bundles and Alexander squealed with delight.

  “Da! Da!” he yelled, waving the animal in the air.

  Cullen joined them, putting aside his anger in order to make a fuss over his son’s new toy.

  “I didn’t think you’d mind,” Sara said.

  “You thought right,” he said and nodded. “That lip needs tending.”

  “I’ll see to it.” She moved to stand.

  “You’ll stay put,” he ordered curtly.

  Sara froze for a moment, then bristled. “I can tend myself.”

  His tone eased though remained determined. “I know you can, but I want to tend you.”

  She stared at him.

  “What happened?” he asked, then raised his hand. “Wait, before you tell me…”

  Cullen searched through the bundles, grabbed a piece of cloth, stepped to the mouth of the cave and held the cloth out to be soaked by the rain. He returned squeezing some of the rainwater out of it.

  He sat beside Sara, Alexander occupied with his wooden animals and feeding himself from the bits of sweet cake Sara had torn apart for him.

  “Now tell me,” he said as he gently began to clean the dry blood from her chin.

  Sara told her story, and as she did, Cullen’s hand slowed to a halt. He envisioned the whole scene, seeing clearly what she had faced and how she’d placed herself in a difficult situation to protect another.

  “I couldn’t just leave her to such a horrible fate,” Sara finished.

  Cullen leaned closer and patted at her swollen lip with the wet cloth. She winced, and he felt her pain. He wanted badly to race out of the cave, mount his horse, and go after the bastard who had hurt his Sara, but that wasn’t possible. Such rash reaction would satisfy his need for revenge but only endanger them more.

  “No, you couldn’t and you wouldn’t,” he said, understanding she was not a passive woman, but a woman of action. He admired that quality, so how could he not respect and accept her actions?

  He could, however, voice his opinion and concern. “I could have lost you.”

  She smiled wide, which caused her to wince and her eyes to tear. “Never. You’re stuck with me.”

  Cullen patted her lip, trying to cleanse the crusty blood, when Alexander crawled between them, his head popping up, his little hands grabbing at his father’s shirt to help him stand. When he finally wobbled to his feet, he pointed a finger at Sara’s wound.

  “Ow.”

  Sara hugged him, and he giggled, then she rolled on the blanket with him in her arms.

  “What about Da?” Cullen said, joining the duo, hugging them both with a growling laugh as they rolled around. This was his family, Alexander and Sara. He either accepted this new joy in his life or would forever pine for a woman who was gone from him, never to return.

  And damn if Sara wasn’t a good, fine woman with qualities he admired and respected. A woman he had somehow fallen in love with. How, where, when, the Lord only knew. He had tried to make sense of it, but nothing had made sense to him since he met Sara.

  What did finally make sense was that he had found his son, fallen in love, and was about to start a new life in America. Now he had one more thing to look after, and though it put their future in jeopardy, he knew it was something that had to be done.

  Alexander retired earlier than usual, exhausted from their travels, playing with his wooden animals, and content with a full tummy. That left time for Cullen and Sara to be alone, and after tucking a blanket around his sleeping son, he moved to the opposite side of the small campfire he had started to chase the chill from the cave and snuggled beside Sara, who sat crossed-legged munching on aged cheese.

  She popped a piece into his mouth and he nipped at the tip of her finger.

  “You taste better than the cheese,” he teased.

  She placed a hand to his cheek. “I want to taste you, but my lip…”

  He touched her wound ever so lightly. “Let me taste you.”

  She shivered and rested her cheek to his. “I would love that.”

  He eased her down onto the blanket, the fire’s flickering light dancing across their faces, their passion as heated as the fire itself.

  Cullen started at her neck, and as he drifted down over her body, he slowly moved her garments out of his way, exposing intimate areas he wanted to explore to bring her to pleasure.

  His lips claimed her nipples, enjoying the taste as much as she enjoyed his feasting on her. He loved the feel of her hands digging into his head, urging him to enjoy. Her unbridled passion never failed to excite him and want her even more.

  He moved down over her, pushing garments out of his way, tasting her, a salty taste here, a sweet taste there, until he descended between her legs and went to the very core of her.

  He knew her well enough to know that she contained her moans, keeping them soft and quiet, not wanting to wake Alexander. Her hands digging into his head, however, told him he was driving her insane, and that thought spiked his own passion beyond control.

  He moved over her, and as
much as he wanted to kiss her, knew he’d only hurt her bruised lip. He buried his face next to hers so he could whisper in her ear how he ached for her, wanted her, needed her, and then he slipped into her.

  They rode together on a wave of passion that consumed and devoured them into oblivion, and crashed together, exploding in lights and sounds and feelings that had them holding tight and refusing to let go.

  “I love you,” she whispered on a labored breath.

  Cullen wanted to speak but wasn’t sure how to say what he intended and have her believe it—that he had fallen in love with her.

  She held him close, and he sank into her embrace, wanting it, needing it, and accepting it.

  Later, settled in each other’s arms for the night, Cullen broached the subject he had avoided. “There were extra soldiers at the market?”

  “Too many,” Sara said, spooned against him.

  “Balford has covered the area well.”

  “Which means he’s determined to catch you and your son.”

  “He’ll not want his daughter’s bastard alive to one day lay claim to Balford land,” Cullen said.

  “Then he will hunt until he finds you.”

  “And you?”

  Sara glanced over her shoulder at him. “I pose no threat to him.”

  “You saved his bastard grandson. You are his enemy and he will want you to suffer. He enjoys making people suffer.”

  “He made you suffer,” Sara said sorrowfully.

  Cullen hugged her tight against him. “I knew the consequences of falling in love with his daughter and I paid them.”

  “Without regret?” she asked softly.

  “Without an ounce of regret,” he answered, and squeezed her tight. “But that time has past and it is here and now we must consider.”

  “Alexander is what matters,” Sara said, glancing over at him.

  Cullen snuggled with a nibble to her neck. “He’s ours, and hopefully we’ll give him a slew of siblings to grow with.”

  Sara grasped hold of his hand resting at her stomach. “You want more children?”

  “Don’t you?” he asked, hoping she wished to build a home and family as much as he did. He wanted to leave his old life behind and start anew, and they could do that in America.