Blair dared not leave her in much longer, so he carried her back out. As quickly as he could, he tightly wrapped her in both her clothing and the dry, spare plaid. He wrapped his plaid around his waist, stretched out beside her, pulled her as close to him as he could and began to rub some warmth back into her cold skin. Then he rested and waited. Her cheek was against his bare chest and her skin felt almost normal for a while, but then she got hot again.
Twice more he took her into the water and submerged most of her body. Twice more he wrapped her up, pulled her close to him and rubbed her. Her eyes were still open, she never said a word and he prayed her brain was not addled. Then he noticed her arm was bleeding. He heard once that the English thought bleeding was a good thing. He had no idea if they were right, but just in case, he removed the binding and let it bleed.
CHAPTER VI
When Bridget finally awoke, Blair was fully dressed and kneeling close to a small fire. Three large, cooked fish lay on leaves near the edge of the fire and the magnificent smell was drifting her way. She saw him pick one up by the tail, quickly flip it over and then suck on his hot fingers.
Where were they? The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue, there were thin white clouds moving quickly across it and the sun was high. She remembered something about cold water, feeling his skin and him putting his cheek next to hers. Then her eyes widened. “I am naked!”
“It could not be helped.” He was so happy she was not witless, he couldn’t help but smile. After she finally went to sleep, he constantly touched her cheek or watched the plaids move up and down with her breathing to make sure she was alive. Not until he was convinced she would not die, did he turn his attention to feeding her when she woke up.
“Kevin will kill you for this.”
“Aye, right after he thanks me. Are you hungry?”
“Of course I am. I have not eaten in weeks. Where are my clothing?”
“You are wearing them, though not in the usual way.”
Holding the plaid up to her neck, she struggled and finally sat up. “You looked!”
“I tried not to.”
She was disgusted. “You tried not to.” She glanced around looking for her long, white shirt. When she didn’t see it, she lifted the plaids and looked around inside. Finally finding it, she yanked it out and glared. “Turn your back.”
“If it pleases you.” He flipped another fish, moved around to the other side of the fire and turned his back. Bridget came up with a whole new string of hostile things to call him. Pig-headed was his favorite -- arrogant was good, but then she called him a truly insulting name. She said he was worst than an Englishman. He would remember that and return the favor someday. But then she got quiet and he was tempted to turn around.
“Blair.”
“What?”
“I can not...”
“You can not what?”
“I can not pleat this damn thing, my arms hurts too much.”
“Would you like my help?”
She raised her voice again. “Of course I want your help; you are the only other person here!”
He moved the fish away from the fire and went to her. She had her plaid around her waist and was holding her belt. Now what was he going to do? He should have watched Kevin do it. Surely, it wasn’t any more complicated than pleating his own, but... He took the belt out of her hand, wrapped it around her waist and tied it. Then he got down on one knee and started tucking the pleats under the belt one by one.
She tried hard not to like the nearness of him, but it was a battle she wasn’t sure she could win. She also tried not to look at his wavy blond hair or want to run her fingers through it. She closed her eyes and remembered the feel of his arms around her and the softness of his kiss.
He stopped and looked up at her. “Kevin said when Anna has trouble with her plaid, he holds her and kisses her so she will relax.”
She thought it was a great idea, but she was still mad at him for taking all her clothes off. She narrowed her eyes. “You can forget the holding and kissing part.”
“Then relax. I have never done this before and your tense muscles are not helping. I will not touch you anymore than I have to.” Blair finished the front, turned her around and tackled the back, but soon he realized he was running out of material, had to pull some of the pleats back out and start over.
“Where are my shoes?”
“By the fire.”
Finally finished, he stood back up. “Let me see your arm. It was bleeding a little the last time I looked.” He examined it and so did she, holding it out and looking over her shoulder. “'Tis much better. The swelling has gone down. Come, I will feed you.”
She followed him, sat down near the fire, watched him move a fish closer to her, open it and carefully pull out the bones. Then he cut it into manageable pieces with his dagger. It smelled wonderful. She touched part with her finger, decided it was not too hot and began to eat, careful to peel the meat off the skin first.
Blair had just finished his meal when he felt movement in the ground. They were out in the open with no place to hide and riders were coming. She felt it too and started to rise, just as he whistled for his horse and got to his feet. The horse came quickly, but the riders were coming faster. He swung up on the horse’s back, grabbed Bridget around the waist and pulled her up. But when he glanced back, the riders were wearing Cameron plaids. He closed his eyes and released the breath he was holding.
It was the first time she had done it, but Bridget turned until her back was against him and put her arms on top of the arm he had around her waist. She felt him tighten his hold just a little as though he approved. She too knew the men charging toward them were Camerons and she breathed a sigh of relief; anything was better than the English.
Dugan, the Cameron leading the contingent of twenty guards was glad to see that Bridget was safe. As soon as he neared, he halted the men and spoke to Blair. “Laird MacGreagor wants her home. They believe they have found the Englishman.”
Blair nodded and then waited. One man swung down, gathered their belongings and then got back on his horse. Blair was grateful, and after the guards surrounded them, he turned to Dugan, “How did you find us?”
“Thomas said this is where he would take her. If you had not been here, we would have gone north until we found you. I am pleased Charlet is alive, Thomas wasn’t sure she would be.”
Blair heard her softly say, “Bridget.” Together, the men began to walk their horses back across the meadow. “Why did Thomas send so many?”
“You have not heard? The clans decided they would not let the English have her. Unmarried lairds from all over the Highlands have asked for her hand.”
Bridget closed her eyes and let her head fall to her chest. When she finally looked up, Dugan was smiling at her.
“You are as handsome as I have heard.”
Bridget sat straight up and glared at him. “If you say that again, I will shove Blair’s sword right through your middle!”
“She is fiery too, I like her, Blair.”
Blair was not impressed and his glare made Dugan quickly move away. He wasted no time glaring at any of the other men who were gawking at her and the twenty-man guard soon spread out. He could see now what she meant; they all wanted her. When she finally relaxed against him, he tried too relax as well. “Are you happy to be going home?” He noticed she didn’t nod as quickly or as enthusiastically as she could have.
“How far?”
He leaned close to her ear. “You will spend one more night with me and then you will be home.”
Bridget closed her eyes. One more night, and then she would lose him -- maybe forever. She tried to think of a way to let him know she would miss him without his men seeing. But then she realized she had no idea how he felt about her. He did kiss her once, but she was burning up with fever and maybe he just felt sorry for her. Maybe that’s how some men expressed their sympathy. Duff kissed her once, but that just made her mad. Blair’s kiss was nothing li
ke that. His kiss was soft and tender. He once put his arms around her too. But he could have done it just to comfort her. Besides, she was the one who didn’t want to let go.
He was thinking about her too. He did love her, but how could he tell her? She knew all men wanted her and words of love came easy. Why would she believe him? Besides, what did he have to offer a woman who could become mistress of any clan she chose? Nothing. He might become laird over the Camerons someday, but Thomas was a healthy man and that was a long ways off. He wondered if a woman like Charlet would settle for a small cottage and a husband who could offer her nothing more. Probably not. She would have to love him as much as he loved her to settle for so much less. He realized he was stroking the side of her waist with his thumb and stopped.
Bridget liked his small caress, felt him stop and wondered what it meant. Was he telling her how he felt or was he just comforting her again. She sighed. Then she began to get riled, sat up, turned to look at him and whispered, “You confuse me.”
“What did I do?”
“You just do.” She settled back against him and began to strum her fingers on his arm. If she could figure out what was wrong, and if they were alone, she would give him a piece of her mind. Why should she have to guess how he felt? It was maddening. “You are the most stubborn, feather-flapping, arrogant...”
Blair smiled. He would miss that about her the most. He made her sit up, undid the flask of wine and helped her drink. “You have been very ill. Sleep, Bridget.”
He was right; she did not yet feel her best. The wine warmed her inside, his body warmed her outside and it wasn’t long before her eyes closed and she slumped against him.
Two days earlier, they received word the Englishman was dead. Laird Forbes killed him and was now at the MacGreagor Keep with the proof, waiting for his reward -- he will have Charlet!
Kevin took the papers Laird Forges found on the Englishman up to his wife. He did not know how to read, but Anna did. He patiently waited for her to read it through once and again a second time.
“'Tis a letter from the King’s Nephew. The letter states that the king has approved the marriage between the Englishman and his niece, Charlet.” Anna shook her head. “The Englishman probably had no idea what he was doing. When Charlet became queen, the Englishman thought he would someday wear the English crown, or at least his son would.”
“Then we have found the right Englishman.”
“We have and I am greatly relieved.”
“Good, then it was right to send for her.”
“Kevin, Charlet’s nightmare is not over. There will be another Englishman and then another until the king’s nephew manages to kill her.”
“How do you propose we put an end to this? Should I encourage her to accept the offer of one of these lairds?”
“Marriage might help, but I have a better idea.”
He spread his plaid on the ground for her and accepted another one from Dugan to cover her. Two more men gave Blair their extra plaids and he made a bed for himself a couple of feet away. They were surrounded by twenty men, all bedded down within hearing and seeing distance, and Blair was not happy about it, but there was little he could do without embarrassing her. At least they had food and Charlet ate a hearty meal. She used her arm more and if it hurt, she didn’t let on.
“Blair,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I am sorry.”
“So am I.” He was sorry. Tomorrow he would deliver her to the MacGreagors and have to ride away as though his whole life had not changed. Just once, he wanted to let her know how he felt...just once. He suddenly thought of something and turned on his side to face her. “Charlet.”
She turned on her side to face him. “What?”
“Do you remember what you said about Duff? You said he kept telling you something but it meant nothing.”
“I remember.”
He hesitated, terrified she would reject him. Then he mustered all his courage and finally said, “I tell you the same thing.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “But it means something this time?”
“Aye.”
She smiled in the darkness, but couldn‘t think of a way to say it back, so she just said, “I am glad.”
He too smiled. She didn’t say she loved him, but she didn’t reject him either. It was enough and Blair closed his eyes. “Go to sleep, Charlet.”
“Bridget.”
“Charlet.”
The morning meal was an apple and she was thrilled to have it. It tasted wonderful and she ate it all except the core which she fed to Blair‘s horse. For the first time in the last few days, she felt good. Her arm was tender, but not throbbing and Blair was still with her -- at least for a few more hours. She had no idea what would happen in the future, but for now, she could consume all the love he was willing to give her -- all he could give her surrounded by twenty fierce warriors, that is.
She noticed the others were not gawking at her and she was grateful. She wasn’t about to look at them either. She learned a long time ago that eye contact with a man made him believe she was interested. She did look at Blair twice, but he didn’t look back. At last, he lifted her onto his horse, swung up behind her and was touching her again.
He waited for her to settle herself with her back against him, raised his hand to signal they were ready, put it down, and then slipped his arm around her waist. They began to move and he would have been happy walking his horse all the way back, but his men might think that strange, so he encouraged his horse to gallop. He noticed she had a tighter grip and tightened his in response. Then as soon as she felt more secure with the rhythm of the horse, he felt her relax. Soon she began to stoke his arm with her thumb. He thought it would drive him mad, but he didn’t want her to stop. She was telling him how she felt and he was elated. She did love him.
They crossed the last of the Cameron land before noon. Blair knew the MacGreagors would spot them and wondered if Kevin would send his own guard or let the Cameron’s bring her in. He wanted to be with her for as long as possible.
Another two hours passed before Blair slowed his horse and walked him up the hill. At the top he stopped. Below was the forest, the meadow and the sprawling village inside the wall of the MacGreagor hold. Kevin had not sent a guard and he was pleased. He turned to Dugan, “Wait here.”
Charlet sighed when they were down the hill and heading into the forest. She waited until she was sure no one would see and then she started to turn her body toward him. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and feel his around her again. She didn’t notice when he stopped the horse or helped her turn in his arms, but suddenly his lips were on hers and she was lost in the glory of it. She wove her fingers through the back of his hair and held his head tight so he wouldn‘t stop.
He wanted to kiss her forever, but she was holding on so tight it frightened him. Was she saying goodbye? She loved him, how could he doubt it? But she wouldn’t be the first woman to love one man and marry another. He finally managed to pull away. “Do you intent to marry me?”
“'Tis the only honorable thing to do. You have been alone with me for days, you have seen me naked and I do not want to tarnish your tender reputation.”
He was so relieved, he kissed her again. “I have to take you back for now. I will tell Kevin you are betrothed to me and he will run all the other lads off his land.”
“Good. When will you come back?”
“Tomorrow after the noon meal, providing there is no trouble at the Cameron hold.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He held her close again and memorized the feel of her. He knew he could let her go to the MacGreagor for now and not have his heart torn out of his chest when he left. They would be married soon and she would be in his arms forever -- or so he thought.
The whole clan seemed to be waiting in the courtyard to welcome Charlet home. She smiled, laughed and waved to Julie. She was happy to see her and wondered, if only for a mo
ment, what on earth had happened to her hair.
It was Connor who came to lift her out of Blair’s arms. “We have missed you, lass. How is your arm?”
“It it healing, thanks to Blair. He saved my life twice and maybe more.”
As soon as he got down and handed the reins of his horse to a waiting boy, Connor slapped Blair on the back. “Come inside, Kevin is waiting to see you. By the way, there is a pesky laird inside who wants to marry Charlet.”
“She is already spoken for.”
“I am pleased to hear it.” Connor led the way up the steps and started to open the door. But just then, a guard gave the whistle and when Connor turned, his smile dropped. “It can not be, Laird MacDonald has come back.” He put his hand on his forehead and tried to think what to do. Kenna and Ferguson were inside with Laird Forbes and Kevin. Connor hoped to be laird someday, but if this was an example of the problems facing a laird, he wasn’t sure he wanted it anymore. There wasn’t anything he could do but take Blair and Charlet in -- and hope Kevin would know what to do.
Kevin spotted Charlet and Blair behind Laird Forbes and so did Kenna. But Kenna was prepared to continue her act anyway.
Laird Forbes grinned at Kenna, “I will have Charlet!”
“The hell you will,” Blair said behind him.
Forbes turned, looked at Charlet and then turned back to look at Kenna. He was dumbfounded and looked at Kevin, “You have two bonnie lasses with red hair?”
Connor was trying desperately to get Kevin’s attention, but Kevin was ignoring him and -- it was too late.
Laird MacDonald burst through the door and marched around Forbes to get to Kenna. “My dear, I have decided to forgive your insult. I have found the Englishman and you will marry me, Charlet.”
Marti Talbott's Highlander Series 1 (Anna, Rachel & Charlet) Page 24