“Perhaps it isn’t the most pleasant of sounds, but ye have to understand the child is frightened,” Davina said.
“My finger hurts,” Lileas proclaimed, holding it aloft. “The bush pinched it.”
“Frightened and injured,” Davina added.
Injured? From a tiny prick on her finger? God’s teeth, what evil sounds would emerge if the lass were truly hurt?
“We both told her, more than once, not to reach fer the holly,” James retorted. “’Tis her own fault that she was pricked by it.”
Davina looked at Lileas sharply, but her voice was gentle and soothing when she spoke. “We’ve already told ye more than once. Ye mustn’t touch any of the greens, Lileas. Do ye understand?”
James watched the child’s eyes narrow with displeasure. Aye, she clearly heard, and understood. Yet she just as clearly did not plan to obey.
After spending two more days watching his brother trying to woo Davina, James had reluctantly agreed to his mother’s request to take Davina on an outing to collect holiday greenery. It had been an impulsive decision on his part, forged by unexpected frustrations and feelings for Davina that were far too jumbled to understand.
He regretted the invitation nearly the moment he had issued it and when Davina had suggested bringing young Lileas along, it seemed the perfect solution. The child would provide a comfortable buffer between them. Unfortunately, he had woefully failed to consider the added aggravation Lileas so seamlessly wrought on any situation.
“It’s darkening,” James said, gazing at the sky. “We’ve ridden much farther from the castle than I had planned. Best we return.”
“But I dinnae pick enough ivy,” Lileas whined. “Look, there’s some over there!”
Quick as a flash, the little girl turned and scampered over a section of jagged rocks toward a climbing cluster of greenery.
“Nay, Lileas, it’s too far away,” Davina shouted, but the child ignored the command and continued on her way.
Bullocks! Even at this distance, James could tell it wasn’t ivy.
The first drop of sleet hit him square in the middle of his forehead. James wiped the moisture from his face and hastily stuffed the remaining greenery into the large leather bag on his saddle. When he was finished, he propped his arm against his stallion and watched Davina chase after Lileas, the skirts of her gown billowing behind her in the breeze.
He felt not a drop of guilt for neglecting to aid her. ’Twas Davina’s idea to bring the lass along. Let her manage the unruly brat.
Another freezing pellet landed on his head just as Davina disappeared from his line of sight.
Suddenly, Lileas let out a high-pitched shriek. “Help! I’m falling!”
Crossing his arms over his chest, James stood, unmoved. No doubt his niece thought this was a game, where she would run and they would chase.
“James, please, come quickly,” Davina shouted.
Slowly, James moved away from his horse and began walking. Enough of this nonsense. He was tired and cold and wanted nothing more than to be home, seated in front of a blazing fire, a cup of mulled wine in his hand.
He spied Davina as soon as he crested the rocky hill. Not surprisingly there was no sign of Lileas.
“Careful,” Davina warned, as James felt his feet begin to skid. The freezing precipitation had made the rocks slippery and brought him perilously close to the edge of a large crack in a boulder. “Where’s the lass?”
Davina’s eyes grew wide and he saw her throat move as she swallowed. “I cannae find her. I heard her scream, but then all was silent.”
“Och, Davina, dinnae tell me she’s hiding?” Patience exhausted, James bellowed, “Lileas, show yerself at once.”
A thin wailing sound, with an odd, distant echo reached them. James exchanged a puzzled gaze with Davina. “Did ye hear that?”
“Aye. But it sounded so far away. How could she have gone so far so quickly?”
James rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. “How does she do anything? The lass draws trouble to her like bees to honey.”
Davina gave him a sympathetic smile. “She’s high-spirited.”
“She’s spoiled.”
“Lileas, where are ye?” Davina shouted.
Silence. James lowered his chin to his chest and prayed for patience.
“Here! I’m down here,” a sobbing, shaking voice finally answered.
Astonished, he braced his footing and leaned forward, squinting into the narrow crevice at his feet. “Lileas?”
“Help me, Uncle James. Please!”
The terror in the child’s voice changed his prayers to a curse.
“Are ye hurt?” he asked.
Lileas let out another long wail. “I want to get out!”
“She must have slipped when she was running and somehow landed down there,” Davina gasped. “My God, she could have been killed falling down through that rock.”
James turned a frustrated eye on Davina. “Lower yer voice! The lass is frightened enough without hearing yer words of doom.”
“I’m sorry.” Davina looked contrite, but then her eyes brightened with hope. “She cannae be too badly injured if she can speak to us.”
“And sob,” James muttered, then felt guilty for his uncharitable reaction. The child was terrified and rightly so. She was in grave danger. Miraculously, she had survived the fall, yet he needed to ensure she survived the rescue.
James dropped to his knees and then to his belly, straining for a better look. His brow rose in astonishment when he spied Lileas standing precariously on a narrow ledge a good ten feet inside the split.
How the bloody hell had she gotten in there without breaking her neck?
Yet what worried him more was the sight of another ledge a few feet in front of the child. There was no telling how deep it was or how much farther she would drop if she stumbled into it.
“I see some footholds on the side of the rock near her head,” Davina said. “Should we encourage her to try and climb out? If she moves up just a few feet, you can grab her.”
Startled, James turned to find Davina lying beside him on her stomach as she, too, peered into the opening. She turned her head and they were nose to nose. His heart quickened and a peculiar heat invaded him as memories flashed through his mind of them lying together, locked in a passionate embrace.
’Twas no use. Even under the most trying circumstances, Davina could still make his mind—and his cock—race with wicked images. Shaking away those erotic thoughts, he concentrated on the problem at hand.
“’Tis far too dangerous to tell Lileas to climb up. If she slips, she could be badly injured. Besides, I doubt she has the strength to pull herself very far.” James reversed his position and gingerly sat at the edge of the opening, dangling his legs inside.
“Ye willnae fit,” Davina said, her face bleak.
Fearing she was right, James nevertheless ignored her. Using the ledge of rock in front of him for leverage, he slowly started lowering himself down the crevice. But as he feared, he stopped dead once he reached his chest. The opening was too narrow to allow him to pass.
Cursing beneath his breath, he pulled himself back.
“Wait! I see yer feet!” Lileas cried. “Come back fer me, Uncle James. Dinnae leave me here! It’s dark and cold. I promise I’ll be a good lass. I promise.”
Her pitiful, terrifying sobs tore at his heart, frustrating him further. An equally agitated Davina paced back and forth in front of him.
“I’ve no rope with me, but maybe we can fashion one from the vines of ivy we gathered,” James suggested.
Davina ceased pacing. Her brow furrowed as she considered the idea. “I fear it willnae be strong enough. She’s a wee lass, but a sturdy one.” She gulped nervously and held out her arms. “Lower me down.”
She had removed her cloak and was shivering. Partly from cold, but also, James suspected, from fear, for he remembered well her aversion to small, dark places.
“Nay,
Davina—”
“’Tis the only way, James, and ye know it. I’ll lift her onto my shoulders. If she stands tall and holds her arms up, ye should be able to pull her out.”
“And how are ye going to get out?”
Davina swallowed hard. “I’ll climb up until ye can reach me.”
He lifted a skeptical brow. “A lot must have drastically changed these past years. Exactly when did ye become an agile climber?”
Her chin lifted, but she averted her eyes. “When the need became dire.”
He glanced uncertainly at Davina. “Nay. ’Tis a foolish plan. If it fails, I’ll have two of ye stuck down there, instead of one.”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “Aye, I am clumsy and not overly fond of heights. But the sleet is falling and darkness will soon be upon us. I cannae ride alone to get help, nor can ye ride away and leave us here. And we cannae wait until help arrives. It could be hours until someone realizes we haven’t yet returned. We must act now.”
Her bravery impressed him. As did her argument. Though they were not that far from the castle, they had few choices. Somehow, they must rescue the child themselves.
Davina walked to the lip of the crevice, then turned and held out her hands. “Will ye lower me down?”
James peered into the gap, trying to judge the distance to the ledge where Lileas stood. “I can only put ye so far down. Can ye climb the rest of the way?”
Davina’s face whitened. “Perhaps, if I can find a foothold. If not, ye’ll have to let go and I’ll drop to the bottom.”
God’s blood! That certainly sounded like a ridiculous plan. But he had none better to suggest.
“Remove yer gloves,” he instructed. “Ye’ll get a tighter grip with bare hands.”
Obediently she did as he commanded. Her lips tightened whitely with nerves, yet her gaze was steady. Trust. The expression in her soulful eyes struck him hard. And melted a piece of his frozen heart.
“Ye must stand very still, Lileas,” Davina shouted. “I’m coming to get ye.”
James gripped Davina’s hands tightly and helped guide her into the opening. Slowly, carefully, he lowered her down. “Try to find a foothold.”
She nodded, biting her lower lip in concentration. James could feel her body tense as she struggled to comply, but it was clear that she was having difficulty.
“How far am I from the bottom?” she asked, her voice straining with effort.
“Too far,” he grunted. “And I fear I cannae let ye down any more.”
“I’ll be fine,” she declared, and before James realized what she was doing, Davina let go of his hands.
“Bloody hell!” he shouted.
Arms flaying, he reached down, but all he felt was air. He heard the sound of tearing cloth and then a loud thud and he realized that Davina had reached the bottom.
“I’m fine,” she called out. “Just give me a moment to catch my breath and I’ll lift Lileas.”
Cursing gruffly beneath his breath, James shifted his position and waited. Davina yelled that she was ready. He could feel his muscles straining as he reached down, stretching as far as he was able without losing his balance. There was a moment of triumph when he touched the tips of Lileas’s fingers, but it was fleeting and too quickly gone as she once more moved out of reach.
“Just a few more inches and I’ll be able to grab her,” he grunted.
He heard Davina take a long, deep breath. “I’m going to hold her feet and lift her over my head.”
“Wait!” he shouted. “Do it on my count. One. Two. Three.”
Davina let out a yell as she pushed Lileas higher. James nearly shouted with relief when he touched the child’s fingers. Quickly, he wrapped his hands firmly around Lileas’s wrists, hauled her out, and placed her on the ground beside him.
The lass didn’t make a sound. She stood there, utterly still, her eyes round and wide in her pale face. Worried, he ran his hands gingerly over the little girl’s shoulders, arms, and legs, searching for injuries, but miraculously there were none. Nary a scrape, bruise, or cut was visible.
“I have to help Davina, now. Dinnae move a muscle, Lileas,” he commanded.
The child nodded. She looked limp and dazed. “I promise.”
“Good lass.” Confident the child would do as she was told, James turned his attention to Davina. “Ye need to climb up several feet before I can help ye.”
“I know.”
He could see her vigorously rubbing her hands together. Then she stepped forward and ran them along the side of the boulder, searching for something to grip. Her smile broke through when she found what she was looking for.
Letting out a most unladylike grunt, Davina hoisted herself off the ground. James held his breath as he watched her slowly climb, waiting for the moment she was close enough to grab. It seemed to take forever, as Davina was cautious and deliberate with each step.
Finally, her hands were within reach. James yanked hard, pulling her upward until he could catch her firmly around the waist. Davina let out a squeal and clung to him, her feet dangling in the air. He swung around and gently set her down.
They each let out a sigh of relief.
Her breath was warm on his cheek, her hands resting comfortably upon his chest. She was standing much too close and his treacherous body responded. The womanly scent of her hair tantalized his senses. He felt his cock stirring to life, even as his conscience battled with his desire.
Unwittingly, his eyes were drawn to her mouth. More than anything he longed to dip his head down and press his lips to hers, to steal her breath with a bold, uninhibited kiss, releasing the pent-up emotions inside him that had been building since he had first laid eyes upon her.
Her eyes flashed and he knew she read his thoughts. He waited for her reaction of disinterest, or worse, horror, but her expression remained the same—soft and curious. His heart beat faster. He leaned closer, anticipating her retreat. She did not move.
The sound of a single sob broke the spell. He forced himself to look away from Davina and spied Lileas standing in the exact spot he had ordered. Her lower lip quivered. The skirt of her gown was torn and her face was smudged with dirt. He could see the glistening sheen of tears in her eyes and the traces of dried moisture on her cheeks.
“Och, Lileas, ye were a brave lass, to be sure,” he said, knowing it must have been terrifying to be trapped in that tight space. “I’m mighty proud of ye.”
James opened his arms. Lileas moved with lightning speed, flinging herself into his embrace. He felt her delicate bones, her fragile breath, and wrapped his arms tighter around her as the cold air whipped his cheeks. She buried her face against his chest and hiccupped a small sob.
Without thinking, he let his guard down and kissed the top of the child’s head. She snuggled closer. He felt a comforting warmth at her nearness, an odd peacefulness that left him with a lingering feeling of contentment.
It had been so long since he allowed himself to feel tenderness.
“Papa is going to be very mad at me,” she sniffled.
“I fear ye are right, lass.”
“I dinnae like it when Papa shouts.”
“’Tis never pleasant,” James agreed.
“He’ll shout loud.”
“Aye.”
“He’ll shout until his face gets red.” Lileas sniffled again.
“Very red.”
“I dinnae want him to shout.”
“Well, if ye had listened to me and Davina, there would be no need fer yer Papa to be shouting,” James replied, softening his words with another hug.
“I promise I will always listen to ye, Uncle James,” Lileas said solemnly. “Davina, too. And Papa and Grandmother and Grandfather. I’ll listen to everyone. Truly.”
“Good lass.”
Lileas released a small sigh and relaxed in his arms. He comforted her for a few moments more and then James saw a mischievous smile lift the corner of her lips. “If I dinnae tell Papa about falling into the
rock, he willnae shout at me. Promise ye willnae tell him, Uncle James?”
The little minx! James felt his shoulders tremble with the effort to hold back his laughter. ’Twas an important lesson that the child learn to do as she was told. Fie, it could save her life one day. He gave her a stern look, but she only widened her smile. Her impish charm was nearly impossible to resist. Perhaps the fright of her ordeal was punishment enough, he reasoned.
“Please?” Lileas patted his cheek.
His shoulders shook again as he lost the battle to contain himself. A peal of deep laughter rang out and James was astonished to realize it was the first true bit of mirth he had felt since returning home. All thanks to his niece.
“Secrets are neigh impossible to keep, young Lileas. But I give ye my word of honor, that yer papa willnae hear of yer adventure from my lips.”
Davina stilled, rooted to the spot, her eyes widening in amazement as she listened to something she doubted she would ever hear again—James’s delighted laughter. Deep and robust, it wormed its way into her heart and for a moment she retreated into the cherished memories that emerged. Memories of happier times, filled with hope and promise and love.
They washed over her like a healing salve, pushing away the pain, bringing a wistful smile to her lips. She allowed herself a few more comforting moments, then regretfully let the truth seep back into her thoughts.
Those memories were a lifetime ago. Yet the sound of that laughter brought forth the unthinkable idea that mayhap there was hope that those happier times could be recaptured.
Was it truly possible?
“What’s wrong?” James asked. “Ye have the most peculiar expression on yer face.”
Davina shook her head and lowered her gaze. The need to touch him, to feel the gentleness behind the mirth, almost overwhelmed her, but she resisted. “’Twas only yer laughter. I was pleased to hear it.”
Pleased and relieved to have his tight control break in such a manner. It was far better than having his fist smash against a tree, a reaction Davina had fully anticipated as things became more intense during their outing.
James made a croaking sound. A touch of color rose from his throat to his cheeks. Was he embarrassed? The notion amused her, for he took such pride in presenting himself as a hardened warrior. Did at least a glimmer of vulnerability, humanity remain?
The Highlander Who Loved Me Page 14