by Gwyn Brodie
"Very well. When you're finished with your meal, I'll take you to your rooms."
"Much thanks," Galen said, seating himself on the bench beside Sorcha. Cinead sat down on her other side.
She removed her cloak and raked out her long hair with her fingers.
Galen intently watched, his own fingers itching to wind their way through her lush curls.
"This lad," he said, slapping Duncan on the back, "can eat more at one sitting than most men can in a day—maybe even two. We've learned over the years to keep our hands away from his mouth. If you don't heed my warning, you could very well lose a couple of fingers."
She tried not to smile, but the corners of Sorcha's bow-shaped mouth tilted upward ever so slightly. "You jest."
He feigned a frown. "Nay," he said, shaking his head. "'Tis true."
Cinead covered his face with his hands as he tried to hide his mirth, but his body shook with silent laughter.
"Och, Galen," Duncan growled. "You make me sound like a wild beast."
Hearing Duncan's words, Cinead could no longer contain his laughter and soon the rest of them—including Sorcha—were laughing with him, the sound echoing against the low ceiling of the tavern.
A meal of venison and turnips, along with strawberry tarts soon arrived, as well as several tankards of mead. The four of them talked, and Sorcha listened intently to the stories they told of their years of travel together.
"Then there's Kade, he's one of us and a more loyal lad you'll not find anywhere in the Highlands. He lost his wife and son during the birthing several years ago. His life since that day had been one of misery—until he married Jillian."
Duncan and Cinead nodded in unison.
"Don't forget about wee Robbie, Galen," Duncan said, tossing down another goblet of mead.
"Who's Robbie?" Sorcha asked.
"Robbie is Kade and Jillian's young son. He is but nine months old. A more handsome bairn I've yet to see, and there's Ian, Jillian's brother, who will soon see six summers. Even at such a young age, he's already a laird."
The four of them ate and talked until naught was left of their generous meal, but crumbs.
Galen rose to his feet. "We've a long day ahead of us. We should get some rest. Cinead, Duncan, you take one room and I'll be taking the other—with Lady Sorcha."
Her face drained white. "What?"
Galen raised a brow. "I can't very well leave you alone, now can I? Especially in this place. Besides it being dangerous, I'll not have you returning to Blackstone until I have my brother."
She glared at him for a long moment, then jumped up from her seat.
What the devil was the little wildcat up to? Galen got up from the bench. "Where are you going?"
"To speak with the landlord, if you must ken," she said, green eyes sparkling with fury.
Galen stifled a smile. He liked the lass's fiery spirit.
"If I'm to be stuck here with the three of you, then I wish to have my own quarters." With a toss of her head, she turned and walked out of the room.
He was about to go after her, but she quickly returned with two disheveled young men close on her heels. She hid behind Galen.
The two lads slid to a stop when they saw him. Then, catching sight of Duncan and Cinead, hurried back the way they came.
Galen looked over his shoulder at the wide-eyed Sorcha. "Do you see what I mean, lass?"
She nodded, then stayed close behind, as they followed the innkeeper up the stairs to their rooms.
Galen took the first room at the top of the stairs, opened the door and stepped aside to allow her entry.
"If you so much as touch me, I swear, I'll scream," Sorcha said, as she walked past him. Even in the dim light of the tavern, he could see her eyes shooting arrows at him.
Galen grinned, then bolted the door and turned around.
Sorcha stood in the middle of the room, arms folded across her chest. The servants had lit a candle and placed it on a small table near the bed. Soft light danced across her face, and her eyes widened when she glanced at the small bed positioned along the wall.
The room was a bit stuffy, and Galen opened the window. "Get some sleep, lass," he said, shedding his doublet and boots before taking one of the blankets from the bed and spreading it onto the floor. He lay down, and to give her a bit of privacy, turned onto his side and faced the wall.
"I-I-I'll sleep in my clothes," she stammered.
"Suit yourself. But if you decide to remove them, I'll not touch you—unless you ask me to."
"Ha! You need not worry yourself about that, MacKinnon, for I'll not be asking."
He chuckled. A few minutes later, he heard a thud, then a rustling as she removed her shoes and some part of her clothing. The bed creaked and groaned as she lay down. Then all hell broke loose.
Chapter Four
Sorcha screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped out of bed.
Galen had his sword drawn before her bare feet ever touched the floor. He glanced about the room, ready to do battle, but saw no one. "What is it, lass?"
"Rat!" She shrieked, ducking behind him.
He rolled his eyes skyward and slipped his broadsword back into its scabbard. "Och, I don't see any rat."
"There! In that corner," she said, pointing a shaky finger at a large, black rodent with beady red eyes staring back at them.
Galen grabbed a blanket from the bed, tossed it over the animal and carried it to the window, dropping it onto the shrubs below. "There, 'tis gone. Now back to bed with you," he said, mesmerized by the way the candlelight played over her shapely curves through the thin fabric of the shift. Then he noticed the bruises covering her bare arms. "Saints above! What happened to you, lass? Did the highwayman do this to you?"
She shook her head, avoiding his gaze, and quickly covered herself with her cloak.
"Let me see," he demanded.
"'Tis no concern of yours," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I said, let me see," he demanded, much louder than before.
Sorcha hesitated for a moment, then blew out a long breath and let go of the cloak. She held out her arms for him to examine, her gaze riveted on the wall across the room.
Galen moved the candle over her body, not believing the number of bruises marring the pale skin of her back, shoulders and arms. Some injuries were recently inflicted and others were in various stages of healing. Then he saw the worst of the lot on the back of her upper arm. Even in the dim light, he could clearly make out the print of fingernails. He winced.
"Who would do such a thing to you?"
Sorcha's gaze dropped to her bare feet.
He slipped his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up toward his. "Tell me who hurt you, Sorcha," he whispered, wanting naught more than to pull her into his arms, and to kill the bastard who had harmed her.
Tears shimmered in her eyes. "'Twas Archibald Campbell, the man I am to wed."
Galen blinked. Did he hear her correctly? It took a moment for it to sink in. She was betrothed? To a man who would treat her in such an appalling manner? He shook his head. "But why would he want to treat you like this?"
She shrugged. "'Tis the sort of ruthless man he is."
"Surely your brother is unaware of your treatment at the hands of Campbell. No one I ken would allow their sister to be abused such as you were—nor would I." He snorted. "If I should ever learn that the earl treated my sister, Elizabeth, as you have been, I'd run him through, and he knows it."
She chewed on her bottom lip. "Then I must tell you the truth of it." Sorcha let out a long sigh before she began. "A month ago, Alexander signed a marriage contract between myself and Archibald Campbell, the Laird of Clifftower Castle. When the laird visited me at Blackstone, he'd seemed pleasant enough, but once my brother left me at Clifftower and returned home, I learned the sort of man he truly was."
Galen frowned. "In what way?"
"Late one night, I came upon Archibald trying to force himself on one of the
young servants. She was sobbing and trying to get away. If I'd not happened upon them, I hate to think of what might have happened to the poor girl. His servants are terrified of him. He let me ken in no uncertain terms that he had a mistress in the village he intended to keep, even after we are wed. Then he began to punish me, for which you have seen the results. I couldn't live my life, wondering from minute to minute what he would do next—or what he would do to me. I was determined to leave that place behind. And after bribing several of Archibald's guards, I did just that."
The lack of guards, no belongings, now it all made sense. She'd been running away from Campbell. "The man must be daft to even look at another, with a beautiful woman like you about to become his bride."
She lowered her head and shyly looked away.
'Twas the truth. She was beautiful beyond comparison. "Any man who treats a woman in such a fiendish manner deserves naught less than death," he said through clenched teeth. At that moment Galen could have killed the blackguard with his bare hands. "You did right in leaving the bastard behind. Your brother won't send you back. I'll be seeing that he doesn't." Galen didn't ken how, but he was determined to make absolutely certain she wasn't returned to the likes of Archibald Campbell.
A wee smile touched her full lips and before Galen realized what he was doing, he pulled her into his arms.
Her eyes were wide and questioning as she gazed up at him, but she didn't move away.
His arms encircled her waist. One taste of her. That's all he wanted. One taste. Then he would leave her be.
Her heard her sharp intake of breath, as he lowered his head.
There came a pounding at the door and they jumped apart.
Saints above! His gaze fell to her lips, lips he'd come close to kissing. "Who is it?" he snapped.
"'Tis us," rumbled Cinead's deep voice. "Open the door."
Galen opened it. "Is something amiss?"
Duncan and Cinead's gazes scanned the room. "Och, you tell us," Duncan said, raising a brow in question.
"We went back downstairs for a dram of whisky, and overheard a lad tell the landlord he'd heard a female scream, and wondered if perhaps 'twas Lady Sorcha he heard," Cinead eyes narrowed as he glanced back and forth between them. "We wanted to be sure you weren't under attack."
"'Twas a rat," Galen stated flatly. "I've taken care of the matter."
"Um huh," Duncan said, then his face split into a broad grin, before he followed Cinead out the door, leaving him and Sorcha alone.
Galen bolted the door behind them, then turned to find Sorcha had already slipped beneath the covers and was facing the wall.
Cursing the untimely arrival of his two friends, Galen blew out the candle and returned to his place beside the bed, but it was a long time before he was able to fall asleep—a very long time.
Early the next morning, Galen was awakened by a rooster crowing beneath the window. He sat up and looked over at Sorcha, still deep in sleep. Sometime during the night, she'd turned over and was now facing in his direction. She was so beautiful, especially with the first rays of morning sun kissing her skin. She'd kicked away the covers and the thin shift did little to hide her pleasing form, giving Galen a delightful look at her ample cleavage threatening to spill out. Her long hair lay in wild disarray about the bed and her lengthy lashes fanned against her cheeks.
Her full lips were slightly parted, and he could well imagine their softness if pressed against his own. Galen moved to the bedside, and reached out to touch her bottom lip, then reluctantly withdrew his hand. They had a long day ahead of them and he didn't wish to wake her.
He got up from the floor, and after pulling on his boots, allowed himself another leisurely gaze, imagining how tantalizing she would look sprawling on the bed, without the shift to hinder his view. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. How his body ached to touch her. Grudgingly, he pulled the cover over her, then grabbed his doublet and slipped out of the room.
Duncan and Cinead were coming out a door further down the corridor. Galen stopped and waited for them. By the time they reached him, he'd prepared himself for the teasing he knew he'd be getting.
"Och, damn that rooster," Duncan grumbled. "If I stayed here long, I'd be having that old bird for my supper."
Cinead grinned, his pale blue eyes twinkling. "Where's the lass, Galen? Has she managed to escape you?"
Duncan chuckled. "Not after last night, Cin. Did you not see how the lass blushed?"
"I saw," Cinead said, a broad grin plastered on his face. "I also noticed that our friend seemed a wee bit distressed when we showed up. Do you suppose we might have interrupted something?"
"You could be right." Duncan nodded.
Galen rolled his eyes. "Naught happened between us," he said, knowing full well he would have kissed her if they'd not come along when they did. He'd brought her with him against her will, yet she didn't move away from him, though his intention to kiss her was clear.
His friends chuckled.
"Why don't the two of you go on ahead and order something to break our fast. I have a request to make of the landlord, then I'll meet up with you. And don't take your eyes off of that bedchamber door. I don't trust the lass to stay put once she's awake."
Duncan and Cinead nodded, then headed down the stairs in front of Galen.
***
Sorcha opened her eyes and blinked. It took a moment for her to realize just where she was. Then it all came rushing back. Sunlight streamed through the tiny window, making the drab contents of the room appear pleasant enough. She raised herself onto one elbow and peered over the edge of the bed. Galen was gone. Sorcha breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down. She lifted her hand to her mouth. He'd almost kissed her. And heaven help her, she'd wanted him to. Her face heated at the memory of how her body had responded when he'd pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. What was the matter with her?
She bolted straight up. Perhaps she could escape while he was gone. But where would she go? She wasn't even certain where she was. What if she were able to get away, but then ran straight into Archibald? She knew he was searching for her. After punishing Sorcha, he'd bestow upon her a life of unfaithfulness and unbearable cruelty.
Nay, she wasn't stupid. She'd stay where she was for the time being. Besides, she felt safe with Galen. At least he wouldn't let Archibald take her back. He needed her to gain his brother his freedom. But Sorcha knew one thing for certain. She'd have to guard her heart carefully, for she could easily lose it to the handsome Highlander.
There was a light tapping at the door.
"Aye?"
"I've hot water for ye, m'lady," said a female voice.
Sorcha got out of bed and wrapped her cloak about her. "Come in."
A young servant came through the door carrying a bucket of steaming water, along with a cake of soap and clean linens. "The gentleman had it sent up," she said, carefully placing the bucket before the hearth. Then she left the other things on the chair, before returning to the door.
"Much thanks." Sorcha smiled, then bolted the door behind her, pleasantly surprised that Galen had thought of her comfort.
After making good use of her gifts, she slipped on her dress and shoes. She raked out her hair with her fingers, grabbed her cloak and stepped into the corridor. Her stomach growled at the mouth-watering aroma of meats, breads and pastries that filled the air.
Galen must have been waiting for her, because the moment she stepped off the stairs, he was there. "Good morn, Lady Sorcha. I trust you slept well?"
Their gazes met and held. More than likely, he was thinking about the kiss they'd almost shared, just as Sorcha was. The room suddenly felt warm. "Aye, I did, much thanks."
"Come eat your fill." He offered his arm. "'Tis a long ride to Ravenskull."
She took his arm, marveling at the play of hard muscle beneath her hand. Sorcha, behave yourself! But she couldn't stop wondering what he'd look like wearing no shirt.
When he le
d her into the room, where they'd taken their meal the night before, Duncan and Cinead got to their feet. "Morn, my lady," they both uttered.
"Good morn," she said, taking a seat on the bench beside Cinead, who wore a grin on his attractive face.
Galen sat down on her other side and stretched out his long legs, brushing against her thigh in the process.
Sorcha's heart jolted. Trying her best to ignore Galen's proximity, she chose a delicious looking bannock and bit into it, savoring its wonderful taste.
Judging by the look of the table, the three had already eaten. While she broke her fast, Cinead and Duncan headed for the stables to ready the horses for their departure.
Galen moved to the bench across from her. He folded his arms and leaned back against the stone wall behind him, studying her. "Why did you not try to leave this morn when you had the chance?"
She swallowed her mouthful of bannock and shrugged. "Where would I go? I don't even ken where I am. Should I have tried to find my way back to Blackstone alone? And taken a chance on running into Archibald? Or go on to Ravenskull with the three of you?"
His face spread into a broad grin and her heartbeat increased threefold. "Och, so you chose the lesser of three evils, did you now?"
She studied his handsome face, the cocky smile and twinkling green eyes that made her knees weak. "I'm not so sure about that." Sorcha chose a tart from the platter and took a bite, not wishing him to ken how he affected her.
Galen chuckled and Sorcha's face heated. She was glad when Cinead returned to let them ken the horses were saddled and waiting out front.
While Galen settled up with the landlord, Sorcha followed the others outside to wait for him.
A few moments later, he joined them, carrying a small sack. "Food for our journey," he said, tying it to her saddle.
"You never bring food along when we travel with you," Duncan said, pretending a child-like pout.
Cinead snickered.
Galen's face reddened.
Sorcha smiled. He purchased the food because of her.
Galen lifted her onto her horse, but this time he handed her the reins.
Cinead and Duncan exchanged glances, but said naught.