Highland Avenger

by Hannah Howell

  She rested her forehead against his chest for a moment as she finished beating down her fear for her boys. His plan had been a good one, still was a good one. The fact that there were a lot more men hunting her, Michel, and Adelar than they had believed did not change that. The utter confidence underlying his words helped her get control of her fear as well. She recognized that sort of arrogance for her kinsmen had it. Brian knew his strengths, his abilities, and those of his kinsmen. It was a good arrogance, too, for it was one that would not blind him to what he could not do, to what would be just reckless to even try.

  Stepping back a little and releasing him, she took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and nodded. “Go then. Since I am nay sure of exactly where I am, I am nay sure which of my kin is the closest ...”

  “I am. Once Fiona let us ken who her clan was allied with, we found out all we could about them.” He gave her a quick kiss. “I willnae be gone long.”

  “Just be careful.”

  She watched until he was out of sight. The ease with which he disappeared into the shadows of the scattered trees gave her even more confidence in his assurances that he and his kin had the skills she and the boys needed to stay alive. It was not easy to understand the life he had led for it was so vastly different from anything she had known, but she could see that he spoke the truth. MacFingals knew how to survive and treated a skill at stealth as just one more weapon. Although her family had known a reasonably peaceful life during much of her growing years, she suspected they had such skills as well.

  Arianna turned her attention to the horses. It had been a long, long day of riding hard, taking tortuous routes, and hiding until it was safe to continue traveling. The time taken to send a message to her kin was dangerous as they could not be certain just how close their enemy was, but it was necessary. They were going to need all the help they could get to stop these men.

  It appeared that Amiel and the DeVeaux had brought a small army to hunt down her and the boys. She should have known that but had never taken much notice of how many men Amiel had with him the few times she had seen them. Even if she and her allies were able to cull those numbers, Amiel and the DeVeaux had undoubtedly brought enough coin with them to pay others to fight for them. There were always plenty of men around with no loyalties and an eagerness for coin.

  The fact that she had dragged the MacFingals into this battle made her feel so guilty it hurt, but she had had no choice. She believed Brian’s assurances but, even knowing that the men were more than willing to help, it did not ease the guilt by much. If not for the children, she would have just fled on her own to her family. Unfortunately, the boys were the very reason she was even in this fight.

  She also knew that, if caught, she could be used in an attempt to draw the boys into Amiel’s hands. Everyone at Claud’s holdings had known that she was more of a mother to those two boys than Marie Anne had ever been, in the eyes of Michel and Adelar as well as her own. Amiel gained nothing from hunting her save to use her as bait to entrap the boys. She doubted that the fact that the DeVeaux wanted her to exact an old vengeance against her family would matter all that much to him. The way she had thwarted his plans to kill the boys from the very beginning undoubtedly had added her to his list of ones he wanted dead, however.

  It was difficult to understand the man. If he had just had a little patience she was certain the elder Lucettes, his and Claud’s parents, would have succeeded in having the marriage of Claud and Marie Anne annulled, robbing the boys of all chance of inheriting anything. They just needed to pay the right people to see it done. The distaste many of the aristocracy would have for heirs who carried such common blood would also aid them. All Amiel had had to do was wait.

  Unless, she mused, the man could not afford to wait. It all came back to whether or not Amiel was in debt to the DeVeaux. Those men could well have pushed him to act immediately once Claud was dead. That was somewhat reckless of the DeVeaux, who usually preferred more subtle, and deadly, ways of gaining what they wanted. Hunting two boys and a woman like hounds after a rabbit was not very subtle.

  None of that mattered, she decided with a sigh. Once the game had begun it could not be ended. The crimes of Amiel and his DeVeaux allies were rapidly adding up. It was not easy to gain any justice when one accused a highborn man or woman of a crime, but the DeVeaux were no favorites if the king and the murder of a comte, an heir to even higher titles, was involved. Accusations, especially one of the murder of a very highborn Lucette, could prove costly to them. There was also the matter of sinking a ship.

  Arianna cursed softly and rubbed her fingers over her temples. Just attempting to puzzle it all out was enough to make her head throb. Even though she saw it all as senseless, needless, and reckless, there could be any number of reasons for their actions, which Amiel and the DeVeaux would consider quite reasonable. In the end it did not truly matter why they were so intent upon killing two innocent children, just that they were. Every thought she had about being the DeVeaux’s latest prey should only concern how to keep Michel and Adelar safe, as well as all of those who sought to help them.

  Sitting on the ground near the horses, she decided that Brian’s forays to look for the enemy or do something that might turn them off their trail were becoming more difficult to endure. Arianna did not like being left behind with the horses. She did not like being left alone while Brian was slipping about through the wood or creeping through villages doing what was needed to keep her alive and get her to a safe place. Arianna was not accustomed to feeling so helpless, so much like some useless, delicate maiden who could do no more than sit and wait for a man to save her. Or so much like a burden, she thought, wincing.

  If her brothers or cousins found out, she would be tormented and teased by them. A Murray woman did not sit about like some helpless, spineless female without the wit to lace up her own chemise. Murrays were strong women, women who fought beside their men. They did not allow others to fight their battles for them while they huddled safe and hidden with the horses, she thought, leaping to her feet.

  After taking three steps in the direction Brian had gone, Arianna cursed again and sat back down. Murray women also knew when to sit and wait even if they did not like it much. She had to just accept the fact that she did not have the skills that Brian did. Even more important, Amiel and the DeVeaux knew what she looked like and had undoubtedly described her very well to each one of their men. All they would need would be one glimpse of her and she would become no more than a sword at Brian’s throat.

  So she would sit and wait. And pray, because each time Brian left her sight she feared he would be hurt. Arianna did not want to think too hard on how she would feel if that happened, but did not really have to. The way her heart clenched at the mere thought of it told her all she needed to know.

  She was falling in love with the man, or already had. It was not something she wanted to look at too closely. Brian was kind to her, made love to her as she now knew a man should make love to a woman, but he spoke no words of love or even hinted at a future beyond that of getting her safely back to her kin.

  For a moment she wondered if his kindness and the passion he made her feel were why she imagined herself in love with him. She had never experienced such things in her marriage and could be fooled. Then she shook her head. It was more, much more. What she was feeling for him went deep. Arianna feared that when he left her with her family and walked away he was going to be taking her heart with him.

  Brian ignored the sultry invitation of the tavern maid as he made his deal with the young shepherd Tam. It had taken him longer than he liked to find someone he dared trust with a message to Arianna’s kin. He had almost decided to wait until he got to Dubheidland. If Lucette and his men were not so close or so certain of where he was taking her, he would have. He suspected his family may have already done so but he could not be certain of that.

  “Dinnae worry, mon,” said Tam, who would be taking his wool to market soon and so made a perfect choice
for a messenger. “I will be leaving here ere the sun rises and I will see that this gets into the hands of a Murray. I have dealt with them before, ye ken. They deal fair and always pay what be due me.”

  And that, thought Brian, was why he could trust this man. Such things were important to someone with goods to sell. A bribe came only the once but a man who bought your goods every season and paid well was not worth risking for that one brief moment of having a heavy purse. He gave Tam the message and counted out the coin promised into his dirty, heavily calloused hand.

  “Beware Frenchmen,” he warned again as the man gulped down the last of his ale.

  “Wheesht, only a fool wouldnae do so.”

  Brian was still chuckling when the man left and the tavern maid sidled up to him again. She was pretty enough, fairly clean, and buxom, but he had no interest in her. He made that clear as gently as possible but there was still the hard glint of anger in her eyes when she finally walked away. As he finished his ale, he prayed Lucette did not stop here. Brian was not very concerned about his ability to evade the man but the maid had watched his dealings with the shepherd. He could only hope she had some loyalty to those in her own village.

  He was slipping out of the village as easily as he had slipped in when he saw the shepherd ambling toward a small, worn cottage. After one quick glance at the man, which Tam returned with the same subtlety, Brian drawled, “I am thinking the maid in that tavern doesnae like to hear the word nay from a mon.” He could tell by the way the man’s body tensed that Tam understood the warning.

  “Nay,” replied Tam, never taking his gaze from the dirt path he walked. “My cousin is a vain bitch. Best someone reminds her what a sin that is.”

  Brian was a little surprised when Tam turned around and headed right back to the inn. He felt a little guilty that the girl might suffer from a harsh hand just because he was a suspicious sort, but shook the guilt aside. Tam had not questioned what Brian had meant and the man knew his cousin better than Brian did. And, if the woman said too much to the wrong people, it could not only put Lucette hard on his trail but it could get Tam killed.

  He quickly continued sneaking out of the village, eager to get back to Arianna. It would be the last time he left her alone, he thought, even though he knew that might be a very hard vow to keep. Brian did not like leaving her behind with the horses, always too aware of how easily Lucette or one of his men could find her. Arianna was not completely helpless but she would be no match for a grown, armed man intent upon capturing her. Unfortunately, he could not take her with him on these small forays because she might be seen and her looks were the type people noticed and remembered.

  Which made it so difficult to understand how she could have come to believe all the poisonous lies Claud had told her. Brian had to admit that he did not understand women very well. Arianna was beautiful yet saw nothing but faults when she looked at herself. It was similar to what his brother Ewan’s wife Fiona had suffered. With her honey-gold hair and violet eyes, Fiona was a beauty yet she had fretted endlessly over the small scars marking each cheek. Ignorant men were the reason for that for the same ones who had once wooed Fiona had quickly turned from her when she was no longer perfect. With Arianna it had been but one ignorant man who believed he had the right to punish her for his own weaknesses. There were a lot of men out there who would be better for a sound beating, he decided.

  It would gall him to have to do so, but Brian wished there was someone who could give him some advice on a way he could make Arianna more confident in her worth. His cousin Liam came to mind as that man had been very skilled with women and with sweet words that left them smiling and flushed with pleasure. Unfortunately, Liam was now married, and to a Murray lass, worked his own lands, and probably had yet another child on the way. There was little chance that the man would be at Dubheidland.

  So he would just have to keep making love to Arianna until she believed in her power to make a man desire her, he thought with a grin. She was hesitant, always awaiting that blow from harsh words, but she quickly grew passionate when he got her into his arms. Brian was more than willing to keep her there until she accepted that she was not only a desirable woman, but also a passionate one that any true man would be pleased to hold.

  He reined in his mount at the very edge of the place where he had left her. A heartbeat later she stepped out from behind a tree and smiled at him. The welcome in that smile struck him hard. It was one of the things he ached for. He could almost see her greeting him with it as he entered their home, the scent of a good meal in the air, and laughing children clinging to her skirts.

  It was not to be. He fought to smile back at her, hiding the stab of disappointment he felt like a sword wound to the chest. Lady Arianna Lucette could only be his for a little while. She was a titled lady, one who would undoubtedly be sought after by many men once they knew she was free. He was certain she would be dowered again, even if she did not get back what the Lucettes had taken, and the falsity of her marriage would be well hidden.

  Brian walked toward her and told himself he would not weaken; he would not marry for the land he craved. Some of that refusal came from pure pride, but he now knew that there was a good chance it could prove impossible to make Arianna believe he wanted her for any other reason if she did gain a new dowry or regain the old one. He would just make sure that he completely sated his need for her before he had to let her go.

  “Brian?” Arianna backed up as he walked straight at her, until her back was pressed up against the tree trunk. “Is something wrong?” she asked, despite the fact that the look on his face did not speak of anger.

  “Nay.” He placed his hands on the tree trunk on either side of her face. “I just want you.”

  Before she could respond to that, he kissed her. The hunger in his kiss quickly invaded her blood. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with all the passion he stirred within her, and welcomed the weight of his body as he pressed against her. It was not until she felt the cool of the air upon her breasts that some of the haze his kisses always clouded her mind with cleared away and she realized he had unlaced her gown. She was now bare-breasted before him, her bodice down to her waist, in the full light of day.

  “’Tis the middle of the day,” she protested, the heat of a blush rapidly spreading over her face, but he held her arms back when she tried to cover her breasts with them.

  “Nay, ’tis a wee bit later than that.” He teased the hard, rosy tip of her breast with his tongue, savoring the taste of her and the way she shuddered in his arms. “Sweet. Beautiful.” He accented each word with another lick of his tongue. “Enough to make a mon crazed with want just by looking at them.”

  Arianna found that her lack of belief in the words really did not lessen the power of them. Her embarrassment over being so exposed in the light of day faded beneath his flattery and caresses. When he slid a hand beneath her skirts and up her thigh, she did not stop him or even mutter one word of protest. Nor did she do any more than gasp faintly when he roughly tugged off the small linen braies she wore beneath her skirts, a strange habit she had gotten from the women in her family and which Claud had loathed. Brian paid no heed to them as he tossed them aside leaving her open to his touch. She ached for him to touch her there, opening to him willingly as he stroked her with his long fingers.

  When he began to tug up her skirts, she murmured, “I will get a blanket.”

  “Why?”

  “To put upon the ground so that we can, weel, we can finish this.”

  “We can finish it right here,” growled Brian.

  “Here?”

  “Love, do ye recall me saying that those lasses crowding around the Frenchmen at Molly’s inn didnae need a bed?”

  “Aye.”

  “Lying, sitting, or standing up, I said.”

  “Aye. Standing?”

  The word ended on a gasp as he placed one of her legs at his waist and buried himself deep inside her. Arianna clung to him, returning
his fierce kiss with a ferocity of her own, as he pounded into her. It was rough, uncivilized, and the most exciting thing she had ever done or felt. Even the grunt of approval he made when she wrapped both her legs around his waist fed her desire. She heard herself make a very similar noise when he grabbed her by her backside to hold her steady as they fought their way to passion’s precipice and plunged over it together.

  It took Arianna several minutes to regain her sense and by then Brian had laced up her gown. She blushed when he handed her the small braies he had taken off her, but he still made no comment on them as she quickly turned her back to him and put them on. It was difficult to believe what she had just allowed him to do. The warmth of the pleasure they had just found in each other’s arms eased the shock and embarrassment she knew she ought to be feeling, however.

  “I found a mon to take word to your kin,” Brian said as he handed her the wineskin.

  “And ye trusted him to do it?” she asked, and then helped herself to a long drink of the sweet cider.

  “Aye. He was headed off to market to sell his wool and a couple lambs. Said he has dealt with Murrays before and they always treat him fair. And pay.”

  “Ah, aye, that will make him do as ye want. Too many dinnae do that. The Lucettes owed money to everyone. My father always said that if ye cannae pay for it then ye dinnae need it. Said the poor mon selling his wares cannae afford to wait until ye decide to pay him.”

  “Being one who has wares to sell, I greatly appreciate that sentiment.”

  “Did ye save much of what had been on the ship?”

  He shrugged. “Enough. It will have to be looked o’er carefully before I can say for certain how much I have lost. And then there is the matter of Captain Tillet and whether we can continue to work together. He lost his ship and most of his crew and those are nay easy to replace.”

  “And the fact that Amiel and the DeVeaux thought nothing of destroying a ship full of people just to get to me and the boys tells one a lot about those men, doesnae it?”