“About Payton?” Elspeth laughed. “Oh, wait until I tell the others. Minstrels have sung about him? Truly?” She laughed even harder when Owen nodded. “Oh, pardon, Muddy,” she said when the cat gave her a disgusted look, left her lap, and sprawled across Owen’s. “’Tis just all this talk of Payton as if he is some Charlemagne.” She shook her head. “Minstrels singing about him. Jesu.”
“He isnae like that?”
“Weel, he is bonny, but why shouldnae he be? His parents are bonny. And he does have a verra good heart. But he is my cousin. I have grown up with him. I have seen him all gangly and spotty. I have suffered through him, my brothers, and my cousins all seeing who could belch the loudest and the longest. Oh, and contests of other rude noises as weel, I am ashamed to say. I have kenned him when he was still of an age to have glorious tantrums and his mother felt compelled to dump a bucket of water o’er his head. ’Tis just hard to think of the lad who boasted of writing his name in the snow better than my brother Connor could as one some minstrels trill about.” She blushed when all three men grinned, telling her they knew exactly what the boys had used for quill and ink. “Aye, especially when that boast had the two of the fools drinking ale and water until they sloshed so that that boast could be proven true or false.” She shivered, all her humor vanished as she suddenly recalled, all too clearly, her last sight of Payton.
Cormac took her hand in his, easily guessing her thoughts. “As ye once told me, if anyone can elude ill fate, ’tis he.”
“Aye, of course.”
“And I do believe ’tis best if we send word to your kinsmen. Owen and Paul can go and tell them of your troubles. They can also tell them where ye are going so that someone can come for you.”
That hurt, but Elspeth firmly told herself now was not the time to fret over the fact that Cormac still foresaw no future for them. “Considering what has just happened, do ye think it wise to send away two skilled swordsmen?”
“Aye, Cormac,” said Paul. “I was just thinking the same.”
“I have decided that Elspeth and I should return to surrounding ourselves with others. On the morrow we can rejoin one of the main routes to the king’s court. At this time of the year, many people travel to the king’s court, either to attend the court or to sell their wares to the crowd that gathers there. A large assault as we suffered through tonight will be impossible there. In truth, I believe I erred in thinking back ways and winding trails were the best route. Even with you two at our side”—he smiled briefly at his friends, silently thanking them for their aid—“we are too much alone.”
“None of her kinsmen will be able to reach ye to help until ye finish your journey or e’en later.”
“Nay, but they can get to court to meet us. If Sir Colin hasnae quit or died by then, Elspeth will need all the help she can get. We all ken how easily a laird and his men can slip through the crowds at the king’s court. And if we dinnae reach the court, the Murrays will be ready and armed to come to her aid.”
“Weel, it doesnae sound any more dangerous than this plan proved to be. I am surprised ye havenae already sent word to her kinsmen.”
“I couldnae find anyone I trusted enough. That message could easily have been ferreted out by Sir Colin and brought him right to us.”
Elspeth stood up, weary and still stinging from Cormac’s blithe mention of their coming separation. “I am sure ye dinnae really need me to sort it all out. I am to bed.”
“But, angel, do ye agree with my plan?” asked Cormac.
“I have ne’er been hunted before. Ye have. I am willing to follow your lead in this.”
Elspeth slipped away for a moment of privacy, then spread out her rough bed a short distance away from the men. As she wrapped herself up in a blanket and settled herself with her back to the men, she could hear their murmurs as they made plans, and it soothed her. A moment later she felt Muddy settle himself against her back and his deep purr plus the warmth of him helped to relax her.
The bone-deep weariness she felt would help her sleep and she was glad of it. Her heart felt too much like a heavy, cold stone in her chest. Men were dying because some man lusted after her and could not tolerate being told nay. She could not completely stop herself from feeling guilty, from wondering sadly if there had been something, anything at all, that she could have done to prevent all of this.
And then there was Cormac—the love of her life, her soul, her heart, her mate. The man who could so easily know when she had just recalled what fate might have befallen Payton and offer her a comforting touch plus a few encouraging words. The man who could make love to her as if he was starved for the feel of her, could not survive another moment without feeling her in his arms. The man who spoke so calmly of setting her aside once they reached the king’s court.
A few more days was all she had left with Cormac. Could it possibly be enough? She knew she had reached him in some ways, knew it deep in her heart with a confidence that refused to be shaken. But it was clear that she had not yet gained a hold deep enough to pry him loose from Isabel. Oh, Elspeth loathed that woman so much that she wondered if it might be wise to worry a little less about what Cormac was planning to do when they reached the court and a little more about what she herself might do. There was the sour taste of jealousy within her, but Elspeth knew it was mostly fury she felt toward Lady Isabel Douglas. The woman was heartlessly tripping along, destroying one life after another and Elspeth knew that, given half a chance, Isabel would blithely destroy hers, too.
Breathing slowly and deeply, Elspeth fought to calm herself, to clear her mind of all worry and questions that had no easy answers. If she let her thoughts continue down the path they were going, she would grow sad, fretful, and angry. Those were not emotions conducive to seducing a man into loving her. And she had only a few days left to produce that miracle. She would need a clear head and lots of rest to conduct the final battle for the man she loved.
As she cleared up after the sparse morning meal, Elspeth kept a close watch on Paul and Owen. They moved a little stiffly, but after checking their wounds in the clear light of day, she felt they could ride to her family without seriously risking their own health. When Cormac left his friends to seek a moment of privacy, she hurried over to the men, smiling at the way Owen had paused in his preparations to stroke Muddy.
“Elspeth, if perchance this laddie produces a litter,” Owen said, coloring faintly, “and one looks as ugly as he does…”
“I will see that ye get it as soon as it is weaned,” she promised, then handed him a small, beautifully etched silver ring. “Show this to my kinsmen to let them ken for certain that ye come to them with my knowledge and blessings.”
“Do ye think it may be needed?”
“We cannae be certain what they have heard or been told. They may be verra wary at the moment, especially if Payton is…” She stumbled to a halt, still unable to voice the possibility of Payton dying.
Owen patted her on the shoulder in an endearing, if slightly awkward, attempt to soothe her and offer a silent encouragement. “Should we say anything about Cormac and ye? They may ask some awkward questions.”
“They may, and although I shouldnae really ask ye to lie, I would much rather they heard about him from me. If I win my gamble, then they can all celebrate the fact that I have finally selected a mate, something I think they begin to fear I shall ne’er do. If I lose”—she shrugged—“weel, what I do tell them shall have to be far less than the truth anyway. ’Tis best if ye try to stand clear of that morass.”
Paul stepped forward and kissed her cheek. “Ye will win, Elspeth. What ye offer our thick-witted friend is far more than Isabel e’er has or e’er will. I have to believe that Cormac will see that. Just be patient if he takes a wee while in seeing that for himself.”
“I pray ye are right, but then as ye say, your friend can be a wee bit thick-witted.”
Cormac tried not to feel jealous when he returned to find his friends sharing a jest with Elspeth, all
three of them laughing companionably. He could not claim Elspeth, not once he was reunited with Isabel. He was bound by a vow and a lengthy, if troubled, history with that woman. Guiltily, he admitted to himself that he really had no right to share anything at all with Elspeth, but he would continue to do so for as long as he could. After their time together was ended, however, she would be free to belong to another. Elspeth was not a woman who should ever live alone. Owen and Paul were good men and they obviously liked Elspeth. Perhaps one of them could give her what she needed and deserved.
The thought had barely finished forming in his mind when he felt the punch of anger and denial in his gut. He could not bear the thought of her sharing anything with another man. If she married Owen or Paul, Cormac would have to see her with whichever friend she chose and he would have to hear about her. He knew it would be intolerable, and he was galled by his own selfish possessiveness. He could not keep her, but it was painfully clear that he did not want anyone else to have her, either. It was fortunate that, once she went away, he could stay far away from her for a while. It might give him the time and distance needed to rid himself of this unwarranted possessiveness.
“Ye two take care,” he said, briefly clasping each man’s hand before they mounted, then fighting not to pull Elspeth to his side when she gave each man a friendly kiss of farewell.
“We will,” replied Owen, “though ’tis the two of ye who court the most danger. Are ye certain about this plan of yours, Cormac?”
“Nay, but ’tis a good plan all the same. Sir Colin will take time to recover from this defeat. Unless he is charging about Scotland with his entire garrison at his back, the loss of five men will badly hurt him. The fact that these men were mercenaries makes me think the mon left most of his clansmen guarding his lands in case the Murrays came clamoring at his gates. And there is still the chance it will be a long time, if ever, before he kens what happened here last night. Enough time for me and Elspeth to get to court. There is where protection will be needed if Sir Colin persists, if only because there will be a multitude of men there hungry for a coin or two and willing to do most anything to get it. He may e’en have some influence with the king and could get the mon to believe his tale of a kidnapped betrothed. So bring me some Murrays.”
“Trust us,” Paul said even as he and Owen spurred their mounts, quickly disappearing into the morning mists.
“They should be safe, shouldnae they?” asked Elspeth.
Turning to look at her, and almost smiling at the way the cat sitting by her feet was watching him as if it also waited for his assurances, Cormac replied, “Aye, they are skilled at fighting and verra skilled at running and hiding when the odds are heavily against them.”
“Verra good skills to have.”
“They are. Sir Colin doesnae want them, either,”
“Nay, just me.” She shivered and huddled against him when he pulled her into his arms. “I just dinnae understand this, no matter how hard I try. ’Tis madness, I think.”
“The mon wants ye. Mayhap he believes he loves you or thinks ye are what he needs to fulfill some dream.”
“He ne’er revealed such a depth of passion when he courted me. Nay, no passion at all, until I told him nay.”
“Angel, there are men who find a nay a verra great challenge and some who see it as a grave insult and even some who find it a spur to a deep passion, e’en love. And mayhap he is just a wee bit mad.”
“A great deal mad.”
She felt him move against her, the hard proof of his desire shifting against her belly in a strange mixture of almost absentminded desire and need. It was pleasing to know that he could not stop himself from wanting her, that his desire for her was already such a part of him it needed no conscious effort on his part to be stirred to life. It would be even more pleasing if that need and wanting was firmly set a little higher, she thought wryly.
“We are alone now,” he said.
Elspeth glanced up to meet his gaze and saw that the message his body was sending him had finally reached his brain. “Muddy is here.”
“Muddy is a clever cat. He will be able to tell that ’tis time to go and do a little hunting.”
As he talked, he started walking. Since he was still holding her in his arms, that required Elspeth to walk backward. She laughed softly when she stumbled and he simply lifted her up slightly until he was carrying her along.
“Shouldnae we be hastening to leave this place?”
“Aye, we probably should,” he said, stopping at the edge of his crude bed of blankets. “But ’tis still early yet and the next place we shall pause for the night isnae e’en a full day’s ride from here.”
“I was thinking more of the threat of Sir Colin,” she murmured as he set her on her feet and began to take off her clothes.
“E’en he wouldnae be so cruel as to deny us an hour or two of delight.”
“An hour or two?”
Cormac tossd the last of her clothing aside and stared at her. “Weel, maybe not that long.”
She was blushing deeply but did not attempt to hide herself from his gaze, although he noticed that her hands were tightly clenched at her sides and he smiled faintly. The sight of her affected him as powerfully as touching her or tasting her did. She was silken, creamy perfection from her slim neck all the way to her delicate feet. Looking at her and knowing he would soon touch and possess that perfection were anticipation at its keenest. Even if they had a long future ahead of them, instead of mere days, he doubted the pleasure of just looking at her would ever lessen.
He took a deep breath to steady himself as he shed his clothes. His desire for her was always strong, but the thought of how she would soon leave, would soon find another, made it all the sharper. For the first time since he had met Isabel, since he had begun that long, troubled relationship, he had met a woman he would sorely regret parting with. He felt a need to glut himself on her, to make as many sweet memories as he could. For the first time since he had sworn himself to Isabel, he felt regret for that vow and his inability to break it.
Even as Elspeth reached for him, he reached for her. He gently eased her down on the blankets, crouching over her. He prayed for the strength to go slowly. Cormac wanted to savor every delicate, soft inch of her. He wanted to kiss her everywhere, starting at her full, tempting mouth and going all the way down to her cute little toes, then kissing his way all the way back up again. Even as he touched his mouth to hers, he conceded that he might find the willpower to make the trip down—once. As he kissed the hollow at the base of her throat and she stroked his legs with her feet, he was no longer sure he would even make it to her knees.
Elspeth cried out with pleasure when his taunting mouth finally closed around the aching tip of her breast. She thrust her fingers in his thick hair and held him close even as she rubbed her body against his. He was going too slow. She could feel the taut control he exerted over his passion and she was determined to break it.
“Ah, angel,” he groaned against her ribs, “ye arenae helping me. I want to go slow.”
“I ken it. I am just nay sure I can bear it right now,” she said, not surprised at the unsteadiness of her voice, for she was trembling with the strength of her need for him.
When he kissed the dark curls adorning her womanhood, she was shocked over such intimacy in the bright light of day, but only for the length of a heartbeat or two. Then she lost herself to the pleasure of his intimate kiss, all modesty vanquished with a stroke of his tongue. She cried out to him as her passion crested, but he paid her no heed. Nor did he give her any time to recoup her senses, instead quickly driving her to the brink all over again. When she felt herself rushing toward yet another peak, she threatened him with dire consequences if he did not join her on that heady ride.
Cormac laughed and, kneeling between her legs, held her firmly by her slim hips and plunged into her. He groaned, and teeth gritted against the fierce urge to move, he held still. She was so tight, so wet with welcome, and so hot
. The pleasure of it went all the way to the marrow of his bones. Then she squirmed against him, wrapping her slender legs tightly around his waist and pulling him in as deep as he could go. All control vanished, and with a soft growl, Cormac proceeded to drive them both to the heights they so hungered for. A shaft of pure satisfaction briefly cut through his blind desire when they found that peak at the same time, relinquishing themselves to the power of their releases as one.
It was a long time before Cormac had the strength or wit to do more than sprawl on top of Elspeth and idly toy with her breasts. As they drew closer to court, Cormac realized that his regrets about having to leave Elspeth were beginning to outweigh his guilt. He did not want to give her up, but he had to. Because he had pledged himself to another, all Elspeth could ever be was his mistress. Cormac knew that would slowly destroy her, even destroy all they shared. He could not treat her or Isabel with such a callous disregard for their feelings, either.
“Now I think we had best set our wee minds back on the problem of eluding Sir Colin,” he said, lightly kissing her as he ended the intimacy of their embrace.
The moment he left her arms, Elspeth sat up and reached for her clothes. “The mention of that mon is as good as a bucket of icy water. Steals all the lovely warmth away.”
“Aye, but better that than risking the chance that the fool might actually get his hands on you.”
Elspeth shivered at the mere thought of that possibility and hurried to finish dressing. In no time at all, they had completed the breaking up of their camp, doing their best to clear away all signs of their presence. Muddy returned just in time to be set in his carrier, licking his lips in a way that told her he had found something to eat.
Cormac looked at the cat idly cleaning himself and showing no qualms about being set in a bag on the back of a horse. “Ye would think he was born to this,” he said and shook his head as he mounted. “He seems to ken everything about traveling.”
“Maybe he was traveling with someone and he got separated from him somehow,” Elspeth said as she swung herself up on her horse and tried to adjust her skirts a little more modestly. “I did notice that he requires no training, yet I think some should have been required.”
Highland Vow Page 12