Ashlyn (The Highland Clan Book 5) (13 page)

“As I said, an eight-year-old would not be able to stab a man’s back hard enough to…”

“I took him by surprise when I ran toward him, and I swung as hard as I could…”

Sobs racked her body. “Ashlyn, calm down. I’m sure you did not kill him.”

“He turned around so fast that I could not stop.”

“And?”

“And I stabbed him right through his eye.”

Chapter Thirteen

She screamed and gripped him like she’d never let go. That horrible night had happened so long ago, but she’d never told anyone about it before. She’d felt the knife plunge into something soft, and warm fluid had run out. The night had been dark, however, so she had no idea what color it had been.

He had screamed and let go of Gracie, who’d started crying as soon as she got a good look at him.

Magnus persisted. “What else? Tell me the rest of it.”

She rested her head on his shoulder and continued, clutching his biceps for strength. “He screamed and reached up to his eye. He yelled at me, told me I had blinded him. The dagger fell to the ground, but I could not retrieve it. He ran in circles, cursing me, and I grabbed Gracie and ran off into the deep forest.”

“There, you see. You blinded him, and only in one eye, a more than fair punishment for what he had done to both of you.”

“But in the morning, he was lying face down on the ground…not moving.”

“Are you sure ‘twas the same man? Do not forget how dark it was.”

“It had to be him. Who else would it have been?”

“Ash, you said the Norse came ashore and burned the houses, attacking the Scots. There had to be other dead bodies there.”

She pulled back to gaze into his eyes. Hope blossomed inside her. “You are correct. There were other bodies. I saw them when Robbie came along. Some of his men were burying them.” Just like that, Magnus had given her a shred of doubt to hang on to.

“But the others were in the same area,” Ashlyn continued, thinking out loud. “He was not. This man lay face down…”

“Then how could you see his face?”

“I could not.”

“Then how do you know it was him?”

“Because…” She pulled back and gazed into his eyes. “Because he was close to the same place…”

“The man you just told me about would have run off. He was strong enough to scream and move around, then he would
not
have stayed in that same spot. It must have been a dead body from the skirmish. You were so distraught that you did not notice the body before in the dark.”

She closed her eyes. His reasoning making sense to her adult mind, but for so long she’d viewed the events of that night through the haze of childish fears.

Mayhap she had it all wrong. Mayhap her eight-year-old mind had been so frightened that she hadn’t seen the situation clearly. She threw her arms around him and said, “Many thanks, Magnus.”

“You never saw the face of the dead man, so you understand there is no way you could know it was the same man, aye?”

“Aye.” A few more tears squeaked out. “I did not see it before, but now I understand.”

“My sweet, you have carried this too long, for no reason,” he said, brushing a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll remind you that many of your clanmates have killed to protect others. If you had killed him, it was to defend your sister. No one would judge you for this. Have you never told your mother?”

She shook her head.

“Why not?”

“I was afraid. I thought I was a murderer. I thought…” She shook her head as her gaze locked on his. “But you are correct. I have killed and maimed others and I carry no guilt for it. They were attacking us. I guess being a child…”

“Hush. Remove it from your mind. I tell you now that you were not large enough to have possessed the force to kill that man. He ran off. You injured him to save your sister, ‘tis commendable. You should only have pride for what happened.”

There was a new lightness inside her as she rested her head on his shoulder. Fear and guilt had tormented her for much too long.

He brushed a tear from her cheek. “Then ‘tis time to sleep. Close your eyes and I promise to keep you warm. This has been a long, difficult day, though it ended quite pleasantly.” He kissed her cheek and then tugged her close to him.

She lay awake for a while longer, listening to Magnus’s rhythmic breathing, enjoying the warmth he gave her and the feeling of being protected. She’d had no idea their relationship would come to this.

Now she understood a wee bit better why her mother, Aunt Gwyneth, and Aline had found it in them to marry. Her life had changed forever, and she found herself reflecting on Magnus’s sweet words—
he loves me, he loves me
—as she fell into a blissful sleep.

By the time she woke up, the sun was almost at its highest point. The first thing she did was grab the plaid and tuck it around her because she was shivering. Magnus stood by the hearth, loading more wood and tending to the fire. She sat up and brushed the sleep out of her eyes, wondering if she had dreamed all that had happened.

Magnus gave her a wide smile and strode over to kiss her, which told her she had not imagined any of it. “How do you fare this morn, Ash? You are not too sore, are you?” He moved back to the fire and brought her a warm bowl of broth he’d made with some of the turnips and carrots.

“How long have you been awake?” She sipped the broth, enjoying the warmth as it traveled through her bones.

“A couple of hours. The snow has ended, the sky is lightening up, and the sun may peek out for a wee bit.”

“We can leave? I can be ready in a short time.”

“Actually, the snow is deep. If the sun comes out, it may melt quite a bit, so I think we should wait until the morrow to leave. ‘Twill be better for the horses if they do not have to track through such heavy snow. Do you not agree?”

She stood up, the plaid still wrapped around her bare body, and set the bowl on the table. Her trews were on the stool, so she picked them up and stared at Magnus, waiting for him to give her some privacy.

When he didn’t move, instead staring at her with that ever-present grin on his face, she said, “Turn around, please?”

The grin grew wider, all of his white teeth now showing. “Are you to deny me a simple pleasure this morn? You are a beautiful woman.”

She frowned at him, swirling her finger in a circular pattern. “Nay, you are dressed, and I did not watch you do it.”

He addressed her over his shoulder as he turned. “I do not mind if you watch me.”

“You would not let me watch you last night.” She stepped into her trews as fast as she could before she donned her shift and wool gown.

“Och, you may watch all you like. ‘Tis the studying I do not favor.”

She had to chuckle at that one. The man had a way about him that made her feel special. The day suddenly looked brighter.

Then she remembered. Her voice came out in a low whisper as she stared at the fire in the hearth. “I told you, did I not, Magnus?”

“About the man you stabbed? Aye, you did. Now you can remove it from your memory. You are not a murderer.”

Aye, he had convinced her that it was possible the man on the ground had been someone else. The feeling of freedom washed over her again, stronger even than last night, and she returned his grin. Striding over, she kissed him on the mouth and announced, “Shall we not go outside, see if we can find a duck or a pheasant?”

“Aye. But not until I get a taste of you. If not with my eyes, then…” He cupped her face and kissed her, stroking her until she opened for him and leaned against him, her arms moving up to his shoulders.

When he ended the kiss, he teased her even more. “Och, you did learn something last eve.”

She swatted his shoulder, and he grabbed her mantle, helping her on with it. “You take care of your needs first. I shall follow in a few minutes after I’ve slowed the fire. I made a path for you, lass.”

As soon as she stepped outside, she found the path he’d made. It led behind a couple of trees—the perfect spot to complete her ablutions, which included throwing some cold snow on her face to wash it. It was freezing, but it felt good to remove the day’s grime. She had the most wonderful memories of her night with Magnus, and did not regret any of it. Her mother would tell her they needed to marry right away, but she was not sure what would happen. They were both older, and he was a widower. Her head told her it was not necessary as long as she was not carrying, but her heart reminded her that she could have what she’d always wished for. She could marry Magnus and have the family she’d always wanted. They had already discussed marriage, but she hadn’t known if she could complete the act. Now that she had, it changed everything. But was it fair to him to marry him if she could not return his love? She’d have to raise the topic with Magnus before they arrived on Grant land.

But that was a few days away. For today, she would simply enjoy his company and their freedom. And mayhap they’d have the opportunity to explore each other again. Her cheeks burned when the cottage’s door opened and Magnus stepped out.

Hellfire, but when had he turned so handsome? His dark hair curled into waves down to his shoulders. He usually kept it shorter, but he’d been traveling lately, so probably hadn’t thought of it. She had to admit she liked it longer. His beard had been growing for a few days, but even that had grown attractive to her.

Magnus’s body was also a thing of beauty, she realized as she watched him lead the horses out of their enclosure. In fact, she decided to give his body her full attention today. Why not enjoy it while she could? No one would see her staring, enjoying the rippling of his muscles, so she decided to take advantage of their present freedom.

“What are you thinking about? ‘Tis quite an expression you have on your face. Do I dare ask?”

She decided to goad him. “I was thinking about your cock again.”

He coughed once, but then regained his smile. “And are they pleasant thoughts, lass? I can promise you a view of it later, if you’d like. ‘Tis not too enticing to look at in the cold. It shrivels and shrinks like a turtle in its shell. ‘Twas not too easy washing it earlier because of the temperature.”

She burst into hysterics over that, laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes.

He ignored her and said, “Here’s your bow and quiver.” After giving her some time to get everything situated, he leaned over her shoulder from behind her and whispered into her ear, “I can play your game, too, if you’d like. I’d wager I can shock you more than you can shock me.”

She narrowed her gaze and said, “Sounds like an entertaining day. Shall we go?”

He helped her mount her horse, and once they were both astride he followed her into the meadow. She found an area at the top of a hill and reined in her horse.

Magnus stopped his horse next to hers and said, “Now if I could just get you to ride me like you ride that horse.”

She fell off her horse.

“Ash,” he jumped off his horse. “Are you all right? I did not mean to cause you harm.”

She was flat on her back, and he bent over to help her up. Once in a sitting position, she winked at him and said, “My foot was caught.” She held her hands up to him and said, “Here, help me up.” She waited until he stood in front of her, then looked at his male parts and said, “Hmmm. I wonder…The lassies in the kitchens told me about their mouths and a man’s…”

“All right.” He spun on his heel. “I yield. No more of that, or I’ll not be able to ride home. Hellfire.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “I thought you were an innocent.”

“Looking for another snowbank?” She stood up, brushed the snow off her trews, and then slid up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I have little experience, but that does not mean I do not like to listen. You can learn much that way, and I have many male cousins.”

He turned around and took her in his arms. “So you do, and I concede to you. That game causes me too much torture.”

“‘Tis just as well. I did not have much else to say.” There was a faint rustling sound above, and she tipped her head toward the sky and turned to her right just in time to see couple of pheasants near the trees. Stepping away from Magnus, she nocked an arrow, squared herself and took aim, though it took two arrows to take one down.

“Wonderful! Meat for dinner again!” Magnus ran toward the bird, but then stopped at the top of the hill. “It landed at the bottom. The snow is deep on the hill. I’ll go get it. You stay here.”

“Nay, we’ll both go get it.” When she reached the hill, she lay down on top of the snow, putting her arms over her head. “We’ll roll down.”

He laughed as she started down the hill. “Wait for me,” he yelled. “We could have raced.”

Their laughter echoed through the trees as they propelled down the steep hill. To their mutual surprise, he landed on top of her at the base of the hill.

“Now this is the heavens telling us something, lass.”

“What are they telling us?” She peered into his brown eyes, almost the same color as hers, but his held a fleck of gold that matched his smile. Lying on the snow was nice because his weight did not crush her. Hellfire, but she had the sudden urge to kiss him and feel him inside her again. Would it be as nice today?

“This.” He settled his lips on hers.

His lips were cold, but the rest of him was sheer delight. His heat radiated to every part of her skin, heating her in ways she could not have fathomed before last night. She parted her lips for him, wanting to taste her Magnus.

His lips trailed a path across her cheek and down her neck. “I say we grab the pheasant and go back.”