Lass' Valor (The Pith Trilogy) (8 page)

Kate
awoke in her customarily cheerful manner. That is, until she felt the coldness
from the ground, which chilled her. She opened her eyes and saw the warriors
standing beside their mounts. With a loud piercing scream, she gripped the
covers. She’d forgotten where she was, that warriors were around, and that she
was fleeing for her life. Everything came trickling back into her mind. The
soldiers came running with their swords drawn and her eyes widened in horror.
The dark warrior motioned them back, and watched her stand.

He
scoffed as he approached her. “Why did ye scream?”

“I-I
um … forgot where I was, and the men frightened me and … I didn’t mean to
scream.”

The
man looked at her, apparently studying her from her head to her toes. She
pursed her lips, and wanted to scold his boorish behavior.

“I
know we look a wee frightening with our paint, but we only do it for our
amusement. Our ancestors painted each other and we … I’m only telling ye
because we don’t mean to scare you.”

“I
see. Thank you for explaining, I shan’t be frightened any longer.” Kate was
sure the Goddess was shaking her head at her for telling such a fabrication.

“Fix
your gown, you’re showing a little too much skin. I don’t want the men to see
you.”

“Oh,
Goddess above.” Kate straightened her garments, and her face reddened. No
wonder he had scrutinized her. The warrior sounded possessive, which irritated
her. Before she could counter him, he shoved food at her.

“Eat.”

She
shook her head. “Nay, thank you, sir.”

He
shoved the food at her again. “You will eat, now.”

“I
don’t usually eat this early, perhaps later. Do we have far to travel?”

“Aye,
very far.”

Kate
realized he was a man of few words. He continued to stare at her, and he didn’t
look happy. Did the warrior always wear such a fierce look? Even through the
paint on his face, she could tell he scowled. Too cowardly to ask, she
refrained from asking his name. She prayed he was Robin, the man who had
married Bonnie’s mother’s friend. He just had to be, because there was no way
she’d travel with such an arrogant man who wasn’t at least married. She might
be tempted to curse him or make him a potion which would make him silly and
lighten his foreboding manner, the thought of that made her smile.

“How
many more days?” She grumbled her question.

“A
few. Bonnie will ride with Gil, you’ll ride with me.”

Kate
didn’t like his commanding tone. Her usual appeasing personality took on a
cranky nature. “I will do no such thing. I have my own horse, my lord.”

“Lass,
that is not a horse. He’s old and will never make it up the incline.”

She
looked at Ralph and had to agree. Poor Ralph had all ready ridden so far and he
wasn’t bred for the hilly terrain they had traveled. “What should I do with
him?”

He
narrowed his eyes. “Set ‘em free.”

“Aye,
he deserves it. He did bring us this far and for that I’m thankful.” She went
to Ralph and removed her belongings. “You’ve been a big, brave boy. Thank you,
my friend.” She smacked his rump, and Ralph walked away slowly. Kate watched
him until he disappeared from her view. When she turned around, the warrior
stood right behind her. She bumped into him, and craned her neck to look at his
face. He was tall, and his smoky eyes looked back at her.

Gray
eyes
.
Still, she couldn’t tell what color his hair was. He couldn’t be the warrior of
her visions.

She
wondered which uncle this was. Was it the one who had a heart, but didn’t want
anyone to know about it? Brendan MacKinnon? He had gray eyes. Was it a sign?
Kate shook her head, stepped backward and almost fell. He reached out to catch
her, his big hand settled on her waist and she hoped she wouldn’t swoon again.

“Aye,
it’s going to be a rough ride home.”

He
grumbled that statement, and Kate pretended not to hear it. Something about the
warrior struck her heart. She didn’t know why, but she felt oddly safe with
him. He seemed to shake himself, as if he’d been deep in thought. Goddess help
her, she didn’t think she could survive another few days with him, let alone
riding with him.

“Lady
Kate, these are my men, Gil and Benjamin. I’ll introduce the rest later.”

Kate
wondered why he hadn’t told her his name. She wanted to ask, but kept quiet. He
walked away without another word to her. The men waited for them, most sat upon
their steeds, including Bonnie, who happily talked to Gil in their language.
Gil, hmm, she thought.

She
placed Trixie inside her satchel then folded the cover they had slept on. One
of the men came forward and took it from her. All was ready and she stood by,
not knowing what to do. The warrior rode to her on a huge white warhorse. Its
coat was pristine and unblemished, and appeared to be well cared for. The
warrior took pity on her and before she could make a fool of herself, he lifted
her around her waist and placed her in front of him.

Kate
sat straight with her spine as unbending as a lance. She hadn’t ever been held
so inappropriately by a man before, even her father had let her have her own
mount to ride. With her eyes focused forward, she pretended that he wasn’t
there. Try as she might, she couldn’t. His presence couldn’t be overlooked by
anyone. She felt him shift his position, while she held on for dear life. He
whistled for the men to proceed.

After
hours of riding, she thought her back would break from holding herself so
rigidly. If only she had time to meditate and calm her inner spirit. She felt
uneasy at not having completed her morning ritual, and her inner turmoil increased
with each mile.

Kate
wasn’t sure if she should trust the warrior. She wondered what she would tell
Bonnie’s father about where she was kept and by whom. If she wanted to seek
justice for her father’s death then she couldn’t tell them Richard’s name. With
the medallion secure, she had to find a way to speak to King Henry and gain his
assurance to look into the matter. Now the only question was, how could she
avoid telling them her guardian’s name?

Brendan’s
body became aware of her every movement. He wanted to pull her against him, but
it would only cause trouble. He had enough of a hard time with her sitting on
his lap. Aye, the last time a lass rode with him, he recalled feeling irked
about it because Isabel was meant to be his cousin, Douglas’ wife.

Now,
here I am with a lass of my own.

Where
had that absurd thought come from? She wasn’t his, nor had she shown the
slightest interest. Would that matter? Nay, he admitted, it wouldn’t.

She
distracted him from his thoughts when she shifted her position. He held her
tightly, looking into her eyes, moving his mouth close to hers, just a scant
distance away from her soft looking lips. He waited for her to speak, and tried
to measure the passion in her eyes.

“My
lord, may we stop to rest?”

“Aye.”
Brendan called a halt. He’d misread her look and smiled at the way she went
off.

Bonnie
ran to Kate as soon as her feet touched the ground. She took her hand, leading
her into the woods. His niece danced around and he smiled, knowing why.

“She’s
bonny.” Gil stood next to him, watching them disappear through the shrubs.

Brendan
saw Gil grin, but he ignored his obvious chaff.

“You’re
a lucky man.”

“What
do ye mean by that?” Brendan shoved him, knocking him back a step, causing
Gil’s arms to flail.

“I
see the way she looks at ye.”

“How
does she look at me?” Brendan felt his jaw twitch and wondered why he was
aggravated. He should be happy the woman looked at him at all.

“You
know, like she’s interested.”

“With
all this paint on? Nay, ‘tis your imagination. Don’t try to pull that cosh with
me, Gil. I am not as naive as my brothers or Douglas. They might fall for that
cosh about women looking at them a certain way, but I won’t. Don’t start
trouble.”

“If
ye don’t want her, just say the word.” Gil laughed. “What do ye plan to do with
her?”

Brendan
scowled. “I’m taking her home. What the hell do you think I’m doing with her?”

“That’s
telling, Brendan. Aye, telling indeed.”

“Go
to hell, Gil.” He stomped away. If there was one thing Brendan couldn’t
tolerate, it was teasing from his comrades. He’d had to put up with it from his
brothers for years, and wouldn’t take any ribbing from his friends. Finally,
the lass and his niece returned from the shrubs, and they could be on their way.

During
the long day, Kate seemed to get their names all mixed up. Gil mentioned a few
times, when they’d stopped, about her calling him by numerous names. The last
time they stopped, Gil said he corrected her, but she still called him Gregory
or Graham. Brendan grinned at her delightful absentmindedness.

The
sunset brought the cooler night and they camped beside a wide stream. Brendan
laughed when Kate whisked Bonnie away for a bath then made her eat a good
amount of food before letting his niece settle down for the night. Some of the
men joined them. He watched his men converse with Kate, and he couldn’t help
smiling when she mumbled something about them not being heathens. She probably
thought they’d been out raiding the countryside. England was rife with rumors
of pillaging, some true, some not. Many Scottish clans did raid by the borders,
especially the Barclays.

“Lady
Stanhope, where are you from?”

Gil
sat next to her, a little too close in his opinion. Brendan listened as he
sharpened his sword with a stone, trying to appear uninterested in their
conversation.

“Cheshire.
Gerald, where exactly is the MacKinnons’ land located?”

“Milady,
I’m Gil or Gilbert, not Gerald. Their land is located in the Highlands, just
past the black bracken of the hills of the northeast region. ‘Tis a good
distance from the border.”

Brendan
almost laughed at Gil’s insulted tone.

“Oh,
I cannot wait until we get there. We’ve been traveling for days and I know
Bonnie wants to get home. She misses her family. Will it take us much longer?”

“Another
day or so.”

That
night at camp, Brendan watched her tell Bonnie a story. He wanted to know about
the details of their flight from England, and knew there was more to tell. The
lass was English, so he presumed that’s where they fled from. He had to have
patience, and would find out when they reached home. Brendan wasn’t usually
patient, but he didn’t want to press her for the details. She seemed troubled
enough, without him plying her with questions. Besides, he knew Colin would ply
her with enough to make her pretty head spin.

Bonnie
curled up next to her savior. Aye, that’s what the lass had called Kate—
her
savior
. Brendan longed to lie next to her too, but there he was on the
other side of camp, watching like a randy lad from afar. His men watched her
too, which made him angry. He had no claim on the lady, and he didn’t know why
it bothered him so much.

The
only reason he had taken her with them was because of Bonnie and the
explanation Colin would expect.

Who
am I kidding? I didn’t want her to leave me.

His
niece seemed attached to her, the way Kate held his niece during sleep made his
heart ache. They must have had a difficult time. For some reason, he felt the
need to protect the lady. Once he reached their holding, he would free himself
of her, he promised. He didn’t want to get involved with a troublesome lass,
even though she did captivate him.

The
ride the next day was the most grueling. Brendan found himself wanting to wrap
his arms around her and so he did. She didn’t push his arms away so he held her
close. As she relaxed against him, he smelled her sweet fragrance. She smelled
of summer roses, and she entranced him with her alluring eyes.

The
day ended with shadows darkening the forest, and they stopped to make camp
again very close to their home at the loch. Brendan watched her holding Bonnie
in her arms, where she had fallen asleep. Warmth from the campfire chased the
cold away.

“Oh,
the heat feels good. The Goddess’ elements always make me feel peaceful.” Kate
rubbed her hands together. She set Bonnie next to her, covering her small body with
a plaid and then pulled her cat next to her.

He
smiled at the softness of her voice, but he couldn’t help wondering what she
meant about the Goddess. Something about her was mysterious, and he knew she
hid many sides of herself from him. She continued to pet the cat.

“Lady
Kate, is that your animal?”

She
jumped, not knowing that he’d sat next to her.

“Aye,
it is.”

“I
saw it the first night and thought it might be yours. What’s that around its
neck?”

“Ah,
just a … ah, little trinket.” She continued to pet Trixie’s fur. “Are we going
to reach the MacKinnon’s holding soon?”

He
regarded her for a moment before answering. She tried not to fluster over his
question, but she didn’t do a good job of it. Whatever was around that cat’s
neck made her tense.

“We
should reach home on the morrow. Why are you so anxious to reach my clan? Are
you being followed?” He leaned casually on his knees, knees that were bared.
Her eyes widened, but then she shifted her gaze to a safer place. He held her
eyes with his wanting to laugh at her delightful bashfulness.

“Nay,
I just want to get Bonnie home. I promised her that I would see her arrive
safely. Then I must go.”

“Where
must you go?”

“To
King Henry. I must see him about my father’s … about my wardship and other
matters.”

“Are
ye married, Lady Kate?”

“Nay,
that’s another matter which I must speak to Henry about, one more painful issue
piled atop the rest.” Her face became saddened.

Brendan
acted casually and fiddled with the ties on his boots. Now that he was on
Highland soil, he could remove the dirt he’d placed in them before he’d left
home. It was his long-standing habit to put Highland soil in his boots whenever
he left the Highlands, that way his feet would never leave his beloved county’s
soil. As he went about dumping his boots, he kept up the conversation.

“Why
do ye want to talk to Henry about marriage?”

She
looked at him oddly, while he went about his chore.

“He
settled a betrothal for me and I will soon marry. My father’s lands lay
unprotected, because my overlord is away. I cannot await his return, and I had
intended to ask the king to place me with my betrothed.”

“There’s
much more to this story?”

“I
can’t talk about it, but must see the king. I’ll speak to Bonnie’s father and
then be on my way.” Kate lay next to Bonnie and went to sleep.

Brendan
fumed silently. He didn’t like what he’d heard. What the hell was going on? The
lass was supposed to wed and was betrothed. Well, hell. Why did the thought of
her marrying make him feel incensed? She had lands in England? The lass must be
an heiress just as Julianna was. Did all women in England come with land? He
didn’t know the goings on of that land. He hated England and didn’t venture
there if he could help it, but he wouldn’t dislike the lass because she came
from that hated country. Nay, he liked her just fine. A smile tugged at his
lips.

Gil
approached Brendan from across the camp. “Ah, hell, Brendan, did ye just smile?
You’re in for it now, the lass is going to turn you upside down. I’m glad,
because you need a woman. Aye, she’ll make you smile and laugh, not to mention
being a fine—”

Brendan
cut him off by gesturing in a lewd manner, which Gil laughed at. Brendan kept
his eyes on Kate, while listening to Gil’s bullshit. It was true, he didn’t
ordinarily laugh.

“Shhh,
quiet, Gil. Don’t wake them, and stop carping about this cosh. Have you set
anyone to the watch? I’m going to take a walk and check, and then bathe in the
loch.”

Gil
nodded, but he continued to bait him. “The lady seems to like ye. At least, she
didn’t run away when she first saw you. I know she probably wanted to, because
you’re not the type to attract a lass. Nay, ye scare them witless. Come to
think on it, she did swoon.”

Brendan’s
jaw clenched, but he didn’t comment on Gil’s view. He was coarse and crass, yet
underneath, he was a good man with a slightly sensitive side, rarely shown to
anyone. His true nature wasn’t something he wanted known. He’d spent most of
his life training to be a warrior. Nay, he wasn’t suitable for many women, but
he was prideful in that he could at least protect his clan. He and his brothers
grew up under their father’s formidable rules. Since his father had died, their
clan prospered and his brother, Colin, had become a well respected laird.

Though
Brendan mainly kept to himself because of his father’s uncaring mien, his
brothers were important to him, as were their wives and children. Over time, he
had lost some of his abrasiveness, but he couldn’t help keeping his true self
hidden. He supposed it became more of a habit to be so contentious.

Gil
spent much time with him, and Brendan considered him his closest friend. Since
Brendan’s brothers had married and started families, he had spent more time
carousing with Gil’s laird, Douglas Kerr. When Bonnie went missing, Douglas had
given Gil leave to aid in the search. Though they were similar in size, his
friend had lighter hair, and was always smiling. That damned smile irritated
him, because it usually flocked the ladies to him. Brendan neither attracted
the ladies, nor was he cheerful. But they were similar in their tastes, which made
gallivanting around with Gil enjoyable. Gil would relish watching him blunder
in dealing with the lady. He knew that Gil would assist anyway he could, and
torment him to no end.

Brendan
felt the burden of his niece’s plight ease from his insides now that she was
safely home. Once he had reached his land, he purposely had camped at the loch
so the men could wash before going to the keep. He stripped off his tartan, and
began scrubbing the paint off his body. After that chore was finished, he
pulled out soap from his pouch and washed until he was finally clean. He lay on
the bank and closed his eyes, drying himself in the late-night air. The coolness
felt good on his skin and calmed him. He was happy to be home again.

“Brendan?”

He
looked up and saw Gil. “Aye?”

“What
are ye going to do about the lass?”

“What
should I do about her? She’s here to explain to Colin what happened to Bonnie.
There’s nothing more to it than that.” He sat up and looked at him questioning
his manner.

“Well,
if you’re not interested, then—”

“I
don’t know if I am or not.” Brendan admitted that to himself, more so to Gil.

“Aye,
ye are.”

“Then
why are you asking?”

“Just
checking.” Gil threw his tartan at him, laughing.

“Don’t
ye have a lady waiting for you at Douglas’ keep?”