The Imposter (9 page)

 It was then that
I realized that I was clad only in my low cut shift, my shift that left very
little to the imagination.  Had Devon helped me unlace my dress last night
before putting me into bed?  If so, he would have most certainly seen me in
only my shift.  I felt the color flush to my face. 

I saw my dress
folded neatly, the dirty mess that it had become, sitting atop a chair that had
been moved to the side of my bed.  Atop the muddy frock there was a neatly
folded piece of paper.  I slid one leg out of the warmth of the quilts, toes
barely touching the cold flagstone floor and reached over to grab the paper.  I
bundled myself in the warm quilts and flipped open the note.

Kate,

            I hope
that you have slept well.  You were sleeping like the dead when we arrived at
the keep.  Did ye know that you talk in your sleep?  Don’t be worried for your modestly.
 Leti was waiting for us last night, and she helped you get undressed and into
bed. 

            I’ll
have the maids bring up that bath that I promised you yesterday.  I hope that
you enjoy it, being that it is now more deserved than ever.  I’ve a surprise
for you this afternoon.  Meet me at the stables midday.

                                                Devon

The day had turned
out to be surprisingly warm, and the crisp autumn sunshine felt radiant upon my
clean skin.  As I walked from the keep towards the stables, the smell of
lavender wafted from my hair, again causing me to smile.  I would have
requested a bath long ago had I known that it would improve my spirits this
vastly.  As I reached the doors of the stable, the pin in my hair loosened and
my long bangs fell forward.  I huffed and came to a stop outside of the stable
door, reaching for the pin and re-twisting the unruly mass so that I could pin
it back.  I heard men’s voices from inside the stable as I worked the pin back
into my hair, making sure that it was more secure this time. 

“I can assure ye
that’s no the case, Jaime.” I recognized the deep burr of Devon’s voice through
the stable doors.  I was out of sight, so I stopped for a moment, not wishing
to interrupt his conversation.

“I’ve seen ye look
that way before, cousin, and ye ken that she’s a canty lass.”

“Canty or no, I’ve
told ye, she did me a great favor, and I acted like an idiot. Then after what
happened yesterday….takin’ her out to see the Clan’s lands and dumping her in
the heather! I’m just trying tae repay a debt.”

“A nice warm lass
tae warm yer bed, think about it!” Jaime prodded. “She came for a McClain
husband, why no show her a McClain good time anyway?” Jaime laughed.

Instantly, I was
angry.  Angry might have been an understatement.  In fact, I was steaming mad to
be spoken about in such a manner.  I was not a conquest here for his taking. As
I was about to step forward and confront these insensitive bastards, I stopped
in my tracks as I heard what suspiciously sounded like the blow of a fist
landing into the stomach of Jaime. 

Jaime coughed and
wheezed, struggling to regain his breath.  “What was that for?”  he wheezed
painfully.

“I told ye.  It’s
not like that with the lass.  I’ll not have ye joking about her in such a crude
way,” Devon replied, challenge evident in his voice.

I took this as my
cue to step forward.  I walked into the stable confidently, smile still
lingering on my lips from my realization that Devon had defended me, and that
indeed, his intentions to make amends were pure.  Jaime was doubled over, both
hands holding his middle, still struggling for breath.  Both Jaime and Devon
smiled like idiots when I walked in, glancing quickly at each other, hoping
that I hadn’t overheard their conversation.

“Hello,” I said
cheerily, “What’s going on?”  I questioned, pretending to have just walked upon
this scene.

“Nothing,” both
men shouted at the same time, goofy smiles still fresh on their faces. 

“Jaime just had a
wee accident,” Devon smiled as he clapped his cousin firmly on the back.  Jaime
coughed in response and straightened.

“Have fun,” Jaime
wheezed, maintaining his forced smile.

I returned his
smile and walked towards Devon’s outstretched hand.

“How was yer
bath?”  he questioned.

A smile of pure
bliss radiated across my lips.  “Heavenly,” I replied.  “Thank you.”

“It was the least
I could do.” he smiled back as he opened the door to the stall in front of us. 
“Wait here,” he commanded as he stepped inside.

 I heard the
stamping of hooves and a whicker of recognition.  Devon whispered some words in
Gaelic to the horse.  Of course I couldn’t understand what he said, but I knew
that they were sweet words by the manner in which they were spoken.  This was a
man who loved his horse.

Devon strode from
the stall, reins in hand followed by a horse so enormous that it was my turn to
have my breath taken away.  He expects me to ride that thing?  I took a step
backwards and the giant beast whinnied as if sensing my fear.

“Doona fret,
lass,” Devon encouraged, chuckling at my obvious fear of his gigantic horse.  “This
is Stanley.  He’s a good lad,” Devon said proudly as he patted the shoulder of
the horse, who nuzzled his chest in return.  “He’ll do ye nae harm as long as yer
with me,” he assured.

 I was not yet
convinced that being anywhere near this gigantic horse could be safe.

With one svelte
motion, Devon swung his leg up and over the giant horse and was astride the
beast.  Had I been paying closer attention and not been so riddled with
anxiety, I might have had an answer to the age old question.  “What do Scotsmen
wear underneath their kilts?”

The Scotsman in
question held out a hand to me, encouraging me with a delicious smile to step
forward. 

“You’ll hurt your
arm again!  I’m not riding with you,” I said firmly, taking a step away from
him and crossing my arms defiantly across my chest.

“No I won’t.  This
time ye’ll have tae hold on for yerself, or I’ll just let ye fall off and learn
the hard way,” he said matter-of-factly.

“You wouldn’t
dare,” I said with a huff, knowing full well that he was bluffing.

I stepped forward
and took his strong hand, noticing how small my own looked when captured inside
of his.  In one fluid motion, Devon had me settled in front of him on the
horse, and I felt his solid thighs beneath mine and his chest against my back. 
The intimacy of our contact caught me off guard and sent shivers pulsing
through my body.  My senses were heightened by his touch.  Every time that this
man touched me I was reminded of my undeniable attraction to him.

 I had planned to
insist upon riding my own horse, but admittedly, I was relieved that I would
not have to face up to the challenge.  I relaxed against Devon, spread my
skirts about my legs and held on for dear life.  Jaime tied the reins of a
smaller dapple colored mare onto the back of Stanley’s saddle and slapped the
stallion softly on the rump.

Devon made a
subtle clicking sound which spurred Stanley into motion, and we were on our
way.  Devon’s hands gripped the reins as he guided Stanley out of the stables. 
His arms encircled me in the process and I felt quite safe for being astride a
giant beast.  We came out into the sunshine and I closed my eyes, inhaling
sharply as I leaned back slightly against Devon’s broad chest, being careful of
his injured shoulder.

  “Ye smell
divine, lass.”

“Thank you,” I
replied, finding it ironic that I had also been admiring his scent.  The autumn
breeze had kicked up his masculine scent, enticing my senses.  He smelled of
sandalwood, sunshine and sweat, but mostly he smelled of Devon.  His scent was
blatantly arousing, and I remembered it from our encounter yesterday in the
forest.

Will he kiss me
again?
I hoped that he would, then chastised my conscience for even
allowing the silly thought to enter my mind.

“Lavender and
sunshine,” his cheek brushed against my hair as he inhaled deeply.  “Ye have
beautiful hair, lass,” he said as he reached up and tucked a stray lock behind
my ear.  “Did they send Martha as I requested?” he inquired.

“Martha?” I asked,
unsure of what he was talking about.  I was still lost in my fantasy of kissing
Devon again.

“Martha the wee
maid.  For yer bath.”

“Oh, Martha!”
Immediately, I felt bad.  I hadn’t even asked her name.  “She was wonderful!” 
I exclaimed.  “She washed my hair, and massaged my back, and…..”

“I thought ye
might enjoy her attentions,” he chuckled.

“And to think that
I almost sent her away!”

“Ye what?”  he
exclaimed.  “Do ye ken what it cost me tae get her?”

I smiled.  “But, I
didn’t send her away, and I’m thankful for that.  She was wonderful.  Thanks
again.”

“So, am I forgiven? 
I think that I must ask ye tae doubly forgive me, once for being an ass while
ye were stitchin’ me up and again for abandoning ye in the forest.”

“Forgiven,” I
assured him.  “For both, I mean. But, you are most definitely not forgiven for
kissing me,” I said coolly, looking straight ahead.

“I didna ask for yer
forgiveness for kissing ye.  I’m not sorry that I did it, in fact, I think that
ye liked it,” he said boldly.

“I most certainly
did not like it,” I responded, knowing full well that I was lying.

“Then why did ye
kiss me back?”

“I did not kiss
you back,” I lied.

“Sorry to break it
to ye lass, but ye most definitely did kiss me back.  And ye liked it.”

“Just don’t try it
again,” I warned, knowing that I was fighting a losing battle.     

 “Where are we
headed?” I asked, opting to change the subject before I further embarrassed
myself.

“Forever asking
questions, ye are.  And me wanting tae bask in yer forgiveness!” he laughed.  “Be
patient, lass, and ye’ll see.” 

“I’m not patient
by nature, but you haven’t led me astray yet.  You have dumped me in the
forest, but you haven’t led me astray,” I joked, and settled myself more firmly
atop his thighs, feeling their strength beneath mine as he gently guided Stanley. 
I felt the muscles of his thighs tense beneath my own.

“Sae kissing ye
was not leading ye astray?” he asked boldly, bringing the subject deftly back
to our encounter in the forest.  He was clearly enjoying chiding me about our
kiss.

“I’m changing my
mind about this surprise,” I warned, refusing to talk about the kiss.

“Hold on!”  Was
all the warning that I received as he spurred Stanley forward into a full blown
run, the mare trailing behind us.

I’d never gone so
fast on a horse in my life.  It was scary at first, but I was confident that Devon’s
capable arms would keep me safe.  My body gradually became less tense and I
found myself quite exhilarated by the speed.  The ground was a blur beneath us
and the rhythmic beating of Stanley’s great hooves striking the Earth filled my
ears. 

Devon transferred
the reins to his right hand and slid his left arm around my waist.  Clearly he
was less than satisfied with my ability to hold onto the swiftly moving horse,
thinking it best to provide me with added security.  He gathered me soundly
against his chest and I was thankful for his strong body.  I felt free. I also
felt utterly and completely safe held against his chest.  The wind whipped
against my face and my unbound hair cascaded out behind me.

Oh my.
  His
close proximity made my blood rush.

Devon bent down
and lowered his cheek against mine.  I felt the stubble of his day’s growth of
beard against my sensitive skin.  “Close yer eyes,” he whispered into my ear.

I did as he
commanded, without question.  I surrendered to the sensation of freedom and safety. 
With my eyes closed my other bodily senses were heightened.  Devon’s masculine
smell mingled with the smell of lathered horse and damp Earth, overtaking my
senses.  My ears were flooded by the whistling wind and the rhythmic pounding
of Stanley’s hooves on the ground.  My sense of touch was overwhelmed with the
rigid strength of Devon’s body around me, supporting me.  My fingers dug into
the cool leather of the saddle.  I felt Devon tug the reins ever so slightly,
slowing Stanley’s pace.  As the giant horse slowed down, I came back to reality
and opened my eyes.  What I beheld was breathtaking.

“Surprise,” Devon
whispered into my hair, arm still encircling my waist.

 The harsh beauty
of this place was unmatched by anywhere I had ever seen before.  Stanley had
stopped in a large grassy clearing that was surrounded by forest.  The colors
were vivid and full of life.  Beyond the trees there were tall, craggy peaks so
high that they seemed to defy all possibility.

“Beautiful, is it
no?” he smiled proudly.  I’d planned tae take ye here the other day after our
lunch, but ye ken, the bells didna allow for it.”

“It’s wonderful,”
I agreed.  “Not quite as picturesque as the forest that you abandoned me in,
but nice none the less,” I joked.

“Not fair, lass. 
Ye said I was forgiven for that.”

“You are forgiven. 
You only did what you had to to keep me safe.”

“And that is
exactly why I brought ye here.  I need assurance that ye can keep yerself safe.
 I’m going to teach ye to fight.”

I started blankly
at him.  “Teach me to fight?”

He must be
joking.

“With a dirk,” he
gave me a look of encouragement that was meant to steady me.

I laughed at him. 
Or more, I laughed at the craziness of his intention.

“Alright, teach
me,” I said, still giggling. “I promise to be a good student.”

“And I promise tae
be a good teacher.  I’ll not have ye defenseless again.” It was evident from Devon’s
expression that to him, this was not a laughing matter.  He was dead serious.