“You’re going the wrong way.”
“Is the right way over that cliff?” she asked, frantic.
“Now, Gillian, it isn’t . . .”
“I won’t do it.”
“If you’ll only let me explain . . .” he patiently began again.
He swore he had never seen anyone, man or woman, move as quickly as Gillian did then. Since she couldn’t get him to let go of the reins, she slipped off her horse and was walking at a fast pace away from him before he could summon a good argument to persuade her to take the shortcut.
He caught up with her again. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m walking. I feel the need to stretch my legs.”
“Give me your hand.”
“No.”
“It isn’t a cliff,” he began.
“I’m taking the long way around.”
“All right,” he agreed.
She came to a quick stop. “Do you mean it? You won’t force me?”
“Of course I won’t force you. We’ll take the long way around.”
He let out a shrill whistle and raised his hand. Dylan immediately turned back.
She knew she must be embarrassing Brodick because she couldn’t go down a stupid hill. All of the soldiers were watching her, but fortunately they stayed where they were and therefore couldn’t hear what she was saying.
“I don’t wish to disgrace you in front of your good friend and your soldiers, but I swear that if you make me go down that cliff, I’ll do just that.”
“As terrified as you are, your concern is in the possibility of disgracing me? Ah, Gillian, you could never disgrace me. We’ll take the long way around.”
Anxiety blended with relief. “How much longer will it take us?”
“It depends on how fast we ride.”
“How long?” she persisted.
“A full day,” he admitted as he once again put his hand down to her.
“That long? Even if we hurry?”
“That long,” he replied. “Give me your hand.”
“I can ride my horse.”
“I would rather you ride with me.”
She backed away. “Brodick?”
“Yes, lass?”
“I have to go down that cliff, don’t I?”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and then clasped hold of his hand. Instead of swinging her up behind him, he changed his mind and lifted her onto his lap.
He could feel her shaking and sought only to comfort her. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tight. “This worry of yours . . .”
“It’s most unreasonable, isn’t it?”
“Do you know what has caused this fear? Did something happen that has made you so cautious?”
“Don’t you mean cowardly?”
Clasping her chin in his hand, he forced her to look up at him. “Don’t ever let me hear you say that about yourself again. You are not a coward. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she agreed.
“Say it,” he commanded.
“I’m not a coward. You can stop squeezing me now,” she suggested.
She waited until he had relaxed his hold, then said, “I’ve made up my mind. We’ll go down the cliff. We should go last, though,” she hastened to add, hoping she’d find a little courage while they waited their turn.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes,” she insisted, though her voice was so weak she wasn’t sure he heard her. “And I’ll ride my own horse,” she added in a much stronger voice. “I’ll not have your men think I’m a weakling.”
“They could never think such a thing,” he said as he prodded his horse back up the hill.
He didn’t stop at the crest, nor did he slow his stallion’s pace as he started down the narrow, winding path that led to Ramsey’s holding. She buried her face in his plaid, wrapped her arms around his waist and demanded that he wait until everyone else had gone first.
He told her no.
There was still time to stop before they reached the steepest drop in the path, and she was going to make certain he did just that. She needed time to gather her courage. Why couldn’t the mule-headed man understand that?
“I want to be last.”
“I like to be first.”
“We’re going to wait,” she demanded shrilly. Panic was making her throat close, and all she could think about was falling down into an endless dark hole and never, ever stopping. The need to scream was overtaking her control, and, God help her, she was either going to throw up or faint at any second.
“Brodick . . . I can’t . . .”
“Tell me about all those impure thoughts you’ve been having about me.”
“What?”
He patiently repeated the question. His stallion stumbled, rocks trickled down the sheer rock into the mouth of the ravine below, making quite a clatter, but Brodick merely shifted his position in the saddle to help the horse regain his footing, and continued on.
Gillian, hearing the noise, was turning to look down when Brodick asked, “In these impure thoughts, did we have our clothes on?”
Her blush warmed her face. “Our clothes?” she whispered.
“In your fantasies about me . . .”
“They weren’t fantasies.”
“Sure they were,” he countered cheerfully. “You told Laggan you were having impure daydreams.”
“Impure thoughts,” she cried out.
“And you also said these . . . thoughts . . . were about me. Is that not so?”
“Oh, do be quiet.”
He laughed. “So did we?” he asked again.
Her shoulders sagged. “Did we what?”
“Have our clothes on?”
Thoroughly rattled, she shouted, “Of course we had our clothes on.”
“Then they couldn’t have been very interesting impure thoughts.”
“Will you stop talking about this?”
“Why?”
“It isn’t proper, that’s why.”
“I think I have a right to know. You did say your impure thoughts were about me, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well then? I want to know what I was doing.”
She closed her eyes. “You were kissing me.”
“That’s it? Nothing else?”
“What did you expect?”
“A whole lot more,” he said. “Where was I kissing you?”
“On my lips,” she answered. “Now will you stop this—”
“Nowhere else?” he asked, sounding disappointed again. “Shall I tell you about some of my fantasies about you?”
Her eyes widened. “You’ve had . . . thoughts . . . about me?”
“Of course I have, but my daydreams are far more interesting.”
“Is that so?”
“Would you like me to tell you about them?”
“No.”
He laughed and ignored her protest. “You weren’t wearing anything in my fantasies. No, that’s not exactly true. You were wearing something.”
She knew she shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t stop herself. “What was I wearing?”
He bent down and whispered into her ear, “Me.”
She jerked back and pushed against his chest with both hands. “Oh, Good Lord,” she cried out. “We’re both going to land in purgatory if we continue this sinful conversation. How could you know what I look like without my clothes on?”
“A calculated guess,” he answered. “You’re perfect, by the way.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Your skin’s silky and smooth, and in my fantasies, when I lie between your soft—”
She clasped her hand over his mouth to get him to stop. His eyes sparkled with pure devilment. He was outrageous, and perhaps it was that very trait that drew her to him. Brodick had somehow managed to free himself of all restrictions. He didn’t seem
to care what anyone else thought about him, and he didn’t particularly want to impress anyone.
She wished she could be that free. “Being with you is a . . . liberating . . . experience,” she whispered.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it, milady?”
Gillian jumped at the sound of Dylan’s voice. “I beg your pardon?” she asked as she slowly removed her hand from Brodick’s mouth. He grabbed it and kissed the palm. Shy all of a sudden, she pulled her hand back before Dylan caught up with them.
“The ride down wasn’t so bad, was it?” Dylan repeated.
She glanced up at the rocks, shook her head, and burst into laughter. “No, it wasn’t bad at all.”
A few minutes later, she was once again riding her own horse. Deciding to take the lead, she nudged the mare into a trot, and as she passed Brodick and Ramsey, she called out, “You used trickery.”
“Yes, I did,” he admitted. “Are you angry with me?”
She laughed again. “I don’t get angry. I get even.”
Unbeknownst to her, she had just recited the Buchanan creed.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ramsey Sinclair’s home was majestic. It sat atop a plateau rising up in the middle of a magnificent valley that was bordered by steep cliffs on one side and lofty, rolling hills on the other. A glistening carpet of grass, sprinkled with the new sprigs of heather the wind had planted, covered the land for as far as the eye could see, and the scent of heather and pine drifted on the afternoon breeze and blended with the pungent aroma of smoke pouring from the thatched cottages. The laird’s massive stone castle towered protectively over the houses that dotted the landscape beneath it, and a wall of timber and stone circled the perimeter of the entire community, offering safety to the clan within.
The heavy, iron-hinged gates opened, and Ramsey and his guests entered his estate. A resounding cheer echoed around them as soldiers came running to greet their laird. A fair number of young ladies also came running.
Immediately Gillian was surrounded by Brodick’s overly protective guard. Aaron moved in front of her, Dylan and Robert positioned themselves beside her, and Liam rode behind.
As impossible as it was for her to see much of anything with the guards’ wide shoulders blocking her view, she still tried to look at every face in the crowd. Though it would be wonderful, as well as miraculous, if she could find Christen immediately, Gillian knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Yet each time she spotted a yellow-haired woman, her heart leapt with that impossible hope.
Brodick and Ramsey had dismounted and were now surrounded by soldiers. Gillian patiently waited for Brodick to remember her.
“Do you see him, milady?” Dylan asked in a low voice.
“Him?”
“The traitor,” he whispered.
“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking for . . .” she said as she once again tried to search through the crowd. “Not yet,” she whispered back. “There are so many here . . .”
“Most of Ramsey’s men aren’t here,” Dylan explained. “They are most likely still training in the field behind the castle. Aye, I’m certain they are, or Gideon would be here to greet his laird.”
While Gillian continued to look over the crowd, a few curious and bold MacPherson soldiers, wearing their clan’s plaid, moved closer to get a better look at her. One young, foolish man dared to step a little too close.
Black Robert nudged his mount forward, forcing the man to step to the side or be run over. In a voice dripping with venom, he ordered, “You will stop staring at the lady.”
The burly soldier glanced at his friends, then turned back to Robert with an insolent sneer on his face. “Or what?” he challenged.
Robert wasn’t impressed with the man’s bluster. Before the soldier realized his intent, Robert leaned down, grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up to eye level.
“Or I’ll break every bone in your body.”
The MacPherson soldier was a big man, but Robert had lifted him as though he weighed no more than a twig. The remarkable feat of strength astounded her. And so did his poor manners.
“Robert, please put that boy down.”
“As you wish, milady,” Robert grumbled.
Brodick happened to turn just as Robert sent the soldier flying. The man landed in the center of his friends. Shaking his head, Brodick threaded his way through the crowd, but stopped in front of the prone and dazed MacPherson.
“Robert?”
“I didn’t like the way he was staring at milady, Laird.”
The soldier tried to get up, but Brodick put his booted foot on his chest to hold him down. “How was he staring at her?”
“With insolence,” Robert answered.
“She’s very beautiful,” the soldier said somewhat defiantly. “If I want to look upon her, I will.”
Brodick glanced down at the man and began to apply pressure on his chest with his foot. “Yes, she is very beautiful,” he agreed pleasantly. “But I don’t like it when any other man stares at her.” Increasing the pressure until the soldier’s face was bright red and he was gasping for breath, Brodick added, in a decidedly menacing voice, “I don’t like it at all.”
Ramsey appeared at his side. “Let him up,” he ordered.
Brodick stepped back and watched as the soldier regained his feet. Then Ramsey stepped forward and shoved the man so forcefully he landed on his backside again.
“You will apologize to Laird Buchanan now,” he roared.
“Buchanan?” he gasped. “He’s Laird Buchanan? I didn’t know . . .”
Ramsey took another threatening step toward him. The soldier scrambled to his feet and blurted, “I apologize, Laird Buchanan. I will not ever look upon your woman again. I swear it on my father’s head.”
Ramsey wasn’t satisfied. He’d noticed that the soldier and his friends were still wearing the MacPherson plaid. “You will wear my colors or you will get the hell off my land.”
Gillian watched Ramsey in amazement. Until that moment she had thought he was a mild-mannered gentleman. Judith Maitland had told her that whenever Iain wanted an alliance, he always sent Ramsey as his spokesman to work out the details because he was so diplomatic. He certainly wasn’t being diplomatic now. In fact his temper rivaled Brodick’s. Knowing that she was the cause of his anger embarrassed her, and she glared at Robert to let him know what she thought about his behavior in inciting the incident, but the soldier defended his actions by whispering, “He was being insolent, milady.”
“I did not think he was,” she whispered.
“But I did, milady.”
The set of his jaw indicated he thought he was right, and Gillian decided not to argue further with him.
“There’s Gideon,” Aaron said. “You should speak to him, Dylan. Word has it he believes he’s your equal.”
A large group of soldiers came swarming over the hills on both sides of the castle, and Gillian, squinting against the sunlight, couldn’t see their faces.
Robert drew her attention when he remarked, “Gideon is Ramsey’s commander. Is he not then Dylan’s equal?”
“No one is my equal,” Dylan answered as he swung down from his mount. “But I will placate Gideon by lowering myself to speak to him. If you’ll excuse me, milady?” Dylan asked as he took the reins in preparation to lead the horse away.
“Of course,” she answered. “I, too, would like to dismount, Robert. Would you please move your horse so that I may have room?”
“You must wait for your laird,” he answered.
“Aye, you must,” Liam agreed as he reined his horse forward to take Dylan’s place. “Milady, you could make it easier for us if you would wear our plaid.”
“Make what easier?” she asked.
“Letting them know that you are . . .”
He suddenly stopped. She prodded, “That I am what?” she asked.
“With us,” Robert said.
He was saved from having to give further explanation when Ramsey motioned for h
im to move his horse so that he could get to Gillian’s side.
He lifted her to the ground. “Do not judge my clan by a handful of boys,” he cautioned.
“Her feet are on the ground now,” Brodick said from behind his friend. “You can let go.”
Ramsey ignored him and continued to hold Gillian. “Come inside. It’s nearly noon, and you must surely be hungry.”
Brodick shoved Ramsey’s hand away from Gillian and gestured for her to come to him. Annoyed with his behavior, she stood her ground and made him come to her.
“I’m not hungry,” she told Ramsey.
“Then tonight we will have a fine feast,” he promised. “But before then, you’ll have met every one of my soldiers in the holding. If the man you saw isn’t among them, then tomorrow we’ll head out to look over the others. It will take time, Gillian,” he warned. “Now that the Sinclairs and the MacPhersons have joined, there’s a vast amount of land to cover.”
“What about her sister?” Brodick asked.
“I would like to meet all the women as well,” she said, slipping her hand into Brodick’s. “I know the importance of pointing out the man who betrayed you, and I will do all that I can to help you find him, but I implore you to do the same for me. I must find Christen.”
Ramsey nodded. “You have told us that she was taken in by the MacPhersons, and as Iain suggested, the elders will have surely heard about her.”
“Then why were the requests for information ignored? King John sent emissaries to all the clans, and no one responded.”
Ramsey smiled. “Why would they?”
“I don’t understand.”
“We don’t like King John,” Brodick bluntly explained.
“No, we don’t,” Ramsey agreed.
They continued to walk toward the chiseled stone steps that led up to the broad timbered doors of the castle, the crowd giving them a wide path. Gillian noticed two elderly men hovering near the steps. One was tall and as thin as a walking stick, and the other was but half his size and as round as a full moon. Both men bowed to Ramsey as he strode forward.
After presenting them to her, Ramsey turned to Gillian, “It’s my hope that Brisbane and Otis will be able to help you find Christen. Both are MacPhersons.”