The Great Scottish Devil Read Free

he mumbled.
    The first of his other men rode up and he shifted in front of her, trying to block her from their view, which he knew was ridiculous. He looked at them and ordered brusquely, “We need to bury the lass’s da.”
    He heard her suck in a breath and, again, felt bad about speaking so harshly. He glanced toward a small grassy area between several towering birches and a patch of heather. It seemed a fitting place for burial. “Lay the mon to rest there.”
     
    Annabel shivered as she stood rigidly in front of the dirt and stone mounded grave The Devil’s men had finished only moments ago. She wasn’t cold on the outside, more cold on the inside. Cold and lost. But not alone, at least not right now. She knew that his large group of men was nearby, silent and watching as she paid her final respects to her father. “I’ll miss you, da,” she said in a pain-filled whisper.
    She bent down to lay the bouquet of heather she’d picked next to the rough cross Sir Douglas had made. Such a big man, he was. A bit gruff when speaking with the other men, but she sensed the gruffness covered a good heart and a fierce loyalty to The Devil and to their men. She gently touched the foot-tall, wooden cross and felt their powerfully built, far-too-handsome leader standing a few feet away. He’d not said another word to her after his awkward apology. She doubted he’d apologized very many other times in his life. The fact that he’d done so to her touched her heart.
    “Good-bye, da.” She stood, dashed away the tears on her cheeks, and hoped she could find the strength within her to face life alone now. It was so difficult to turn around and look at the tinker’s wagon in which she’d spent so much time traveling all over the lands with her parents.
    “Tavis will ride with ye,” The Devil said, nodding toward a young Scot near her age standing at the front of the wagon. Tavis’s face was almost as red as his hair.
    “Ride with me?” She blinked in confusion.
    “We canna leave ye out here all alone. Ye will go with us to Urquhart for now.” That said he strode toward his big black stallion.
    She ran after him, stopping between the man who towered over her by at least a foot and his horse. “Why do you insist on telling me what to do, Devil? You have no say at all in where I go or when I travel.” Then she remembered the kindness he’d done for her when he didn’t need to do anything. “I do thank you for seeing to my da.”
    “Devil?” He frowned down at her, his moss green eyes appearing annoyed.
    Douglas said, “Ye’ve no’ told her yer name, Brodie. All the lass knows is yer ‘The Great Scottish Devil.’”
    Clearly the bold Scot hadn’t thought about that. “Brodie. Brodie Durward, laird of Urquhart.”
    Out of courtesy only, she said, “Annabel Henderson.”
    “Now that the introductions have been made, ‘tis time we be on our way.” He began to move around her. “Tavis can help ye onto the wagon seat.”
    Annabel once more moved between Brodie and his horse. “ You can be on your way, but I am not leaving for another day or so.”
    His massive chest swelled and he gave her a stony, flinty look. “We have been away long enough, lass. My men are anxious to get home. As am I.”
    She shook her head. “Then go. Take your Tavis with you.” Now she stepped by him and pursed her lips in exasperation as she heard a number of low chuckles from his men.
    He must have heard them, too, for he growled and all laughter stopped. He was on her heels in an instant. “I will no’ leave ye here alone. ‘Tis dangerous. Ye were jist lucky ‘twas my men and I who came upon ye.”
    “I’ve a dirk and…and a sword—smaller than yours—and I—”
    “Useless weapons against a mon, or men, determined to have their way with ye. Nay, ye will come along with us.” He clenched his jaw and looked ready to pick her up and toss her over his shoulder if necessary.
    Although she imagined most people would be