heads were all they used to communicate. Lucky for them, it worked, leading most people to speak only with Blane. There was less chance of discovery that way.
From atop her horse, he spied Lady Aliah studying him. Her gaze made him feel hot, and he willed away any more thoughts of her, lest he speak to her in Gaelic and reveal his misrepresentation . Instead, he flicked his hand toward the wolfhound.
“The dog stays.”
Aliah shook her head . “Nay.”
Blane frowned, not understanding. “Nay?”
“He comes with me. As my personal guard, Sir Blane.”
Blane raised a brow. The dog was no guard. Hell, Blane had stepped into the place and issued a few hand motions and the pup had fallen at his feet. “’Tis a long and arduous journey, my lady. I dare say your guard will not make it.”
The woman lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. What he’d thought to be a sweet natured woman quickly turned haughty. Stubborn.
“He goes or I stay.”
There was no time to argue, and hell, Blane always lost when he argued with his own sisters, Heather and Lorna . H e wasn’t about to get into a match with a beautiful temptress . H e’d probably offer to carry the massive dog upon his lap if he did. Blane shook his head in exasperation and sent a prayer up to the clouds that the dog made it all the way to Dunrobin Castle, his family’s seat in the Highlands. “Very well, my lady.”
He flicked his horse’s reins, listening to Gunnar’s snort of irritation. The horse had a mind of his own about who was in charge, although, he was an excellent companion in battle and upon the road.
They usually traveled to England for less dangerous purposes . Blane was in charge of delivering and generating wool sales for his clan—the thing that the Sutherland’s thrived and prospered off of. Sutherland wool was thick, soft and kept anybody warm no matter how col d and frozen the earth might be or how barren their hearth. ’Twas a commodity that many paid heavy coin for—and none paid more highly than the English, as unfortunate as that was.
As they passed through the gates, Lady Aliah’s men nodded to her from their guard posts. How easy it had been for him to come through their gates, to lie his way into their good graces and then to take their lady away. It astounded him. He was offended for her, and once they r eached Scot land, and she knew who he was, he would let her know. Any liar with good acting skills could have conned their way through the gate and taken her away.
It’d been plain to see how worried she was over her father and sister, just as Arbella, his sister-by-marriage , had said the lady would be. H e’d let Arbella tell Aliah why she’d married a Highlander instead of the English noble occupying a Scottish stronghold that she’d been promised to. Blane didn’t want to get stuck in the middle of that one.
Crossing over the small bridge and onto the dirt-packed road, he increased his pace, and his men and Aliah followed. They traveled north along the road. If he had his way , they would travel through the woods, but the trees had already lost their leaves, their brown crust covering the forest floor in a dangerous blanket, hiding broken branches and raised roots. Best to stick to the road for now.
He glanced up at the sky, mostly white with cloud s covering the sun, and a hint of grey in-between . The air smelled crisp as it always did in the fall. They’d ride for a few hours before stopping to rest, but then they’d continue on until nightfall . If the temperature dropped too much, he’d have to procure them a place to sleep, although he preferred for them to make camp in the woods, where no one would question Lady Aliah being in his company. Blane spurred Gunnar forward. H e wanted out of this Godforsaken country as quickly as possible.
Several hours later, Aliah approached him, calling out to him over the sound of the horses’ hooves. “My lord, there is a village just ahead. Might we stop to rest a
From atop her horse, he spied Lady Aliah studying him. Her gaze made him feel hot, and he willed away any more thoughts of her, lest he speak to her in Gaelic and reveal his misrepresentation . Instead, he flicked his hand toward the wolfhound.
“The dog stays.”
Aliah shook her head . “Nay.”
Blane frowned, not understanding. “Nay?”
“He comes with me. As my personal guard, Sir Blane.”
Blane raised a brow. The dog was no guard. Hell, Blane had stepped into the place and issued a few hand motions and the pup had fallen at his feet. “’Tis a long and arduous journey, my lady. I dare say your guard will not make it.”
The woman lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. What he’d thought to be a sweet natured woman quickly turned haughty. Stubborn.
“He goes or I stay.”
There was no time to argue, and hell, Blane always lost when he argued with his own sisters, Heather and Lorna . H e wasn’t about to get into a match with a beautiful temptress . H e’d probably offer to carry the massive dog upon his lap if he did. Blane shook his head in exasperation and sent a prayer up to the clouds that the dog made it all the way to Dunrobin Castle, his family’s seat in the Highlands. “Very well, my lady.”
He flicked his horse’s reins, listening to Gunnar’s snort of irritation. The horse had a mind of his own about who was in charge, although, he was an excellent companion in battle and upon the road.
They usually traveled to England for less dangerous purposes . Blane was in charge of delivering and generating wool sales for his clan—the thing that the Sutherland’s thrived and prospered off of. Sutherland wool was thick, soft and kept anybody warm no matter how col d and frozen the earth might be or how barren their hearth. ’Twas a commodity that many paid heavy coin for—and none paid more highly than the English, as unfortunate as that was.
As they passed through the gates, Lady Aliah’s men nodded to her from their guard posts. How easy it had been for him to come through their gates, to lie his way into their good graces and then to take their lady away. It astounded him. He was offended for her, and once they r eached Scot land, and she knew who he was, he would let her know. Any liar with good acting skills could have conned their way through the gate and taken her away.
It’d been plain to see how worried she was over her father and sister, just as Arbella, his sister-by-marriage , had said the lady would be. H e’d let Arbella tell Aliah why she’d married a Highlander instead of the English noble occupying a Scottish stronghold that she’d been promised to. Blane didn’t want to get stuck in the middle of that one.
Crossing over the small bridge and onto the dirt-packed road, he increased his pace, and his men and Aliah followed. They traveled north along the road. If he had his way , they would travel through the woods, but the trees had already lost their leaves, their brown crust covering the forest floor in a dangerous blanket, hiding broken branches and raised roots. Best to stick to the road for now.
He glanced up at the sky, mostly white with cloud s covering the sun, and a hint of grey in-between . The air smelled crisp as it always did in the fall. They’d ride for a few hours before stopping to rest, but then they’d continue on until nightfall . If the temperature dropped too much, he’d have to procure them a place to sleep, although he preferred for them to make camp in the woods, where no one would question Lady Aliah being in his company. Blane spurred Gunnar forward. H e wanted out of this Godforsaken country as quickly as possible.
Several hours later, Aliah approached him, calling out to him over the sound of the horses’ hooves. “My lord, there is a village just ahead. Might we stop to rest a
Similar Books
Dolorosa Soror
Florence Dugas
Shaking out the Dead
K M Cholewa
Eye of the Storm
Kate Messner
The Dragonswarm
Aaron Pogue
Destiny Calls
Lydia Michaels
Brightly (Flicker #2)
Kaye Thornbrugh
Broken Vows (Domestic Discipline Romance)
Mariella Starr
Tycoon
Joanna Shupe
True Love
Flora Speer
Holiday Homecoming
Jean C. Gordon