like you.”
He liked her?It wasn’t the response she’d expected.
“You don’t know me,” she challenged. “If you did, you’d know I don’t make idle threats…orgive up.”
There was a moment of silence, as if he were mulling her words. He brought his horse down to a walk, obviously feeling the animal needed a rest. The men behind grunted their approval. They lagged behind, seemingly lacking Gordon Lachlan’s determination.
“I saw the knife you were carrying,” he said to her. “You handled it well, lass. I imagine if you’d had a mind to, you could have carved out my liver.”
“I had a mind to.”
He shook his head. “You are no murderess.”
No, she wasn’t. However, with one shove of her shoulder she could unseat him from his horse as she had done with Robbie.
She shoved.
He didn’t move.
Instead, his arm came around her waist. He jerked her back against his chest. His thighs could have been formed from steel. “I’m no fool, girl, and you’d be unwise to believe so. If you unseat me, we fall together. Is your defiance worth breaking your neck?”
“My freedom is,” she answered, although she wondered how she found the courage. This man threatened her more than any she’d met before. She couldn’t control him. He played by his own rules.
“Iknow about wanting freedom,” he answered. “You’ll have yours once Colster pays the ransom.”
The man was so single-minded, he was irritating. “I told you there is no reason for him to pay a ransom.
He doesn’t know me. We aren’t even truly related.”
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“Your sister is married to his brother. You are one of his. He’s the duke. He’ll take care of his own.
He’ll pay my price.”
“And what if he doesn’t?”
There was a beat of silence. Soberly, he said, “You’d best hope he does.”
For the second time in her life Constance was speechless. The first time had been when he’d kissed her.
Who was this man?And why was he ruining her life?
She’d grown up on the frontier. She’d learned how to judge a man quickly. Gordon Lachlan wasn’t one to speak carelessly.
Behind them the others laughed and talked. They were in good spirits. They almost seemed a completely separate party of riders, one out for a lark. It wasn’t to Lachlan…and she knew then how to pay him in kind for disrupting her life.
“They don’t share your passion,” she said.
He all but flinched. She’d discovered his weakness.
“They care,” he said, an edge to his voice that his soft burr could not hide. “But a man likes to talk to keep awake when he’s riding hard.”
Constance was tempted to call him a liar. Fortunately, common sense intruded. Baiting him would give her satisfaction but not what she wanted.
Inspiration struck. “What if Ipaid for my freedom?” There had to be a way for her to find money. She’d lost everything she had during the escape, but once she reached the valley, she might be able to borrow some. She’d heard that people borrowed money for all sorts of things.
Or, once she was safely home, she could write and petition Charlotte for the money. “You could craft another sword out of the money and no one would be the wiser.”
He glanced at her as if she’d grown horns out of her head. “I wouldn’t do that. ’Twould be dishonest.”
“Oh, yes,” Constance commiserated, “kidnapping is far more honest.”
The moonlight caught the flash of anger in his eyes. “I don’t expect you to understand. The power of that sword goes back a century and more. It’s the clan’s pride. Colster doesn’t deserve it.We are its rightful owners. He must return it.”
“And then?”
“And then I’ll use it to chase the English into hell.”
The vehemence in his voice made her uneasy. The men riding behind them had fallen quiet, not because they were listening but because they were tired…just as she was. The only one of
He liked her?It wasn’t the response she’d expected.
“You don’t know me,” she challenged. “If you did, you’d know I don’t make idle threats…orgive up.”
There was a moment of silence, as if he were mulling her words. He brought his horse down to a walk, obviously feeling the animal needed a rest. The men behind grunted their approval. They lagged behind, seemingly lacking Gordon Lachlan’s determination.
“I saw the knife you were carrying,” he said to her. “You handled it well, lass. I imagine if you’d had a mind to, you could have carved out my liver.”
“I had a mind to.”
He shook his head. “You are no murderess.”
No, she wasn’t. However, with one shove of her shoulder she could unseat him from his horse as she had done with Robbie.
She shoved.
He didn’t move.
Instead, his arm came around her waist. He jerked her back against his chest. His thighs could have been formed from steel. “I’m no fool, girl, and you’d be unwise to believe so. If you unseat me, we fall together. Is your defiance worth breaking your neck?”
“My freedom is,” she answered, although she wondered how she found the courage. This man threatened her more than any she’d met before. She couldn’t control him. He played by his own rules.
“Iknow about wanting freedom,” he answered. “You’ll have yours once Colster pays the ransom.”
The man was so single-minded, he was irritating. “I told you there is no reason for him to pay a ransom.
He doesn’t know me. We aren’t even truly related.”
Page 31
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“Your sister is married to his brother. You are one of his. He’s the duke. He’ll take care of his own.
He’ll pay my price.”
“And what if he doesn’t?”
There was a beat of silence. Soberly, he said, “You’d best hope he does.”
For the second time in her life Constance was speechless. The first time had been when he’d kissed her.
Who was this man?And why was he ruining her life?
She’d grown up on the frontier. She’d learned how to judge a man quickly. Gordon Lachlan wasn’t one to speak carelessly.
Behind them the others laughed and talked. They were in good spirits. They almost seemed a completely separate party of riders, one out for a lark. It wasn’t to Lachlan…and she knew then how to pay him in kind for disrupting her life.
“They don’t share your passion,” she said.
He all but flinched. She’d discovered his weakness.
“They care,” he said, an edge to his voice that his soft burr could not hide. “But a man likes to talk to keep awake when he’s riding hard.”
Constance was tempted to call him a liar. Fortunately, common sense intruded. Baiting him would give her satisfaction but not what she wanted.
Inspiration struck. “What if Ipaid for my freedom?” There had to be a way for her to find money. She’d lost everything she had during the escape, but once she reached the valley, she might be able to borrow some. She’d heard that people borrowed money for all sorts of things.
Or, once she was safely home, she could write and petition Charlotte for the money. “You could craft another sword out of the money and no one would be the wiser.”
He glanced at her as if she’d grown horns out of her head. “I wouldn’t do that. ’Twould be dishonest.”
“Oh, yes,” Constance commiserated, “kidnapping is far more honest.”
The moonlight caught the flash of anger in his eyes. “I don’t expect you to understand. The power of that sword goes back a century and more. It’s the clan’s pride. Colster doesn’t deserve it.We are its rightful owners. He must return it.”
“And then?”
“And then I’ll use it to chase the English into hell.”
The vehemence in his voice made her uneasy. The men riding behind them had fallen quiet, not because they were listening but because they were tired…just as she was. The only one of
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