have given up the memory of warming that sweet body of hers all night long for anything, and as daft as the notion was, he would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
She stood abruptly, then seized her brat an d wrapped it around her. "'Tis time to go then."
Angus glanced at Niall and Gunnolf. They both gave him wary looks that confirmed they didn 't believe the lass was ready to give in that easily.
" Good," Angus said, and proceeded to put out the fire. "Let us be on our way."
So why, if he was doing the honorable thing for the lady, did he feel he was not?
***
As they rode to Rondover Castle, Edana kept worrying the reins in her hands, the horrible prospect of seeing her da filled her with dread. She would do anything for her brothers. She wouldn't be stopped in her quest to help them.
She knew the men didn 't believe her. Not truly. And they didn't trust her not to run away either. She wasn't surprised when Niall led her horse and Gunnolf and Angus stuck close to her flanks.
The d ay was cool, the fragrance of orchids clustered on the grassy flanks of mountains drifted to her on the light breeze. The mist in the distance was growing thicker, closer.
She took a deep breath. Would Angus and his friends really search for her brothers as they said they would? Or was it only a ploy to get her to agree so she'd return to her home without causing them any grief?
She feared she wouldn 't be able to slip away from her castle again. And she was certain when she entered the inner bailey, she'd be taken in hand and shuffled off to her chamber where she'd be locked for a fortnight. If only to prove she was wrong and her brothers would return on time without further complications.
She knew Angus would return her home and she couldn 't save her brothers if he did. She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. Her brothers had protected her, humored her, loved her, just as she loved them. She couldn't imagine them being tortured or starved, cold and sick in a dank dungeon.
A couple of tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped them brusquely away. She didn 't wish these men to think she was some sniveling maid who couldn't keep her emotions under control. But the worry kept plaguing her. By the time her father sent men to look for her brothers, they could be near death or dead.
She had nothing to bribe Angus and his companions with either, though she'd even considered that. Yet, could they be bribed? She highly suspected they could not. They seemed to be honorable men, coming to her father's aid just because he'd asked them to, based on the clans' friendship over the years.
She glanced at Angus. He was observing the path ahead of them, appearing to be lost in his thoughts. "Will you truly look for them?" she asked softly.
He turned to her and appear ed so sincere. "Aye, lass, on my honor."
She believed him. But she wasn't satisfied. She feared Angus and his men could be too late. "If you inquired at any of the castles, how would they respond? 'Nay, we dinna have the Chattan men chained in our dungeons?' If I were close by, I would know the right of it. If they lied, you would travel onto the next castle, believing them not to be manacled in the last one. How would you ever divine the truth?"
Angus nodded. "Your reasoning is sound, Edana."
Was it? Only if Angus truly believed in what she said.
" But I canna in good conscience take you with us," Angus continued.
She pondered that for a while as their horses clip-clopped across the glen, the now thick mist making her feel as though ghostly walls had been erected where they could not discern what lay beyond.
Did he worry about her reputation? It didn 't matter whether it was in tatters or not. No one would marry her. She would be living with her father, and then her eldest brother when he became chief, if the wife he took agreed, until the day she died.
That was the trouble with having these cursed abilities of hers. She couldn 't banish them from her thoughts. She had to
She stood abruptly, then seized her brat an d wrapped it around her. "'Tis time to go then."
Angus glanced at Niall and Gunnolf. They both gave him wary looks that confirmed they didn 't believe the lass was ready to give in that easily.
" Good," Angus said, and proceeded to put out the fire. "Let us be on our way."
So why, if he was doing the honorable thing for the lady, did he feel he was not?
***
As they rode to Rondover Castle, Edana kept worrying the reins in her hands, the horrible prospect of seeing her da filled her with dread. She would do anything for her brothers. She wouldn't be stopped in her quest to help them.
She knew the men didn 't believe her. Not truly. And they didn't trust her not to run away either. She wasn't surprised when Niall led her horse and Gunnolf and Angus stuck close to her flanks.
The d ay was cool, the fragrance of orchids clustered on the grassy flanks of mountains drifted to her on the light breeze. The mist in the distance was growing thicker, closer.
She took a deep breath. Would Angus and his friends really search for her brothers as they said they would? Or was it only a ploy to get her to agree so she'd return to her home without causing them any grief?
She feared she wouldn 't be able to slip away from her castle again. And she was certain when she entered the inner bailey, she'd be taken in hand and shuffled off to her chamber where she'd be locked for a fortnight. If only to prove she was wrong and her brothers would return on time without further complications.
She knew Angus would return her home and she couldn 't save her brothers if he did. She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. Her brothers had protected her, humored her, loved her, just as she loved them. She couldn't imagine them being tortured or starved, cold and sick in a dank dungeon.
A couple of tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped them brusquely away. She didn 't wish these men to think she was some sniveling maid who couldn't keep her emotions under control. But the worry kept plaguing her. By the time her father sent men to look for her brothers, they could be near death or dead.
She had nothing to bribe Angus and his companions with either, though she'd even considered that. Yet, could they be bribed? She highly suspected they could not. They seemed to be honorable men, coming to her father's aid just because he'd asked them to, based on the clans' friendship over the years.
She glanced at Angus. He was observing the path ahead of them, appearing to be lost in his thoughts. "Will you truly look for them?" she asked softly.
He turned to her and appear ed so sincere. "Aye, lass, on my honor."
She believed him. But she wasn't satisfied. She feared Angus and his men could be too late. "If you inquired at any of the castles, how would they respond? 'Nay, we dinna have the Chattan men chained in our dungeons?' If I were close by, I would know the right of it. If they lied, you would travel onto the next castle, believing them not to be manacled in the last one. How would you ever divine the truth?"
Angus nodded. "Your reasoning is sound, Edana."
Was it? Only if Angus truly believed in what she said.
" But I canna in good conscience take you with us," Angus continued.
She pondered that for a while as their horses clip-clopped across the glen, the now thick mist making her feel as though ghostly walls had been erected where they could not discern what lay beyond.
Did he worry about her reputation? It didn 't matter whether it was in tatters or not. No one would marry her. She would be living with her father, and then her eldest brother when he became chief, if the wife he took agreed, until the day she died.
That was the trouble with having these cursed abilities of hers. She couldn 't banish them from her thoughts. She had to
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