The Highlander's Conquest by Eliza Knight

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    “I am English, my lady.”
    “I heard you, when you were speaking to that dead man. Your voice changed.”
    Again his eyes searched hers. What was he looking for? Weakness. She worked to harden her gaze. Whatever it was he sought, she wouldn’t back down.
    He laughed a little, like she ha d made an assumption he found humorous. Again he shook his head, took a step forward.
    “Don’t come any closer or I shall let my arrow fly.”
    He held up his hands. “Nay, I do not want you to shoot me. I apologize for setting your heart to fear and for breaking your trust, my lady.”
    His accent was English personified. Confusion warred within her.
    “I spent a lot of time in Scotland as a youth, my father was in the king’s service. And then when I was fostered out, I served another English baron who also spent much time in Scotland. So, at times the accent pops out without my notice , but I assure you, I am one hundred percent English born and bred .” His gaze that had been locked on hers scanned his men. “As are my men.”
    The knights nodded, grunted, but still none moved. She found their silence and stillness unnerving, but she supposed she’d rather have seasoned fierce warriors to protect her than weak ones—if she could count on them protecting her. Aliah still was n’t sure she believed Blane’s story.
    What choice did she have? If she left him to go home, she’d never make it. She’d either die of motion sickness from riding Mad Maiden or she’d be ravaged by outlaws. So far the only assault on her from Blane had been to her senses and her lips, and if she was completely honest, she enjoyed both.
    Perhaps the best thing to do was to pretend she believed him and be ever more vigilant. Keep her own counsel and be prepared to defend herself if it should come to that. If this man had kidnapped her, the last thing she should do now was anger him into tying her up. She rather liked the freedom of walking about.
    Decision made, Aliah nodded her head. “All right.”
    “All right?”
    “I believe you,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. She unnocked her arrow and slipped it back into the quiver filled with her custom-made arrows slung around her back. Her bow and arrows would remain on her person, she would not let go of her weapons. Her eating dagger was at her waist, and while she might not be able to land a killing blow with it, the blade was sharp enough to give a man an injury.
    Blane clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Well then, I am glad. And I am truly sorry for what has happened here. I should have been more vigilant while on watch. When next we make camp, several men will take watch at one time.”
    She wanted to add that perhaps if he hadn’t followed her into the woods and kissed the sense from her that he would have heard the enemy approaching.
    “For now, my lady, let us make haste.”
    Aliah nodded, and snapped for Frosty to come to her. How was it that the dog could trust this man? She supposed Frosty wasn’t very smart. T hen again, that was insulting herself since she too had fallen victim to his charms. Inside , she wanted to groan. This was not how a woman headed for the church behaved. Kissing aside, she should be forgiving Blane, accepting his word as truth for she had no reason to doubt him. He’d kept her safe—even if she’d had to save his life.
    Killing a man was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d never done so before and the deed made her heart wrench. She had to remind herself that taking the man’s life saved Blane’s—the lesser of two evils.
    “I um, need but a moment.”
    Aliah was aware that time was of the essence, but she could not leave here until she’d had a moment to say a prayer for the man’s soul and to ask for God’s forgiveness. She sought out the grave of the outlaw and knelt to the ground, her hands together in prayer , her rosary beads clasped in her fingers . Staring up through the trees she could make out a few stars in