we must go there first.”
Panic bloomed in her chest. “Nay, I fear that will not do, sir.”
“I fear it must.”
“Then you must go on without me.” Traveling alone, she would have to push her mount in order to limit her nights on the road, to minimize the possibility of her being set upon by thieves, but there was no hope for it. Her courses were due on the full moon. She had to be in Edinburgh before they started if her plan to protect her sister’s child—and herself from the king—were to succeed.
“M’lady, I am not leaving you to your own devices. Come.” With that he turned in his saddle and kicked his horse into a trot going in the wrong direction.
Well, of all the bollocks!
Fine. He could go to Glasgow if he was so inclined, but he’d be going without her.
As MacKinnon disappeared behind a huge boulder and began clattering down the ravine, Genny reined right. Her gelding, reluctant to leave the stallion, pranced sideways, fighting the bit. Having manhandled lazy auld Toby for years, she heaved a sigh and kept the gray’s head turned. The palfrey finally gave up the battle and trotted with his ears pinned back down the path to Edinburgh.
Only yards down the slippery shale, Britt realized the only sounds he heard were those made by his mount. No shale clattered down the mountainside behind him. He reined in, looked over his shoulder and found the path behind him empty. Where the hell was she? Knowing the dangers, surely she wouldn’t have been so foolhardy as to go off on her own? But she obviously had.
“Damn the woman!”
The path was too narrow to turn the stallion. They’d fall to their deaths if he tried. Worse, the wall of granite on his left continued for as far as the eye could see, while the sheer drop to his right continued for twice the distance. He had no choice but to continue on at a snail’s pace until the path widened.
Cursing, he nudged his destrier forward.
He never should have let his guard down. Had Lady Armstrong been a man, he would have ridden behind, not ahead. This was what he got for being chivalrous, for ruminating over her direct gaze, the way she cocked her head as if she truly cared about what he thought or said. Asinine, truly. She must think him an idiot. Aye, and when he caught up with her, she’d rue this day.
A torturous half mile later, he found a hollow where a tree had lost its hold on the cliff, and turned his mount about.
A mile down the trail leading to Edinburgh, he finally spied her riding along at a brisk trot as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “Lady Armstrong! Halt!”
To his surprise, she glanced over her shoulder, waved, and then, ignoring his order, continued trotting north.
“Bloody hell!”
He kicked the destrier into a full gallop, not caring that his thundering steed would startle her mount and thus toss Lady Armstrong’s fine hurdies into the air. He’d had enough of her foolishness.
As expected, her palfrey shied, then spun as he came up behind it. That she managed to keep her seat when he grabbed her reins and pulled the panicked gelding to a stop he found remarkable…and annoying.
“What, pray tell,” he shouted, “were you thinking riding off like that?”
Rather than wither beneath his fury, Lady Armstrong blinked like an owl. “Why, I was thinking to keep you safe from the king’s wrath, m’lord.”
“ What? ”
“His Majesty must be most anxious to see me, else he wouldn’t have sent you to fetch me. Our going to Glasgow would have added a week or more onto our trip, and I’m sure His Majesty would have been most angry with you.” She then took a deep breath and looked about. “Lovely day, don’t you think?”
Jaw muscles working with pent-up fury, Britt could only stare at Greer Armstrong in disbelief.
She’d issued a threat as artful as it was insidious.
She’d not defied him. Oh no. She’d just taken it upon herself to keep him out of trouble. And if he thought to insist upon them
Panic bloomed in her chest. “Nay, I fear that will not do, sir.”
“I fear it must.”
“Then you must go on without me.” Traveling alone, she would have to push her mount in order to limit her nights on the road, to minimize the possibility of her being set upon by thieves, but there was no hope for it. Her courses were due on the full moon. She had to be in Edinburgh before they started if her plan to protect her sister’s child—and herself from the king—were to succeed.
“M’lady, I am not leaving you to your own devices. Come.” With that he turned in his saddle and kicked his horse into a trot going in the wrong direction.
Well, of all the bollocks!
Fine. He could go to Glasgow if he was so inclined, but he’d be going without her.
As MacKinnon disappeared behind a huge boulder and began clattering down the ravine, Genny reined right. Her gelding, reluctant to leave the stallion, pranced sideways, fighting the bit. Having manhandled lazy auld Toby for years, she heaved a sigh and kept the gray’s head turned. The palfrey finally gave up the battle and trotted with his ears pinned back down the path to Edinburgh.
Only yards down the slippery shale, Britt realized the only sounds he heard were those made by his mount. No shale clattered down the mountainside behind him. He reined in, looked over his shoulder and found the path behind him empty. Where the hell was she? Knowing the dangers, surely she wouldn’t have been so foolhardy as to go off on her own? But she obviously had.
“Damn the woman!”
The path was too narrow to turn the stallion. They’d fall to their deaths if he tried. Worse, the wall of granite on his left continued for as far as the eye could see, while the sheer drop to his right continued for twice the distance. He had no choice but to continue on at a snail’s pace until the path widened.
Cursing, he nudged his destrier forward.
He never should have let his guard down. Had Lady Armstrong been a man, he would have ridden behind, not ahead. This was what he got for being chivalrous, for ruminating over her direct gaze, the way she cocked her head as if she truly cared about what he thought or said. Asinine, truly. She must think him an idiot. Aye, and when he caught up with her, she’d rue this day.
A torturous half mile later, he found a hollow where a tree had lost its hold on the cliff, and turned his mount about.
A mile down the trail leading to Edinburgh, he finally spied her riding along at a brisk trot as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “Lady Armstrong! Halt!”
To his surprise, she glanced over her shoulder, waved, and then, ignoring his order, continued trotting north.
“Bloody hell!”
He kicked the destrier into a full gallop, not caring that his thundering steed would startle her mount and thus toss Lady Armstrong’s fine hurdies into the air. He’d had enough of her foolishness.
As expected, her palfrey shied, then spun as he came up behind it. That she managed to keep her seat when he grabbed her reins and pulled the panicked gelding to a stop he found remarkable…and annoying.
“What, pray tell,” he shouted, “were you thinking riding off like that?”
Rather than wither beneath his fury, Lady Armstrong blinked like an owl. “Why, I was thinking to keep you safe from the king’s wrath, m’lord.”
“ What? ”
“His Majesty must be most anxious to see me, else he wouldn’t have sent you to fetch me. Our going to Glasgow would have added a week or more onto our trip, and I’m sure His Majesty would have been most angry with you.” She then took a deep breath and looked about. “Lovely day, don’t you think?”
Jaw muscles working with pent-up fury, Britt could only stare at Greer Armstrong in disbelief.
She’d issued a threat as artful as it was insidious.
She’d not defied him. Oh no. She’d just taken it upon herself to keep him out of trouble. And if he thought to insist upon them
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