buckled the belt about Kate’s wrists and drew it tight.
“I’m not going back to the cottage,” she said with a fierceness born of desperation. “I
can’t
go back there.”
He got off her and rose to his feet. “You’ll go where I tell you to go, even if I have to drag—” He stopped in self-disgust as he realized what he had said. “Christ, I sound like that sanctimonious bastard.” The anger suddenly left his expression as he looked at her lying there before him. “You’re afraid of him?”
Fear was always with her when she thought of Sebastian, but she would not admit it. She sat up and repeated, “I can’t go back.”
He studied her for a moment. “All right, we won’t go back. You’ll never have to see him again.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
He turned to Gavin. “We’ll stay the night at that inn we passed at the edge of the village. Go back to the cottage and get her belongings and then saddle the horses. We’ll meet you at the stable.”
Gavin nodded and the next moment disappeared into the underbrush.
MacDarren glanced down at Kate. “I trust you don’t object to that arrangement?”
She couldn’t comprehend his words. “You’re taking me away?”
“If you’d waited, instead of jumping out the window, I would have told you that two hours ago. That’s why I came.”
Then she thought she understood. “You’re taking me to the lady?”
He shook his head. “It appears Her Majesty thinks it’s time you wed.”
Shock upon shock. “Wed?”
“You say that as if you don’t know what that means. You must have had instructions on the duties of wifehood.”
“I know what it means.” Slavery and suffocationand cruelty. From what she could judge from Sebastian and Martha’s marriage, a wife’s lot was little better than her own. True he did not beat Martha, but the screams she had heard from their bedroom while they mated had filled her with sick horror. She had thought she would never have to worry about that kind of mistreatment. “But I can never marry.”
“Is that what the good vicar told you?” His lips tightened. “Well, it appears the queen disagrees.”
Then it might come to pass. Even Sebastian obeyed the queen. The faintest hope began to spring within her. Though marriage was only another form of slavery, perhaps the queen had chosen an easier master than Sebastian for her. “Who am I to marry?”
He smiled sardonically. “I have that honor.”
Another shock, and not a pleasant one. Easy was not a term anyone would use to describe this man. She blurted, “And you’re not afraid?”
“Afraid of you? Not if I have someone to guard my back.”
That wasn’t what she meant, but of course, he wouldn’t be afraid. She doubted if he feared anything or anyone, and besides, she wasn’t what Sebastian said she was. He had said the words so often, she sometimes found herself believing him, and she was so tired now, she wasn’t thinking clearly. The strength was seeping out of her with every passing second. “No, you shouldn’t be afraid.” She swayed. “Not Lilith …”
“More like a muddy gopher,” he muttered as he reached out and steadied her. “We have to get to the stables. Can you walk, or shall I carry you?”
“I can walk.” She dismissed the outlandish thought of marriage from her mind. She would ponder its implications later. There were more important matters to consider now. “But we have to get Caird.”
“Caird? Who the devil is Caird?”
“My horse.” She turned and started through theunderbrush. “Before we go, I have to fetch him. He’s not far.…”
She could hear the brush shift and whisper as he followed her. “Your horse is in the forest?”
“I was hiding him from Sebastian. He was going to kill him. He wanted me to tell him where he was.…”
“And that was why he was dragging you?”
She ignored the question. “Sebastian said the forest beasts would devour him. He frightened me.” She was staggering
“I’m not going back to the cottage,” she said with a fierceness born of desperation. “I
can’t
go back there.”
He got off her and rose to his feet. “You’ll go where I tell you to go, even if I have to drag—” He stopped in self-disgust as he realized what he had said. “Christ, I sound like that sanctimonious bastard.” The anger suddenly left his expression as he looked at her lying there before him. “You’re afraid of him?”
Fear was always with her when she thought of Sebastian, but she would not admit it. She sat up and repeated, “I can’t go back.”
He studied her for a moment. “All right, we won’t go back. You’ll never have to see him again.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
He turned to Gavin. “We’ll stay the night at that inn we passed at the edge of the village. Go back to the cottage and get her belongings and then saddle the horses. We’ll meet you at the stable.”
Gavin nodded and the next moment disappeared into the underbrush.
MacDarren glanced down at Kate. “I trust you don’t object to that arrangement?”
She couldn’t comprehend his words. “You’re taking me away?”
“If you’d waited, instead of jumping out the window, I would have told you that two hours ago. That’s why I came.”
Then she thought she understood. “You’re taking me to the lady?”
He shook his head. “It appears Her Majesty thinks it’s time you wed.”
Shock upon shock. “Wed?”
“You say that as if you don’t know what that means. You must have had instructions on the duties of wifehood.”
“I know what it means.” Slavery and suffocationand cruelty. From what she could judge from Sebastian and Martha’s marriage, a wife’s lot was little better than her own. True he did not beat Martha, but the screams she had heard from their bedroom while they mated had filled her with sick horror. She had thought she would never have to worry about that kind of mistreatment. “But I can never marry.”
“Is that what the good vicar told you?” His lips tightened. “Well, it appears the queen disagrees.”
Then it might come to pass. Even Sebastian obeyed the queen. The faintest hope began to spring within her. Though marriage was only another form of slavery, perhaps the queen had chosen an easier master than Sebastian for her. “Who am I to marry?”
He smiled sardonically. “I have that honor.”
Another shock, and not a pleasant one. Easy was not a term anyone would use to describe this man. She blurted, “And you’re not afraid?”
“Afraid of you? Not if I have someone to guard my back.”
That wasn’t what she meant, but of course, he wouldn’t be afraid. She doubted if he feared anything or anyone, and besides, she wasn’t what Sebastian said she was. He had said the words so often, she sometimes found herself believing him, and she was so tired now, she wasn’t thinking clearly. The strength was seeping out of her with every passing second. “No, you shouldn’t be afraid.” She swayed. “Not Lilith …”
“More like a muddy gopher,” he muttered as he reached out and steadied her. “We have to get to the stables. Can you walk, or shall I carry you?”
“I can walk.” She dismissed the outlandish thought of marriage from her mind. She would ponder its implications later. There were more important matters to consider now. “But we have to get Caird.”
“Caird? Who the devil is Caird?”
“My horse.” She turned and started through theunderbrush. “Before we go, I have to fetch him. He’s not far.…”
She could hear the brush shift and whisper as he followed her. “Your horse is in the forest?”
“I was hiding him from Sebastian. He was going to kill him. He wanted me to tell him where he was.…”
“And that was why he was dragging you?”
She ignored the question. “Sebastian said the forest beasts would devour him. He frightened me.” She was staggering
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