with exhaustion, but she couldn’t give up now. “It’s been such a while since I left him.…” She rounded a corner of the trail and breathed a sigh of relief when she caught sight of Caird calmly munching grass under the shelter of an oak tree. “No, he’s fine.”
“You think so?” MacDarren’s skeptical gaze raked the piebald stallion from swayback to knobby knees. “I see nothing fine about him. How old is he?”
“Almost twenty.” She went over to the horse and began to tenderly stroke his muzzle. “But he’s strong and very good-tempered.”
“He won’t do,” MacDarren said. “We’ll have to get rid of him. He’d never get through the Highlands. We’ll leave him with the innkeeper, and I’ll buy you another horse.”
“I
won’t
get rid of him,” she said fiercely. “I couldn’t just leave him. How would I know if they had taken good care of him? He goes with us.”
“And I say he stays.”
The words were spoken with such absolute resolution, they sent a jolt of terror through her. They reminded her of Sebastian’s edicts, from which there was no appeal. She moistened her lips. “Then I’ll have to stay too.”
MacDarren’s gaze narrowed on her face. “And what if Landfield catches you again?”
She shrugged and leaned her cheek against Caird’s muzzle. “He belongs to me,” she said simply.
She could feel his gaze on her back and sense his exasperation. “Oh, for God’s sake!” He picked up her saddle from the ground by the tree and threw it on Caird’s back, then began to buckle the cinches. “All right, we’ll take him.”
Joy soared through her. “Truly?”
“I said it, didn’t I?” He jerked off the belt binding her wrists, picked her up, and tossed her into the saddle. “We’ll use him as a packhorse, and I’ll get you another mount to ride. Satisfied?”
Satisfied! “Oh, yes. You won’t regret it. But you needn’t spend your money on another horse. Caird is really very strong. I’m sure he’ll be able to—”
“I’m already regretting it.” His tone was distinctly edgy as he began to lead the horse through the forest. “Even carrying a light load, I doubt if he’ll get through the Highlands.”
It was the second time he had mentioned these forbidding Highlands, but she didn’t care where they were going as long as they were taking Caird. “But you’ll do it? You won’t change your mind?”
For an instant his expression softened as he saw the eagerness in her face. “I won’t change my mind.”
Gavin was already mounted and waiting when they arrived at the stables a short time later. A grin lit his face as he glanced from Kate to the horse and then back again. “Hers?”
Robert nodded. “And the cause of all this turmoil.”
“A fitting pair,” Gavin murmured. “She has a chance of cleaning up decently, but the horse …” He shook his head. “No hope for it, Robert.”
“My thought exactly. But we’re keeping him anyway.”
Gavin’s brows lifted. “Oh, are we? Interesting …”
Robert swung onto his horse. “Any trouble with the vicar and his amiable wife?”
Kate’s hands tensed on the reins.
“Mistress Landfield appeared overjoyed at giving me the girl’s belongings.” He nodded at a small bundle tied to his saddle. “And the vicar just glowered at me.”
“Perhaps he’s given up.”
“He won’t give up,” Kate whispered. “He never gives up.”
“Then perhaps we’d better go before we encounter him again,” Robert said as he kicked his horse into a trot. “Keep an eye on her, Gavin. She’s almost reeling.”
Sebastian was waiting for them a short distance from the cottage. He stood blocking the middle of the path.
“Get out of the way,” Robert said coldly. “I’m not in the mood for this.”
“It’s your last chance,” Sebastian said. “Give her back to me before it’s too late.”
“Stand aside, Landfield.”
“Kathryn.” Sebastian turned to her, and his voice was
“You think so?” MacDarren’s skeptical gaze raked the piebald stallion from swayback to knobby knees. “I see nothing fine about him. How old is he?”
“Almost twenty.” She went over to the horse and began to tenderly stroke his muzzle. “But he’s strong and very good-tempered.”
“He won’t do,” MacDarren said. “We’ll have to get rid of him. He’d never get through the Highlands. We’ll leave him with the innkeeper, and I’ll buy you another horse.”
“I
won’t
get rid of him,” she said fiercely. “I couldn’t just leave him. How would I know if they had taken good care of him? He goes with us.”
“And I say he stays.”
The words were spoken with such absolute resolution, they sent a jolt of terror through her. They reminded her of Sebastian’s edicts, from which there was no appeal. She moistened her lips. “Then I’ll have to stay too.”
MacDarren’s gaze narrowed on her face. “And what if Landfield catches you again?”
She shrugged and leaned her cheek against Caird’s muzzle. “He belongs to me,” she said simply.
She could feel his gaze on her back and sense his exasperation. “Oh, for God’s sake!” He picked up her saddle from the ground by the tree and threw it on Caird’s back, then began to buckle the cinches. “All right, we’ll take him.”
Joy soared through her. “Truly?”
“I said it, didn’t I?” He jerked off the belt binding her wrists, picked her up, and tossed her into the saddle. “We’ll use him as a packhorse, and I’ll get you another mount to ride. Satisfied?”
Satisfied! “Oh, yes. You won’t regret it. But you needn’t spend your money on another horse. Caird is really very strong. I’m sure he’ll be able to—”
“I’m already regretting it.” His tone was distinctly edgy as he began to lead the horse through the forest. “Even carrying a light load, I doubt if he’ll get through the Highlands.”
It was the second time he had mentioned these forbidding Highlands, but she didn’t care where they were going as long as they were taking Caird. “But you’ll do it? You won’t change your mind?”
For an instant his expression softened as he saw the eagerness in her face. “I won’t change my mind.”
Gavin was already mounted and waiting when they arrived at the stables a short time later. A grin lit his face as he glanced from Kate to the horse and then back again. “Hers?”
Robert nodded. “And the cause of all this turmoil.”
“A fitting pair,” Gavin murmured. “She has a chance of cleaning up decently, but the horse …” He shook his head. “No hope for it, Robert.”
“My thought exactly. But we’re keeping him anyway.”
Gavin’s brows lifted. “Oh, are we? Interesting …”
Robert swung onto his horse. “Any trouble with the vicar and his amiable wife?”
Kate’s hands tensed on the reins.
“Mistress Landfield appeared overjoyed at giving me the girl’s belongings.” He nodded at a small bundle tied to his saddle. “And the vicar just glowered at me.”
“Perhaps he’s given up.”
“He won’t give up,” Kate whispered. “He never gives up.”
“Then perhaps we’d better go before we encounter him again,” Robert said as he kicked his horse into a trot. “Keep an eye on her, Gavin. She’s almost reeling.”
Sebastian was waiting for them a short distance from the cottage. He stood blocking the middle of the path.
“Get out of the way,” Robert said coldly. “I’m not in the mood for this.”
“It’s your last chance,” Sebastian said. “Give her back to me before it’s too late.”
“Stand aside, Landfield.”
“Kathryn.” Sebastian turned to her, and his voice was
Similar Books
