kind of beasts are you?”
Alec was the first to regain the
ability to speak. “I'm not sure I would call ya defenseless, my
lady.”
Ginny turned and left the
building, with Ian and Alec still trying to comprehend what had
just occurred. Surely this tiny woman did not just bring down one
of the biggest and strongest members of the McKenna
clan.
* * *
Ginny walked down a small pathway
to the lake at the bottom of the hill. She knew that the water
would be extraordinarily cold, with their elevation and that was
just what she needed. She kept her head high as she walked past the
clansmen and women who made their disgust for her quite obvious the
day before. Many smiled when they saw the budding bruise on her
face.
She sat by the lake and pulled out
a small handkerchief from her pocket. She dipped it in the icy
water and applied it to her face. Ginny amazed herself by not
crying. She began to think she was in a perpetual state of shock
and couldn't muster the energy to cry anyway.
Ginny heard giggles behind her and
turned to see a group of four girls, not more than fifteen in her
estimation. They stared at her with open curiosity. One girl, a
beauty with long red hair and striking green eyes began to walk
toward her. The girl sat next to Ginny.
“What happened to ya?” the
teenager asked innocently.
“I disrespected the Laird and he
had his henchman deal with me,” Ginny said as she continued to blot
her bruise with the cool compress.
“Why would ya do that?” A good question , Ginny
thought. Why do I provoke him so much. I
am obviously going to have to learn to live with the situation for
the time being, so can't I muster some strength to act the way he
wants .
“What's your name?” Ginny
asked.
“Maude,” she said keeping her head
down.
Damn, it may have been a good name
to them, but only brought visions of bad 70's television to Ginny.
Ginny smiled and said, “My name is Ginny. Lady Chatham. And I don't
know why I did what I did.”
Ginny realized that this girl
didn't seem to suffer under the impression that she was there to
destroy the clan or carried some fatal disease. Ginny didn't want
the girl to suffer by being associated with her. The other clansmen
made it quite clear how they felt.
“Maybe you should go, Maude. I
wouldn't want you to get in trouble for speaking to the likes of
me. Your parents would undoubtedly be displeased.”
“I can see for myself yar not
evil. We have good reason to distrust the English, but I dinna
think ya alone are responsible for our troubles,” Maude had a good head on her shoulders and would
make a good leader someday, if she weren't a
woman , Ginny thought grimly.
The other girls started calling
Maude back to them. Ginny and Maude looked up in time to see Ian
charging his way down the hill. Great , thought Ginny, here it comes .
Before either girl could escape,
Ian was standing above them. “Maude, go home now.”
“Yes, Laird.” Now why couldn't I be more like that , Ginny thought. Just obey, don't
think! It would keep me from getting smacked.
Ian crouched down next to Ginny.
She could see his powerful thighs under his kilt. To buy some time
before the inevitable confrontation, Ginny put her handkerchief
back in the water and reapplied it to her cheek. Ginny noticed that
Ian smelled good, compared to her surroundings and the other
clansmen. He smelled like the outdoors, with a hint of musk. He
wasn't hard on the eyes either. Typical
romance novel, Ginny thought, the hero smells clean while the rest wallow in
filth.
The silence carried on for a
while. Ginny figured he was stalling from telling her that he would
now have to kill her for her disrespect. Not to mention, it would
gain him valuable points amongst the clan that so hated the
English. Or was he using a tactic to try to earn a confession from
her. Did Ian think that she couldn't withstand a long silence and
would start spouting off like a prisoner in an interrogation
room. Damn
Alec was the first to regain the
ability to speak. “I'm not sure I would call ya defenseless, my
lady.”
Ginny turned and left the
building, with Ian and Alec still trying to comprehend what had
just occurred. Surely this tiny woman did not just bring down one
of the biggest and strongest members of the McKenna
clan.
* * *
Ginny walked down a small pathway
to the lake at the bottom of the hill. She knew that the water
would be extraordinarily cold, with their elevation and that was
just what she needed. She kept her head high as she walked past the
clansmen and women who made their disgust for her quite obvious the
day before. Many smiled when they saw the budding bruise on her
face.
She sat by the lake and pulled out
a small handkerchief from her pocket. She dipped it in the icy
water and applied it to her face. Ginny amazed herself by not
crying. She began to think she was in a perpetual state of shock
and couldn't muster the energy to cry anyway.
Ginny heard giggles behind her and
turned to see a group of four girls, not more than fifteen in her
estimation. They stared at her with open curiosity. One girl, a
beauty with long red hair and striking green eyes began to walk
toward her. The girl sat next to Ginny.
“What happened to ya?” the
teenager asked innocently.
“I disrespected the Laird and he
had his henchman deal with me,” Ginny said as she continued to blot
her bruise with the cool compress.
“Why would ya do that?” A good question , Ginny
thought. Why do I provoke him so much. I
am obviously going to have to learn to live with the situation for
the time being, so can't I muster some strength to act the way he
wants .
“What's your name?” Ginny
asked.
“Maude,” she said keeping her head
down.
Damn, it may have been a good name
to them, but only brought visions of bad 70's television to Ginny.
Ginny smiled and said, “My name is Ginny. Lady Chatham. And I don't
know why I did what I did.”
Ginny realized that this girl
didn't seem to suffer under the impression that she was there to
destroy the clan or carried some fatal disease. Ginny didn't want
the girl to suffer by being associated with her. The other clansmen
made it quite clear how they felt.
“Maybe you should go, Maude. I
wouldn't want you to get in trouble for speaking to the likes of
me. Your parents would undoubtedly be displeased.”
“I can see for myself yar not
evil. We have good reason to distrust the English, but I dinna
think ya alone are responsible for our troubles,” Maude had a good head on her shoulders and would
make a good leader someday, if she weren't a
woman , Ginny thought grimly.
The other girls started calling
Maude back to them. Ginny and Maude looked up in time to see Ian
charging his way down the hill. Great , thought Ginny, here it comes .
Before either girl could escape,
Ian was standing above them. “Maude, go home now.”
“Yes, Laird.” Now why couldn't I be more like that , Ginny thought. Just obey, don't
think! It would keep me from getting smacked.
Ian crouched down next to Ginny.
She could see his powerful thighs under his kilt. To buy some time
before the inevitable confrontation, Ginny put her handkerchief
back in the water and reapplied it to her cheek. Ginny noticed that
Ian smelled good, compared to her surroundings and the other
clansmen. He smelled like the outdoors, with a hint of musk. He
wasn't hard on the eyes either. Typical
romance novel, Ginny thought, the hero smells clean while the rest wallow in
filth.
The silence carried on for a
while. Ginny figured he was stalling from telling her that he would
now have to kill her for her disrespect. Not to mention, it would
gain him valuable points amongst the clan that so hated the
English. Or was he using a tactic to try to earn a confession from
her. Did Ian think that she couldn't withstand a long silence and
would start spouting off like a prisoner in an interrogation
room. Damn
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