besides her tall boots with strange
heels, were revealed as he moved the blanket so he could cover her. He picked
up the smaller of the two and stared at it in confusion. It was a simple
triangle of silky, black cloth that had three strips of fabric extending from
each corner, which then met at a smaller triangle in back. His brow furrowed.
Where was he supposed to have put that? The other, larger item, made of similar
black fabric, had two straps descending to two bulbous shapes, also attached to
other strips of fabric. When he held it by the straps in front of him, the
large, spherical shapes reminded him of breasts.
He shook his head and tossed the items aside. He couldn’t
concern himself with her extra pieces of clothing. Anna was covered in all the
right places and this was all that was necessary.
He placed a quick kiss upon her brow and promised to return
to her soon.
Stepping out of the tent, he grabbed his dry clothing and
quickly dressed. Turning, he spotted Adam and Geoffrey swaggering toward him,
grinning from ear to ear.
“We were just debating about who should dare to fetch you
from that tent.” Adam laughed.
Galen allowed one corner of his mouth to curl in a small
smile before sobering as the men stopped in front of him. “Anna’s feverish.”
“Damn.” The amusement fell from Adam’s face. He crossed his
arms and shook his head. “How is she?”
“Barely coherent,” Galen muttered. “She is burning up and
needs to be tended to.”
“We could take her to the MacPherson holding,” Geoffrey
offered. “We—”
Galen shook his head. “We have asked too much of them
already.”
Adam nodded. “They have been more than accommodating in
allowing us to remain on their land overnight. It is a definite risk to them,
especially since their laird’s sister is married to the Campbell. Who knows how
long it would take the Gowrie to find out.”
Geoffrey scowled. “No one knows who she is, let alone she is
associated with us.”
“Word travels quickly in the Highlands,” Galen said as he
crossed his arms. “A casual remark by a MacPherson servant to the wrong person
that they are sheltering my woman and we will be riding from this battle into
another with the Gowrie after he has kidnapped Anna. Too many Campbells have
married into the MacPherson clan. Do not think for a moment the Campbell laird
wouldn’t alert his overlord to the presence of my woman in his brother-in-law’s
keep.”
“We have to take her home.” Adam sighed in resignation.
A muscle in Galen’s jaw twitched. “I would not normally
ask—”
“I know.” Adam dismissively waved his hand. “But she is our
mistress now and her safety is our priority.”
Galen nodded curtly. “Geoffrey, you will ride with them.”
Geoffrey’s face reddened and he balled his fists at his
sides. “I need to stand by your side in battle. If I had not—”
“What is done is done,” Galen growled, not wishing to take
this particular moment to box his brother’s ears for his stupidity at getting
caught with a Graham cow. “You have learned your lesson, have you not?”
“Then why are you punishing me?”
Galen narrowed his eyes, losing patience as he stared at his
eighteen-year-old brother. “It is not punishment to protect your mistress. It
is your duty and your honor.”
“My mistress?” Geoffrey sputtered, his eyes wide in angry
shock. “No vows have been exchanged, have they? Galen, listen to reason. You
have no proof of who she really is, only what she has told you.”
With one, swift motion, Galen’s hand wrapped around his brother’s
neck and lifted him off the ground. “She is the woman who got me out of that
castle alive and just might have saved your sorry ass from getting killed in
attempting to breech the Graham defenses!”
Adam grabbed Galen’s arm and pushed against Geoffrey’s chest
in an attempt to separate the brothers, but to no avail. “Galen swore before us
last night he was taking the woman
heels, were revealed as he moved the blanket so he could cover her. He picked
up the smaller of the two and stared at it in confusion. It was a simple
triangle of silky, black cloth that had three strips of fabric extending from
each corner, which then met at a smaller triangle in back. His brow furrowed.
Where was he supposed to have put that? The other, larger item, made of similar
black fabric, had two straps descending to two bulbous shapes, also attached to
other strips of fabric. When he held it by the straps in front of him, the
large, spherical shapes reminded him of breasts.
He shook his head and tossed the items aside. He couldn’t
concern himself with her extra pieces of clothing. Anna was covered in all the
right places and this was all that was necessary.
He placed a quick kiss upon her brow and promised to return
to her soon.
Stepping out of the tent, he grabbed his dry clothing and
quickly dressed. Turning, he spotted Adam and Geoffrey swaggering toward him,
grinning from ear to ear.
“We were just debating about who should dare to fetch you
from that tent.” Adam laughed.
Galen allowed one corner of his mouth to curl in a small
smile before sobering as the men stopped in front of him. “Anna’s feverish.”
“Damn.” The amusement fell from Adam’s face. He crossed his
arms and shook his head. “How is she?”
“Barely coherent,” Galen muttered. “She is burning up and
needs to be tended to.”
“We could take her to the MacPherson holding,” Geoffrey
offered. “We—”
Galen shook his head. “We have asked too much of them
already.”
Adam nodded. “They have been more than accommodating in
allowing us to remain on their land overnight. It is a definite risk to them,
especially since their laird’s sister is married to the Campbell. Who knows how
long it would take the Gowrie to find out.”
Geoffrey scowled. “No one knows who she is, let alone she is
associated with us.”
“Word travels quickly in the Highlands,” Galen said as he
crossed his arms. “A casual remark by a MacPherson servant to the wrong person
that they are sheltering my woman and we will be riding from this battle into
another with the Gowrie after he has kidnapped Anna. Too many Campbells have
married into the MacPherson clan. Do not think for a moment the Campbell laird
wouldn’t alert his overlord to the presence of my woman in his brother-in-law’s
keep.”
“We have to take her home.” Adam sighed in resignation.
A muscle in Galen’s jaw twitched. “I would not normally
ask—”
“I know.” Adam dismissively waved his hand. “But she is our
mistress now and her safety is our priority.”
Galen nodded curtly. “Geoffrey, you will ride with them.”
Geoffrey’s face reddened and he balled his fists at his
sides. “I need to stand by your side in battle. If I had not—”
“What is done is done,” Galen growled, not wishing to take
this particular moment to box his brother’s ears for his stupidity at getting
caught with a Graham cow. “You have learned your lesson, have you not?”
“Then why are you punishing me?”
Galen narrowed his eyes, losing patience as he stared at his
eighteen-year-old brother. “It is not punishment to protect your mistress. It
is your duty and your honor.”
“My mistress?” Geoffrey sputtered, his eyes wide in angry
shock. “No vows have been exchanged, have they? Galen, listen to reason. You
have no proof of who she really is, only what she has told you.”
With one, swift motion, Galen’s hand wrapped around his brother’s
neck and lifted him off the ground. “She is the woman who got me out of that
castle alive and just might have saved your sorry ass from getting killed in
attempting to breech the Graham defenses!”
Adam grabbed Galen’s arm and pushed against Geoffrey’s chest
in an attempt to separate the brothers, but to no avail. “Galen swore before us
last night he was taking the woman
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