few moments later, after the joyful sounds of a reunited
father and daughter echoed in the woods, large, bulky shadows stole from their
hiding spots around the clearing and met under the glow of the full moon.
“Is she safe then? Rufus, is she
safe?” one shadow whispered.
“Aye, Andrew, there’s a clear path between the woods and the
estate,” Rufus replied. “No harm will befall her this night.”
“You took a risk, Tristan, coming to her aid like that,”
still another said.
“What was I to do, Sir Garrett?” answered the one called
Tristan. “Let the brutes capture her and carry her away? Not while I’m alive.”
“Still, if they had caught you or if she was not what she
seemed to be, you could be dead,” Garrett replied.
“If I die in the noble service of protecting a lady, all the
better for it,” Tristan answered hotly.
“Aye, and if she’s prettier than any lass you’ve seen in a
long time, there’s no harm to that either,” Rufus added with a snort.
“I hardly noticed how pretty she was,” Tristan lied.
There was an eruption of snorts and whinnies, and a few
thick hooves pawed at the soft ground of the clearing.
“Besides,” Tristan continued, “it’s not like I’m going to
see her again. After what happened this
day her father would be daft to allow her to roam freely.”
“I have to say, I’ll miss seeing the lass’s shenanigans,”
Rufus admitted. “She has a fair hand with a trap.”
“But why were they after her?” Andrew asked. “She’s the
earl’s own daughter.”
“I’ve been studying the stars and the interplanetary
movements. It seems we may have yet another opportunity to break the curse,”
Duncan replied, his voice soft and precise. “I would venture to say they are
concerned about her connection with us.”
“Us?” Andrew asked. “But we haven’t even met her before
today. We only watched her.”
“She’s of the Herdin line,” Tristan said. “That’s why they
want to kill her or at least kill her to get to her father.”
“But that means…” Andrew stammered.
“Aye, it means Morganna,” Rufus said solemnly. “And it means
we’re in for more trouble.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Her arms wrapped tightly around her father’s waist, Meaghan
rested her head against his back as they galloped back toward the estate. The light from the full moon was enough to
illuminate the path before them, but it also made them a target for any of
Murphy’s men who still might be out searching. The thought of those men made her shiver and she tightened her hold on
her father.
He looked over his shoulder and slowed his pace slightly.
“How are you doing, Meggie?” he asked. “All you alright?”
She nodded and smiled up at him. “I can’t wait to be home,” she
replied. “Do you think Jepson made it home safely?”
“Yes, I’m sure Fitzhugh saw him safely home and tended to
his injuries,” he said.
“Fitz?” she exclaimed in disbelief, sitting back slightly.
“You sent Fitz out to rescue Jepson? Father, he’s only a butler.”
A light puff of laughter escaped his lips and he shook his
head wryly. “It’s amazing how people you think you know rise to the occasion
when needed,” he said. “I can promise you, Meggie, Jepson was in the best care
possible. And I assure you, he is safe.”
Resting her head against his back, she nodded thoughtfully.
“If you had only seen what Murphy was doing to him when I walked in,” she said,
anger hardening her words. “Tied up, his skin raw from the whip, his body
bruised and cut. I have never felt so much rage. I never knew I could feel the things I felt.
I believe…I truly believe I could have killed Murphy. I wonder what kind of
person that makes me?”
Lord John rode silently, furious that his daughter had been
exposed to such violence and just as furious with himself for not being there
for her. He took a deep shuddering
breath and finally spoke, “It’s not the things we
father and daughter echoed in the woods, large, bulky shadows stole from their
hiding spots around the clearing and met under the glow of the full moon.
“Is she safe then? Rufus, is she
safe?” one shadow whispered.
“Aye, Andrew, there’s a clear path between the woods and the
estate,” Rufus replied. “No harm will befall her this night.”
“You took a risk, Tristan, coming to her aid like that,”
still another said.
“What was I to do, Sir Garrett?” answered the one called
Tristan. “Let the brutes capture her and carry her away? Not while I’m alive.”
“Still, if they had caught you or if she was not what she
seemed to be, you could be dead,” Garrett replied.
“If I die in the noble service of protecting a lady, all the
better for it,” Tristan answered hotly.
“Aye, and if she’s prettier than any lass you’ve seen in a
long time, there’s no harm to that either,” Rufus added with a snort.
“I hardly noticed how pretty she was,” Tristan lied.
There was an eruption of snorts and whinnies, and a few
thick hooves pawed at the soft ground of the clearing.
“Besides,” Tristan continued, “it’s not like I’m going to
see her again. After what happened this
day her father would be daft to allow her to roam freely.”
“I have to say, I’ll miss seeing the lass’s shenanigans,”
Rufus admitted. “She has a fair hand with a trap.”
“But why were they after her?” Andrew asked. “She’s the
earl’s own daughter.”
“I’ve been studying the stars and the interplanetary
movements. It seems we may have yet another opportunity to break the curse,”
Duncan replied, his voice soft and precise. “I would venture to say they are
concerned about her connection with us.”
“Us?” Andrew asked. “But we haven’t even met her before
today. We only watched her.”
“She’s of the Herdin line,” Tristan said. “That’s why they
want to kill her or at least kill her to get to her father.”
“But that means…” Andrew stammered.
“Aye, it means Morganna,” Rufus said solemnly. “And it means
we’re in for more trouble.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Her arms wrapped tightly around her father’s waist, Meaghan
rested her head against his back as they galloped back toward the estate. The light from the full moon was enough to
illuminate the path before them, but it also made them a target for any of
Murphy’s men who still might be out searching. The thought of those men made her shiver and she tightened her hold on
her father.
He looked over his shoulder and slowed his pace slightly.
“How are you doing, Meggie?” he asked. “All you alright?”
She nodded and smiled up at him. “I can’t wait to be home,” she
replied. “Do you think Jepson made it home safely?”
“Yes, I’m sure Fitzhugh saw him safely home and tended to
his injuries,” he said.
“Fitz?” she exclaimed in disbelief, sitting back slightly.
“You sent Fitz out to rescue Jepson? Father, he’s only a butler.”
A light puff of laughter escaped his lips and he shook his
head wryly. “It’s amazing how people you think you know rise to the occasion
when needed,” he said. “I can promise you, Meggie, Jepson was in the best care
possible. And I assure you, he is safe.”
Resting her head against his back, she nodded thoughtfully.
“If you had only seen what Murphy was doing to him when I walked in,” she said,
anger hardening her words. “Tied up, his skin raw from the whip, his body
bruised and cut. I have never felt so much rage. I never knew I could feel the things I felt.
I believe…I truly believe I could have killed Murphy. I wonder what kind of
person that makes me?”
Lord John rode silently, furious that his daughter had been
exposed to such violence and just as furious with himself for not being there
for her. He took a deep shuddering
breath and finally spoke, “It’s not the things we
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