expect me to believe you have not been pining away these
last ten years”
“Pinin'?” Seonaid interrupted with a harsh laugh. “Do I look the sort to pine? No, indeed,
m'laird, I've been quite enjoyin' my freedom... in many an' diverse ways.”
Blake's eyes widened, then his face flushed angrily at the suggestion behind her words.
“You”
“Enough,” Lord Rolfe interrupted sharply. “We have wasted enough time. Let us head back to
Dunbar and see the deed done.”
“Go ahead,” Seonaid muttered, turning toward the horses. “Aeldra an' I'll meet ye there
after we go to England.”
“England!” Rolfe and Blake echoed the word as one.
“Aye, England,” Seonaid said firmly. “We promised.” She gestured toward Lady Helen, taking
in the nun's habit with new eyes. “We promised the sister we'd see her home to England.
She wishes to visit her family. We promised we'd see her safely there.” She turned to peer
at them sweetly. “Ye'd not wish us to break our word to a woman of God, would ye?”
Blake frowned at his betrothed, suspecting her sweet smile and the veracity behind her
words. Rolfe's interruption, however, caught his attention.
“That is impossible. It would prolong the ordeal by at least another week, perhaps two.”
As Blake absorbed the truth of his words, Seonaid turned on him bitterly. “What do ye
propose? Shall we just leave her here in the woods to make her way alone, unattended?”
“Nay, of course not,” Blake murmured, suddenly cheerful. “We shall have to see her home.”
When Rolfe turned on him with dismay, he shrugged. “Well, she gave her word, and as my
betrothed, her word is my word. And a promise is a promise. We can hardly force her to
break her word.” When Rolfe continued to glare at him, too angry to speak, Blake shifted
uncomfortably and turned back to Seonaid more sternly. “We shall see her home as you
promised, howbeit that is all I will agree to.”
Seonaid relaxed and even smiled at him. “ 'Tis all I ask, m'laird.”
Blake blinked. She really had a charming smile. Quite charming. Why had he not noticed
that before? Because she hadn't smiled at him before.
“Nay.”
All of them turned toward the bishop as he stepped out of the bushes to join the growing
group.
“Forgive an old man for interrupting, but it would seem to me a detour to England would
serve little purpose and merely delay a wedding that has been delayed far too long
already. We shall hie to Dunbar.”
“But what about the sister?” Seonaid asked with, a sinking heart, seeing all chance for
delaying the wedding slipping away.
“There is a simple resolution,” he said soothingly, then turned to Helen. “Sister... ?”
“Helen,” the woman squeaked.
The bishop nodded solemnly. “Sister Helen, you may travel with us to Dunbar to attend the
wedding if you wish. Lord Rolfe and I shall be traveling back to England then, and we
would be pleased to escort you on your visit. Or,” he added, when Seonaid made to protest,
“or we can surely spare three men to escort you now. We presently have three more men than
we started out with anyway, thanks to Lord Angus.” He nodded pleasantly toward Gavin and
his two men as he spoke, then raised his eyebrows and took a listening attitude as he
awaited Helen's decision.
For her part, Lady Helen looked rather confused. Turning, she peered uncertainly at
Seonaid, then back to the bishop before blurting, “I shall attend the wedding.”
“Good, then we shall head for Dunbar.” The bishop smiled graciously, then turned and moved
back through the trees until they enveloped him, presumably to return to the camp the men
had inhabited during the wee hours of the morning.
Blake peered unhappily from the bishop's disappearing back to his would-be bride and
sighed, then shook his head and turned to order Little George to bring their horses into
the clearing.
last ten years”
“Pinin'?” Seonaid interrupted with a harsh laugh. “Do I look the sort to pine? No, indeed,
m'laird, I've been quite enjoyin' my freedom... in many an' diverse ways.”
Blake's eyes widened, then his face flushed angrily at the suggestion behind her words.
“You”
“Enough,” Lord Rolfe interrupted sharply. “We have wasted enough time. Let us head back to
Dunbar and see the deed done.”
“Go ahead,” Seonaid muttered, turning toward the horses. “Aeldra an' I'll meet ye there
after we go to England.”
“England!” Rolfe and Blake echoed the word as one.
“Aye, England,” Seonaid said firmly. “We promised.” She gestured toward Lady Helen, taking
in the nun's habit with new eyes. “We promised the sister we'd see her home to England.
She wishes to visit her family. We promised we'd see her safely there.” She turned to peer
at them sweetly. “Ye'd not wish us to break our word to a woman of God, would ye?”
Blake frowned at his betrothed, suspecting her sweet smile and the veracity behind her
words. Rolfe's interruption, however, caught his attention.
“That is impossible. It would prolong the ordeal by at least another week, perhaps two.”
As Blake absorbed the truth of his words, Seonaid turned on him bitterly. “What do ye
propose? Shall we just leave her here in the woods to make her way alone, unattended?”
“Nay, of course not,” Blake murmured, suddenly cheerful. “We shall have to see her home.”
When Rolfe turned on him with dismay, he shrugged. “Well, she gave her word, and as my
betrothed, her word is my word. And a promise is a promise. We can hardly force her to
break her word.” When Rolfe continued to glare at him, too angry to speak, Blake shifted
uncomfortably and turned back to Seonaid more sternly. “We shall see her home as you
promised, howbeit that is all I will agree to.”
Seonaid relaxed and even smiled at him. “ 'Tis all I ask, m'laird.”
Blake blinked. She really had a charming smile. Quite charming. Why had he not noticed
that before? Because she hadn't smiled at him before.
“Nay.”
All of them turned toward the bishop as he stepped out of the bushes to join the growing
group.
“Forgive an old man for interrupting, but it would seem to me a detour to England would
serve little purpose and merely delay a wedding that has been delayed far too long
already. We shall hie to Dunbar.”
“But what about the sister?” Seonaid asked with, a sinking heart, seeing all chance for
delaying the wedding slipping away.
“There is a simple resolution,” he said soothingly, then turned to Helen. “Sister... ?”
“Helen,” the woman squeaked.
The bishop nodded solemnly. “Sister Helen, you may travel with us to Dunbar to attend the
wedding if you wish. Lord Rolfe and I shall be traveling back to England then, and we
would be pleased to escort you on your visit. Or,” he added, when Seonaid made to protest,
“or we can surely spare three men to escort you now. We presently have three more men than
we started out with anyway, thanks to Lord Angus.” He nodded pleasantly toward Gavin and
his two men as he spoke, then raised his eyebrows and took a listening attitude as he
awaited Helen's decision.
For her part, Lady Helen looked rather confused. Turning, she peered uncertainly at
Seonaid, then back to the bishop before blurting, “I shall attend the wedding.”
“Good, then we shall head for Dunbar.” The bishop smiled graciously, then turned and moved
back through the trees until they enveloped him, presumably to return to the camp the men
had inhabited during the wee hours of the morning.
Blake peered unhappily from the bishop's disappearing back to his would-be bride and
sighed, then shook his head and turned to order Little George to bring their horses into
the clearing.
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