Rolfe moved to his side.
“We should disarm them,” the king's man murmured, considering the women as they prepared
their mounts.
Blake raised his brows. “Do you think they would use their swords against us?”
“They already have.”
“That was at the abbey, and they knew not who we were then. They did not try to fight
their way out of the clearing,” Blake pointed out, his gaze slipping over Seonaid's body.
While he had, at first, been shocked at the sight of her in braies, he was beginning to
appreciate the way the outfit outlined her slender curves and
“Aye,” Rolfe said, interrupting his thoughts. “But they will be less likely to try to
escape do they not have their swords.”
His words brought a frown to Blake's lips. It still rankled to think his betrothed might
actually not wish to marry him.He was the one who should, and had, been reluctant to
marryher, one of the dreaded Dunbars. She should be grateful he had even shown up, no
matter how late in the day. Yet she appeared less than eager to be his bride. Fascinating,
he decided, then realized she had yet to experience any of the sweet words that normally
dripped from his honeyed tongue in the presence of women. Normally he began to spin a
verbal web of beauty about a woman the moment he met her. Yet he hadn't had the least
urging to do so with his betrothed. In fact, he found himself more prone to curse at her
than soothe her with sweet assertions. Most odd.
Shaking his head, he moved forward as she hooked a satchel to her horse and quickly
grabbed for her sword. Seonaid must have sensed his approach for she stilled a moment
before he reached her but made no movement as he disarmed her. Instead, she waited until
he'd stepped away, then turned slowly to face him.
“You could have asked, m'laird.”
Blake raised his eyebrows. He'd expected anger, rage, even snarling and spitting fury.
Instead she appeared completely calm. She even tossed a glance toward her companion, which
caused the smaller warrior to unsheathe her own sword and step forward to offer it to him.
Blake accepted the weapon with some surprise. He took a wary step back as he confessed, “I
did not think you would surrender it willingly.”
“Why not?” Her lips curved up in amusement as she shrugged. “If 'twill make ye feel safer
to have me unarmed, so be it. 'Sides, surely with such big, strong men around we'd have no
need to defend ourselves?”
Blake frowned. There was no guile in her expression, not the smallest sign of sarcasm in
her tone, and yet he was positive she was laughing at him. Worse yet, he suspected the
little woman, her friend, had caught the joke and was silently laughing as well. Scowling,
he muttered under his breath and turned away to rejoin Lord Rolfe.
“Think you it was wise to give up our weapons?” Aeldra asked quietly.
Seonaid shrugged. “They're less likely to expect an escape attempt if we are unarmed.
'Sides, we can replace them easily enough.”
“How?” Helen asked, moving to join them.
“We have friends not far from here,” Seonaid informed her quietly, then glanced toward the
men. The bishop and the big man from the chapel had left the clearing, presumably to
gather their animals as well as the rest of the men and clear away the signs of their
camp. That left Sherwell, Lord Rolfe, Gavin, and the other two Dunbar men present, but
without their horses. There would hardly be a better time to attempt an escape. “Aeldra,
help Helen mount her animal.”
Catching the meaningful expression Seonaid tossed her, Aeldra nodded and took Helen's arm
to lead her around the large beast Seonaid stood before. Moving calmly, Seonaid stepped to
the front of her mount's head and began to coo and pet him softly, her gaze shooting first
to the men still talking at the edge of the clearing, then to the two women and two horses
hidden by her massive
“We should disarm them,” the king's man murmured, considering the women as they prepared
their mounts.
Blake raised his brows. “Do you think they would use their swords against us?”
“They already have.”
“That was at the abbey, and they knew not who we were then. They did not try to fight
their way out of the clearing,” Blake pointed out, his gaze slipping over Seonaid's body.
While he had, at first, been shocked at the sight of her in braies, he was beginning to
appreciate the way the outfit outlined her slender curves and
“Aye,” Rolfe said, interrupting his thoughts. “But they will be less likely to try to
escape do they not have their swords.”
His words brought a frown to Blake's lips. It still rankled to think his betrothed might
actually not wish to marry him.He was the one who should, and had, been reluctant to
marryher, one of the dreaded Dunbars. She should be grateful he had even shown up, no
matter how late in the day. Yet she appeared less than eager to be his bride. Fascinating,
he decided, then realized she had yet to experience any of the sweet words that normally
dripped from his honeyed tongue in the presence of women. Normally he began to spin a
verbal web of beauty about a woman the moment he met her. Yet he hadn't had the least
urging to do so with his betrothed. In fact, he found himself more prone to curse at her
than soothe her with sweet assertions. Most odd.
Shaking his head, he moved forward as she hooked a satchel to her horse and quickly
grabbed for her sword. Seonaid must have sensed his approach for she stilled a moment
before he reached her but made no movement as he disarmed her. Instead, she waited until
he'd stepped away, then turned slowly to face him.
“You could have asked, m'laird.”
Blake raised his eyebrows. He'd expected anger, rage, even snarling and spitting fury.
Instead she appeared completely calm. She even tossed a glance toward her companion, which
caused the smaller warrior to unsheathe her own sword and step forward to offer it to him.
Blake accepted the weapon with some surprise. He took a wary step back as he confessed, “I
did not think you would surrender it willingly.”
“Why not?” Her lips curved up in amusement as she shrugged. “If 'twill make ye feel safer
to have me unarmed, so be it. 'Sides, surely with such big, strong men around we'd have no
need to defend ourselves?”
Blake frowned. There was no guile in her expression, not the smallest sign of sarcasm in
her tone, and yet he was positive she was laughing at him. Worse yet, he suspected the
little woman, her friend, had caught the joke and was silently laughing as well. Scowling,
he muttered under his breath and turned away to rejoin Lord Rolfe.
“Think you it was wise to give up our weapons?” Aeldra asked quietly.
Seonaid shrugged. “They're less likely to expect an escape attempt if we are unarmed.
'Sides, we can replace them easily enough.”
“How?” Helen asked, moving to join them.
“We have friends not far from here,” Seonaid informed her quietly, then glanced toward the
men. The bishop and the big man from the chapel had left the clearing, presumably to
gather their animals as well as the rest of the men and clear away the signs of their
camp. That left Sherwell, Lord Rolfe, Gavin, and the other two Dunbar men present, but
without their horses. There would hardly be a better time to attempt an escape. “Aeldra,
help Helen mount her animal.”
Catching the meaningful expression Seonaid tossed her, Aeldra nodded and took Helen's arm
to lead her around the large beast Seonaid stood before. Moving calmly, Seonaid stepped to
the front of her mount's head and began to coo and pet him softly, her gaze shooting first
to the men still talking at the edge of the clearing, then to the two women and two horses
hidden by her massive
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