animal's bulk. Aeldra helped Helen mount her horse, instructing her
to lay her upper body flat along the animal's neck and head to prevent drawing attention,
then moved to her own mount and quickly slid atop the beast, pressing herself flat on the
animal's neck as well.
Seeing the men hadn't noticed their activity, Seonaid moved back to her stallion's side,
grabbed the pommel in one hand, jammed her foot in the stirrup, and quickly pulled with
her hand and stepped with her foot to propel herself upward and sling one long leg over
the beast's back.
She had mounted and was grabbing for Helen's reins even as the expected cry of alarm went
up. Ignoring it, Seonaid tugged on her horse's reins and pressed her heels to his belly,
urging him into a bolt. The beast immediately shot forward, Helen's horse following.
Aeldra took up the rear.
“Damn! Little George, bring the horses!” Blake roared, whirling from the sight of the
disappearing women and starting through the woods.
Rolfe followed him closely. “Do not tell me you have decided to participate in getting the
wedding done? I began to think you would simply trail me about, hampering my efforts as
much as possible until it was either a fait accompli or the lady escaped.”
Pausing, Blake turned to face him. “Do not think I have changed my mind about the wedding.
Howbeit, do I continue to leave the situation in your hands, I very much fear I shall be
bounced around indefinitely, chasing the woman from one end of Scotland to the other. 'Tis
far better to see the matter settled one way or the other by escorting her back to Dunbar,
and it appears to me the only way to accomplish the task is to handle it myself.” With
those insulting words, he turned to continue forward, only to pause as Little George
appeared, trailing three horses.
“They made a run for it,” Blake explained dryly, answering the question in his massive
man's eyes as he accepted his own reins. He quickly mounted, as did Lord Rolfe. His gaze
shot to the Dunbar men and he frowned at their solemn expressions. “Mount up and follow
with the rest of the men.”
Gavin nodded stoicly, his expression remaining dignified and grim until the three men had
ridden out of view; then his face cracked in a grin. “I can hardly wait to return to
Dunbar and tell the laird about this.”
“He's sure to get a good laugh oot o' it,” one of the other men agreed, then commented, “
'Tis twice now the English has lost oor Seonaid. Hoo many more times diya reckon 'twill
happen 'ere we arrive home?”
Gavin shrugged and turned to move into the woods, intent on gaining his horse. “Twa or
three, I'd wager. Fetch yer beasties and follow me. We'll gather the rest of the English
and follow.”
The women did not get very far. It was no one's fault, just happenstance. Helen's mount
set her foot down wrong as she landed after leaping a log in their path. Releasing a
scream of pain, the animal went down hard, sending Helen to the ground with a cry of alarm.
Tugging sharply on her own mount's reins to bring him to a halt, Seonaid glanced back to
see Aeldra make good use of her swift reflexes to steer clear of the fallen horse and
rider.
Turning her animal, Seonaid urged him back to the fallen mare, releasing the breath she'd
been holding when Aeldra reached the girl and horse first and helped Helen to her feet.
Apparently, the woman had suffered a fright but was otherwise unhurt.
“Is she all right?” Helen asked anxiously as Aeldra turned her attention to the mare
struggling back to her feet.
The shorter woman examined the leg briefly, watching as the mare hobbled lamely a step or
two, then glanced up at Seonaid and shook her head.
Mouth tightening unhappily, Seonaid bent to grasp Helen's arm and draw her attention.
“Come. Mount behind me. We'll share my mount.”
“But my mare,” she protested. “She is
to lay her upper body flat along the animal's neck and head to prevent drawing attention,
then moved to her own mount and quickly slid atop the beast, pressing herself flat on the
animal's neck as well.
Seeing the men hadn't noticed their activity, Seonaid moved back to her stallion's side,
grabbed the pommel in one hand, jammed her foot in the stirrup, and quickly pulled with
her hand and stepped with her foot to propel herself upward and sling one long leg over
the beast's back.
She had mounted and was grabbing for Helen's reins even as the expected cry of alarm went
up. Ignoring it, Seonaid tugged on her horse's reins and pressed her heels to his belly,
urging him into a bolt. The beast immediately shot forward, Helen's horse following.
Aeldra took up the rear.
“Damn! Little George, bring the horses!” Blake roared, whirling from the sight of the
disappearing women and starting through the woods.
Rolfe followed him closely. “Do not tell me you have decided to participate in getting the
wedding done? I began to think you would simply trail me about, hampering my efforts as
much as possible until it was either a fait accompli or the lady escaped.”
Pausing, Blake turned to face him. “Do not think I have changed my mind about the wedding.
Howbeit, do I continue to leave the situation in your hands, I very much fear I shall be
bounced around indefinitely, chasing the woman from one end of Scotland to the other. 'Tis
far better to see the matter settled one way or the other by escorting her back to Dunbar,
and it appears to me the only way to accomplish the task is to handle it myself.” With
those insulting words, he turned to continue forward, only to pause as Little George
appeared, trailing three horses.
“They made a run for it,” Blake explained dryly, answering the question in his massive
man's eyes as he accepted his own reins. He quickly mounted, as did Lord Rolfe. His gaze
shot to the Dunbar men and he frowned at their solemn expressions. “Mount up and follow
with the rest of the men.”
Gavin nodded stoicly, his expression remaining dignified and grim until the three men had
ridden out of view; then his face cracked in a grin. “I can hardly wait to return to
Dunbar and tell the laird about this.”
“He's sure to get a good laugh oot o' it,” one of the other men agreed, then commented, “
'Tis twice now the English has lost oor Seonaid. Hoo many more times diya reckon 'twill
happen 'ere we arrive home?”
Gavin shrugged and turned to move into the woods, intent on gaining his horse. “Twa or
three, I'd wager. Fetch yer beasties and follow me. We'll gather the rest of the English
and follow.”
The women did not get very far. It was no one's fault, just happenstance. Helen's mount
set her foot down wrong as she landed after leaping a log in their path. Releasing a
scream of pain, the animal went down hard, sending Helen to the ground with a cry of alarm.
Tugging sharply on her own mount's reins to bring him to a halt, Seonaid glanced back to
see Aeldra make good use of her swift reflexes to steer clear of the fallen horse and
rider.
Turning her animal, Seonaid urged him back to the fallen mare, releasing the breath she'd
been holding when Aeldra reached the girl and horse first and helped Helen to her feet.
Apparently, the woman had suffered a fright but was otherwise unhurt.
“Is she all right?” Helen asked anxiously as Aeldra turned her attention to the mare
struggling back to her feet.
The shorter woman examined the leg briefly, watching as the mare hobbled lamely a step or
two, then glanced up at Seonaid and shook her head.
Mouth tightening unhappily, Seonaid bent to grasp Helen's arm and draw her attention.
“Come. Mount behind me. We'll share my mount.”
“But my mare,” she protested. “She is
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