The Clan MacDougall Series by Suzan Tisdale

bath and a warm bed when we get to Castle Gregor, lass.”
    Duncan’s chest was warm and made her feel safe and protected. As she lay against him, she thought of how these men had behaved towards her. They fussed over and guarded her as if she were as precious as gold. And for reasons she could not fathom, they had sworn their unyielding allegiance. It was difficult to understand why these men were so intent on protecting her. As her eyelids grew heavier and her body warmer, she decided the reasons why did not matter. Far too tired to think further on it, let alone to will her mouth to speak, she promised to swear her own allegiance to them very soon. For now, all she could do was snuggle into Duncan’s chest and sleep.
    The sun had risen long before Aishlinn woke again. She lifted her head to catch a glimpse of where they might be, the movement bringing a twinge of pain in her ribs that she would not admit to and her bladder begged for relief. Not wanting to be a burden or appear weak in the eyes of Duncan or his men, she remained quiet and hoped that they would soon stop for a rest.
    Duncan bade her good morning with a smile; his blue eyes twinkled in the morning light. Aishlinn yawned as she tried to stretch her weary muscles. ’Twas not an easy task when one is atop someone’s lap and on a horse no less. Perhaps they would stop soon and once dismounted, she could stand, stretch and move her muscles a bit and find a good tree. Or a rock. Or a bush. Anything behind which to hide so she might give some relief to her bladder.
    They rode in silence for a while longer. Aishlinn tried to gain a more comfortable position; one that would take some of the pressure off her bladder that was threatening to empty its contents upon Duncan’s lap. After a while longer, she decided she could no longer remain quiet on the matter. “Duncan, I do need to stop for a moment.”
    “Are ye in pain lass?” he asked with much concern in his voice.
    “Aye,” she told him.
    Duncan immediately pulled rein and brought his horse to an abrupt stop. Rowan and Manghus pulled up beside them. “What be the matter, lass?” Duncan asked, very concerned for her. He began to wonder if they’d left Aric’s too soon and were pushing her too hard.
    Aishlinn squirmed as she tried to right herself, praying that the Lord would allow her to hold herself a bit longer, at least until she could get behind a tree. “Duncan, I really must get down straight away.” The urgency in her voice told them what they needed to know. Duncan handed her to Rowan who sat her upon the ground. She cursed under her breath when her legs nearly gave out. Duncan dismounted and waited to see if she could walk on her own. When she continued to teeter, holding on to Rowan with one hand and the horse with the other, Duncan sighed. He scooped her up and headed toward a tree with Rowan following behind them.
    “I can walk, Duncan,” she said with an irritated sigh. She was frustrated that her body wasn’t healing as quickly as she would have liked.
    “Aye, I’m sure ye can, lass,” he told her before setting her down. Holding on to the tree for dear life, she prayed that they would both go away. She would pee down her own leg before she’d allow either of them to help her with such a delicate matter. A great breath of relief escaped her when they stepped away to give her some privacy.
    After several long minutes, and only because she had to struggle with the blasted trews, she finally hobbled from behind the tree. She appeared delightfully relieved and was smiling. Duncan stifled a chuckle as he looked down at her. The lass’ head barely reached the middle of his chest, her hair was mussed and the clothes hung so loosely upon her, that she had the appearance of a child playing dress up.
    Whilst she had been otherwise detained, Duncan and Rowan had spread a plaid on the ground and opened the bundle Rebecca had given them. Her smile disappeared in the blink of an eye when she