agreed with her eventually. Why did she have to bolt out of the castle on her own? The lass needed a laird who could keep her harnessed.
Still fuming, Malcolm’s stomach tied in knots, but he was unsure of how to break the silence. He wanted to thrash her for rashly leaving. The laird who wed her would be in for a battle. Not one, but many. And he could see who’d come out on top.
The woman was bewitching, her cheeks still crimson, but the fire in her eyes had simmered to a manageable glow. What had happened to her earlier in life to make her run off whenever she didn’t get her way, or felt threatened? He’d never known a woman who would leave the safety of a castle on a whim. Why had no one ever counseled the lass better while she was growing up?
Anice said over the horses’ clip-clops, “You did not have to give up the hunt for us. I am sure you would have caught up with us along the way.”
He gritted his teeth. She knew damned well he couldn’t let her and her lady-in-waiting travel alone.
“I thank you for saying what you did on my behalf when Wulfric was interested in seeking my hand. And I thank you for interrupting the gentleman so many times. I do not think I have ever seen a man’s face so red. Mayhap I am wrong, but I do not think he likes you.”
Malcolm couldn’t help but smile. Wulfric would do battle with him if they ever met sometime on a deserted road, he was certain.
“I am sorry you missed the hunt, Malcolm.”
He stared at her, not believing she had called him by his name in such a manner. Was it a slip of the tongue?
She faced front again. “I know how important the hunt is to most men, but we cannot afford losing a day when we know not what has happened at Brecken.”
He took a deep breath. “Aye, milady. I do not know what came over me.”
She turned to smile at him, and the sight of her sweet face melted any hard feelings he had. “You are a good man, milaird. If it were not that we have many days travel ahead of us, and the worry as to what we shall find when we arrive, I would have agreed to stay. Mai could have rested up, I could have had a bath, and—”
“Wulfric would have tried to befriend you further.”
“Aye, another verra good reason not to stay, do not you agree?”
He chuckled. “Aye, milady. A verra good reason indeed.” The lady was a treasure.
Before the light faded from the sky, they reached Theinge Village. Anice pointed to the chapel at the end of the road. “’Twas an ancient temple of Tew, the Anglo-Saxon word meaning God of War. But William destroyed it when he conquered the land, then he rebuilt it. They built it here because it sits so close to the River Mimram.” She turned to Malcolm. “Mayhap we can find lodging here in a byre or such.” She rubbed her arms. “Though the day warmed up considerably, the chill is again slipping into my bones.”
Dougald motioned from a distance.
“It appears my brother has found a place for us to sleep for the night. I imagine it will not be what you are used to, milady, but will have to do.”
“I have slept in a cave before, milaird. And on the bare grass with the wind at my cheek and the stars overhead.”
Malcolm stared at her. She smiled. She was not so delicate that she could not sleep somewhere other than a straw-filled mattress in a castle keep.
“You will have to tell me more about this, milady. You have me intrigued.”
Again, she was surprised he’d be interested. No laird would express interest in such an unimportant thing.
Dougald pointed to a wattle and daub croft. Attached to this was a byre where the occupants of the home could attend to their livestock during the winter.
Anice thought having made the trip to Arundel not so very long ago, she would be more used to it. But riding all day long made her ache all over. The next few days would test her resolve to get home all in one piece.
“There
Still fuming, Malcolm’s stomach tied in knots, but he was unsure of how to break the silence. He wanted to thrash her for rashly leaving. The laird who wed her would be in for a battle. Not one, but many. And he could see who’d come out on top.
The woman was bewitching, her cheeks still crimson, but the fire in her eyes had simmered to a manageable glow. What had happened to her earlier in life to make her run off whenever she didn’t get her way, or felt threatened? He’d never known a woman who would leave the safety of a castle on a whim. Why had no one ever counseled the lass better while she was growing up?
Anice said over the horses’ clip-clops, “You did not have to give up the hunt for us. I am sure you would have caught up with us along the way.”
He gritted his teeth. She knew damned well he couldn’t let her and her lady-in-waiting travel alone.
“I thank you for saying what you did on my behalf when Wulfric was interested in seeking my hand. And I thank you for interrupting the gentleman so many times. I do not think I have ever seen a man’s face so red. Mayhap I am wrong, but I do not think he likes you.”
Malcolm couldn’t help but smile. Wulfric would do battle with him if they ever met sometime on a deserted road, he was certain.
“I am sorry you missed the hunt, Malcolm.”
He stared at her, not believing she had called him by his name in such a manner. Was it a slip of the tongue?
She faced front again. “I know how important the hunt is to most men, but we cannot afford losing a day when we know not what has happened at Brecken.”
He took a deep breath. “Aye, milady. I do not know what came over me.”
She turned to smile at him, and the sight of her sweet face melted any hard feelings he had. “You are a good man, milaird. If it were not that we have many days travel ahead of us, and the worry as to what we shall find when we arrive, I would have agreed to stay. Mai could have rested up, I could have had a bath, and—”
“Wulfric would have tried to befriend you further.”
“Aye, another verra good reason not to stay, do not you agree?”
He chuckled. “Aye, milady. A verra good reason indeed.” The lady was a treasure.
Before the light faded from the sky, they reached Theinge Village. Anice pointed to the chapel at the end of the road. “’Twas an ancient temple of Tew, the Anglo-Saxon word meaning God of War. But William destroyed it when he conquered the land, then he rebuilt it. They built it here because it sits so close to the River Mimram.” She turned to Malcolm. “Mayhap we can find lodging here in a byre or such.” She rubbed her arms. “Though the day warmed up considerably, the chill is again slipping into my bones.”
Dougald motioned from a distance.
“It appears my brother has found a place for us to sleep for the night. I imagine it will not be what you are used to, milady, but will have to do.”
“I have slept in a cave before, milaird. And on the bare grass with the wind at my cheek and the stars overhead.”
Malcolm stared at her. She smiled. She was not so delicate that she could not sleep somewhere other than a straw-filled mattress in a castle keep.
“You will have to tell me more about this, milady. You have me intrigued.”
Again, she was surprised he’d be interested. No laird would express interest in such an unimportant thing.
Dougald pointed to a wattle and daub croft. Attached to this was a byre where the occupants of the home could attend to their livestock during the winter.
Anice thought having made the trip to Arundel not so very long ago, she would be more used to it. But riding all day long made her ache all over. The next few days would test her resolve to get home all in one piece.
“There
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