Page 2 of Sins of a Scot
He had already decided that no coin would leave his purse, and playing his part once more, he pretended to look more than interested.
“Bring her here,” he said, “Let me get a good look at her.”
Seamus grabbed her by the arm and pulled her farther away from the others. Owen remained exactly where he was on purpose. The greater distance there was between him and the others, the better chance they had of escape.
The poor lass was terrified, her eyes darting from Owen to Seamus and back again. Owen lifted her bound arms, spinning her around as though he were examining an animal. He nodded, as though he were satisfied, and then, he took hold of her wrist. Turning toward his horse, Owen said, “She is exactly what I’m looking for. Wait there, and I will get the coin I promised ye.”
The lass weighed nothing at all when Owen lifted her onto his horse, putting her to the front of the saddle in readiness. He then pretended to search his saddle bags for the coin he had promised the men.
“Get ready,” Owen said in a low voice, flicking his eyes up to the lass.
She stared down at him, still shaking, and clearly having no comprehension of what his words might mean. From the corner of his eye, he could see Seamus begin to shift from one foot to the other. He was growing suspicious, which is exactly what Owenwanted. He needed the man to take a few more steps nearer to him so he was further away from his own horse.
Exactly as he imagined he might, Seamus did just that. “Hey, what are ye doing?” he called out. “Where’s the coin?”
Owen waited for another couple of seconds, and with Seamus now only five feet away, he suddenly leapt onto his steed, grabbed the reins, and flicked them harshly.
The steed reared, throwing the girl back into his chest, and then the beast galloped at great speed in a direction Owen had already planned out. Behind him, he could hear the bellows of the men, Seamus likely frantically running back to mount his horse.
The men gave chase, but Owen’s steed was fast and powerful, and after a half hour had passed, he could see no sign of them. Still, Owen did not stop, for he did not want to give them a chance to catch up to them, and continuing on, they traveled for a full day.
The girl remained silent for most of the time, even when Owen told her he would not harm her. He supposed, given what had happened to her, that she was hardly going to trust him just because he had run off with her.
Having journeyed for at least fifty miles, Owen found a tavern in a small village and booked a room. He sent a maid out to get the lass some proper clothes, and after an evening meal, they returned to the room.
The girl was terrified, but after telling her she could take the bed, Owen settled himself on the floor, and didn’t move the entire night.
The next morning, he woke feeling stiff and sore. It had been a long time since he had been forced to sleep on a hard wooden floor, but it had been necessary. When he stretched and woke, he found the girl sat up in the bed, watching him.
“Good morning,” Owen said, hardly expecting her to reply after yesterday’s silence.
“Morning,” she whispered.
Owen was a little startled, but smiled. “Me name is Owen Sinclair, son o’ Laird Sinclair, chief o’ Clan Sinclair.”
She looked a little nervous, but eventually she said, “Me name is Catherine.”
“Where are ye from, Catherine?”
“I live with me parents and braither on a farm,” she replied.
It was too much to hope for that she would know her location. She was, after all, just a child.
“Well, ye are safe now,” Owen said. “I’m going tae take care o’ ye, and then get ye back tae yer family, all right?”
She nodded, and as hard as it was for her, she even gave him a small smile.
A few days passed, and when Owen was certain that Seamus, John, and George had not followed their tracks, Owen found the village healer. She was a kind woman, a few years older than Owen. When he told her the story, Jenny was appalled, and tenderly took care of the superficial wounds Catherine had sustained.
When Owen was about to leave again with the girl, Jenny stopped him.
“Why dinnae ye leave the lass with me? She might feel safer with a woman. Besides, I’m sure ye have business o’ yer own tae be attending tae.”
It was a decent proposal under the circumstances, but Owen did not know this woman, and thus, was unsure if he could trust her.
Owen took Jenny to the side and fixed her with a harsh gaze. “I dinnae mean tae be rude, Jenny, fer I dinnae ken yer at all, but I need tae ken yer intentions.”
Jenny looked a little shocked at his harsh tone, and with wide eyes, she cried, “I only want the lass tae be returned tae her family. I can certainly dae that fer ye.”
