Page 3 of A Sinful Night with a Scot
With a face like thunder, Keane glared at Elspeth. Terror flashed across her face, clearly scared to death at what he was going to do in retaliation.
“Tie her up,” he groaned.
Alisdair bound her wrists, and a minute later, when Keane had recovered from her mighty kick, he lifted her onto his horse, mounting the beast behind her and pulling her back into him.
Keane fed the rope around her waist, before wrapping it around his own. Her thoughts had been crashing into his mind from theminute he had grabbed her, but now, on the cusp of escape, and her a little more subdued, he could hear her them clearly.
“What is going tae happen tae me? Where is he taking me? Oh, God. What is he going tae dae tae me?”
Those same thoughts, among a few others, swam around her head. Clearly, she was terrified and yet she had not once voiced her fear. In fact, she had surprised him, for she certainly was not the subdued and submissive bride he had imagined.
Ye didnae ken she had a strength about her.
As much as he nearly hated himself for it, he couldn’t help but admire her character. Most women would have crumpled into sobs of despair by now, but not Elspeth Munro.
That thought lingered with him as he and Alisdair thundered across the glens on the other side of the wooded area, the distance between them and the chapel growing every minute.
During his planning, he had been hellbent on killing her, for her death would certainly cause Laird Gunn to suffer. She was a tool in his revenge, a way to destroy the laird. For his father’s sake. But now, as he had her tied to him and they rode with great speed in their escape, doubt slipped into his mind.
Can ye really kill a woman? She’s innocent. How will ye be any better than Gunn if ye tak’ her life?
Keane had long stopped listening to his conscience. Since his father’s murder, he had changed. Just like Alisdair kept reminding him, he had grown dark in his views, and any rational thought had been pushed aside, seen only as a nagging voice, trying to steer him off his path.
On this occasion, however, his inner voice hit a nerve, and he now felt conflicted.
Should I kill her and complete me revenge once and fer all? Or is there another way tae make Gunn suffer? Maybe even more.
They travelled for another hour, his thoughts torturing him. On the one hand, he felt weak for keeping her alive. He had been determined in his path all this time. Why now, was he suddenly doubting himself? But on the other, his conscience continued to nag at him, telling him he wasn’t a murderer of innocent people, and that there had to be another way.
As dusk neared and they approached a small village, Keane was still no wiser as to what he should do with her. He could only be certain of one thing, the most important. Whatever decision he came to, Elspeth Munro now belonged to him.
CHAPTER TWO
The rope dug into her slender frame as the horse thundered across the glen. But as painful as it was, Elspeth Munro – or Elsie as those close to her called her – had bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that she had been snatched by a madman only moments before her wedding vows.
Refusing to show even a hint of fear, every muscle in her body tensed as she did her best to cling to her pride. While she had fought with all her might earlier, her words had fallen on deaf ears, and thus she remained stoically silent while desperately trying not to let her imagination run away thinking about what was going to happen to her.
Of course, she knew who her captor was. In fact, that was the very reason she struggled to contain her fear. Laird Keane Mackay was notorious for his cruelty and remorseless vengeance. It had been one of the reasons she had not been able to leave Laird Gunn’s castle without a heavy guard present with her at all times.
On those occasions, Elsie had thought her betrothed was a little obsessed, until one afternoon, when she had balked against leaving with four or five of his men, Laird Gunn had taken her to the side and opened her mind to what Laird Keane Mackay was actually capable of.
“The man is evil and full o’ hate. Tae get tae me, he has already slaughtered more than fifty men. Dae ye think he willnae dae the same tae ye?”
His words had more than shaken her, and since that time, Elsie had not said another word in opposition to her constant guardians. But she now realized that Laird Mackay was far too clever, and instead of trying to snatch her while she was surrounded by strong men, he had taken a far easier option, for she could hardly have those same men accompany her to the altar.
Not that she had ever wanted this marriage to William Gunn. It had been her father who had chosen the alliance. A decision made in her absence and without her consent to strengthen both clans, she a pawn in their game of politics. Still, the thought of being wrenched from that unwanted future and thrust into an even darker fate filled her with both despair and anger.
As they approached a small village ahead, Laird Mackay’s grip on her tightened, as if, now that the horses had slowed from their thunderous gallop, he feared she might make an attempt to throw herself off it. Surely, he knew the rope would prevent that from happening.
Or maybe, he’s making certain, now that he has ye, that there’s nay chance of ye escaping.
As that thought passed through her mind, Elsie was hit with inspiration.
I dinnae have tae jump. I just need tae get someone’s attention.
Immediately, she began scanning for villagers, her eyes trying to catch the attention of those they passed in hope that, by her expression alone, they might realize that she was with this madman against her will.
First, an old couple standing by the doorway of their cottage looked up at the strangers. Pleading wordlessly, Elsie opened her eyes wide, and subtly nodded her head.Please, help me.While the old man squinted, clearly as blind as a bat, the old woman lifted her hand to wave, a crooked smile forming on her lined face. Clearly, neither of them had any clue what she was trying to convey.
