Page 24 of Bound to a Highland Beast
An’ if he did? What would I dae?
She didn’t want to ponder it for too long, fearful of the reply. She wished her self-control would be sufficient to keep her pure, but deep down, she knew well that if Tiernan kissed her, she would not pull away.
“It’s a… very small bed,” Isabeau managed to say, just to have something with which to break the silence. Tiernan let out a chuckle, but the sound was sharp and dry, cut off a little too soon..
She didn’t know what else to say or what to do. And then, suddenly, as though he was urged by an unseen force, he quickly sprang up off the bed and headed to the door, grabbing his things along the way. Looking over his shoulder at her, his hands firmly over his lap where he was holding all his clothes, he said, “I’ll let ye dress.”
With that, he was gone and Isabeau was left staring at the space he had just occupied, wondering what had gotten into him.
There’s nae tellin’ with him.
Isabeau tried to push it all out of her mind. It would do her no good, thinking about this over and over until she drove herself insane with all the doubt and the questions she wanted to ask Tiernan but would never dare.
Instead, she began to think about what was ahead of them: finding Constantine, figuring out a way for Tiernan to complete the job—Isabeau didn’t like to use the termkilling—and then going home safe and sound.
It was that last part which frightened her the most, and the possibility that despite their best efforts, they would both end up dead.
After she was dressed, she made her way out of the room and down to the bottom floor of the inn, where Tiernan had already claimed a table for them. He seemed calmer now, some of his previous embarrassment fading, much to Isabeau’s relief.
Breakfast was already laid out for them—porridge and dried fruit, along with some bread and cheese. A modest offering, but one Isabeau gratefully tucked into, starving from the exertion of the past few days.
As she ate, Tiernan nervously tore the bread apart into tiny pieces in his plate.
“I asked around some more,” he said, leaning close over the table to keep his voice quiet. “Dae ye see that man there?”
As he spoke, he nodded towards a man who sat in the far corner of the room, by the window. He seemed to be staring outside, at the passing crowd, but Isabeau had the feeling he was, in fact, keeping a close eye on the interior of the inn. Whether they or someone else were the object of his attention, she could not tell.
“What about him?” she asked, mid-chew.
“I ken him,” said Tiernan. “Well, I used tae. We had… an understandin’ back in the day so I spoke tae him an’ he said Constantine is in a hut deep in the woods. The same woods where everyone else claims tae have seen him.”
Isabeau brightened up a little at the news. “Then that means the information must be correct!” she said. “He has tae be there if everyone claims he is!”
In her excitement, her voice had risen enough for her to be heard by those around them, and Tiernan was quick to shush her. Her mouth snapping shut, Isabeau looked around to see if anyone had heard her, but no one seemed to be paying either her or Tiernan much mind.
Tiernan leaned even closer, the gap between them lessening. “Aye, it must be,” he said. “An’ I also heard he is workin’ fer a laird.”
Isabeau’s breath caught in her throat. “A laird?”
Who could it be? Why would a laird be workin’ with a brigand and mercenary?
“That’s what he said,” Tiernan confirmed. “But he says he doesnae ken his name. People only ken him as the Eagle.”
Isabeau nodded, her brow furrowing as she was deep in thought. “An’ how shall we approach him? Surely, he willnae simply allow us near him.”
“We’ll pretend we were sent there by thisEagle,” Tiernan said without missing a beat. Perhaps he had been hatching a plan all this time, thinking about all the ways they could approach Constantine without getting caught. Isabeau had little faith in her ability to keep up a cover. As good of an actor as she was when it came to other nobles, she was concerned her fear would keep her from giving a convincing performance.
I should let Tiernan dae all the talkin’.
“I hope ye’re nae plannin’ on infiltratin’ his group,” Isabeau said with a gasp, the thought occurring to her suddenly. Not only was it a dangerous plan, but it would also leave her all alone. She didn’t know how to live outside of a castle, and her social position was obvious in ways she couldn’t change—her mannerisms, which she could only conceal up to a certain degree; the softness of her hands, which had never seen manual labor; her rather obviously delicate disposition.
She wouldn’t survive a day out there without Tiernan.
“Nay,” said Tiernan, much to her relief. “We’ll pretend we’re there tae give him supplies. Swords, maybe. It isnae easy tae get yer hands on swords if ye’re in hidin’.”
That was a considerably better and safer plan, Isabeau thought. At least like that, they could stay together. Constantine might question her presence in such a transaction, but they could simply claim they were husband and wife if it came to it.
“Alright,” said Isabeau, visibly relaxing a little as she sagged in her chair. “How will we get swords?”
