Page 8 of Scot of Deception
Kathleen nodded and swiftly pushed herself up to her feet, rubbing the stupor from her eyes. It was still bright and the sun didn’t seem to have moved too far, so she could only assume she had only closed her eyes for a short time. Even so, Blaine seemed to be in a terrible hurry, rushing as he got the horses ready for them once more to get back on the road.
Silence was their third companion as they headed down the path once again. Blaine may have been lost in his thoughts, paying Kathleen no mind, but she had no such luck. She keptwondering about him, about his behavior. Who was he, truly? What was his role in the clan, which required so much secrecy?
As they traveled, the sky above them darkened the farther they got. Clouds gathered over the treetops, dark and heavy with rain, and when they finally came across a small inn, Blaine was quick to steer them in that direction.
“Let us spend the night there,” he said. “It’ll soon be dark.”
The sun had not yet set in the horizon, but it was low in the sky. The promise of a warm room and a hot plate of food was more than enough to entice Kathleen to stop for the night, even if they could keep riding for a while. Besides, she didn’t know if they would find another such place in time, and the last thing she wanted was to be traveling in the dark, even more so if the moon and the stars would be hidden behind the clouds, or it would start raining.
The inn was a squat building, just big enough to house a few guests. Light poured out of the small windows, orange and warm and inviting, but when Kathleen opened the door, she came to a sudden halt.
Every pair of eyes in the room turned to stare at her—all of them men of varying ages, all of them stunned to see a woman alone there at that time of the day.
Behind her, the sun was setting. Inside, the room was dimly lit, the air heavy with the stench of spilled ale and wine.
When Blaine appeared behind her a few moments later, the men who had been staring so openly at her went back to their bowls of stew and their mugs of ale, suddenly entirely unbothered by her presence.
It’s so easy fer him tae command respect. All he needs tae dae is walk intae a room an’ look around.
It was not as easy for Kathleen. She was a young woman that men saw as an object; a pretty thing for them to stare at.
With a steadying breath, she stomped over to the innkeeper behind the counter, placing her hand on top of the dark wood—and immediately regretting it. She quickly removed her hand from the sticky surface, clearing her throat as she stared him in the eye, mustering all the commanding energy she could.
I willnae let Blaine dae everythin’ fer me.
“We would like two rooms, please,” she said with the kind of authority that was neither expected nor desired from her.
The innkeeper gave her a bored look, placing a single key on the counter. “There is only one room available taenight.”
Kathleen barely stopped herself from cursing out the man, the inn, and the entire day. After everything she had been through, she craved the comfort and privacy of her own room and she desperately dreamed of her chambers back home. But home was far away and none of her misfortunes had led her to change her mind about attending Fenella’s wedding. This was just another obstacle she would have to overcome.
Before she could come up with a solution—suggest that they look for another inn, perhaps, or at least ask Blaine what he thought they should do—he slammed a few coins on the counter and grabbed the key without a word.
“What are ye daein’?” Kathleen asked, head whipping around to look at him, stunned.
“Payin’ fer the room,” said Blaine, as if it wasn’t perfectly obvious.
“I’m a lady!” Kathleen reminded him. This was not the best conversation to have in front of all the patrons, but if Blaine thought she would share a bed with him, then he was sorely mistaken. “I cannae share a room with ye! It’s… it’s inappropriate is what it is.”
Blaine gave Kathleen an unimpressed look, before grabbing her arm to drag her aside, away from prying eyes and ears. Kathleen fought him all the way, trying to plant her feet on the floor, but Blaine was much stronger—and much more stubborn.
“If I wished tae have me way with ye, I could have done it already,” he said, as though that was meant to give Kathleen any peace of mind. If anything, it only frightened her more, the open acknowledgement of the power he could exert over her. But when she tried to point that out, Blaine continued before she could speak. “Ye’re safe with me. In fact, ye’re much safer with me than without me. Have ye seen how those men are looking at ye?”
Aye… as though I’m naethin’ more than a piece o’ meat.
Kathleen stared bitterly at the men, though none of them dared to look back at her—not with Blaine watching. Then, she dragged her gaze back to him, making sure that her displeasure was clear in the sour twist of her lips.
“I still cannae share a room with a strange man,” she insisted. “I dinnae even ken anythin’ about ye!”
“But ye ken I have nay desire tae harm ye,” he told her. When she said nothing, only gritting her teeth in response, Blaine rolled his eyes with a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. I’ll sleep in the stables. Will that make ye feel safer?”
Kathleen wasn’t certain whether it made her feel safer or not, but she did know one thing; after everything Blaine had done for her, making him sleep in the stables was far too cruel. He deserved the warmth and comfort of a proper room. Besides, a man of his station surely wasn’t used to sleeping in the stables with the horses. Even in his roughest travels, he would at least have some comforts.
“Nay,” she said. “Ye cannae sleep out there in the cold.”
“I’ve done it afore.”
Kathleen’s mind scrambled to find a good enough reason that had nothing to do with her own desire to repay him for his help. “Because… because if ye sleep out there, ye might catch yer death an’ then what will I dae?”
