Page 84 of Highlanders for the Holidays
Please, God, don’t let him kill my Highlander.
Guilt drenched her. She had caused this fight, though unknowingly. Her courage wavered, and she squeezed her eyes shut. But she could not escape the sounds of the fight. The shouts and grunts were loud in her ears, and the relentlessclang, clang, clangof the swords reverberated up her spine. Unable to bear not knowing how her defender fared, she opened her eyes—and from that moment, she could not take them off Roderick.
She should have known her Highlander would fight like this. He was male beauty in motion. Lean and muscular, he moved with a stunning grace that made his opponent appear lumbering and ungainly. And while Harold fought with a crazed fury, her Highlander fought with a cold, deadly calm. She watched the muscles of his shoulders and back bunch and release with each smooth, sure stroke.
The shouts of the other Douglases waned as it became clear that the fight was going against their man. Harold was breathing like a dog that had been run too hard, while Roderick looked as if he could swing his sword all day long.
Roderick shot a glance in her direction, as if to reassure himself of her safety. Lily gasped as one of the Douglases took advantage of his momentary lapse to thrust a sword low in his path. Making it look effortless, Roderick leaped over the blade, and while his feet were off the ground, he hit the offender with the flat of his sword. Lily turned her head to watch the man fly backward.
By the time she whipped her gaze back to the fight, Harold was flat on his back and looking up the length of Roderick’s sword.How did he do that?Keeping the point of his sword at Harold’s throat, Roderick stared down the Douglas men who were circled about him until each one took a step back.
Lily had known instinctively from the first moment she looked into his eyes that he would not harm her. But now, as he stood fearless and threatening, though greatly outnumbered, she believed this fierce Highlander could protect her from any danger she was likely to face in this harsh, unfamiliar land.
What she did not yet understand waswhyhe was willing to protect her.
* * *
Now that hehad defeated their strongest warrior, Roderick doubted any of the other Douglases would challenge him. Still, there were six of them, and they were riled up. It would cause him a lot less trouble in the end if he did not have to kill them.
“Have ye forgotten I carry a message from your chieftain?” Roderick asked the men who were surrounding him. “He’ll no’ be pleased if it’s not safely delivered.”
From the corner of his eye, he caught another glimpse of Lily in the bushes and was relieved she was out of the way, in case his attempt to calm the Douglas men failed. Settling disputes with words was not one of his strengths.
“We could deliver the message ourselves,” one of the men said, but he took a step back when Roderick smiled at him.
“The Lord of the Isles is my cousin, and ye know how we Highlanders feel about blood ties.” It was true they were cousins, though three or four times removed. “But if ye wish to be buried in the Highlands, there’s no lovelier place on God’s green earth.”
“He wouldn’t touch us,” another man said, sticking his jaw out. “We’ve all heard that your Highland custom of hospitality toward guests is unbreakable.”
“Ach, my cousin would never murder ye inside his home. That would be wrong,” Roderick said, shaking his head. “However, any manner of accident might befall ye on your long journey home.”
Tension rippled through the men until Harold, who was still on his back, emitted a loud guffaw.
“So much for the famed Highland courtesy,” Harold choked out between laughs. “Now get the hell off me!”
Roderick took his foot off Harold’s chest and helped him up. Soon, they were all joking and passing a jug of whisky.
“That was a good fight, aye?” Harold said, slapping him on the back. “But next time, ye won’t be so lucky.”
Next time, I’ll cut your throat.Roderick clinked his cup against Harold’s and tossed back another dram of whisky.
Though he was not fond of drinking before his morning porridge was settled, he hoped it would help with his plan to rid himself of the Douglases.
“As ye can see, your chieftain’s message is safe with me,” he said. “I know ye take your duty to heart, but why waste your time escorting me when ye could be enjoying yourself?”
“I’ve no doubt ye can protect the message on your own,” Harold said after wiping his mouth on his filthy sleeve. “But we’ve nothing better to do, and we can’t return too soon.”
“Fine with me.” Roderick shrugged and paused before speaking again. “But we’ll be out of whisky soon, and there’s a lively tavern in the village of Cumnag, a mile south of here.”
Roderick took his turn taking a pull on the jug while he waited for Harold to take the bait.
“Does this tavern have a woman a man can buy with a coin?” Harold asked, his grin displaying several rotted teeth.
“Aye, a pretty plump one,” Roderick said with a wink.
* * *
How much couldthese Scots drink? Lily was stiff with cold from crouching in the bushes as she watched them through the branches. One moment they were set on murdering each other, and the next they were drinking like old friends. And it was barely past dawn.
