Page 42 of A Knight To Call My Own
“Aye, it can,” she whispered. “Nothing is how I thought ’twould be from my youth.”
“Weel, sometimes bairns tend tae not think o’ anything other than dreamin’ and wishin’ on what could be. Usually, the reality o’ the situation is a far cry from what their life will become.”
“I serve no purpose here, Angus. I am not even mistress in my own keep,” she fumed afore she remembered herself and shyly looked up at the man beside her. “I am sorry. I barely know you and should not be confessing my thoughts so openly.”
“I am honored ye think yerself comfortable enough around me that ye would do so. Should ye not be admitting such tae our laird? He seems a most reasonable man tae make things aright between ye and the lady Fiona.”
“We have fallen into disaccord.”
Angus gave a heavy sigh. “He said much the same thing, not that he told me any details.”
Lynet inwardly gave a sigh of relief that Ian had not confessed to another she withheld herself from her husband. ’Twas embarrassing enough for her to be living with the knowledge of her foolishness. ’Twould be a hundred times more so if others knew, as well.
They stood there in silence for several moments, lost in their own thoughts. ’Twas a beautiful place she had hoped to call home, but now her uncertainty welled up inside her ’til she knew not which direction she should turn. She rubbed at her temples, hoping some answer would come to her. There was nothing, but all thequestions of what she could have done differently. With a polite clearing of Angus’s throat, Lynet turned towards him and saw ’twas clear he had been attempting to gain her attention.
“Was there something you wished to speak to me about, Angus?” Taking her eyes from the loch, she gave the highlander her full attention.
“I was pondering that, mayhap, ye should see just how far ye can push our laird into giving up some o’ his pride and making things aright with ye.”
A very unladylike snort escaped her lips in surprise. “I hardly think pushing him to whatever limits of patience he has left with me will do our relationship any good.”
“Bah! Such an effort canna hurt,” Angus scoffed. “Besides, I believe yer own willful determination tae remain immune tae Ian’s charms is precisely what drew the man tae ye in the first place.”
“Hmmm. I still do not know if ’tis a good idea, Angus.”
“Let us start with going for a ride. I shall plead that ye ordered me tae take ye or ye’d go off on yer own.”
“He shall be furious,” Lynet stated, but beamed in delight with the thought of escaping the stifling confines of the castle for however long such a reprieve should last. She would not mind being away from Ian’s mother, as well.
“Aye, that he will. Although, we shall take several men with us fer extra protection.”
Lynet clasped her hands behind her back, trying to hold back her excitement of going for a ride. “I believe your idea does have some merit. Let us away, and you can show me the lay of the land.”
And that is how Lynet escaped the ever watchful eyes of the Lady Fiona and Ian’s uncle for the afternoon. As she raced across the countryside under close guard, she enjoyed the small amount of freedom she had been granted. She knew her return would be turbulent, and for the first time in the past several se’nnights, she was looking forward to the storm.
~***~
Calum watched the procession of horses as they made their way back behind the security of the walls of the castle. The man was a fool to let Lynet go beyond the one place she would be safe from his clutches. He would have never been that careless. He squinted afore raising his hand to shield his eyes from the brightness of the sun peeking through the ever persistent clouds.
He began making his way back down from the mountaintop to rejoin his men. His scouts had done a fair enough job tracking his lady, despite Ian’s attempts to hide their trail. Yet, Calum knew where they were headed, for ’twas no secret where MacGillivray would make his home.
He called out his orders to make camp for the night, even whilst he began to formulate how Lynet’s fortune would soon be his. He had lost the fair damsel once due to his own stupidity. When he at last got her in his grasp, he would not make the same mistake, ever again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ian stormed his way past his kinsmen, who apparently had nothing better to do then stand around staring aimlessly at the party who had just ridden into the outer bailey. His angry stride proved he had only one purpose in mind, and that was to reach the woman who sat prettily upon a chestnut mare with bubbly laughter upon her lips. If he was not so furious with her, he might have noticed how beautiful she appeared. With blue eyes sparkling with uncontained joy, ’twas apparent she had enjoyed her outing, along with the company of others.
As he drew closer, she must have felt his nearness, for the smile that only seconds ago graced her face, now fell into a grim line of displeasure. Her delicate brows drew together in a fierce scowl that rivaled her brother-in-law’s. Ian all but dismissed her foul temperament as insignificant, considering Lynet’s actions this day were the cause of his own unpleasant and foul mood. He felt as if his wrath was about to explode. Seeing as she was the one to have erred, he had no notion as to what she had to be so upset about.
Calling out to the lad about to take the reins of her horse, Ian stepped forward and all but wrenched them from her grasp. Tossing the leather aside, he raised his arms towards his errant wife. “Get down,” he ordered through clenched teeth. Lynet glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Angus, but the highlander merely plastered a smile upon his face that could only be termed as one of satisfaction. Ian was not sure what was going on between the two, but he did not care for it, at all.
His wife nonchalantly rested her arm upon the pommel of her saddle. “I do not need your help, Ian. I am perfectly capable of getting off my horse, with or without your unwelcome assistance.” Her words dripped dangerously close to all but insulting him.
Stunned she would shun him in front of others, he tried again, but to no avail. “You are my wife,” he stated firmly. She did not take his meaning, only furthering his annoyance with the lass.
“Really?” she snapped with raised brows. “I was not sure you remembered, since I have all been but forgotten since our arrival.” Slapping away his outstretched hands, she dismissed his attempt to be chivalrous whilst she slid to the ground in one fluid and graceful movement. Adjusting her skirts, she dared to look up at him as though she had done nothing wrong.
He leaned forward, causing Lynet to move ’til her backside rested against her horse. “Do not test me further this day, lass.” His whispered words were meant for her ears alone, but Ian swore he heard an amused chuckle coming from Angus whilst he led his horse in the direction of the stable. “Who gave you permission to leave the castle?”
