Page 26 of A Knight To Call My Own
She left him standing alone in the passageway. He stood there in silence for several moments, staring at the stone walls and pondering her words. He shook his head to get his thoughts in order and began making his way down the tower stairs. He would see what food Cook could quickly provide for him and then see to his horse. He did not relish the thought of Rolf finding Lynet afore him. He had no doubt the man would do all in his power to convince Lynet to forsake her vows she had made to him. He quickened his pace whilst his brow furrowed in anger. ’Twas time to find his wife.
Chapter Thirteen
Lynet’s feet flew across the groundas she ran. She cared not that she felt every stone beneath her feet. The shoes she wore offered no sense of protection from protruding objects under their soft soles. Practically out of breath, she continued her frantic need to escape those who had stolen her from her home. She knew she was losing her battle to outwit those imbeciles who allowed her to take flight in the first place. With the sound of thundering hooves right behind her, she knew her freedom would shortly be at an end.
Raucous laughter erupted behind her and she knew they had her in their sight, although she was certain they would no longer be merry once they returned to camp. She had at least one thing to be grateful for. She remained unsullied by the group holding her hostage, but she was not sure how much tolerance their leader still had for her. Given her latest attempt to escape, Lynet did not think she would be allowed alone again, no matter the amount of begging for privacy she asked for. At least she could tell herself she had tried and put up a fight to obtain her freedom.
The sight of the massive war horse beside her quickly blocked her vision. She continued to run abreast of the beast ’til a body leaned low over the saddle. A gasp escaped her lips when she was scooped up into arms she swore were as hard as the solid trunk of a towering oak tree. Thrown against his chest, she began to squirm with all her might, but ’twas of no use. She was captured and pinned to his muscular torso whilst his arm all but twisted around her waist, ensuring her captivity and the loss of whatever brief bit of liberty she had felt.
“You try my patience, lass.” With the slightest touch of his knee, his stallion came to a sudden stop whilst she stared into the furious eyes of her captor.
“I am surprised you came for me yourself. Why not allow your lackeys to do your work for you?” she spat out, staring into Calum’s furious features.
“They will be dealt with, as will you, my lady,” he hissed, turning his gaze to those he rode with. “Well? What are you waiting for? Return to camp!” Abruptly, he turned her around so she sat more securely atop his lap, and she let out a gasp of outrage at the intimacy of her situation with her captor. She dared not squirm, given her current position, for sitting side saddle had her at a disadvantage. At least with her facing on an angle, she did not have to look upon his wretched face if she so chose. Ignoring him would be easy.
They covered the ground quickly and surely much faster than when Lynet had fled on foot. When she saw their campsite, she became instantly aware she, in truth, had not gone as far as she had hoped. ’Twas not hard to miss that his men had been busy during her brief respite from her unwanted reality. Already they were breaking up camp and putting out the fire to continue their journey north.
Calum tightened his hold around her waist causing her to entirely feel every inch of his chest against her shoulder and side. She tried to calm her fears, but they were rising to the forefront of her mind, knowing she had angered her captor.
She felt his warm breath on her neck, but ’twas the underlying threat in the meaning of his words that caused her to shiver. “Stay in the saddle if you know what is good for you. You will regret your rash actions to disobey me if I must needs chase you again this day.”
Lynet watched as he slid to the ground in one fluid movement. He gave her only a brief glance to ensure she remained seated afore he left her sitting there with shaking limbs. Her breath left her in an unexpected burst of relief that she remained unmolested. Still, she grabbed a hold of the pommel to steady her frayed nerves, noticing exactly how much her hands were truly shaking from the ordeal she had been facing. Her eyes darted back and forth to see who watched her. Several men stood nearby, but their attention was focused on Calum, whose angry stride lengthened the distance between them.
The reins were within inches of her fingertips. Should she dare to make yet another effort to gain her freedom? Her eyes traveled to Calum’s retreating backside, but something inside her screamed out not to test his tolerance any further this day.
Almost as if he sensed where her stray thoughts had led her, Calum called out to one of his men. “Lachlan!”
“What?” the clansmen bellowed, causing conversations amongst the men to become muted.
Calum halted his progress to peer at the man. “Is that anyway to speak to your laird?”
“You were my brother afore you became head of the clan,” Lachlan sneered.
“But I am still your laird. Ensure the lady does not get any more ideas of escaping in her pretty little head.”
“I am not your lackey.”
Calum peered at him. “Aye…you are,” he gloated.
Lachlan spat into the dirt afore making his way to her horse. He removed the straps of leather from her reach, but continued to glare angrily as his brother’s retreating back. She supposed with the reins firmly held in the grip of a disgruntled man, such an act resolved any further temptation she may have had on her part to pursue another useless attempt to flee her captors…at least for now.
’Twas well she had listened to her inner voice of reason, instead of acting on her chance to leave her abductor far behind. She had a horrible feeling pass through her when she saw Calum reached for a dagger from the back of his belt. He came afore the man whose lapse in judgment had allowed Lynet to, however briefly, escape.
“My laird, I-”
The soldier’s words got no further, as Calum raised his arm and slit the man’s throat. A look of disbelief swept briefly across the man’s face afore his eyes went blank. Calum carelessly wiped his dirk on the man’s tunic, giving him a slight push. Lynet could no longer gaze on the bloody and ghastly scene afore her. Turning her head, she heard the warrior’s body fall to the ground with a loud thump. She swallowed hard in an effort not to lose what little she had in her stomach, knowing the cost for her brief chance at freedom had been a man’s life.
Calum returned to her nonchalantly, as though he had not just done something so repulsive, but moments afore. His countenance gave her the impression he would show her no mercy were she to attempt to flee, yet again. Lynet took a deep breath and returned his steady gaze with one of her own, hoping her face showed whatever bit of bravery she still held deep within her. Calum continued glaring at her in silence with those intimidating black eyes of his ’til Lynet could no longer stand to look at him. She turned her head away, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear.
“He could have still been of use to us,” Lachlan said, handing over the reins to Calum. “You did not have to kill him over some stupid woman.”
“Would you rather I had put you out of your misery, since you were the one to hire the man for our company?”
“Nay, of course not,” Lachlan replied grimly.
“’Twas a lack of judgement on your part to trust the fool who could not keep one slip of a girl from escaping.”
“And he has now paid the price of his life for his error. That does not mean he could not have still been of some use, or that I wish to take his place. You always were such a bastard.”
