Page 12 of Bride of the Merciless Laird
“Ye were expecting a further attack…” she realized.
He turned his horse into the road. It was wide enough for them to ride abreast. There was a deep drift of snow but a cart musthave been along earlier, cutting a path they could follow. The horses picked their way carefully through the rutted road.
“Lady Tyra, I have been a warrior fer half me life. I ken it is never wise tae assume the enemy will nae regroup and attack again.”
She gave a sharp little laugh. “Even when ye’ve dispatched all three of the assailants?”
He said nothing but she was not prepared to leave the matter there. If he believed there was a likelihood of another attack she wished to know of it.
“So, ye are expecting another onslaught.”
He turned and glanced at her, offering a cheeky smile.
“Mayhap it was nae me fear of attack, Lady Tyra, but simply me wish to sleep as close tae ye as was decent.”
A sudden rush of heat seared her cheeks.
Really! The Laird Mackenzie has a way of tripping up me thoughts in a manner that is almost unseemly.
Studying his profile Tyra attempted to discern a hidden meaning behind his words. But his jaw was set and his eyes scanned ahead, giving her no hint of whatever thoughts might be sauntering through his mind.
They’d not gone far when he reined in his horse. Tyra did likewise, coming to a halt beside him, her stomach lurching.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“Dinnae fash, Lady Tyra.”
She calmed at once at the sound of his deep voice.
“I merely wished tae show ye me home.” He gestured into the distance, where, by the shores of a loch she spied the towers of an imposing castle rising up from the mists of a tiny island, with a dramatic background of mountains and lochs.
She sat transfixed, drinking in the beauty of the snowclad hills, the sparkling waters and the castle that seemed to emerge from the very loch itself.
“’Tis Eilean Donan, the Island of Donan.”
“Why, ‘tis beautiful. A magical place.”
“It is that. I pray ye will enjoy yer stay wi’ us.”
She nodded. “I thank ye fer yer hospitality, Laird Mackenzie.” Once the words were out, a little flutter of anticipation curled itself into her belly. That charming place would be her home for at least the next few days.
CHAPTER SIX
They set off again, and before long had arrived at the shore where the castle, on its small island, towered overhead.
They dismounted and Ewan found a tether nearby for the horses while they took shelter inside a small hut situated close to the edge of the loch.
They took a seat at an old, makeshift table.
“We must wait until the tide is low enough fer us tae ride over. This was why I kent we should bring some refreshments wi’ us. It can be a long and cold wait at times.”
While they waited, nibbling on the bannocks and shortbread and quaffing the ale, the sky, which had been a glorious blue only an hour earlier, began to darken with fat, heavy clouds hanging low overhead.
“More snow is on the way.” Tyra observed. Now that she was sitting still, her limbs were icing over and she was shivering, her teeth chattering with the cold. The small brazier Ewan had lit provided little respite from the brisk wind that had sprung into life across the nearby loch and was howling between the cracks in the rough-hewn timber hut where they had taken shelter.
“Och, lass, ye’re shivering fit tae fall intae little pieces.”
She nodded, attempting to smile, folding her arms across her chest for warmth.
