Page 29 of Highlander's Sinless Nymph
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Another low branch snatched at Charlotte’s unruly and curly hair, tearing her hood from her head and making her gasp in shock and pain. Twiggy fingers wrenched what felt like another handful of her hair out of her head.
“Are ye all right back there, lass?” Edward asked over his broad shoulder, as he steered his horse through the tight woodland path.
“Yes,” Charlotte replied, trying to sound a lot more carefree than she currently did. “If we keep on like this though, I shall arrive at wherever it is your people live without any hair at all.”
She felt Edward shake with suppressed laughter.
“Did another wee branch get ye?” he asked.
“Yes,another wee branchdid get me,” Charlotte replied, a touch huffily. “Are you aiming for them on purpose?”
“Do not worry, Sassenach,” Edward said to her, “we only have to stay on these sort o’ paths for today and tomorrow. After that, we’ll take to the hills and lose ourselves in the valleys.”
“Do we really have to try and make our way through this impenetrable forest?” Charlotte asked.
“Nay, we do not have to,” Edward grunted. “Nae if ye do not mind yer faither catchin’ up with us.”
The mere mention of her father sent a shiver right through Charlotte’s heart. The very thought of what his reaction would be when he realized that she was gone was not one that she liked to dwell on.
“Perhaps the forest path would be best,” she said, in a blithe manner that fooled neither of them.
“Nay,” Edward said, “I did nae think as much.”
The two of them had been riding like this all through the morning. Edward had taken them through the beech copse in which he had been hunting––or doing whatever it was that he had been doing––and up a shallow stream that ran in a rocky bed. He had actually walked his horse up it.
When she had asked him why he made his mare wade the stream, Edward had replied, with a simple straightforwardness that had made her feel very young, “Ye cannae leave tracks in water, Sassenach.”
Charlotte lay her head gently on the broad back of the Scotsman.
Just to protect myself from any more of those cursed branches.
In truth, though the only person she would ever admit it to was herself, she very much enjoyed the feeling of being pressed to the strong Highlander. She could not remember ever feeling so safe as when she had her arms wrapped around his wide waist, and was able to feel the hard muscle of his sides and chest against her inner arms.
That was, perhaps, not really saying much. Not when she considered what the years since her mother had died had been like for her. Fifteen was an awful age to be robbed of a parent, and it had left its scars.
To try and take her mind off of unpleasant and melancholy things, she asked, “Edward, how areyoumanaging to keep these horrid branches from tearing at you?”
She felt, more than heard, the deep bark of laughter reverberate through Edward’s chest. Then she felt him shift in the saddle. She loosened her grip a little so that he could turn round, as he slowed the horse.
“With great difficulty,” he said drily.
“Oh,” Charlotte said, abashed.
Edward’s face was covered in little scratches, obviously given to him by the clinging woody fingers of the branches they were riding through.
“I’m sorry if a branch gets passed me every now and again and messes up yer hair,” Edward said, sarcasm etching his words.
Charlotte blushed and the rugged Highlander turned away, nudging the horse back into a trot. Charlotte could not be certain, but she was sure that he was smiling.
“You said that we will be in lands in which folk are friendly to your people after a day or so?” Charlotte asked, trying to make herself look a little less foolish.
“Aye, that’s right,” Edward said, rubbing at his stubbly cheek as he was swatted by another branch.
“Then why must we stay off the main roads for an extra day?” Charlotte asked.
“Ye misunderstood me, lass,” Edward said. “We’ll be stayin’ off of the main roads all the way to me home. We’ll just be in this forest for the rest of today and tomorrow.”
