“I will pay, I have enough coin,” Hamish told her firmly. “This is a necessity, not a luxury. We cannot have our healer walking around in rags. Now, no more arguments.”
As they spoke, they were walking towards the makeshift stables, a building that had been cobbled together with wood from the trees around them. It looked as though it would fall down at any moment, but it held the camp’s horses quite comfortably.
As they walked in, Amanda could see that two horses were already saddled and waiting for them. One was a grey mare who looked at Amanda calmly as if to say,Don’t worry, I will look after you.
The other was a lot like Hamish himself, big and broad, with a pale brown coat and white mane and tail. He looked at Amanda and snorted, causing her to step back and put some distance between them.
Hamish tried not to laugh, but did not quite succeed, and Amanda scowled at him. Meanwhile, Hamish had leapt onto the stallion and was looking down at Amanda, waiting for her to mount the mare. She patted the horse’s neck and said to her sadly, “I am really sorry, my girl, but I cannot ride.”
Hamish looked at her in astonishment. “I thought every young lady could ride,” he said, frowning.
Amanda shook her head. “Then you thought wrong. Young English ladies don’t ride, it’s not ladylike. Besides, my father decided to spend the money we had on gambling and dice. And then on training me to be a healer, so I could pay my way. Though, I have to admit, it is the only thing in my life that I can thank him for.”
Amanda watched as Hamish dismounted from the stallion in one fluid movement, then strode across to her. He clasped both hands around her waist and lifted her off the ground and onto the horse, seemingly without any effort at all. She gave a little squeal of fright as she landed in the saddle.
Amanda’s heart was pounding, and her whole body was as tense as a bowstring, but a few seconds later Hamish jumped up behind her and looped his arm around her waist, holding the reins with the other one. His grip was firm, but not too tight, and she could feel the hardness of his solid chest behind her.
“Relax, Amanda,” Hamish said gently, and his breath fanned her ear as he spoke. “You will be fine. I won’t let you fall, I promise.”
At these words, she felt a little better, but she was still not quite sure of Hamish McNeill. They were going into an area of which she had no knowledge at all with a man who was a virtualstranger, and she had to admit to being a little afraid. She sighed, and realised that once more she was in the hands of fate, who was a very indifferent master.
Hamish was looking down at her, once more savouring her delicate beauty and cursing his traitorous man’s body’s reaction to her. He had often thought that in some ways women were much stronger than men. Their desires were shown in much more subtle ways, unlike his own, which was making him very uncomfortable.
When he saw her sad face, though, he felt a stab of pity. This woman was one of the most wholesome, worthwhile people he had ever met, and yet she had been treated abominably by her father, and now by him.
He could not blame her for thinking the worst of him, even when he had been trying to do her good. He felt ashamed, but there was no time to dwell on it.
9
Conscious of her fear, Hamish kept his grip on Amanda light, but secure. He had no wish to frighten her any more. They ambled along at a slow walk for the first quarter of a mile, then he urged his stallion into a slow trot.
Amanda felt stiff and tense, still aware of the hard masculine strength behind her. She would have no defence against Hamish if he decided to force himself on her, but the more she thought about such a possibility, the less likely it seemed. He had had plenty of chances to hurt her, but had not taken any of them.
Presently Amanda heard his deep voice in her ear again, inquisitive but very gentle. “Why did you become a healer, lass?” he asked curiously. “It seems a strange profession for a woman like you.”
“What do you mean,a woman like me?” Amanda asked. “There is nothing special about me.”
As Hamish spoke, Amanda could hear the smile in his voice. “Not true. You are a very special woman. But I feel that you are…” He paused for a moment. “Well, how can I say this without sounding condescending? You are more of a well-bred lady than the women in the camp.”
Amanda gave a cynical laugh. “Please don’t let them hear you say that!” Her voice was bitter. “As I told you, I did not become a healer out of choice. My father fetched a good price for my skills when he sold me to your brother, just as he sold my sisters. But their stories have happy endings, since both of them fell in love and married the men who bought them. I miss my sisters terribly, and I long to see them every day.”
Hamish was silent for a second, then he let out a fierce growl. “What kind of man treats his daughters like livestock?” he said. “He must be?—”
“A monster,” Amanda finished for him. Her tone was flat, almost resigned. “He had everything a man could want, but he gambled it all away, and now his daughters are paying the price.” She shrugged. “Anyway, what kind of brother steals his own brother’s birthright?”
Hamish had no answer for that. Amanda knew she was right. They were both victims of selfish, evil men who only had their own interests at heart.
During the journey, Amanda realised that the Highlands truly deserved the name. The land was rugged and mountainous, with great grey ridges of rock thrusting through the grass, which was still bright emerald green, despite the coming of autumn.
The hills were dotted with hundreds of black faced sheep and shaggy, rust-coloured cattle with enormous horns. The heather was beginning to fade, although Amanda had been told that in the summer its pinkish purple bushes, and the lemon yellow of the gorse bushes, were nothing short of spectacular.
There were few trees except for tall dark pines and firs that stood in small clusters, looking strong and ready for winter because they, unlike everything else, would be kept warm by their evergreen coats.
A short while later, they reached a small town that sat in the valley between two steep hills.
“What is this place called?” Amanda asked.
“Cumbreck,” he replied. “It is a market town, the biggest in the area, which isn’t saying much. Most places here are no bigger than a few cottages and a church.”
