He had no idea what she was imagining. She leaned away from him. Ivan’s hands grasped her bottom. She squeaked, twisted away, and shot a glare at the little man. He smiled innocently.
Her uncle frowned with a why-are-you-interrupting-me look. He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry, my dear, Ivan will stay by your side.” He misunderstood the exchange. “No harm will come to you under my watch.”
She yanked her hands away. “But it’s not your watch. You’re handing me off. Does my brother know of this?”
His eyes narrowed, tightening at the corners. “Do you question me, girl? I was afraid that tongue of yours might be the very reason you are still not wed. They do not allow for such disrespect where you’re going.”
He turned away and mounted his horse without a backward glance. The curragh left the shore, jerking Brighit forward. The choppy water immediately made her nauseous and she leaned to the side rope, emptying the contents of her stomach until there was nothing but dry retching.
Exhausted, she dropped to the bottom of the small craft, one hand still on the side rail, and prayed for death to come quickly.
By the time they made land, her head was swimming and nothing seemed as it should. She was pushed and pulled up the grassy hill by strangers to a carriage even smaller than her family’s. Rough hands grabbed at her to lift her none too gently and placed her beside a small cart. Bile flooded her mouth.
“There you go, lady.” Ivan stood beside the bald-headed brute who dared to handle her as if she were a sack of potatoes. More than a head taller, he made Ivan appear even smaller. “You’ve arrived unscathed.”
She pressed back against the wooden side of the conveyance and away from the three men now surrounding her. Her skin crawled under their close scrutiny. But she looked right back. None offered the protection of which she was so desperately in need. She pushed her shoulders back and addressed the bearded man to her left. He had in no way participated in her mishandling.
“My thanks.” She brushed down her skirts and tried not to appear as molested as she felt. “I’m truly sorry I was so ill.”
“That is the way of it for some.” He shrugged, then crossed the short distance to a disorganized pile of items, presumably their belongings. The bald-headed man followed close behind.
“I’ve seen you safely across.” Ivan pronounced and crossed his arms. An arrogant smile puckered his lips. When he spoke, the scent of herring and turnips drifted toward her. She swallowed hard against the nausea that threatened to overtake her again.
“That should lessen after you get a good night’s sleep.” The heavily bearded man stopped behind her, bowing stiffly, a sack in each arm. “My name is Cole.”
“Thank you, Cole, for your assistance.” She moved away from Ivan. “Are you our guide?”
“Aye, I’ll be taking you to Father Tinsley—”
“Father Tinsley?” Brighit had never heard of a Father Tinsley just Sister Elizabeth. “What about Sister Elizabeth?”
“The Prioress? She died, must be five years ago now. Father Tinsley. He keeps the place.”
What of the agreement with the Prioress? Did this Father Tinsley know anything about her or her family? A rock settled in Brighit’s stomach. She assessed the strange faces of the men before her. None could be trusted. Ivan had made that quite plain. She needed to convince them to do the right thing.
“Then the Priory may not be the best place for me to go.” Her voice was quiet. She avoided direct eye contact.
This could indeed be the perfect opportunity for her to return home. She had no need to go to a Priory that was not expecting her. She steadied her breathing and prayed for that response from one of them.
Ivan snorted and continued as if she’d spoken not one single word. “Cole knows the land here very well. He will get us safely to our destination. Fear not.”
“And then what?” Brighit snapped. “They’re probably not even expecting me.”
Ivan’s eyes narrowed in warning. “Rest assured. Father Tinsleyisexpectingyou.”
Cole refused to even acknowledge her, glancing over her shoulder. Brighit turned to look, too. She saw nothing untoward.
“Will someone else be joining us?” Her tone was laced with irritation.
Cole jerked back and searched her face. “No.” He cleared his throat. “We need to get a few miles between us and the sea before we stop for the night.”
He took the high seat of the carriage. Ivan was there beside her, gripping her arm and forcing her inside the conveyance before she could protest. His hand grasped her backside once again before giving her a shove. She turned on him, the cart dipping with the movement.
“If you touch me like that one more time, I will carve out your heart.”
His nostrils flared and his smile grew. “I like a good fight.”
“Augh!”
