Niall quickly hid his alarm with a smirk. “I believe I understand completely.” When Peter released him, he adjusted his tunic, and glanced at the others. “Luck was with you that my friends didn’t notice you handling me so... or surely they’d have ripped your balls off. No harm. But I believe we do have an understanding. A Norman as an ally may work out well for me if I ever again travel too far south.”
Peter clenched his teeth but he nodded.
“Good. So perhaps we should see our slimy friends back to the coast and give them a shove off?”
Peter relaxed and smiled. “I think that sounds about right. Any sign of the carriage?”
“We caught sight of those three as they were coming from the market. They stood out because they weren’t on the path, they cut right across the glen and into the woods on foot.” He pointed to the trees. “You are actually lucky we kept our horses hidden. If we’d walked, we’d never have been here in time to save the day.”
Niall’s eyes twinkled with mischief. Peter refused to drop his stoic stance. The mild cocker already had one up on him. He didn’t need to confirm that he liked the lad.
“So how will we do this? I have three people but only one horse now.”
The redhead paused and rubbed his thumb along his lip. When he turned on him with wide-eyed enthusiasm, Peter knew he was not going to like his answer. “I’ll go with you and we’ll both take a rider. Lachlann and Aldred will have to walk the prisoners back to their horses.”
“That will work. Mort and Brighit,” Peter said, walking toward his horse, “we’re continuing on to the Priory.”
Niall trotted into the woods, returning after a short time with the Scots horses. He mounted his black horse in one easy sweep of his leg and urged it toward Brighit. He bent over and reached his arm out to her. “Might I give you a hand up?”
“What?” Brighit’s confusion was evident. “What are we doing?”
Peter sighed and closed the distance between them. “They’re bringing your ‘guardians’ back to the coast. We need one of them to ride with us so we can have two to a horse.”
He glanced over at Niall’s cocky smirk and his blood boiled. “Lachlann! Your horse looks sturdier, what say you come with us and let your leader... lead.”
Niall caught his jaw before it dropped to his chest then smiled. “As you wish, Sir Peter.”
Lachlann led his horse to the little group, stopping in front of Peter.
“You take Mort.”
“What? No! You take Mort.”
Mort shifted his feet beside Peter.
“It will be better if he is with you.”
“If you wish me to be of assistance, then I will gladly accept Brighit on my horse. She is smaller.”
Peter glanced at Mort who was shooting daggers. “Very well. Get up here, Mort.”
Peter soothed his mount and tried not to notice the way Lachlann leaned his strong arm toward Brighit. Or the way she grabbed it and was pulled effortlessly to sit sideways in front of him.
An arm on either side of her, Lachlann pulled his reins to catch up with Peter. After seeing Brighit wrapping her arm around the man’s side and the man’s grin of satisfaction, Peter refused to look again. When Mort started to wrap his arms around Peter’s middle from where he sat behind him, Peter swatted at his arms.
“Use your legs man!”
“As you wish, my lord.”
Peter would not have believed his irritation could get any worse until this moment. He felt ready to burst. A jiggling movement behind him that felt suspiciously like suppressed laughter gave him an ideal outlet for his anger.
“Enough.” The command came in a menacingly low tone. “I see no humor in this situation.”
A few minutes later, it started again. Peter pulled up his horse and jumped to the ground. He pierced Mort with his look then crossed over to Lachlann and Brighit. The man had moved his reins to one hand so his other arm could wrap around Brighit’s waist. Peter closed the distance and reached up to remove a startled Brighit.
“Lachlann, can you see that your friends have everything in hand?”
A questioning frown crossed the man’s face before he said, “Aye.”
