Her hands moved instinctively to cover her backside. Well, someone had disciplined the lass despite her mouthiness.
She averted his gaze. “I am not alone. I am here with my brother. We search for my horse,” she turned a stern look on him, “which I have now found.”
She lied through her teeth. But a brother? The now obvious filling out of her tunic indicated she was probably of a marriageable age so why not a husband?
“Ye’re with yer brother? I see nae sign of a brother. Just a lad alone in the woods, getting himself into trouble.”
Her cheeks blazed with color. “He went to see if he could track down my horse.”
Her irritated tone bordered on insulting.
“And he told ye to stay put?”
She was also probably told to stay hidden.
“He’s returning any moment.” Her cheeks darkened.
He tried not to smile at her transparency. “Methinks not.” A bad liar. “Might I ken yer name?”
Her full brows dipped into a V. “Why?”
“So that when we travel together on yer horse, I’ll ken what to call ye.”
Her jaw dropped.
“Nae? Ye’d rather I take yer horse and leave ye here? Rather than take ye to this brother with the very horse he is supposedly searching for?”
He’d swear he could hear her jumbled thoughts as she tried to work out her answer. She was a very bad liar.
“A name is all I’m asking.” He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he used his most acquiescent tone. “I promise not to use it against ye.”
Her lips puckered. “Thomas—Tommy. Call me Tommy.”
For some reason her expression no longer indicated she lied. “Now we make progress,Tommy.And ye may call me Sean. Apologize for yer insults and I’ll see ye safely to yer brother.”
She gasped. “Nae! I’ll not apologize. I only stated the truth.”
“The truth? DearTommy,I fear if the truth were a snake, ye’d get bitten in the arse.”
“How dare ye!”
Hmm, perhaps she was not worried about being revealed as a female—not as much as she should be. A reminder may be in order. “How dare I? What are ye? A girl?”
“Nae!” Her protest sounded a little too strong. She seemed to sense it and snapped her mouth shut.
The last thing Sean needed was to travel to town with her but he needed the horse. He also didn’t need it known that his traveling companion was a female only pretending to be a boy. Villages along the coast were full of unscrupulous travelers—all male—who wouldn’t mind finding a female in their midst. He didn’t need to be put in the position of having to protect her.
“Good! Because I’ve nae need to be seen with a female dressed in lad’s clothing. There are plenty of men looking for just that sort of sport, I assure ye, but I am not.”
Sean didn’t miss her gaping mouth but returned his sword, secured his items and turned the horse about. He leapt into the saddle and reached his arm down toTommy.If he had to travel to town with her, he’d just as soon she continue with her disguise. The idea of catering to a whining female right now did not sit well with him. He needed to get back home and put this whole terrible trip behind him. The sooner the better.
Chapter 2
Thomasina glanced at the large hand being offered her.
“Again I wait.” Sean said. “Give me yer arm.”
She had no idea how to jump onto a horse but every young boy did. She’d better learn quickly. Just as she began to lift her hand up, the huge, bearded man leaned forward to grab it and yanked her up behind him.
