“And what do ye know about being ladylike?”
“More than ye.” His face had turned nearly crimson enough to hide his freckles. “Ye should not even be here.”
His censorship had seemed like a betrayal. They had always been so close, training side by side. Though younger, he was her eldest brother. Her closest friend. That had set her off something fierce.
“Lachlann, ye have no right to be telling me what I should be saying or how I should be spending my time.”
He’d leaned over her, intimidating her with his size. Up until his latest growth spurt, he’d only been a bit taller. His new height dwarfed her small stature. “And if that is so, how would ye feel about me telling Ma and Da where ye been sneaking off to?”
Neither of her parents would be any happier about her escapades than Darragh had been, and well her brother knew it. Her father had been proud of her accomplishments, fighting and hunting right along with the other boys… right up until her menses had started while they were out hunting for the winter and far from home. Her da had been shocked speechless by the blood, but her cousin, Aednat, had been there as well. She was like a big sister, older and wiser, and she’d helped her.
Truth to tell, Brighit had not been well pleased herself. Neither with the inconvenience of the whole experience, nor with the way she was now kept close to home and forbidden to go off with the boys. Sean had refused to listen to reason and his whole demeanor toward her had changed. He’d demanded she start wearing the longer, traditionalléinesand agreed with her mother’s assessment that it was time to put away childish things.
That was when she started to sneak off.
The lads she’d ridden with had been sworn to secrecy, and it had worked out fine. Darragh’s threat a year earlier had not failed to make its mark, giving her even more reasons to dislike the overbearing man. Her brother had toughened his stance since then. He’d insisted that he only wanted what was best for her—which now meant being safely tucked away with the other lasses. Lasses who had no use for her. Lasses who laughed at her lack of “ability.” Lasses who called her strange, stopping just short of saying she should have been born a boy.
She couldn’t ride with the lads anymore and Darragh was surely to blame. He’d taken away her freedom. That’s what the lads had, what they took for granted. And the lasses? They had to stay behind with their sewing and their gossip and their viciousness. What a waste.
The sound of men approaching jerked her back to reality. If she were caught here unguarded, it wouldn’t go well. Her father had warned her to take at least three men with her if she went through the woods and here she was with not a one. How many men would he have insisted she bring had he known she’d be floating naked in the lough?
The dark green bushes to her left, intertwined with delicate honeysuckle, were thick with branches hanging close to the water, providing her with a chance to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, her gown was out in the open, but there was nothing she could do for it now.
“And so ye have the right of it.”
Darragh’s voice. Brighit gasped and ducked below the water, shoving off the bank toward the bushes.
Chapter 2
“Did ye hear that?” Darragh’s eyes scanned the water of the lough, easily finding the ripples marring the lough’s flat surface. He lowered his voice and quirked a brow. “Someone’s gotten here afore us.”
His companions grumbled behind him like they’d grumbled when he’d offered their help with the work Sean needed done. The promise of a refreshing dip had made the hard work of rebuilding one side of the ring fort go much easier. His own disappointment was as keen.
“Mayhap they’ll not mind our joining them.” It was Terrence who spoke. He usually spoke without thinking and Darragh decided against pointing out the small size of the lough, the number in their group, and the fact that they were not well known here. Instead, he signaled them to wait and moved closer.
Once alongside the water, Darragh noticed the gown and slippers laid out on the boulder. His heart skipped a beat. A lass. He dropped to a squat and turned to his men, pressing his finger to his lips and then pointing at the garments. They remained huddled close together, intent on him. When they caught his message, their eager nods encouraged him and they exchanged goofy smiles. Mayhap they would get a glimpse of a comely lass.
The green color of the material seemed vaguely familiar, but it could not hold his attention. His eyes were on the lough. The brightness of the lass’s chemise would be unmistakable against the darkness of the lough floor if she glided past them.
Darragh fingered the gown, a fine material and still warm from her body. He wetted his lips, exhaling a slow breath as anticipation coursed through his veins, but then he heard his father’s voice.
This is childishness.
Darragh should not wait here in hiding to watch her. He should lead his men away, set a good example, and above allnotencourage foolish behavior.
“Is it a lass?”
Darragh turned a scowl on Terrence, signaled the other men to back up, and jerked his finger back to his lips. Their eager faces decided it. He needed to leave. His eyes found the gown again and his stomach sunk all the way to the soles of his feet. He knew where he’d seen it before. On his betrothed. It was Brighit’s.
With narrowed eyes, he scanned the banks and the woods around them. She’d come with no protection at all to a place far enough from the village that no one would hear her if she screamed for help. She could easily be discovered by undesirables waiting to catch her unawares.
His face heated.
Undesirables worse than him and his friends?
He stood to face Terrence. “Return to the village. I will be there anon.”
They did not question his command, but Terrence’s skeptical glance warmed his cheeks even more. The man clearly thought the worst of his intentions. As soon as the others were gone, Darragh strode toward the bush, the gown clasped in his hand.
