‘We are taking you from here, Arabella,’ he said, as Rob threw a tapestry pilfered from another wall on the floor before them. ‘Fight not and you will not be hurt.’
He might as well have thrown water on an angry cat, for she bucked and twisted, trying to free herself. With quick, efficient movements, he and Rob placed her on the tapestry and rolled her inside of it. They carefully lifted the tapestry and the lady and carried her from the chamber, closing the door tightly behind them. Her father would not seek her out until just before the ceremony.
Brodie and Rob walked quickly in the opposite direction and took the second stairway, the one used by servants now busy with wedding preparations, to the lowest floor of the keep. Once there, it took little time to find the secret doorway which opened into a long-forgotten tunnel. He’d played here as a boy and his uncle had planned to close it, but never had. Brodie doubted that anyone remembered this hidden path out of the keep that led to one of the storage sheds near the stables.
The plan in place worked exactly as he’d hoped—his men were in their positions and executed their parts precisely. Even better, those living or working within the walls or the keep were seeing to all of the arrangements for the day’s celebration. With most of them so occupied, no one took note of two men carrying a rolled rug away. Soon, with the tapestry laid across his lap, Brodie rode the lass’s horse out through the gates and into the hills. Rob followed him while the others parted ways and would meet them back at their camp in two days, each group taking a different route to avoid detection.
* * *
The horse had accepted the extra burden without effort and they rode for miles before Brodie realised that the lass had stopped moving beneath his hand that held her securely on his lap. He signalled to Rob and they slowed and then walked the horses a short distance before coming to a halt. Rob was at his side quickly and Brodie lifted Arabella down to him and dismounted. Rob tossed him the skin of water and saw to their horses while Brodie knelt down to release their prisoner. Easing her body and pulling the tapestry, he freed her and stepped back, waiting on her reaction.
There was none. Nothing moved. Her eyes remained shut. No struggle. Brodie leaned closer to check if she yet breathed and placed his hand on her chest to feel if her heart beat.
Alive, thank God, but unconscious. Pushing the hair out of her face, he slid his hand under her head. Lifting her, he loosened the gag over her mouth. He whispered her name.
‘Arabella. Wake up, lass.’ No response. He tapped her cheek and spoke again. ‘Arabella, wake up now.’
When nothing happened, he tugged the stopper from the skin and dripped a slight amount on her mouth and face. Her eyes fluttered then and she mouthed silent words before opening her eyes. It took a few seconds but Brodie could tell the moment she came back to herself. She pushed herself up to sit, or attempted to, before she realised her hands and feet were tied.
Brodie stood back, allowing her time and space to come fully awake. She struggled against the ropes and rolled over once, before calming a bit and meeting his gaze. The fleeting fear in her blue eyes quickly turned to anger and for some reason he was happier to deal with that. He held out the skin to her, allowing her the choice of it or not. She had not screamed and that was good, too. Arabella lifted her hands to reach for it and he crouched down closer and handed it to her. She took in two or three mouthfuls of water before stopping and holding it back to him.
An unexpected silence filled the space between them. He could not think of what to say to her and she simply stared at him, waiting. When he heard Rob returning with the horses, Brodie knew they must not stay there too long, for they had much more distance to cover before he would feel safe. He reached over and untied the rope around her ankles.
It was clear she fought letting him see a reaction, but she grimaced and clenched her jaws together as she tried to move her legs. A moan escaped as her legs began to spasm. Standing, he took her by the arms and lifted her to her feet.
‘Come. Walk. They will feel better faster if you move them,’ he said, holding her up and guiding her in a small circle. He felt her trembling begin to lessen and her legs started to carry more of her weight by the third time around the area. He walked them over to a fallen tree trunk and eased her down on it before offering her the skin of water once more. She rejected it silently.
She’d not spoken a word since he’d woken her. Only, accusations of all manner taunted him from the icy depths of her blue eyes. He wished he had Rob’s easy way with women then, so he could say something to her.
‘Are you hurt?’ He forced the words out. From the way she gasped as she moved, he suspected she was.
‘Bruised,’ she said in a soft voice. Her hair fell about her shoulders, half still in an intricate braid and the rest loose and wild. His hands itched to touch it, but he drew back before he did. ‘And battered,’ she added, wincing as she pressed her tied hands against her ribs.
‘Brodie.’ He glanced at Rob, who signalled that they must be on their way soon.
‘Does that mean that my father and Caelan are getting closer?’ she asked. She pushed to her feet and began to look through the trees. Damn! She’d seen his hand movements again.
‘It means we must be on our way,’ he explained, sliding his hand around her arm and leading her to Rob and the horses. She pulled away when he reached to reposition the gag over her mouth. Sounds, especially screams, echoed through the woods and could be heard for miles away.
‘I must...I must...’ she whispered as he tugged the cloth up. ‘I pray you...’ The gag cut off the rest of her words, but she clutched at his arm and pulled on it.
‘You must what, Lady Arabella?’ he asked, anxious to put many more miles between himself and his cousin. He released his hold on the cloth.
‘I must see to my needs.’
His male flesh reacted to a completely different need than the one she most likely referred to, but Brodie understood what she meant. They’d been riding for a few hours without stopping. He’d taken her after she’d broken her fast.
‘This way,’ he ordered, tugging her into a thicker copse of trees, one that would give her a measure of privacy to take care of her needs. ‘Be quick now.’ He released her and walked several paces out of the trees.
He’d no sooner walked away when something warned him that she would try to run. He whistled to Rob who would circle the other way and cut her off. Standing still, he listened until he heard the crackling of the leaves on the ground before pushing back into the trees to get to her. It was no surprise that she was not there. She had no more than a few paces’ lead and no experience at trying to sneak away. The sounds of her escape echoed all around them and he had no difficulty following her. And when Rob cut her off and she changed directions, he was waiting for her.
She slammed into him, not seeing him before she hit him. They both went down, her from the force of the impact and him in trying to keep her from being crushed beneath his weight. His efforts failed for they landed in a heap, her bound hands trapped in the one spot where they could do the most damage. The only good thing was that he twisted at that last moment and Arabella came down on top of him.
It took barely a moment before he realised it was not truly a good thing at all. And when she shifted, trying to get back to her feet, it was more bad than good.
The fates or heavens smiled on him then, for Rob, on horseback, reached them, leaned over and lifted her off him. By the time Brodie jumped to his feet, Rob had replaced the gag and seated her before him. Brodie could do nothing but mount the black beast that Rob held there. With a grim nod to Rob and amazed at his own stupidity in handling, or mishandling, the lass, Brodie let his friend lead.
* * *
