Pullingher into his arms, Ruari fell back onto the bed and grinned into her startledface. “Then I feel it is my duty to ease your mind of all such despair.”
Sheslid her arms around his neck and smiled back at him. “Never let it be saidthat Sorcha Hay did anything to impede Sir Ruari Kerr’s sense of duty.”
Asoft sigh of pleasure escaped her as he kissed her. When he held her like thatand tenderly kissed her, she found it easy to believe that she could win hisheart. She just prayed that she was not deluding herself. Cupping Ruari’s facein her hands, she returned his fierce kiss and decided that the best and mostwelcome way to end the torment of her thoughts was to savor the passion she andRuari shared.
Chapter Nineteen
“MoreHays?” Ruari grumbled and scowled at Sorcha when she giggled.
Forthe past week her family had made themselves a complete nuisance, and Sorchaloved them dearly for it. She wished she was allowed to meet with some of them,for she would like to tell them to stop trying so hard to rescue her andMargaret, but then suspected it would make little difference. They all knewthat Ruari and Beatham would never harm her or her cousin. The sole purpose ofthese consistent troublesome forays onto Gartmhor land was an attempt to snatchher and Margaret back to Dunweare so that no ransom had to be paid. It had beenfive days since she had become Ruari’s lover again, and her kinsmen had madenearly an equal number of attempts to retrieve her and Margaret. Sorcha was alittle astonished at their perseverance.
“Hownear did they get this time?” Ruari asked, frowning when Rosse grimaced.
“Thekitchen maid found them tiptoeing through the herb garden,” Rosse replied.
“Theynearly got within the keep itself? What distraction could they have used thistime to make ye all so careless in your watch?”
“Alass. A wee, bonny lass. She had long fair hair that swirled about with eachbreath of the wind, as did her white loose gown.” Rosse shook his head. “Anangel, she was. E’en I was quite enthralled. She stood before our gates, armsoutstretched, and kept us all keenly interested with a wild tale about beingtaken by the fairy folk, of how she had escaped and now needed our help to findher kinsmen.”
“Shesounds like Euphemia,” Sorcha said, shocked that such a young girl would beused, yet unable to deny that she was the perfect diversion.
“Ibegin to think that your entire clan is skipping about my lands,” drawledRuari, then he turned his attention back to Rosse. “Ye didnae capture thislass, did ye?”
“Weel—nay.The kitchen maid sent out an alarm, and we rushed to answer it. The lass fledinto the wood.”
“Ofcourse. The Hay women have proven to be curiously elusive all week. How dothese fools keep getting inside the walls?”
“Theyclimb them.”
“Climbthem?”
“Aye.It appears that most of Dunweare can climb even the smoothest rock. They climblike cats.”
“Aye,we are all good climbers,” Sorcha said, Ruari’s sharp look quickly wiping awayher grin. She sat quietly as Ruari and Rosse discussed the captured men untilRuari gave an order he had given many times in the last week. “I cannaeunderstand where all these people are coming from,” she said as Rosse left thegreat hall to put the latest two captives in the dungeon for a day and a nightbefore releasing them. “Dunweare shall be emptied.”
“Ithink these are the same men we captured two days ago and then released.”
“Butye made them swear they wouldnae try again. I canna believe a Hay would breakhis word.”
“Someonehas given them a very clever vow to placate me with. I think they are assuringme that they willnae try to rescue ye and Margaret again, but it seems whatthey really say is they willnae try to rescue ye that way again. I must needscome up with a vow that doesnae give them a way to circle ‘round it.”
Althoughshe bit the inside of her cheek to try to stop herself, Sorcha finally gave into the urge to laugh. “I suspect Neil devised that wee trick of words. She hasalways been clever in that way. She will be coming here for the third time inanother day or two. Could I not at least wave to her from the door ere I amlocked away?”
“Iwill consider it. Now, ‘tis a fine day, and I thought ye may have an urge tosee something other than the walls of my keep. Would ye like to take a rideacross my lands?”
“Oh,aye, I would. When?”
“Assoon as ye can be ready.”
Shehastily finished the honey-coated bread she had been eating and raced off toher bedchamber. She did not have many gowns, and most of them were too large,but she decided to change into the blue one with the neatly embroideredsleeves. If any of Ruari’s people were about to catch a glimpse of her, shewanted to make sure she looked her best, or as close to that as she could getin a borrowed gown.
Asshe dressed she hesitated only a moment before buckling on her sword andslipping her dagger into her boot. Ruari had finally agreed to let her have herweapons when she swore that she would not use them to escape or to help herkinsmen rescue her. She thought about the last five days with Ruari. He hadlost a great deal of his reserve and, although he had not said the three wordsshe ached to hear, she was more confident that he did care for her. He did nothide his tenderness or his appreciation. He was freer with his compliments, andthere was no doubt in her mind that they were sincere ones. There had been nomore visits from prospective brides and their families either.
Whattroubled her the most was that there was no talk of the future, of what wouldhappen when and if she and Margaret were allowed to return to Dunweare. Sheknew Ruari had not yet found a way to end the ransoming without getting hismoney yet with his pride intact. Nevertheless, if he intended there to be afuture for them, he should at least be alluding to it by now.
Margaret’sfuture was also still uncertain, yet the girl and Beatham carried on as if theywould get all that they desired. Beatham’ s family was furious that Margaretwas at Gartmhor, and Ruari was constantly receiving angry missives and tryingto reconcile the family. Neither side would bend, Beatham would not give upMargaret, and his family refused to condone any marriage. Something Malcolm hadlet slip made Sorcha think Ruari was struggling to come up with somecompromise, but that first he had to get Beatham’s family to be willing to evenconsider one.
Sorchashook her head as she hurried out to the stables to meet with Ruari. The onlyones who seemed to be content and hopeful were Neil and Malcolm. To everyone’sastonishment, there was a definite romance budding there. In Neil’s and Malcolm’scase, the only ones who had to decide what they should or could do were Neiland Malcolm. Neil being the seventh daughter of a poor laird and Malcolm beinga poor relation of Ruari’s gave the couple a freedom none of the rest of themreally enjoyed.
