“I need a moment of privacy.”
“Ah, weel, dinnae go far. And dinnae take too long. I would like to be back on our way soon.”
“What joy.”
He laughed and went to make sure everything was secure on the horses.
Arianna had just finished cleaning herself off and putting her braies back on when she heard a sound that made her whole body grow tense and alert. She hastily buried the damp scrap of linen she had used beneath some leaves and crept toward the sound. It was hard not to curse aloud when she saw Amiel and his men cautiously wending their way through the forest. He was like a particularly painful burr one could not shake off one’s leg.
As silently as she could she moved back toward where she had left Brian. The moment she felt she could move faster without being heard, she hiked up her skirts and started to run. Every step of the way she expected to hear a cry announcing that they had seen her. She was panting by the time she reached Brian.
“Amiel?” he asked even as he threw her up into the saddle and quickly mounted his own horse.
“Aye, he and his men are coming through the wood.”
“Damn that woman!”
“What woman?”
“A tavern maid who didnae like taking nay for an answer.”
“What was she asking?”
“Sorry, lass, no time to talk on that and I fear the rest of this journey to Dubheidland is going to be fast and hard.”
Even as he spoke he spurred his horse into a gallop and she did the same, softly cursing Amiel and his allies to the darkest pits of hell.
Tam stared down at his cousin. She was badly bruised and had obviously been roughly used. When he had seen the Frenchmen riding quickly out of the village he had gone right back to the tavern to confront his cousin again. Although he was angry that she might well have caused trouble for a good man and put his own life in danger, he had to wince in sympathy over how badly she had been beaten.
“Ye didnae heed my warning at all, did ye, lass?” he said.
“I didnae tell them about you, if that be what worries ye,” she muttered, her swelling lips making her slur her words.
“But ye told them about the mon, didnae ye? Vain bitch. The mon has a woman. ’Twas nay an insult for him to say nay to what ye offered.”
“And when has a mon having a woman e’er stopped them from having another?”
“Ye deal too much with the bad ones, lass. And this isnae just any woman the lad has. He has himself one of those Murray lasses I have told ye about. Did ye e’en get paid for betraying a mon who ne’er did ye harm?” He cursed when she just glared at him through her one unswollen eye.
“I didnae intend to tell them.”
“Then how did they ken ye had anything of worth to tell?”
“He asked about the mon and I think I did something to let him see that I kenned something.” She eased herself up on her small, rough bed until she was sitting, and accepted the tankard of ale Tam held out to her. “Next I kenned I was escorted up here thinking he wanted a tumble and got this instead. So, aye, once the fists started landing on me I told him about the mon. But I ne’er told them about ye and what ye were to do for him.”
“Are ye certain?”
“Oh, aye, I am certain. Ye may be a pious bastard who cannae mind his own business, but ye are blood and I kenned verra quickly that if I told them about ye, ye would soon be dead.” She stared down at her hand, bruised badly by her vain attempts to defend herself. “Do ye think I have caused the deaths of that mon and his lady?”
“I dinnae ken.” He watched a tear roll slowly down her bruised cheek. “I only met the mon and talked to him for a wee while. But, he is a MacFingal, cousin to those red-haired devils the Camerons. If anyone can get away from those Frenchmen ’tis a mon like that. I am thinking that all ye did was make him have to work a wee bit harder at it.”
“Weel, mayhap I will drag myself to church and pray for them a wee bit.”
“I am thinking that might be a verra good thing to do.”
Chapter 9
Every bone in Arianna’s body was loudly complaining as they raced toward Dubheidland. She fought the urge to look behind them to see how close her enemy might be. At times her back itched as if it sensed a weapon aimed at it.
