“Aye, I shall follow yer lead, milady.”
They rode together, keeping up with one another. Neither cared for those they rode past. They rode around the town, stopped at the market, watched little boys play and rode out onto the hills to watch their town from the heights above others.
“I have never seen the town for the top of a hill,” Ceana clamored.
“It is a sight indeed,” he replied nonchalantly.
“Ye do nae like the town?” He shook his head. “Well, I believe it is beautiful,” she said to him.
“I think ye are beautiful,” he replied to her. Ceana turned her face away from him to hide her blush from him.
“I saw yer face,” he told her.
“Ye would speak nothin’ of this to anyone, aye? If me ma finds out about this escapade, she will have me hind.” She came up to him and had her warning finger in his face.
“I would promise that only if ye can catch me,” he said before he darted to his horse. Ceana hurried after him and mounted hers also.
Ceana laughed, the wind whipping her hair back as she urged her horse into a full gallop. Beside her, Torcall leaned low over his mount’s neck and followed her lead. They raced until they were tired. Then, Torcall suggested that they rest so they would be fresh for the play. Finally, when the time came, they headed for the play. It was in the ranch of one of the wealthy merchants in the town. Mr. Lancaster had traveled to other countries outside Scotland and had returned more than a merchant. He became a playwright.
In his ranch fields, he had constructed a stage of wood and curtains to allow his actors leave and come as they pleased, without the audience seeing too much. Torcall led Ceana to one of the seats as they awaited the beginning of the play. There was a man on the stage with the largest hat Torcall had ever seen a man wear.
“Good evenin’ to ye all. The title of the play ye are about to see is ‘Locke and Lisa’, it is the story of--”
“I ken the tale,” Torcall whispered in Ceana’s ear.
“Tell me,” she begged him.
“It is the tale of a prince and a princess from two lands at war with one another. The prince is a brave warrior, and the princess is kind. She was the most beautiful woman in both kingdoms.” Torcall noticed Ceana’s face change a shade when he mentioned another woman's beauty to her with such revel.
“Oh nay, her beauty is nothin’ compared to yers.” He looked for a way to prove that he spoke the truth before the audience erupted in applause. They turned to the stage, and the actor who portrayed the princess Lisa came onto the stage for a monologue. Fires were suddenly lit to cast luminance on the stage, and they all beheld Lisa.
“See? She is nay as beautiful as ye are,” Torcall said to Ceana. Her face brightened up then.
“Tell me the rest of the tale. I like it better when ye tell it,” she told him. So, he told her, adding and taking from the tale as her expression pushed him to, for he wanted nothing more than to hold her attention and for her to smile because of him only. It was possessive, but her beauty was such that it made a man so.
Chapter Eight
When they turned back to the stage, Locke had knelt and taken Lisa’s hand in his. “Lisa,” he said, “the wars of our clans do nae bother me. Even winning this war will nae give me joy. ‘Tis ye I want.”
Locke’s romantic declaration drew a round ofawwsfrom the crowd.
However, none came from Ceana, who was startled. Had the play been so short, or had they flirted for so long. The sky's darkening inclined her to believe that the latter and not the former was the case.
She felt Torcall’s hand slip to hers while Locke made his romantic speech but once again, everything except him faded out. He caressed her hands slowly, leaning sideways slightly so that his hands weren’t seen by others. Ceana felt the heat from his touch. His fingers made patterns on her skin, straight lines then squares and Ceana felt every bit of it.
A blush appeared on her cheeks. If anyone looked at her, she didn’t doubt that her blush would be easily spotted, but still, she didn’t pull away. His touch was addicting, and she found herself wishing that his hands would go lower and lower and-
The thunderous applause from the audience caused Ceana to freeze and jump a little in the air. For a terrible second, she thought they had been caught out. However, the applause was meant for the play that had come to an end.
“Did ye enjoy the play?” he asked her.
“I did,” she replied. “Did ye?”
“Aye,” he nodded.
“Who did ye like best? Jane or Elsa?”
Torcall grinned. “Is it a bad thin’ if I say I do nae ken who those are?”
