He could not deny the flutter of anticipation he felt at the thought of spending the day with her. Talking with her, making her laugh, teasing her till she got flustered and angry. He could tell her how Daisy had coerced him into joining the shopping excursion, and she would no doubt be delighted by the deceitful act.
He chuckled to himself and reorganized the papers on his desk so that they were ready for him to tackle again when he returned. When he was satisfied, he set off to fetch a horse from the stables.
Beauly Village came upon him hastily. He had let his horse run at full speed, and he had arrived in record time. Several of the villagers were walking about as they did their daily shopping and chores, and they all nodded respectfully as he came up the main street.
He had not visited the village for a few months, but he typically did not need to make the trip unless there was something urgent that needed his intervention.
At the nearby hitching post, he recognized one of his mares.
Well, at least I ken she’s here. It shouldnae take too long to find her in a village this size.
A shriek interrupted his thoughts, and he whirled towards the sound. A few shops away, he could see a man with a woman thrown over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes. He ran towards them, his heart sinking when he recognized the voice.
“Please! Willnae anybody help me?” she screamed.
The hopelessness in her voice was enough to make him see red.
He stopped in front of the man, hand on his sword as he growled low, “I wouldnae do that if I were ye.”
The man sneered, his lips pulling back against his teeth. “It’s good that ye arenae me, then.”
Finlay drew his sword, the metal slicing through the air as the point came down to rest against the man’s jaw. “Let. Her.Go.”
“Make me.”
“Ye didnae have to ask.”
Without another word, Finlay slashed his sword across the man’s throat. His dark eyes widened in fear as he brought his hands up in a feeble attempt to stop the blood from spilling out.
Finlay dropped his sword to the ground, reaching for Thalia as the man fell to his knees. Thalia leaned back into him, turningaround and hiding her face in his chest as the man gave one final gasp before falling dead.
Finlay stroked her hair gently. “Are ye hurt?” he asked as softly as he could.
She shook her head.
“Can I see?”
With a shaky breath, she pulled back enough so he could examine her face and check her for injuries. She was clearly scared, but she did not look harmed, besides a rumpled dress. There were no cuts or bruises on her exposed skin.
“Can ye tell me what happened?” Finlay asked now that he was sure she was unharmed.
“He… he tried to kidnap me,” she stuttered. “He wanted to take me to Laird MacGibbon. To force me to marry him.”
“Me Laird, do ye need any assistance?” a group of three young men greeted him as they approached.
The one in the front was the one who had addressed him directly, so Finlay spoke to him first.
“I need ye to send this man’s body back to Laird MacGibbon. Let it be ken that his will isnae law here,” he growled.
“Aye, we can do that,” the first man said.
Finlay bent to pick up his sword and sheathe it. As the men knelt to pick up the body, he surveyed the other villagers who had paused to watch the encounter. He stood to his full height, towering over most of them, and he could see the fear in their eyes as he looked at each of them.
His anger had only been mildly satiated by slaying one villain, but he had not realized that so many people living on his lands had no honor.
“I have half a mind to send ye with this man,” he said, gesturing to the dead body. “Since many of ye thought it best to turn a blind eye to a woman in need.”
He paused, letting the words sink in for a moment before continuing.
