“Aye,” she nodded. “I wanted to disarm him—to think that I was happy to see him so he wouldn’t watch me so closely or… do something rash.”
They all knew what she meant by rash. She thought Randolph made a sound like a growl, but she didn’t want to look at him. Sensing that he might reach for her again, she put a few more steps of distance between them. She gave a brief, concise explanation of the rest, neglecting to mention the perilous tide and long night in the cave.
“That was quick thinking, lass,” a big, powerfully built warrior who’d ridden in behind Randolph said. He wore a nasal helm like a few of the others, but had pulled it off to reveal blond hair, blue eyes, and an extremely handsome face. She’d seen him with the king before. Erik MacSorley, she thought his name to be—a West Highland Chieftain who had been with the king from the beginning.
“Apparently, I’m not a bad actor,” she said, returning his smile and ignoring the stiffening of the man who wouldn’t seem to leave her side. She finished her story. “The priest rode me back a short while ago, and fortunately we did not cross paths with Sir Stephen.”
“Fortune had nothing to do with it,” Randolph said in a flat voice that made her turn to look at him questioningly. “He has been taken care of.”
“How?”
Though one side of his mouth curved up, his expression made her shiver. “Suffice it to say that he won’t be bothering you again.”
Though she had no feelings for Stephen after everything that had happened, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Whatever had happened, if Randolph’s expression was any indication, she would probably rather not know. As he was acting rather possessive for someone who had been refused, she thought it might be best to make things clear. She turned to her brother and looked over at the men behind him. “Is Sir William with you. I thought he might be here by now?”
It wasn’t her brother who answered, but Randolph. “He won’t be coming.”
Tired and feeling understandingly vulnerable given the past two days, Izzie lost her patience. “As he is mybetrothed,” she snapped. “I suspect he shall be.”
His expression darkened. “You are not betrothed.” He pulled a folded piece of parchment from his sleeve and held it up.
She gasped, realizing it must be the missive Walter had sent. A missive Randolph had obviously intercepted. “You have no right!”
“I have every right.” Apparently, deciding his moment of restraint was over, he pulled her into his arms again. “The only man you are going to marry is me.”
His matter-of-fact tone sparked her temper. “I believe I already refused you.”
“Aye, but that was before I realized I loved you. Before I realized that I’d made the biggest mistake of my life in letting you go. I do love you, Izzie. I mean it this time.”
She stared at him in disbelief. Was he for real or was this another one of his acts? Did it even matter? No, she answered herself. It didn’t.
Aware that about forty faces were staring at them right now, she carefully extracted herself from his embrace once again and said in a soft voice. “As do I when I tell you that nothing you could say would compel me to marry you.”
Surprisingly, rather than look at her, Randolph looked to the blond-haired warrior, MacSorley, who just shrugged. “Told you so, Randy.”
“Randy?” she asked, surprised. She couldn’t believe anyone would dare call the great Sir Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, by a diminutive.
Randolph ignored her question and shook his head. “I hope you’re right,” he said to the man.
What happened next was so shocking, Izzie had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t imagining what was going on. By then she was already seated on Randolph’s enormous warhorse, having been lifted very unceremoniously off her feet and plopped on top. “What are you doing?” she demanded
He didn’t answer. Motioning toward his men, he mounted up behind her and they started to ride off through the gate.
“Wait!” her brother shouted—like her, obviously catching up to what was happened rather late. “Where are you taking her?”
“To one of my castles until she agrees to marry me.”
“You are what?” she exclaimed, spinning around to look at him as if he were a madman—which clearly he was. “You can’t abduct me!”
He looked around. Clearly, no one was making a move to stop him. “And yet I am.”
She knew how to put a stop to this nonsense. “You can’t do this. It will ruin your reputation.”
“Too late.”
“How can it be too late?”
“I already told your cousin that I ravished you.”
