Thus, when she materialized in camp less than two hours after he’d left Joanna at Holyrood, he was caught by surprise and suffered an unpleasant blow to the ribs from Sutherland’s hammer as a result.
He swore and grimaced with pain but didn’t let it stop him. Ignoring Elizabeth, who stood near the edge of the practice yard with Helen MacKay doing a horrible job of pretending not to watch him, Thom gave his full attention to the contest with Sutherland and returned the blow with one of his own.
Sutherland grunted from the strike and the battle intensified. Blow after blow was exchanged and blocked, the exertion and effort it took wearing the combatants down to the point of exhaustion. But both men were too stubborn to yield.
The hammer was by far Thom’s best weapon, and his most comfortable with on the practice yard. He could hold his own against the elite warriors—even Sutherland and MacKay, who vied for title as the best.
Thom couldn’t say he was disappointed that she’d caught him with the hammer in his hand rather than the sword. Compared to most men-at-arms, he was good with a blade—maybe even really good—but compared to MacLeod and the elite warriors of the Highland Guard he had a long way to go.
But training with the Guard had given him a new perspective. The Guardsmen were strong with most weapons, but unlike the training he’d undertaken with Edward Bruce to become a knight, where the focus was on his skill with the sword, these men focused on their individual skill and were valued for it. Each warrior had been picked for what they excelled at, whether it was seafaring for MacSorley, archery for MacGregor, or scouting for Campbell. Thom was being recruited not for his skill with a sword (or a horse, thank God), but for his ability to climb. If he won a place among the vaunted warriors, it would be because he was the best.
Who would have thought that when he was climbing rocks as a lad and his mother was yelling at him to get down, it would someday be his path to greatness?
He had no doubt he qualified, but unfortunately he hadn’t yet been able to prove it. The nighttime forays at Castle Rock had failed to identify a possible route up the cliffs. He thought he might have found a way last night, but after spending hours trying to figure out a way to span a twenty-foot section that didn’t have useable foot- or handholds, he’d been forced to admit defeat.
It wasn’t something he did easily, as the current battle with Sutherland demonstrated. Sweat was dripping from every inch of Thom’s body, his muscles felt like jelly, and the hammer seemed to weigh three hundred pounds, but knowing Elizabeth was watching him gave him the added strength to keep fighting, and the edge he needed to win.
In the end it was Sutherland who raised a hand to yield after Thom took him off his feet with a well-timed blow and twist of his foot.
Thom nearly collapsed beside him, but managed to reach down and help the other man to his feet.
“Nice move, Rock,” Sutherland said with a wince as he rubbed his neck. “I see you’ve been paying attention to Raider’s lessons.”
Thom’s mouth twisted. “Maybe a few.”
The man with the war name of Ice laughed. “I’d say more than a few, but well done.” He clapped him on the back. “Of course, you’ll have to best MacKay tomorrow or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Thom grinned; the fierce contests between the two brothers by marriage had become legend in the Guard. “I’ll do my best.”
“Aye, well, just to be sure, I think I’ll speak to Lady Elizabeth and make sure she plans to be in camp tomorrow as well.”
Thom’s smile fell. He was glad none of the other men were close enough to overhear.
“Don’t worry,” Sutherland said. “I know all about the added incentive of an appreciative audience. If my wife had been watching, I would be the one helping you to your feet.” Suddenly he frowned. “Damn.”
“What is it?”
“Saint knows as well,” he said, referring to MacKay by his war name. “I’ll have to make sure Helen is away from camp when you fight him.”
The two men looked at each other and laughed.
Thom would have given three months’ wages for a warm bath before a fire, but instead he went to the stream to wash before seeking out Elizabeth, who had headed into the infirmary tent with Helen.
Although Thom was glad Elizabeth had sought him out so quickly, he wished she’d done so in a more circumspect fashion. Having her come to him in the middle of camp, surrounded by men who would be very interested to know why she wanted to see him—MacLeod, Douglas, and Randolph, to be specific—wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he’d sought out Joanna.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep his wooing of Elizabeth secret without help, he’d gone to Joanna, who’d been only too eager to agree to his plan, despite the fact that she’d be going against her husband’s wishes. She seemed to think that Jamie—like his sister—was being willfully stubborn about the matter and would “come around.”
Thom wasn’t so sure.
But he did have reason to hope that MacLeod might eventually understand and perhaps soften his stance. Although it was hard to believe by looking at the fierce, seemingly emotionless warrior, MacLeod had married for love. From Hawk—MacSorley—Thom had heard the story of the rogue mission MacLeod had led to rescue his wife from English hands—an act that launched the first strike in Bruce’s war eight years ago.
Still, Thom didn’t underestimate the risk in what he was doing. MacLeod had been damned clear about what was at stake. He didn’t want another Alex Seton. Thom had learned of the warrior whose discord with the others (Boyd, in particular) had caused him to leave the Guard. In deciding to pursue Elizabeth, Thom knew he was jeopardizing his future as a knight and his place in the Guard. He was also jeopardizing whatever chance he might have with the widow Rutherford—if she hadn’t gone tired of waiting for him.
But he couldn’t let Elizabeth go again. What they had together was worth fighting for. He realized what he was asking her to give up to marry him. Nor did he underestimate the difficulties they would face. But he had to make her see that he was worth it—theywere worth it.
But he also knew he was waging a losing battle against time. The betrothal could be announced any day.
The very thought sent rage surging through his blood. He almost regretted not giving in to their passion on the hill yesterday. It sure as hell would have sped things up. But he wouldn’t give her the excuse he knew she was looking for. He didn’t want her to marry him because he’d taken her virginity, he wanted her to marry him because she realized she loved him.
