“I canna vow I will live forever, but Iwillna be dying anytime the soonest.”
“You promise?”
“Aye. ‘Tis why I canna let you come with meon the morrow. I must do what needs done, whatever road that leadsme down, so Victor and I may return to you.”
“I know,” Veronica admitted on a sniffle. “Imean, deep down I know that if the Campbells need eliminated thenthat’s what has to happen. We can’t let the virus spread. Thatsaid, I don’t want you going into Campbell land blind either. Iprefer going with you. I have a lot of good weapons you don’t knowhow to use.”
“Then teach me.”
“That takes time we might not have.”
“You are exhausted, lass.”
“I’ve been exhausted before.” She shrugged.“I still manage to do what needs to be done.”
“And if Victor has been bitten?”
She stilled. That thought had not occurredto her. “That is the one person I can’t kill. It would be Jasmineall over again.”
He resumed stroking her hair. “’Twould notbe easy for me either, yet he is your brother. Leastways, I dinnaken if I could end Catriona’s life even to free her soul.”
“Free the soul. Huh. That’s a constructiveway of looking at it.”
“I will not ask you to consummate again,wife,” Lachlan promised. He kissed her on the forehead. “The timeand place will be up to you, as always it has been.”
She drew herself in closer to him and gavehim a hug. She laid her head on his chest. “It will be very soon,”she whispered. “Preferably after a good night’s sleep.”
“Fair enough.” He squeezed her tighteragainst him. “I pray to the saints you slumber well this eve.”
Veronica half-chuckled and half-yawned. Sheraised her head to give him a quick kiss then plopped her head backdown on Lachlan’s chest. She fell asleep almost instantly.
She was an idiot.
Veronica cursed under her breath as shescrambled out of bed and onto the floor. She was well rested allright, but Lachlan was also long gone. She had hoped to see himthis morning. Actually she had hoped to do more than that. Shehadn’t wanted him to leave for the Campbells without being, as he’dnamed it, his wife in truth.
Padding over to the large window between herchest of drawers and the room’s small table for two, she moved theanimal skin drapes to have a look outside. Black and blue kiltedwarriors were practicing their sword fighting skills, but littleelse was going on. The sun was shining brightly overhead. Sheguessed the time to be slightly past noon. She sighed. Apparentlyshe’d slept like the dead. And speaking of the dead…
Now that she was wide awake she cursedherself for letting her husband go to the Campbells without her.What had she been thinking? Apparently she hadn’t been. Lachlan washighly trained and very strong, but the infected would be a newbreed to him. It only took one misstep; there were no do-overs.
Veronica closed the drapes and fumbledinside her chest of drawers until she found one of theMatrixsuits she kept hidden. She’d brought three pairs ofthem to the past with her, one of which had been torched upon herarrival while she’d been unconscious. That left two pairs. Theywere both the same skintight, black, faux leather so it didn’tmatter which one she chose. They were normal clothes in 2075 A.D.,especially for those who trained in the martial arts, but sherealized the suit would turn heads in 1155 A.D. Veronica didn’tcare anymore. Her husband and brother were at Ground Zero and shewas taking no more chances. Lachlan would likely want to wring herneck, but she was going to the Campbells’ land regardless.
She found her satchel next and pawed throughit to make certain all her weapons were inside it. They were.Satisfied she was well prepared, she slung the satchel over oneshoulder and determinedly made her way downstairs to the greathall. Hero greeted her first, looking up from his meal by thefireplace and wagging his tail in hello. If she hadn’t been in sucha hurry, she would have stopped to pet him. Instead, she mumbledout a “good boy” and kept going.
Moira and Catriona gasped in unison uponseeing her, causing the soldiers still partaking of lunch to lookup and over at her. Even the maids stopped serving mead to gape ather. Veronica came to a halt. She must have looked even more out ofplace than she’d assumed she would. Well, she decided, frowning,too bad. Her gaze sought out and landed on Ramsay. “You will takeme to the Campbells or I’ll go by myself. Either way, I’mgoing.”
Ramsay shot up from his seat at the headtable and all but ran to confront her. “You canna do that, milady,”he forcefully said under his breath upon reaching her. “Lachlanwill have my head do I take you.”
Veronica made to walk past him. “Then I’llgo alone.”
He blocked her path. “I canna allow it. I’vemy orders.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Whatorders?”
He flushed. “My orders are to keep you hereno matter if you have a fit.”
“A fit?”
“Leastways,” he said, absently running ahand over his blond hair, “The Gunn wishes for you to remainhere.”
