Minetta rounded on her, glaring at the other woman. “Why did she do that?” she demanded, her eyes glittering dangerously.
Loraine took a step backward and turned away to leave, but Minetta caught her by the neck of her nightgown, then pulled and twisted until Loraine was caught in a stranglehold. She was choking and thrashing as she tried to escape, but the more she struggled, the tighter Minetta’s hold became.
“Now, if you promise to tell me what I want to know,” Minetta hissed in her ear, “I will let go. If not, I will hold on ’til you pass out, and you may wake up in the dungeon. Nod if you promise.”
Loraine nodded frantically. Minetta loosened her hold enough to let her breathe freely, but did not release her grip on the nightgown. Loraine gasped and choked for a moment, her eyes streaming, while Minetta waited impatiently. “Tell me!” she demanded.
“Clyde and I were kissing,” Loraine replied at last. “She saw us.”
“Who was kissing whom?” Minetta demanded. “Did you start it?” She stared at Loraine with eyes that were black with rage.
“No,” Loraine replied faintly, “he did. I swear.”
Minetta felt a black hatred, the likes of which she had never felt before, boil up inside her. “Tell me the truth!” she roared. “Because I see the love in my brother’s eyes when he looks at Cora, and that love is not there when he looks at you. You kissed him because you saw Cora, did you not? And you wanted to make her jealous? Well done, milady. Now they are both riding in the darkness, and God only knows what dangers will befall them!” She gave Loraine a powerful shove, and she stumbled for a few steps before landing on her backside on the floor. However, Loraine had instinctively put her hands out to break her fall, and she screamed as dozens of razor-sharp shards drove into her tender skin.
Minetta laughed with unholy satisfaction. “Oh, dear, did you hurt yourself?” she asked in amusement. “Shame.” She walked away but sent a maid to help Loraine.
At least one of us has a heart,she thought.
After her initial flight out of Rosnablane Castle, Cora slowed her horse down and stopped at the edge of the forest. She looked around her, trying to see something—anything—that could help her navigate, but she was in unknown territory now, and she had no idea where she was.
What had she been thinking? In her haste to get away from the castle, she had left behind everything she needed. She had no saddle, no spare clothes, no money, and worst of all, no shelter. She could have gone to Clyde’s little hut, but she had no way of finding it. Cora dismounted and led Geordie into the shadow of the trees, trying to find one that she could sit down and rest her back against.
She could only hope that there were no wolves or wild boars nearby, since she was completely defenseless. She made her way to a place where the trees were so thick that she could barely see the sky, then felt around with her arms outstretched until she found a tree trunk to rest against. She sat down on a carpet of pine needles, which felt uncomfortable in the extreme, but she had no choice.
Cora tried to empty her mind of her problems and think peaceful thoughts, but it was impossible. Clyde Munro had broken her heart, and she would have to learn to live with it. Now she had to move on and find someone with a big enough garrison and a generous enough heart to help her get her castle and estate back.
Cora did not realize that she had dozed off until she was awakened by the sound of Geordie whickering beside her, and the noise of soft footsteps breaking twigs underfoot. At the same moment, the piercing light of a lantern stabbed her eyes and she gave a terrified scream, sure that her end had come. “Please don’t hurt me!” she begged. “I have no silver, but you can take my horse. He is a fine beast. His name is Geordie and—”
“Shhh, do not be afraid of me.” The voice was male, gentle, and reassuring. “I do not want to hurt you, and I have no intention of taking your silver, even if you had any. And if your horse is a fine beast, then you must keep him.” The man lifted the lantern to illuminate his face, and Cora was surprised to see that it was Baron Andrew Sutherland, Loraine’s former fiancé. He smiled, a kindly, concerned smile that lessened her fear a little.
From her position under the trees, it was so dark that Cora did not realize that she had slept for hours.
“You are no doubt wondering why I am creeping about in the darkness,” the baron whispered. “I am on the trail of a band of outlaws who have been plaguing these parts for a while, but my dogs have lost their scent. However, they found yours and led me here.”
Cora looked up at him. Andrew Sutherland could see the fear that still lurked in her eyes, and he knew he could use it to his advantage. He took out a flask of ale from the leather satchel that was strapped crossways over his chest. “Drink a little,” he said softly, as he took his cloak off and draped it over her shoulders. “And take this. Even in midsummer, the Highlands still cling to the cold.”
Cora drank the ale, only realizing then how thirsty she had been.
“Why are you out here in the dark?” Andrew asked curiously as he drew her to her feet. “Do you not realize how much danger a young, defenseless lady like you is in, in a place like this?”
Cora could think of nothing to say. “It is my own business, Baron.” She had meant to sound stern, but her voice quavered. “Thank you for the drink and the cloak, but I must be on my way.”
“You know who I am,” the baron observed, “and I know who you are, Milady Henderson, so let us not play games. You are running away from Laird Munro, are you not?”
Cora sighed and nodded dumbly.
“At night? Alone and unprotected?” He sounded shocked. “You are going no further, milady. You are coming back to my castle, where you will be safe, and you can sleep in a proper bed. We can talk further in the morning, but I cannot in good conscience leave you here.”
“Thank you,” she replied faintly. “I must have slept for a long while.” Until that moment, she had not realized how exhausted she was, and the thought of shelter and a soft feather bed was too tempting to resist.
“Your horse has no saddle or bridle,” the baron observed, frowning. “Have you taken them off?”
“No,” Cora replied. “I left in haste, and he allows me to ride that way.”
“Remarkable,” the baron observed, with an admiring smile. “But you are not coming with us on a horse like that.”
He whistled, then some burly guards came out between the trees and put a rope halter around Geordie’s neck. “You will ride with me,” he instructed. He hoisted Cora into the saddle and mounted in front of her, then ordered her to put her arms around his waist.
