Behind him, Finlay heard the snuffling of a horse. She was an old nag, but was beautiful in her maturity, and devout in her hardiness. She came up to Finlay and sniffed him, nuzzling her nose against his back. He turned and couldn’t help but smile.
“Greetings, old girl. Still watching over the old fool?” he whispered. Tulip whinnied, a little too loudly for Finlay’s liking. He shushed the horse and raised a hand to her mane, stroking it gently, remembering years past when she had been a glorious mare striding through the fields. Never a more majestic horse had he seen, but time had taken its toll on her, just as it had on his father.
Just as it would on him, eventually.
“I know it’s been a long time, lass, but I am nae staying. I just came tae leave something behind,” he patted Tulip gently and moved away from the stable, fearing that if she made too much noise then his father might be alerted and would come to check on him. Finlay bent low and used the cover of night to move towards the house. The candlelight flickered. His father had always made a habit of staying up as late as possible and sleeping little. Brandon always used to say that life was for living, not sleeping and that he would sleep enough when he was dead. Many a time had Finlay found himself accosted for sleeping in late when there was work to be done. At the time it had been frustrating, but now Finlay found himself wishing for those days to return, for they were better than the ones that existed now.
He crept towards the door and left a small pouch behind, one that was filled to the seams with coin. If his father knew where he had gotten it he wouldn’t have been pleased, but he didn’t need to know. As soon as Finlay dropped it he rushed away, darting into the safety of the forest. He watched from an obscured vantage point as Brandon opened the door, peeringout into the darkness. He bent down and picked up the purse, looking thoughtfully at it as he felt the weight of it in his hands. Then, he cast his gaze out into the night sky. Did he know that it was Finlay who left this money?
The door closed leaving Finlay in his lonely torment. Brandon slipped inside, and soon enough the house was deathly quiet, with all the candles snuffed out.
Finlay went deeper into the forest, finding the campsite he had claimed for himself. He huddled on the hard ground, ignoring the chill that crept underneath his thin blanket, trying to stop his teeth from chattering. He warmed himself by thinking about Anne. She was nothing but a spoiled, sheltered rich girl, and she was the perfect target for his plan. The jewel she wore around her neck was likely only one of many, and she was so willing to make a good impression on him that it would be easy to take advantage of her gratitude.
6
Anne awoke with a start. It took her a moment to remember that she was in the McLeod clan, not at home where the roof was filled with holes and the wind blew through the walls. She lingered in bed for a while, enjoying the comforting warmth.
“I’m hungry,” Rory said.
“Ye are always hungry,” Anne scolded, rolling her eyes a little. “Why dinnae ye see if ye can scrounge some breakfast? And while ye are at it, see if ye can find Finlay as well,” her heart fluttered a little as she spoke the man’s name. It was strange for her to find a target so alluring, but perhaps that only meant the endeavor was going to be more fun than usual. Rory grimaced as he left the room, leaving Anne to get ready. Since it was daytime she didn’t feel the need to wear the elegant dress. Besides, it would do no good for Finlay to see her in the same dress all the time. Women of means were supposed to have a variety of outfits, and if she was going to see him repeatedly she was going to have to find a way to broaden her array of outfits. The room had, unfortunately, taken up a lot of her coin so she didn’t havemuch to spare for clothes. However, the riches that Finlay could offer would be worth the investment.
Until then, however, she was going to have to make do with what she already had. She smoothed down her dress and tidied her hair, taming the wild locks that cascaded around her heart-shaped face. She took her shawl and rolled it until it was tight, then wrapped it around her waist. She tied it there, which helped to narrow the dress around her hips, accentuating her feminine curves. She adjusted the top of her dress so that it showed some of her neck as well. She was hardly going to flaunt herself as a harlot would, but she wanted to keep Finlay interested and there was nothing a man liked more than a woman who knew how to display herself. Still, she was supposed to be a demure noble girl, so she would have to flutter her eyelashes and flash coy smiles, pretending that she had no idea how to act at all.
She practiced these gestures over and over again, wondering if her mother had worn the same gestures, only more earnestly. She had been born into that world as well, turning her back on it eventually when she had a better choice.
In good time she heard the patter of footsteps outside the door, and then Rory came crashing in. She could barely understand him because he had a mouth filled with food, but after he swallowed she gleaned the meaning of his words.
“Finlay is at the stable outside,” he said and then grinned. “He treated me tae a cake.”
“How very kind of him. It’s this generosity that is gaeing tae lead him intae trouble,” she said, greed flashing in her eyes. “Now ye just stay out of trouble while I spend some time with him. Follow us in case there’s trouble, but keep a good distance. And whileye are at it, see if ye can find any other targets for us. We may as well make good use of our time here,” she said.
“Aye,” Rory mumbled. Then he brightened. “If we dae get enough money, can I get that dagger I was asking ye about?”
“What dagger?” she asked, feeling as though there was a vague memory lurking from the previous night, but it remained elusive.
Rory huffed and dug his hands into his armpits. “Never mind,” he muttered. Anne took a few extra moments to check her appearance, and then she descended the stairs, ready to spend the day with Finlay.
She found him by the stables as Rory had indicated.
“Morning good, sir,” Anne said, bending her knees and bowing her head, wearing a look of surprise on her face as though it was pure chance that they had encountered each other again. Finlay turned and wore a wide smile, inclining his head towards her.
“And morning tae ye, my lady. A pleasure it is tae see ye again, I can assure ye that last night was the longest night of my life.”
Anne giggled at the flattery. His manner was that of someone who knew how to play the court games, and his silver tongue had a way with words. She was glad to not have to endure the usual grunts and leers that some men believed were the art of seduction.
“And mine was short, but only because it was filled with wonderful dreams,” she said, turning her gaze away slightly to lend an air of mystery to her words.
“Oh, and what dreams would they be?” he arched an eyebrow.
Anne wore a look of mock shock. “Sir, I thought a gentleman should know better than tae ask a lady about her private dreams. A lass must hae secrets after all,” she added a flutter of her eyelashes to her words, and his smile widened. She then cast her gaze on the horses. “Are ye gaeing tae take a ride?”
“Nae, I was considering procuring a horse for myself. We hae an old horse. She hae served us well but, well, time claims us all. Still, I am nae sure that any of these hae as big a heart as she does. Or perhaps I’m just nae ready tae say goodbye yet,” his mouth twisted in a genuine smile and his feelings seemed earnest, stripped of the rakish charm. He spoke about the horse as if she was a member of the family rather than just a tool to be used for work, and she appreciated this attitude. He clearly had a good heart, and she almost felt guilty about having to break it. Men with good hearts were rare to come by, but they were also easy to play.
“Perhaps ye would like tae join me on a walk through the market? I’m sure ye are eager tae tell yer uncle about his competition.”
“Of course,” Anne nodded her assent. Finlay held out his arm in a gallant manner and she took it, curling her arm around his. He was a slender man, not boasting a warrior’s build, but she could feel the coiled strength within. There was more to him than there seemed at first glance, she thought. “And is there anything ye are looking for other than a horse?”
“Oh, I’m always looking for anything pretty that catches my eye,” he said, shifting his gaze towards her for a moment. Anne was usually quick on her feet, but this took her by surprise and she wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. Thankfully, this was probably the appropriate response as a noble, sheltered girl would not have been exposed to such a brazen attitude before either. So she did not have to feign the blush on her cheeks or the twitching smile, but she wondered if he could tell that her heart had skipped a beat.
