“Right,” he said as he turned to mount his own horse and begin the day’s journey.
They rode for many hours with appropriate stops along the way. Every time he caught her attention he read pure pleasure on her expression. Her smile was infectious.
Riding alongside her after a time, he asked, “Have you given her a name, Lady Agnes?”
“Aye, my lord, I have,” she said with a grin. “She will be known as Catriona as she is as pure of heart of any creature I’ve ever known.” As she said this, she stroked the mare’s neck. The mare bobbed its head up and down. “Truly she is a great gift, and I do not know how to thank you.”
The genuine light surrounding her was gift enough. Maybe this one small gesture was a start on how he might bridge the distance between them.
“I am pleased you like her,” he said. “I understood you did not want to be secluded in the carriage during our journey. And now we are away from the city and the most danger to you, I believe it is safe.”
She brought it up then. “You still fear for my safety?”
“Aye, Lady Agnes.” How could she not see the inherent danger? “We do not know the extent to which your uncle and those in his element have infiltrated these roads.”
With that she looked around them, promptly dismounted, and strode toward the carriage.
“Lady Agnes, you are safe with me here riding beside you.”
“Am I? You admit it, you don’t know how many of the houses in those missives merely responded or took action. We will ride through many of their lands, that much I remember from my uncle’s ramblings. As much as I appreciate your gift, I will take my chances with the heat and the midges in the carriage.”
She entered the carriage and slammed the door. William took Catriona’s reins and secured them to the back of the carriage and signaled for the group to continue forward.
Christ, could he not gain an inch with her? He thought he’d done a kind service for her, but here he was again losing favor.
William shook his head and kicked his heels into his horse’s side. He’d ride ahead for a bit to clear his head. This lady was proving to be more of a challenge than he’d anticipated. Maybe, his whole approach was not so well crafted after all.
Chapter Seven
Sitting in thecarriage alone and stewing over the earl was ridiculous. She was getting on her own nerves now. But she had to make a point. Was she in danger or not? She did recall some of the names; there were Grant, Ross, and Munroe names on that list and they would pass through each of their lands in order. And she didn’t want to spend the next several days cooped up in a carriage no matter how luxurious.
After about an hour and once she settled herself, she tapped on the carriage roof. It came to a stop almost immediately.
She didn’t wait for the door to be opened for her, rather opened it and hopped out, nearly tripping on her skirts. She straightened and smoothed her skirt.
The earl trotted to her but said nothing. So she lifted her chin and said, “My lord, I should like to ride Catriona. Will you help me mount her?”
His mouth opened slightly with a curl, and then he closed it. He dismounted and untied her horse from the back of the carriage and then reached out his hand to her. She took it and then strong hands encircled her waist. The pressure as his hands tightened when he lifted her sent wicked sensations through her.
Her breath caught in her throat once she was above him and caught him staring at her with a peculiar expression. It wasn’t quite anger, certain not joviality, but his eyes darkened as hecontinued to stare at her. Her gaze flicked down to his mouth which was parted slightly and his lips curled into a faint smile.
“Are you seated well, Lady Agnes?”
His voice was like silk on her skin. She shivered for a moment wondering what that voice would be like in her ear. She shook the thought away. This was getting out of control.
Shifting on the saddle, she positioned herself for comfort, held the reins and horn, and nodded. “Aye, my lord, I am well seated and ready.”
With one more glance toward him she turned her thoughts from the vision of him with his honey-colored eyes, and broad, leather-clad shoulders and thick chest, and urged Catriona forward.
Freedom. That was what riding on her own horse meant to her. To be fully in the capacity to direct her movements was liberating, even if only in this small way. Her parents had controlled sending her to Stirling, her uncle had controlled her time at the castle, and now the earl controlled the result of her uncle’s scheming. She was irritated with the lot of them, but she could have this one piece of independence, and she would take full advantage.
The earl, to his credit, did not force her from her horse or tell her when she would need to rest. She determined each time she needed to rest and relieve herself. He for the most part left her alone, so she took in the beautiful country around her.
Flat plains gave way to rocky cliffs and pops of heather on the mountains in the distance. They galloped along the edge of Loch Ness, and she grinned to herself about the stories she’d been told about the most famous monster in all of Scotland. Och, she was sure her Bregdi could give that old Loch Ness monster a run for its money.
Her days were filled with living in the moment of enjoying the beautiful countryside and her nights were filled withincreasingly vivid dreams of the man who mostly rode quietly beside her. He appeared to be lost amongst his own thoughts, so she carried on lost in her own.
On the morning of the day they were to arrive at Inverness, he lingered a little longer after hoisting her atop Catriona. After, he mounted his horse and rode alongside her.
