Beth’s father scoffed. “He’llgive Bennett anything he asks for, if it means he’llhave the ear of the King.allhe wants is more land and more riches. He’lllikely hand over the entire Moncrieffe militia to Bennett, to help him hunt down our Butcher and deliver his head on a spike to the Tower of London.”
Angus paced in front of the fire. “The only head that’llsee a spike any time soonwillbe Bennett’s.”
“Godwilling.” Beth’s father raised his glass and took another drink.
Beth quickly stood.«Well, I hate to break up the merrymakin’, gentlemen, but it’s morning. The cowswillsoon be whining, and the childrenwillwake.”
Craig stood. “What are your plans?” he asked Angus and Duncan. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”
Duncan stood, too. “We’llbe heading out today, but we’d be grateful for some fresh provisions, and the lady could use a quiet place to sleep. She’s had a long night, and I reckon she’d like to wash up.”
“You can take the room in the back,” Beth said. “The youngsterswillbe up soon, and I’llhave them haul out the tub and heat some water for a bath.”
Amelia exhaled with relief. “Thank you, Beth.”
Duncan crossed to Angus and leaned close. “Where are the others?” he asked.
“Taking care of the camp,” Angus replied. “They should be along shortly.”
He glanced back at Amelia, then spoke privately to Angus again, but she strained to listen.
“Tel Gawyn to sit outside the lassie’s window,” Duncan whispered, “and guard the door aswell.”
“I’llsee it done.”
“And send Fergus with a message for my brother,” he said in an even quieter voice. “I want him to know where we’re headed.”
He had a brother?
Duncan’s eyes met hers only briefly, cool and unreadable, before he closed his hand over the hilt of his sword and walked out.
* * *
Hours later, after a deep and dreamless sleep,followedby a much-needed warm bath, Amelia final y felt more like herself, cleansed free of the grime from days in the saddle and the clammy residue of that disgusting English soldier who had assaulted her on the beach. She was just braiding her hair and pushing past the curtain that served as a door to the back room when she collided abruptly with Duncan.
“I thought you’d never come out of there,” he said. Aballof fire bouncedin the pit of her belly. She had been naked not five minutes ago, believing herself alone in thesmallcottage.
She had not heard him enter and was unnerved by the possibility that he might have watched her bathe through a crack in thewallor listened to the dreamy cadence of her voice while she hummed. The framework of her stays felt suddenly tight and sticky over her breasts.
“And I thought I might have died and gone to heaven,” she casual y said, “when I thought I was actual yalone.”
His eyes gleamed, and dangerbellsbegan to chime inside her head, for it was difficult to ignore the sensual memory of his lips touching hers in the glade the other day.
She found herself knocked off balance by her body’s response to his nearness.
“I wanted to thank you,” he said, “for what you did last night. You could’ve left me in the woods to die, but you came here instead.”
“It’s not as if I had any choice in the matter. I wouldn’t have gotten very far on my own. And besides, those English soldiers…”
She did not need to explain herself further. He nodded with understanding, which left her feeling strangely displaced.
The truth was, she was deeply relieved that he wasstillalive.
Despite everything, she would never have been able to live with herself if she hadkilledhim—especial y after what he had done for her at the lake.
They werestillon opposite sides of this war, of course—he was a Scottish Jacobite and she was an Englishwoman loyal to the King—but the personal antagonism between them seemed less absolute now. Less fierce. It seemed to be hiding behind shadows, and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.
He twirled the axe around in his hand, then slipped it into his belt. “Yousmellpretty, lass. Just like that first morning in the cave, when I had to fight my brutish urges to keep from ravishing you.”
