“Beholden…”The valet seemed almost panic-stricken.
“Aye, Colonel Bennett. The earl understands debts and obligations. And he desires peace.”
“Of course he does.”
Exhausted and in need of a good night’s sleep, Richard climbed onto the soft feather bed and laid his head on thepillow. “In the meantime,” he said, “bring me some of that famous Moncrieffe whisky. I hear it’s the best.”
“Aye, Colonel. I’llhave a bottle sent up right away.”
“See that you do.”
* * *
“How do you plan to confront Richard once we reach the castle?” Amelia asked. She and Duncan were traveling through a shady forest, alive with the chirping of finches, buntings, and warblers,allfluttering their tiny wings in the treetops. A soft breeze whispered and sighed through the leafy sycamores, like a gentle caress, and Amelia knew she was enjoying the peacefulness of this place far more than she should. This was not a quiet haven for the soul. It was the path that was taking them to Duncan’s personal war, which was going to behellish and bloody.
“It’s no secret that the Earl of Moncrieffe does not support the Jacobite rebel ion,” she added, “and that he has pledged anallegiance to the King. Surely he has an army to fight against the threat you pose.”
“Aye,” Duncan replied, “but did you not hear what Beth’s father said back at the cottage? That the earl’s father wouldrollover in his grave if he knew what his son had become?
That proud Scottish laird was an unwavering Jacobite, and he fought hard at Sherrifmuir and died there, along with many other loyal Scots who served under him. For that reason, Moncrieffe Castle is divided, andallwe have to do is ride through the gate with our axes and claymores and we’llhave two hundred men from the earl’s army within minutes. Don’t fool yourself. Your betrothedwillhave no protection there.
The place is crawling with Jacobites whowillbe more than happy to feed him to us on a silver platter. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was already dead when we arrived, which would be unfortunate, to say the least.”
“Because you want tokillhim yourself.”
“Aye.”
Amelia cringed inwardly.«Well,allof that is disappointing to hear, because when my father spent time at Moncrieffe Castle in the spring he believed the earl and the members of his clan were a civilized lot, and that they desired peace.”
“Indeed they do, but how they go about achieving it is where the differences lie. Some fight for it. Others just wag their tongues and profit from their signatures. But I am weary of this talk. Let us speak of something else.”
Taking exception to his officious tone, she nevertheless strove to speak dispassionately. “What would you like to talk about? And let it not have anything to do with what happened back at the cottage.”
“Why? Were you that excited by the overwhelming sight of my magnificent naked form, lass?”
Her veneer of dispassion became impossible to maintain—probably because she had been hard-pressed to think of anythingotherthan his naked form since they had mounted the horse. The image of him in the tub had been striking erotic memory chords in her mindallmorning, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she could not suppress the stubborn, heated excitement it aroused in her.
“I told you that was the one thing I did not want to discuss.
It’s not suitable conversation for a lady.”
“Then why’d you bring it up?” He paused. “I find it odd, how you English lassies always behave according to what’s suitable. Don’t you ever just want to live honestly, and not hide or bury your desires?”
“Are you suggesting I desire you, Duncan?”
He rubbed his nose lightly against the back of her hair, which caused an unwelcome torrent of gooseflesh to tingle between her shoulder blades.
“That’s not the point,” he replied, “and you know it, although Idothink you find me fetching. How could you not?”
He was truly an unbelievable man.
“But if this fiancé of yours,” he continued, “was always behaving so properly in your presence, minding his manners, how can you be sure you ever knew his true, honest self?”
She thought about that for a moment. “I have already admitted that it is quite possible I did not.”
“There, you see? If a man doesn’t say or act on what he truly feels…”
“But that ismypoint, Duncan. In England, we exercise self-control, which is why I feel more safe there, among people who behave properly according to a strict set of social rules, than with people like you, who act on their basic impulses.”
