Page 42 of Never Kiss a Highlander

“I’m afraid no’ since, as I said, Finn took some of the men with him and the rest are on the lists.”

She chewed her lip and thought about her ride. It was truly the best part of her day. As much as she enjoyed her husband’s company, there was no reason why she could not go by herself. She and Finn had been riding the same area for weeks and it was truly a safe one.

“Would you please tack my horse, anyway. I will take a short ride by myself.”

The man rubbed his chin. “I doona ken about that, my lady. Yer husband was sure stubborn about ye no’ going alone.”

She fumed. ‘Twas time to take over and make Finn, as well as all the employees, know that, as Lady of the Manor, she had some say in what she could and could not do.

“I am sorry to put ye in the middle, Old Kilmead, but I insist you tack my horse, or I will do it myself. I promise I will go no farther than my husband and I do every time we ride.”

The man stared at her for a minute, then shrugged and headed into the stable.

She took a deep breath, having won that battle. Mayhap she and Finn should speak more about the things he ordered her not to do. They talked the other night about his need to control, and mayhap now that he told her the story of the time he’d lost control, and then assuring him he needed to let it go, he might no longer feel that he had to control everything.

With a sense of freedom, she took off and headed down the hill to the area she knew so well.

Finn stood looking at the burning bothies and frowned. “This makes no sense.”

Aside from a few small fires, and one bothy, it appeared there was no other damage.

“I thought so, too,” James said. “No one was injured or killed, No lass was tupped, no one is missing, the fires dinna really destroy anything and nothing was taken, according to the villagers.”

“’Tis almost like it was a distraction to get us to leave the castle,” Albert said, shaking his head. “Think ye we are being attacked while we stand here?”

Finn thought for a minute, then raced to his horse.

“Where are ye going in such a hurry?” Albert called as Finn hopped onto Morag and headed for home.

He’d gotten lazy. Since they’d heard nothing from the Sinclairs in all this time, he thought they had accepted what had happened. He’d even grown careless on their rides in the morning, more concerned with finding a place for him to tup his wife than about their safety.

He hated the thought of this carelessness, but he had a strong feeling he now was paying the price.

Chapter Eighteen

Alison found little pleasure in her ride. She’d gotten so used to having Finn by her side and teasing him and racing him that this morning’s outing left her with little enjoyment.

As she rode, she blushed as she spotted various places where she and Finn had found pleasure with each other. Even the jump over the hedges brought her no joy. Blast the man, he’d ruined her morning rides.

Thinking about the chores that awaited her back at the castle, she turned her horse around to end her ride and return home. She came to a halt as two riders approached. One of the men looked familiar, but she wasn’t sure.

Once they grew closer, she recognized Archie Sinclair and quickly turned her horse back toward the village. They were definitely up to no good and somehow she believed it involved her.

She could hear them getting closer and pushed poor Bonnie-Bay harder. Within minutes, she was lifted from the horse’s back and settled on Archie’s lap.

She elbowed him, punched wherever her fist landed, kicked back with her foot and attempted to scratch his face. She tried to reach for her dagger, but it was underneath her.

“Sit still, lass, or we will stop and tie ye up and it won’t be pleasant.”

“What do ye want with me? I’m married. ‘Tis o’er, Sinclair.”

“Nay. No’ o’er until we get the promises yer da made in the betrothal agreement.”

“‘Twas broken! By ye! I married Finn Mackay. Ye have yer lemman. Leave me alone.” Once more she shoved her elbow into Archie’s middle and shifted in an attempt to get her dagger.

Was The Sinclair angry enough to kill her even if her da did hand over whatever it was in the agreement that The Sinclair wanted bad enough to abduct her? Or were they just going to hold her until they received what they wanted?

She had never known what her da had gotten out of the betrothal agreement that seemed so very one-sided. From the little bit of the agreement that she had seen, The Sinclair would be getting land and the lairdship for Archie. She didn’t see in the agreement what it was that The Sinclair was giving in return.