Page 33 of Highlander’s Dangerous Gambler

Scott laughed and shook his head before asking, "An' who won?"

Aileen pursed her lips. "I did, as ye ken! I got ahead o' wee Billie; it was the other rider who topped me."

The memory of her fall loomed large upon her. If she had only made it, she could have been sitting on a big bag of coin!

But then, with a sideswipe to Scott, she realized that she would never have met him and would certainly not be spending time with him now.

Grinning, Aileen giddied up on White Star. Perhaps everything happened for a reason after all, although it was very hard to wonder what reason there was for marrying a man she had never met.

Abandoning all hopes of hearing about Scott's sister, Aileen instead decided to quiz him about the laird's mysterious son.

"So then, um, the laird's son," she said, trying to sound casual. All the same, she shot a look toward him to make sure he understood. "What do ye ken o' him?"

Scott shrugged. "Nothing much," he said, almost shutting down straight away. Aileen felt aggrieved. He seemed to have clammed up entirely.

Sensing a silence, Aileen said, "Well, a name would be good," she prodded. It was just occurring to her that she did not even have his first name!

"Brodie," said Scott bluntly. He did not look at her when he spoke but picked up the reins to go faster. Pointedly, Aileen looked at him. She wanted to know exactly what was wrong with Scott because make no mistake, there was something wrong with him.

The mention of Brodie's name had unleashed something inside him, and now he had clammed up tight. No matter how hard she tried, he was not saying anything more. Instead, she picked up the reins and fixed Scott with a grin.

"So, then, um, Brodie, can ye tell me some more?" She looked keenly at him.

Scott nodded his head but then promptly vanished.

And that was the end of that conversation!

The night came quicker than either of them anticipated. Feeling the chill around her shoulders, Aileen pulled the shawl tight and shivered.

It was getting dark, and fast, the last vestiges of summer disappearing in a frosty haze on the horizon.

Glancing at Aileen, Scott looked around.

"Aye," he said, in answer to a question that no one had asked. "We should stop now."

And without waiting for a response, he slowed his horse to a trot. Following him on, Aileen slowed down too, but in bad grace.

For the last few miles, they had ridden in silence, with Scott dodging all of her questions. Every time she asked him about his family or life, he simply pulled ahead, laughing. It happened enough times for her to get the message alright—he didn't want to talk. Possibly, about anything.

As Aileen was fast finding out, Scott was a man of few words. Instead, she had passed the time sending him surreptitious glances and trying to pretend she was not watching him.

She noticed he did the same to her. Once or twice, she had caught him looking when he thought she wasn't. Then, he swiftly turned his head, as if he had been looking somewhere else all the time. Very little actual conversation had passed between them, Scott using the excuse of the hard ride making it difficult to hear, but really, Aileen knew he just didn't want to.

"Here's as good a spot as any," murmured Scott, indicating the side of the track. He came to an abrupt stop, leaping down from his stallion.

But when he looked back, he found Aileen staring fixedly.

"What’s wrong wi' it?" he asked, looking genuinely surprised.

Aileen, who had not budged from her horse, shook her shoulders rigidly.

"What's right wi' it!" she scoffed. She stared down her nose at the boggy scrubland in front of them. Then she looked at Scott truculently. He couldn't have picked a worse spot if he had looked for it.

Aileen folded her arms pointedly and refused to budge. For a moment, Scott gazed up at her, then he burst out laughing.

"Och, I'm sorry if it isnae up to yer high expectations, Lady Duncan!" He shook his head at her teasingly. Aileen turned her face to him, her chin pointed upward.

The sight of Scott laughing and provoking her drove her to fury.