Page 56 of Betrayed by His Highland Wife

Perplexed, she pushed on through the undergrowth, trying to get away, but Grayfriar led her astray.

"Nay," said Nora, agitated.

The voices grew loud, indicating that they were near her. Shuddering, Nora tried her hardest to get away, but her horse had other ideas.

"Nay, lass, och," complained Nora, as Grayfriar attempted to lead her through the fray.

Then, giving up, she sighed. "Och, do ye happen to ken hoo to get oot?"

Following the gray mare, she battled through the undergrowth. If she had not been so petrified, she might have looked harder. Then, suddenly, they were somewhere she recognized.

"Crivvens!"

Looking up, Nora saw a tumbledown shack, a vague crumbling stack that used to be a cottage. Seeing it, she gave a gasp. It was the abandoned house in the woodlands, the one near the new village.

But as the men's voices neared, there was nothing for it. Pulling Grayfriar in, she leaped behind the door, urging her to quiet as the party passed them.

"Och, Morag will skelp him for coming home so tardy," one of the voices filtered through the gap in the door, bringing with it the loud bravado of the men.

Breathless, Nora waited, crouching behind the crumbling cottage, glancing up at the debris around.

"Well, there's a cure fer a nagging woman. The cucking stool at Bammock." cried one of the men as the others laughed. Nora held her breath as the men's voices passed. Slowly, she realized that they were not guards, just villagers returning home after working in the fields.

They were not looking for her.

Probably.

Sighing, Nora looked at her stricken horse. The poor creature gazed at her mournfully in the half-light of the abandoned house. Stroking the animal's fetlocks, Nora ruminated on her life.

"Och, Grayfriar, look at that rain." She gazed out, watching the capricious Highland weather deliver yet another surprise storm. The gray mare whinnied loudly. She had never liked rain nor loud storms.

Nora let out another sigh as her thoughts turned west to Duncan Castle. Nestling out of sight, she could nevertheless catch sight of its direction from the hole in the blackhouse wall.

With a pang, she thought of their wedding day. Leaning flatly against the wall, she deflated like a sheep's bladder. She should be there now, her and William leading the dancing, the pair of them charging their cups to the cheering crowds.

Nora could not stop it. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks. She pictured them together, holding and caressing, joining hands for the wedding dance. A heat burned inside of Nora. They would never have their wedding night or the joy of their first child. Christenings, feasts, family occasions, the list went on. Nora could barely comprehend it. All gone.

Turning away, a picture came to her of the scenes in the castle as she had slipped away. The drinking, the jesting, the carousing, it would all be underway right now. Or it would have if she had not left him.

Forlornly, she pictured William, tense and alone, waiting for her to return. And then, when she didn't, what would he do? Fear prickled her heart. It wrenched her deeply, almost pulling her insides out. He hated her, she was sure. Which made sense, as she hated herself too.

And with cold in her heart, she tensed as she thought of someone who hated her even more than both of them: her father. At this, Nora shuddered. Just the thought of him made her cold. If he saw her, it would be the end of her. He would kill her.

But oddly, this did not even rank as the top problem she had at that moment. Right then, Nora was more concerned with finding her way through this forest. It was raining.

Suddenly, the skies had opened up, spewing out a gale from literally nowhere. Rains lashed the ramshackle walls of the blackhouse, sending gusts howling around. Nora wondered where the men were. Maybe they had reached their homes.

Yes, because the new village was not far. She remembered now that William had shown her around. They were just there all along. And then, somehow, they had gotten back into the Duncan clan. But, also, there was a road out of it.

Screwing up her head, Nora tried to think. Where had that road been?

She was so preoccupied that she did not notice the branches cracking, leading to the house. In her daze, she pulled her hands over her eyes, anything to try and stop the sobs from coming through.

Then, she sensed a stillness. All the sounds of the storm dulled. It was as if something came into the room. Still deep in her thoughts, Nora crouched against the wall. She had to think.

Think! There must be some way out of this.

But inside, all she could think about was if she would ever see William again.