Page 30 of Edge of Yesterday

Gregory chuckled, then pulled Cailean’s arm over his shoulder and started off.

To Julianna’s relief, they reached the outskirts of John’s farmstead without incident, and Cailean had walked the latter half of the way without assistance. Bluish peat smoke rose from the chimney of the darkened gray-stoned house. Thankfully, the farmer was sleeping. Two horses stood near the low stone wall that encircled the grazing field they shared with his cattle. Worry niggled. The horses were raw-boned and rangy. They could easily carry Julianna, but the men outweighed her by at least eight stones.

Lennox whispered to Gregory, “I will open the gate. You sneak inside and shoo the beasties out and I will close the gate after you.” Gregory started forward, but Lennox glanced over his shoulder at Julianna. “If he twitches a muscle the wrong way, kill him.”

“I guess that means no kiss?” Cailean said.

Lennox ignored the quip and hurried to the gate. Julianna rolled her eyes. Both men were idiots. Cailean still wore his sword—a fact she felt certain Lennox hadn’t forgotten—but he wanted Cailean to know she wasn’t to be toyed with. Of course, Cailean’s reply openly ignored Lennox’s warning. Lennox might better have been named Lummox. The creak of rusty hinges broke into her thoughts and she held her breath as Lennox eased open the wooden gate.

“The farmer would have to be deaf not to hear that.” Cailean glanced at the house.

She agreed, surprised John hadn’t heard. A sturdy hay cart stood nearby, its bed empty. She wished they could load everyone onto the cart and let the horses pull them. But that was tempting fate too much. Fear prickled her nape as Gregory and Lennox led the ‘borrowed’ steeds across the open ground toward them. The two animals were definitely long in tooth and swaybacked, but better than nothing—she hoped.

They reached the trees and Lennox said, “Gregory, you ride ahead with Julianna. Get her safely home.” Lennox brought her the saddest-looking steed—a dappled mare. “I will lead Cailean’s horse.”

“You ride and I’ll walk.” Cailean said. “I have no intention of being led like a child.”

“You are a fool if you think ye can walk all the way to Raghnall in your condition,” Julianna said.

“Raghnall,” Cailean repeated. “You’re taking me to Raghnall— Wait. Julianna—Lady Julianna, daughter of Sir Artair Grray?”

“Aye.”

He snorted a laugh. “I’m going to Raghnall with Lady Julianna—and her brother Baron Ravenstone, no less. This ought to be good.”

Julianna drew a sharp breath. “Lennox, our father—”

“Hush,” he ordered. “Our father is in good health. Pay this stranger no heed. I wager he is mad.”

Cailean grunted. “Sounds about right.”

Julianna crossed herself. “They said John the Baptist was mad.”

Cailean laughed.

The sound struck her as a little crazed.

“I didn’t say your father was dead,” he said.

But that was exactly what he had implied.

She detected a slight slur to his words and realized exhaustion and injury were taking their toll. He wasn’t himself. Truth be told, neither was she.

“Get on the damned horse,” Lennox snapped, “or I will split your skull here and now, despite my sister’s protests.”

“Nae. Your sister and Gregory may ride on ahead.” Cailean seemed unruffled, and Julianna feared he didn’t understand that her brother would do as he threatened. “I can return to Heatheredge.”

“Sweet Jesu, you are not well enough to wander about at night,” Julianna shot back. “And Lennox will not let you leave until we know why you were wandering around the village at night. I will ride with you, Cailean. I do no’ want you falling from your horse—”

“You will not ride with him,” Lennox cut in. “He is a stranger—and mad, in the bargain.”

Julianna ignored him. “Can ye mount, Cailean?”

In reply, he grasped the horse’s mane and swung up onto the animal’s bare back. Despite the easy movement, Julianna didn’t miss a slight sway before he steadied himself. Thanfully, the horse didn’t balk. She reached for Cailean’s hand to aid her mount.

“Julianna—” Lennox broke off at a noise beyond the trees.

She jerked her head in the direction of the farm, then realized the noise hadn’t come from the house but from the road.