Page 20 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

CHAPTERTEN

Muriel couldn’t tear her eyes away from the fire that blazed in front of her. She also couldn’t tear her thoughts away from everything that had happened.

She'd never been afraid of death before. She'd never given it much thought as she'd never experienced it. Everyone that mattered to her was alive and well. She had never been sick or hurt herself to the point of mortal danger.

She had never been chased by several assassins.

The thought that she could die at any moment left her blood cold as ice. What would her mother do without her? She was the only one she had. Her father still looked after her in terms of housing and food, perhaps out of some twisted sense of duty, but Muriel was the only one who could be by her side.

“Ye should teach me how to fight,” she blurted out; finally tearing her gaze from the fire to look at Liam. “Dinnae ye think that it’ll be better if I ken how to defend meself?”

Liam hesitated for just a moment before saying, “Aye, I suppose ye’re right. It’ll make things easier for me, too, if I ken that ye can defend yerself until I can get to ye.”

Muriel was surprised by Liam’s easy agreement. She had been entirely prepared for an argument – thinking he would tell her that there was no sense in putting herself in danger by training or trying to fight off a killer.

“I will teach ye a few things once we get to Argyll,” he promised.

“Oh… alright,” she said, for lack of anything better to say. She didn't know what to do with all the nervous energy that had accumulated inside of her now that she didn't have to argue.

“We should be goin’,” Liam said then; standing up and offering her a hand. Muriel took it and stood – happy to notice that her leg hurt much less. She twisted her left foot to the right and left a few times, testing both foot and ankle, before putting more weight on it.

“I think I can walk on me own, more or less,” she said.

“Take me hand anyway,” Liam said; wrapping his own around hers. “The ground is full of rocks here. I dinnae want ye to trip.”

Muriel had held Liam's hand several times before, so she wasn't sure what had caused her cheeks to flush, her entire face to fill with color. She clung to his hand the entire way to the wagon and when he let go, her skin became too cold.

She didn’t want to think about what any of it could mean. She had already resigned herself to her fate. She had decided that there was no point in fighting her upcoming wedding to Macleod. The last thing she needed was to develop an infatuation for someone else.

Because that was all it could be — an infatuation. She barely knew Liam, even if he had saved her life three times already. Whatever strange feelings were blossoming inside her were the result of feeling grateful to her savior.

It didn’t hurt that he was also one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes upon. She could see the way his forearms flexed and tightened as he held onto the reins with his sleeves still rolled up to his elbows, and she couldn't stop thinking about the strength that was contained there; just waiting to be released.

“Are ye alright, lass?” Liam asked and Muriel’s head snapped up to meet his concerned gaze. She hadn’t noticed that she had been staring at his hands all that time; transfixed by the way they moved.

“Och, aye,” she said; forcing a fake laugh. “I must have gotten distracted. I was thinkin’… about the fire and everythin’.”

“I ken that it was scary,” Liam said and she thanked the Lord that he hadn’t noticed her lie. “It’s a little scary for me, too. I’ve never had so many people tryin’ to kill me in such a short time before.”

“I thought men like ye didnae get scared,” Muriel teased.

“Men who say that they never get scared are the ones who get scared the most,” Liam said; giving her a playful grin. “Never believe them.”

Muriel laughed, and it was a genuine laugh — a bright, lilting sound she hadn't heard herself make in a long time. Even with everything that she had endured, Liam somehow managed to take her mind off it, even for just a little while – to cheer her up when she thought it was impossible.

“I’ll try to remember that,” she said. “It’ll be the first question I ask Macleod. Are ye afraid?”

“And he’ll say nae, me lady, I’m nae afraid of anythin’ if it means I may protect ye!” Liam shouted; one hand coming to rest over his heart, his lips pressed into a determined line.

Muriel laughed again at the sight; shaking her head. “Wouldnae that make him a liar accordin’ to ye, then?”

“Aye, but it’s only a wee lie to impress ye,” Liam said. “Ye should expect him to tell ye some lies like that.”

“Is that so?” Muriel asked. She didn’t think that she needed to be impressed by Macleod. She had no grand thoughts of romance, no expectations of love. All she wanted was for him to be a decent man. “Have ye told me any lies?”

“I didnae ken I had to impress ye,” Liam said, but his lips twitched into a smile, and Muriel couldn't help but notice the sudden flush in his cheeks.

Is he blushin’? I never thought I’d see a man like him blush.