Page 44 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

“Donnae ask,” Laird Labert growled. “We’re headed to the castle. I need a bath and a stiff drink.”

“Can I come along?” Elspeth asked quickly. “I’m feeling poorly and would like to see Master Faraday.”

“Aye!” Laird Labert nodded. “Ye can sit with Bruce. Lads, help her up.”

Elspeth glanced at Bruce to gauge his feelings at being forcibly lumped with her. A small war waged between the three brothers, and Charles came out the victor. He helped Elspeth climb up. She tried not to hold on to Bruce, but her balance was off and she had to clutch at his arm. He stiffened.

“Sorry,” she murmured, and pulled her hand away.

“We’ll meet you at the castle!” Edward assured her.

“I’ll play you the lute,” Daniel said.

“And I’ll sing!” Charles smiled.

“I look forward to it,” Elspeth said, her smile fracturing into a grimace as soon as they were on their way, leaving the Labert boys behind.

The movement of the horse forced her back into Bruce’s torso. She held the saddle horn in a tight grip, arching her back so she would not collide with him. The streaks of dirt on his arm were mingled with blood. A strong desire to take his hand and inspect his wound rose in her.

Laird Labert must have been in a hurry because he struck the reins on his horse and sped up. Bruce did the same. Elspeth found it hard to maintain her balance and gripped the horn harder. Her back hurt from arching it while still trying to maintain her balance. She was about to slip to the side, her heart lurching into her belly. She stiffened and closed her eyes, ready for a teeth-jarring impact. But Bruce’s arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close with such force she forgot to breathe for an instant.

The summer day became brighter and the air more fragrant. Bruce’s torso was a brick wall. Elspeth could feel his heat against her back, the firmness of him rubbing against her, his arm an anchor holding her just underneath her breasts. She felt cocooned in his musk, a heady scent that was unique to him.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the castle and she was obliged to disembark. She didn’t dare look at his face for fear he’d be looking daggers at her. Instead, she busied herself in fixing her skirt.

“Creed!” Laird Labert yelled. “Take these horses down to the first farm on the road. There’ll be a cantankerous bastard there with a black eye. Give him the horses and tell him the Laird will be seeing him on the morrow for his punishment.”

“What happened?” Elspeth asked. “Yer bruised.”

“Bruce and I went for a walk and found ourselves miles from the castle without horses.” Laird Labert frowned, his mind still on the incident that had given him a bruised jaw. “We asked a local farmer if we could borrow his horses.”

“He refused,” Bruce added, bubbling mirth in his voice. Elspeth couldn’t help but glance at him and she saw that indeed, he was smiling, his brown eyes bright with mischief. “Laird Labert told him who he was.”

“The fool refused to believe it!” Laird Labert exclaimed, obviously still rankling from the audacity of a poor farmer not knowing who he was. “Took me by the shirt and threatened to hand me in on treason for impersonating the Laird to fool the locals.”

“Then he landed a punch,” Bruce crowed.

“And I hit him back!”

“We stole the horses. He’s probably shambling behind us on his one good leg.”

“Ye hit a man with one leg?” Elspeth stared between the two men, utterly perplexed.

“Nae because he was one-legged, but because he was a damn stubborn oaf!” Laird Labert punched his fist into his palm to emphasize the point.

“He was asking for it.” Bruce nodded.

“And how did ye injure yer hand?” she asked, pointing to his left palm.

“I fell and must have hit a rock,” Bruce said, but he was suddenly evasive, and wouldn’t look her in the eye.

“Master Faraday can have a look at that before ye leave.” Laird Labert waved his hand dismissively. He was keen on taking a bath and wanted the conversation to be over. “Come,” he said, ushering them inside the castle. “We’ll ask cook to prepare a feast tonight in yer honor, Bruce.”

“Yer leaving?” Elspeth asked, feeling more hurt than she thought she would.

She had known this day would come when Bruce would continue on his journey but that he would plan on leaving without informing her at least a few days before had not occurred to her. No one knew of his departure. If the Labert boys had known they would have discussed it with her. Had Bruce planned on slipping out quietly without telling anyone?

“Aye,” Laird Labert answered for Bruce. “I only found out from Master Faraday.”