Page 26 of Savage Kilted Highlander

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Society’s rules, be damned,” Bane said sharply. “Ye’ll go mad if ye try tae keep up with them, and ye’ll certainly never be happy. Plus, it seems tae me ye have already broken them by running away from home. They’re nay way tae live yer life. Stop worryin’. Nay one’s here tae see us, are they? And the landlord thinks we’re man and wife, so what’s the harm? Look, ye can roll up the quilt and put it between us if it bothers ye so much. Ye can have that side of the bed, and I’ll have this side. I swear I’ll nae touch ye. But dinnae try tae creep over tae mine in the night.” He winked at her, once again amused by her scandalized blushes, whilst finding them adorable at the same time.

The altercation was interrupted by the arrival of supper, a thick beef stew with dumplings and greens, a jam tart, and a large flagon of ale to wash it down. Bane’s mouth watered as the maid placed the tray on the table. When she had gone, Constance raced over to it eagerly at sat down to eat, her earlier concerns apparently forgotten, for the time being at least. Bane got up and took his seat opposite her.

He poured them a glass of ale each and they drank thirstily. Then they fell on the food like hungry wolves, occasionally sharing satisfied glances as they made their way steadily through everything on their plates. It made Bane smile to see how quickly Constance abandoned her fine table manners and shovelled the food into her mouth just as hungrily as he did.

“It tastes better than goat’s meat and mouldy bread, eh?” he asked teasingly, downing another glass of ale after demolishing half the jam tart. He found himself growing more cheerful by the minute, with a full belly.

“It certainly does,” she replied, scraping her spoon around the plate for the last morsels of jam and pastry.

“I think this was a good idea of yers after all, tae come tae the inn,” he told her, sitting back to enjoy his ale.

“I had no doubt that it would be.” She pushed her plate to one side and drank some of her beer. “I feel much better after that. Even though it was hardly the sort of thing Cook would serve at Ashbourne Manor, except to the servants, it was delicious. You know, I realize I have never really been hungry in my life before this. I took it for granted there would always be a good meal on the table, and fruit and sweetmeats in between whenever I fancied them. But I think in the future I shall be more mindful of how lucky I have been.”

Bane was impressed by her good sense and fortitude. “It’s been an ordeal fer ye, I ken. Ye’re a fish out of water, but ye’re a fighter as well.”

She smiled. “Yes, I suppose I am. I fact, I am rather pleased with myself for surviving this far. I did not know I was capable of it.” She paused and looked into his eyes. “And even though you abducted me and have dragged me halfway across the country in dreadful conditions, without experiencing all this, I do not think I would have learned how strong I can be. I cannot say I am exactly grateful to you for it, but I think I know myself better than before. To a girl like me, of noble birth and a sheltered background, that is no small thing.”

Bane yawned and stretched his arms in the air until his bones cracked. “Well, every cloud has a silver linin’, as folks say. Now, I’m tired after all that food and ale. We’ve come a long way today. I need tae get some sleep, and so d’ye.” Leaving Constance at the table still drinking her ale, he got up and put the tray outside the door for the maid to collect. Then he locked the door and put the key under his pillow. He made a point of rolling up the quilt coverlet and placing it down the centre of the bed, dividing it into two halves. “Does that meet with yer approval, miss?” he asked, gesturing at it with his hand. He chuckled when she did not answer. Undoing his leather vest, he shrugged out of it. Then he reached for his waistband, to unfasten his trews.

As he did so, he noticed Constance averting her eyes, blushing again as he slipped them off and kicked them away before getting under the covers with a contented sigh. He closed his eyes as his head sank into the soft pillow. “Bloody luxury,” he murmured, revelling in the comfort of the beg bed. He kept his eyes shut but listened when he heard Constance rise from the table, wondering what she would do. Would the lure of the bed be too much for her high-born morals, or not?

The chair by the fire creaked as she sat down, and he heard her taking off her boots. There was quiet for a little while after that. He could almost hear her thinking. Then came the rustle of clothing, and he knew she was taking off her dress. The thought of her in her shift stirred his arousal. Embarrassed at himself, he turned on his side, willing his erection to abate. It did not.

There was another long silence. Obviously, she was wrestling with the morals that had been rammed into her, debating if she should get into the bed, even though she must know she was safe. Bane felt almost sorry for her dilemma but a little angry as well, at whoever or whatever had made her like that. He understood what she had said at supper perfectly, about learning something about how strong she really was.

Damned right, ye dinnae learn that in some fancy drawin’ room. Fer all yer good manners and the like, they’ll nae help ye survive when times are hard.

Trying to help her, he pretended to fall asleep, letting out soft snores. It worked like a charm. Within moments, he felt her slide into bed carefully next to him, admittedly on the other side of the rolled quilt. He smiled into the pillow and willed his erection to sleep.

When he awoke the next morning, Constance was still fast asleep, one arm flung above her head, her auburn hair fanned out over the pillow. He spent a few moments looking at her, wishing he could touch her flawless skin and run his fingers through that wonderful hair. It would be so easy just to bend down and press his lips to hers.

Aye, if I want me eyes scratched out.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, he slid from the bed, propelled by a surge of excitement from within. Now he had made his mind up they would be staying at the inn for the next two days, he judged it the right time to put the next part of his plan into action. He intended to go into the town and pay a messenger to ride to Castle Ferniehurst and deliver the letter he had already written to her father, setting out the terms of the ransom. It lay hidden in the inside pocket of his jerkin.

He calculated that it should be in Laird Kerr’s hands in about three days’ time, time enough for him and Constance to make the journey back there and lay low while he negotiated the exchange. He was confident the laird would agree to it. Then, all the sacrifices would be worth it. He would hand Constance over, and he would get his brother back at last. Everyone would be alive and happy. He could not deny it would be hard never to see her again, but Tav was more important, so he stoically brushed aside the sadness the thought brought with it.

Apart from sending the ransom letter, he had another errand in mind as well. He knew he could hardly present Constance to her father in the old clothes he had lent her, which was all she currently had to wear. And since she had lost everything, she owned in the river, it would be necessary to buy her a respectable gown. As he dressed himself quietly, he caught himself hoping it would make her smile. That puzzled him somewhat, yet at the same time he was aware that pleasing her and seeing her happy was a growing urge inside him. And it was becoming increasingly hard not to give way to.

Finally ready, carrying his sword belt and boots, he slipped outside into the hallway. After shutting and locking the door behind him, he pulled on his boots, strapped on his weapons, and whistled a tune through his teeth as he went down the stairs and made his way out of the inn and into the street.

“Bane! Come on, I’ll race you to that oak tree!” she called to him, turning the prancing Lucy to face him on the thick, green turf beneath them.

Bane rode up beside her and reined his stallion in, giving gave her one of his lovely, lop-sided grins from the saddle. He nodded. “Aye, all right. But what dae I get if I win?”

She giggled. “A kiss?”

“One kiss? Nay, ’tis nae enough.” His hazel eyes glinted mischievously in the sun, and the soft breeze blew his tousled locks from his face. Her heart fluttered in her chest to think such a gorgeous, handsome man wanted to kiss her… and more than once too.

“We’ll see,” she replied with uncharacteristic coquettishness, turning Lucy around in the direction of the big, majestic oak that stood at the edge of the meadow a quarter of a mile distant.

“And what d’ye get if ye win?” he asked, coming alongside her.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Ye can have as many kisses as ye like,” he offered, waggling his eyebrows. “And anythin’ else ye fancy.”