Chapter Nine
Even though Megan was concerned that either Gunn or her uncle were on their trail, she was not scared enough to skip her breakfast. Gregory also asked the tavern lass if she could make them a couple of sandwiches to take with them.
Megan thought that was a wonderful idea since she had little desire to stop at another village if whoever was after her was that close.
“How do ye suppose they caught up to us so soon?” Megan asked as they reached the village stable.
Gregory threw her over the horse’s back, handed her the sack of food and climbed up behind her. “I doona ken. Mayhap Gunn’s men have an exceptional tracker with them.”
“’Tis only my opinion, but from what I’ve seen, if there is only one mon after us, he would be no threat to ye.”
Gregory leaned forward to look her in the face. He grinned. “What does that mean?”
She shrugged her shoulders, her face tingling so that she knew it was turning a tad red. “Um, only that I think ye would win just about any fight ye got into.”
The fool mon laughed out loud, probably scaring the small animals in the woods. “Ye think so, lass? So ye think I can beat just about anyone?”
“Oh, stop it.” She turned forward and pulled the plaid around her shoulders. “The last thing ye need are more ways to add to yer arrogance.”
He continued to chuckle so long she thought about hitting him with sack of food they carried, but it wasn’t strong enough to do anything to his hard head.
In spite of his laughter, Gregory seemed to grow more tense as they rode off. She picked up on it and, now aware of every sound, felt her muscles tighten. They rode like that for the entire morning until Gregory said, “We need to stop. The horse needs a break or we won’t make the entire trip.”
Megan nodded, grateful for a chance to ease her muscles.
Gregory led the horse to another creek. He jumped off and wrapped his hands around her waist, placing her on the ground.
He stared at her for a minute, his blue eyes saying something she didn’t understand.
Then after brushing the hair off her face, he cupped her cheeks and lowered his mouth to hers.
Startled at first, she tensed up again, but then relaxed against his warm body. He tilted her head and nudged her lips. She opened and he swept in, touching and stroking with his tongue. When she moaned he placed his large hands on her lower back and pulled her close.
In his arms, it was difficult to remember why she was not happy to marry him. He was strong, protective, intelligent, and handsome.
It is my duty.
She pushed those words away as different parts of her body woke up and things she’d never felt before raised her temperature so she no longer needed the wrap.
Gregory pulled away and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Ye kiss fine, lass.”
She grinned. “So do ye.”
He led the horse to the creek and Megan followed them.
Robert had never given her any sort of a compliment. ’Twas probably because he found her wanting when it came to bedding her.
She knelt on the ground, scooped up the clear, cold water and drank. She also gave herself a quick face and hand wash to refresh herself.
Gregory squatted alongside her. “I doona ken who the mon was looking for us in the village, but I have a verra good suspicion ’twas one of Gunn’s men.”
“I thought this was an unknown path?”
“Nay. ’Tis no’ verra unknown but few travelers use it because it takes ye away from the main road in such a way that it adds time to yer trip. Also there is a mountain pass that a lot of people want to avoid. Most prefer the better known paths to Castle Leod.”
He looked up at the sky and then turned to her. “Just so ye ken lass, in a short time we will reach that mountain pass. I’ve been over it many times, but it’s verra narrow and ye need to stay as still as ye can while we’re crossing.”
“Is it dangerous?” Megan asked.
Gregory smiled. “Life is dangerous, lass.” He immediately regretted his words, thinking about Megan’s recent loss.
She ignored his comment, which made him wonder once again about her marriage to the man he thought he knew so well.
He took his turn drinking from the creek, thinking about the mountain cross coming up. It wasn’t long, maybe two miles. But he had to keep his concentration for them to make it safely to the end. From there it would be a very short ride to the castle. Maybe just one more day.
In thinking about the crossing, he had considered wrapping a cloth around Megan’s eyes, since the first time crossing the path could be frightening. He wasn’t sure if she’d be insulted or happy to do it.
They both took a turn in the bushes and then Gregory tossed Megan up on his horse.
“Ye ken, ye throw me on the animal like I’m sack of flour.”
She scowled as she straightened her dress.
He gave her that smile again that she oftentimes dreamed about. “Believe me, Megan I think of ye in many ways, but ne’er as a sack of flour.”
There was no conversation between them until Gregory pulled on the horse’s reins and stopped. “We are getting close to the mountain pass.”
Megan nodded.
“’Tis yer decision but I can cover yer eyes if ye think it would make it easier for ye.”
“Nay. I will be fine.” She wasn’t sure she would be fine, but felt a little silly having him wrap a cloth around her head like she was a bairn.
He made sure she was settled comfortably and securely placed on the horse and then started forward.
They were less than a quarter mile when Megan turned in his arms, scaring him to death since he thought she was falling.
She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his chest. He could hear her whimpering, but said nothing, merely pulling her closer.
Gregory was used to traveling over the area, but he was always very careful since it wasn’t a smart idea to take the ride for granted.
The horse stopped for a minute and Megan hugged him closer.
“’Tis all right, lass. Not much longer.”
She whimpered again.
“Ye’re doing great, Megan. Just hold on.”
Once they reached the end of the pass, Gregory said, “We’re back on solid ground.”
She released him and took a deep breath. “I would no’ want to do that verra often.”
“There is no reason to. We will stop for a little while and give us and the horse a chance to rest.”
When he lifted her off, he noticed she was shaking. Once she was firmly on the ground, he pulled her close again. “Ye were verra brave, lass.”
To his astonishment, she burst into tears. He walked her over to a tree stump where they both sat. He pulled her onto his lap. “’Tis o’er. I will ne’er let any harm come to ye.”
She looked up at him, the tears still clumped on her eyelashes. “Because ’tis yer duty.”
He didn’t like that she kept referring to his “duty”. Aye, there was no doubt that was why he arrived at the Sinclair’s. But the more time he spent with her, the less he concerned himself with his duty to her.
Megan was a smart, pretty, and strong lass.
Whatever her relationship had been with her husband, from things she’d said, he had reason to believe it hadn’t been ideal.
While he and Robert had been friends and training partners, they never discussed their personal lives.
It had surprised him at the time they made their vow that he would even think of doing such a thing.
He leaned forward and kissed her on the top of her head. “’Twas my duty to fetch ye as Robert and I promised to each other, but it could be more if we both give it a chance.”
He was surprised by his own words. Could it be more if they both gave it a chance? He’d never wanted to marry and therefore be responsible for anyone other than himself, to have an obligation to make someone else happy. Especially a woman, one whom he found very confusing at times.
And children. He shook his head. His da had been a bad example. Would it be a “like father, like son” situation for him and Megan?
She looked up at him. “Tell me something about Robert. He wasn’t one to spend much time with me. I doona even ken if he was happy in our marriage. Our fathers made the arrangements and once we married, it almost seemed to me that Robert had no intention of changing anything about his life.”
She swung her legs back and forth like a bairn. “I feel like a horse or another animal, passed from one person to the next without any care for what I want.”
“I’m sorry ye feel that way, but ’tis the way of the world. Women must be protected and cared for, and ’tis a man’s—” he hesitated, and she said,
“Duty.”
He nodded slowly and dragged out the word. “Ayyyee.”
They stared into the distance for a bit and then said, “I have a story or two about yer husband.” He grinned at her.
She shifted and gave him her full attention, hoping it wasn’t something that would upset her. Something about another lass.
“He was a better warrior in training than I was. Stronger, quicker. One time while training, I received a hard blow and landed flat on my back. I was embarrassed, especially when the others in training with us laughed.
“However, Robert walked over to me and pulled me up and turned to the others and said, ‘Doona make fun of a fellow warrior. We train as one and we fight as one. If a warrior needs more training, we should give it to him and encourage him. Do ye want a weak swordsman at yer back on the battlefield?’”
Megan grinned. “He said that?”
“Aye. And he meant it. From that day on, I received extra training from the others and even when I was ready to drop, he kept pushing me.”
“It sounds as if he was a true friend.”
Gregory nodded.