Chapter Five
Their journey was off to a rough start. Their party had been cut in half and they weren’t even through the first day.
Moira had been talking incessantly. It was as if she didn’t need to breathe air. He just wanted a few moments of silence.
He was beginning to think that Robbie got the better end of this deal with being able to return to the keep.
Finally, their destination came into view.
As the map illustrated, a copse of trees lay ahead, an old worn path leading right down the middle of them and disappearing into the darkness beyond.
He looked over at Moira as they approached, her mouth forming a small ‘o’.
“’Tis just like the map stated,” she whispered.
“Aye.”
She spurred her horse forward, and he cursed.
“Moira, slow yer approach!” He commanded. Who kenned what waited for them beyond the trees. He still wasn’t fully convinced that this wasn’t some sort of trap, but seeing how his sister was supposed to accompany them, that was more unlikely.
Moira would never put the life of her friend in danger.
Pulling on the reins, she slowed the horse and spun around to him.
“Why are ye lingering?”
“Ye dinnae ken what lies ahead.”
“Aye, I do. Trees. A path. They lead to something. I dinnae ken what yet, but I will soon if we keep moving.”
“Ye need to hold back,” he ground out. “Let me take a look around to make sure ’tis safe.”
Moira scoffed. “Surely ye jest? We have been riding for hours and have no’ come across another soul.”
“Well, mayhap they are all waiting at the destination?” Errol snapped.
He couldn’t help it. Moira Hart got under his skin.
And not in a good way. She was like a splinter.
The more you tried to pluck it out, the deeper it burrowed itself into your skin until it festered and bothered you enough that you wanted to do naught more than dig it out with your knife.
“Dinnae be silly. We would have heard something if that were the case.”
“No’ if they are stealthy. Trained. A man could wait in silence, undetected for hours, until his target came into view.”
“Highly unlikely.”
“Scouts do it all the time. Archers do it.”
“Aye, to guard the keep,” she said, exasperation lacing her voice. “Clearly no one has been here in a verra long time. And there is naught to guard.”
He raised his brows. “If there is naught to guard then why are we here?”
She blew out a breath. “Stop twisting my words. Ye are just as annoying as my brothers.” Stopping her horse, she crossed her arms and shot him a kenning look. “Go on.” She waved in the direction of the path. “Check whate’er ’tis that is waiting to strike us down,” sarcasm dripping from her words.
He dismounted and stalked up to her horse. “Ye think I am just like yer brothers? Well, ye are just like my sister, except with her, I can give in to whate’er she wants. I’ve no such obligation to ye, Lady Hart.”
Errol had said the words with more vitriol than he intended, but lord above if the lass didn’t niggle at his nerves.
He unsheathed his sword and started toward the path. “Stay where ye are until I clear the area.”
It wasn’t twenty seconds later when he felt a presence at his back and spun, sword out and ready to strike.
Moira gasped, putting her hands up. “’Tis just me.”
He clenched his jaw as he quietly counted to ten in his head, hoping for patience. “I told ye to wait,” he ground out.
“Aye, but as I said, why? There is no one here.”
“We dinnae ken that yet.”
“Ye are insufferable.”
“Ye are intolerable.”
She smiled at that, as if it was the biggest compliment he could offer her.
“Will ye please just wait a few minutes so I can do a cursory look?”
“Nay. I’m no’ letting ye get to the clue first,” she said stubbornly.
“Christ, woman. That is the last thing I am concerned with.”
She shrugged, an irritated look on her face. “Hurry up, then. Ye yerself said ye wanted to ensure we are able to find a place to sleep indoors this night. The longer ye dally around, the longer ’twill take us to seek shelter.”
“I dinnae dally.”
Her laughter was loud enough to warn anyone of their approach—that is if their fighting back and forth hadn’t alerted them already.
“It seems to me like ye are dallying.”
Damn it. The lass was insulting. Along with being insufferable. And he couldn’t forget incorrigible. How the hell did her brothers deal with her? It made sense to him now why they sent her away for almost a month. They were probably enjoying the peace and quiet.
“Be silent,” he commanded in a loud whisper.
That stopped her laughter. She narrowed her blue eyes at him, crossed her arms, shot out a hip, and pursed her lips. Her annoyance was palpable.
Good.
Now, they were even.
“Stay here. I mean it this time. Believe it or no’ ’tis for yer own safety.”
Errol didn’t give her time to answer, and he continued on the path.
It was soon clear that it was just the three of them here.
Brush and needles piled high, littering the path, along with dead leaves from several years past. This area of land hadn’t been stepped upon in years.
Still, the two women were in his care, and he would perform his due diligence to ensure their safety.
The path led through another archway of trees and then opened up to a long-abandoned castle. Errol looked at it with awe. He had no idea of its existence.
“Wow,” Moira sputtered behind him.
Rolling his eyes, he huffed out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was impossible for her to listen to directions. Clearly, her will was too strong and she was going to do as she pleased, no matter what he said.
“’Tis impressive, I must agree.”
Together they walked toward the front of the old structure. The stone walls were crumbling. The rock worn smooth from the rain and wind.
“Take care, it could be dangerous,” he warned.
“What’s it called?” She asked.
He shrugged. “I dinnae ken. ’Tis obvious it hasnae been inhabited for years.”
Moira paused. Her eyes scanned the landscape. “If I was a clue to treasure, I wonder where I would hide?” She tapped her finger on her chin. “How should we proceed? Split up? With the three of us it will go quickly.”
“I think we should stay together.” He gave her a stern look and crossed his arms, shutting down any chance for debate.”
“Ye are the one who said that ye wanted to ensure we were able to sleep at an inn this night. Why wouldnae ye want us to each take a section to search?”
He pierced her with an irritated look and then moved his gaze to Seema who stayed behind Moira. He was certain that the maid was holding back a laugh.
Errol did not find any amusement in the situation.
“The longer ye stand here fighting me on this,” Errol ground out, “the more chance that ye’ll be spending yer night on the ground instead of a bed.”
Moira harrumphed. “Fine. Let’s all stay together,” she called out loudly as if she had an audience outside of the three of them.
She trudged along beside him, mumbling under her breath, as they approached the rotting wooden door. She paused, holding up her hand.
“Afore we go inside, we should assess the outside. See what structures still stand.”
Errol grunted, not because he disagreed, but because he didn’t want Moira to ken that he agreed with her.
“Let us go right first,” Moira ordered and headed to the right.
Around the corner was what Errol assumed was once a flourishing garden. Now it was overgrown with weeds standing as tall as him. In the far corner was a small hut, the thatched roof had given way long ago and had collapsed inside.
Moira quickened her pace as she walked excitedly to the shack.
Of course, she did.
“Lass, take care. It could be dangerous.”
She paused with her hands on her hips and gave him a droll look. “’The roof has already collapsed. How much more dangerous can it be?” She spun and continued on.
Seema hurried past Errol, giving him an apologetic smile.
“Does yer mistress always disobey orders?” Errol asked.
The maid paused and looked to Moira afore answering. When her eyes met his, they crinkled at the corners. “Aye. Most especially when she is determined like she is now.”
He hummed but said naught further as he trudged behind the women.
The force of the collapsed roof had knocked the door off its frame. Peering inside they could only see the remnants of wet and mildewed straw. The musty smell tickled his senses, and he fought back a sneeze, squeezing the tip of his nose.
“We willnae find aught here.”
“Ye doonae ken that. What if ’tis buried under all the hay?”
Errol frowned. He hoped not.
“Mayhap, but ’tis the first building. Let’s see what else is here and search those.”
When she moved away from the door to continue walking the parameter, Errol sent up a silent prayer of thanks. He had a feeling that he oft was going to regret agreeing to help Moira on her quest for treasure. No matter how much of the bounty, if there even was one, he was going to get.
He watched the sway of her arse as she walked in front of him. The lass was tiny, but her bottom was full and round. Of all the things Errol should be thinking about, Moira’s body wasn’t one of them.
As if he needed to give her brothers another reason to kill him.
They would be furious enough once they found out he was traipsing along the countryside with their sister.
He would never hurt the lass. Or act untoward to her.
He had enough willing lasses to warm his bed that he wasn’t so desperate to bed Moira.
Though he wouldn’t turn her away.
Jesus. He needed to derail his thinking.
“Hello!” Moira snapped her fingers to catch his attention. “Are ye listening?”
“What?” he grumbled.
“’Tis a chapel.”
They’d made their way to the other side. A pair of worn stone steps led to a stone archway. Surprisingly, the archway appeared to look stable.
“This is amazing, is it no’?” Moira breathed, walking through the arched entry, her blue eyes scanning the structure. She spun around, a huge smile on her face. “I have a good feeling about this chapel.”