Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Kenna sighed aloud when she caught sight of Lochahearn. It was no prison, as she had expected it to be, belonging to such a warlord. The structure was backed against a loch and faced south. The late afternoon sun painted the walls of wood and stone a golden pink.
A carpet of purple heather, also lit with golden sun, covered the moors to the west, and the far shores of the loch were covered in lush green forests. All in all, it was a colorful sight that greeted them as they arrived from the southeast.
“Sir Tearloch?” she whispered.
“My Lady?” he whispered back.
“By what name are ye called, besides Tearloch?” she turned to ask his neck.
After a pause, he said, “The king will answer all yer questions anon.” He spurred his horse, rushing them to the front where he held up his arm.
Everyone stopped immediately. He then lifted her, left her in the saddle alone, and dropped to the ground.
The reins, he tied to Kenna’s horse, which Kincaid had been leading, and all six men moved to the rear, stood in a circle, and conferred where she could hear not a word.
After a few moments, the rest returned to their mounts, leaving Tearloch and Duncan to speak alone.
Though Kenna looked into the eyes of each of the other four, they gave nothing away.
She’d forgotten she was supposed to be humiliated, until she realized Leland was staring.
Frazier moved closer, however, and shoved the man out of his saddle.
The laughter of the others broke the spell, and Tearloch and Duncan ended their business.
Duncan mounted, paused to shout orders she didn’t understand, then rode off.
The rest followed suit at an unhurried pace.
Tearloch rejoined her, took the time to resecure her saddle, then mounted her horse, and left her on his.
He took the time to offer her a drink and see that she was comfortable before setting off again.
The men were far ahead of them, but he was in no hurry to catch them.
She wondered if Duncan was riding ahead to warn the household that Tearloch was bringing home his new harlot.
Maybe they would send away the old one. Maybe they would find a way to sneak her into town unnoticed.
Or perhaps he had sent the men ahead to do as he’d planned, to spread the word that she was a ruined woman who had nothing left with which to barter.
Tearloch sensed a change in Kenna. Though he waited the rest of the way to Lochahearn, she explained nothing, asked nothing, and would not give him the least hint at what might be troubling her.
Just inside the gate, still in the outer bailey, Big Rabbie held out his arms to lift her off his commander’s horse.
“Rabbie will take ye from here so I can greet my people.” Tearloch held her gaze a moment more, but she lifted her chin and said nothing.
Once on the ground, she let the blanket fall behind her head and looked up into the giant’s eyes. “Forgive me, Sir Rabbie. I insulted you, and I regret it sincerely.”
Rabbie’s spine straightened, and he gave her a nod before offering his hand. Then he led her away. Thankfully, they didn’t have to walk through a whispering, curious crowd because it seemed the residence of the entire glen were waiting on the inner wall to celebrate the return of their heroes.
She wasn’t surprised when she was led far around to the back wall and ushered through a small gate, then into the keep itself. The smells from the kitchen were strong, and her stomach answered with a hungry growl.
A great roar of celebration broke loose outside, and though the big man didn’t miss a step, he smiled.
At the bottom of a stairwell, he gave her a nod and a shrug before lifting her into his arms. When he practically filled the stairwell by himself, she understood.
But instead of heading down the steps, his muscles surged beneath her and they ascended.
No dungeons. At least not yet. Not until Malcolm III condemns me for my aunt’s actions.
Absently, she wondered just how badly she wanted to fight for herself…
Eventually she was returned to her feet in a large, comfortably furnished room with stone walls covered with thick tapestries. When she had her balance, Rabbie stepped back. The bed was draped in an intense shade of blue, and a crest hung on the wall above the hearth.
She looked up at Rabbie. “The laird’s chambers?”
The man nodded, the turned and dragged his massive, heavy boots out the door.
A woman bustled in just before he closed the door.
She never even looked at Kenna as she flitted around the room directing two girls in her wake to set a large copper tub in front of the fire where it was immediately filled by a string of men carrying steaming buckets. Not one of them glanced her way.
“The laird ordered ye a bath, my lady. Ye have an hour to yerself. These two will assist ye.” Only then did the woman meet Kenna’s eye. She blushed hot red and looked away again.
“I need no assistance, but I thank you.”
The girls blinked at each other, deposited the towels and soap cakes on a small table, then scurried out.
The woman pointed to two buckets of water left on the floor. “For rinsing,” she said, as if Kenna had never bathed before. Then she, too, hurried away with a scowl on her face she likely thought Kenna wouldn’t notice.
Ah, yes. Word had definitely spread.
She suddenly realized that the laird of Lochahearn might not be Sir Tearloch. He’d never said as much, only called the place his home. And if she was allowed to bathe in the laird’s chamber, just what else would this unknown man expect from her?
Her eye caught on another bit of blue—her own boots that had been left by the wall. Perhaps it was Providence warning her it was time to run.
She wasted no time pulling the soft boots onto her feet. Stockings were a luxury for another day. She then took a cloak that had been laid out on the bed and wrapped it around her, sure to secure every last red hair inside before opening the door.
Two guards faced her from across the hall a mere five feet away, swords in hand. They seemed none too happy to see her but all too glad to raise their blades and silently promise she would not leave the place alive if that was her intention.
Without a word, she closed the door.
The windows were narrow, the wall below was smooth with few footholds. And yet another guard stood directly below the room. Even if she had a rope, she would be caught.
Someone at Lochahearn didn’t trust her.