Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
“ K athleen!” Blaine shouted as he leaped off his horse, the creature staying put where he had left it. The moment he had seen Kathleen fly off the saddle like that, his blood had run cold and his heart had stopped, his entire body anticipating disaster.
“I’m alright!” Kathleen called and it took Blaine a few moments to spot her where she lay on the ground. She was on her back, waving her hand high above her head to help him locate her. Her horse seemed to have calmed itself, though it was keeping the weight off the front left hoof, stomping gently back and forth. “I’m alright… I’m nae hurt.”
Blaine wasn’t so quick to believe that. A fall from a horse was bound to leave some bruises, if not cause much worse damage .
Rushing to Kathleen, Blaine knelt next to her on the ground and helped her sit up. His gaze hovered over her body as he searched for signs of serious injury, but he could find none. She was not bleeding—not visibly, at least—nor did she seem to be in much pain as she moved.
However, neither of those things guaranteed she was unharmed.
“What happened?” he asked as Kathleen made to push herself off the ground. Blaine offered his hand to her, helping her stand, and she dusted herself off, straightening her cloak. “Ye’re too good o’ a rider tae fall like that.”
“I dinnae ken,” Kathleen said with a small, worried frown as she dragged her gaze to her mare. “She threw me off but she’s never done such a thing afore. She’s always been a gentle beast.”
As she spoke, she made her way to her horse, placing a hand on its flank while moving around it to calm it. Blaine followed her, looking at the horse much in the same manner as he had looked at Kathleen when he was trying to see if she were injured, his gaze scanning the length of its body.
“It must be the leg,” he told Blaine as he watched the beast. He walked past Kathleen and crouched down next to the horse, gently and carefully lifting its leg to look at the hoof that seemed to be bothering it .
Sure enough, there was something lodged there.
“I think it’s a piece o’ glass,” he said as he traced his fingers over the foreign object.
“A piece o’ glass?” Kathleen gasped, falling to her knees next to Blaine as she leaned closer to get a better look. Before she could get too close, though, Blaine was quick to push her back, making sure she kept her distance.
“Ye’ll get kicked,” he warned.
Kathleen ignored him completely. “Will she be alright?”
Her genuine concern for her horse was sweet but at the same time, it frightened Blaine to have her this close to the horse’s hoof. One kick and she would be flattened to the ground before she even knew what had hit her.
“She’ll be fine,” he said as he gripped her shoulders and firmly pulled her back. “I said ye’ll get kicked.”
“She willnae kick me,” Kathleen said dismissively, though she allowed Blaine to pull her back .
With a chuckle, Blaine turned to look at her, taking in the genuine concern as well as the pride in her expression. It was such a pure notion, thinking her horse would also refrain from accidentally kicking her when it had already thrown her off the saddle. Kathleen seemed to be a trusting girl— she trusted her horse and trusted him when she hardly knew him.
It could easily turn into an issue. He had to make sure she wouldn’t trust anyone else while they traveled.
“Stay there,” Blaine said as he planted her firmly a few steps away from the horse. Then, he made his way back to it, gently taking its leg to try and dislodge the piece of glass that had gotten stuck in the horseshoe. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be too deep, but it was still bothering the beast and no matter how much Blaine tried to pull it, he never seemed to get a good grip on it.
He was reluctant to use his knife, fearing that he would hurt the horse more, but what other choice did he have? Kathleen couldn’t ride like this—the horse was bound to throw her off the saddle again.
He glanced at his own horse. It was big enough and strong enough to carry his belongings and two riders, at least until they found the next farrier on their way who could help the creature .
“I cannae dae it,” he called to Kathleen, who rushed to his side once more, despite his previous warnings. “We’ll have tae take it tae the next village.”
“Ach Sorrel… poor lassie,” said Kathleen as she patted the horse’s flank.
“Sorrel?”
“Aye,” she said. “That’s her name.”
“Bonnie name fer a bonnie horse.”
Much like her rider.
For a moment, Blaine allowed himself to gaze at Kathleen as she smiled at him, taking in the radiance of her joy. It was a good look at her, and he could hardly look away.
Not for the first time since he had first met her, he reminded himself that she was not the kind of woman he could pursue. In fact, she was hardly a woman at all, as she was over a decade his junior and the kind of girl who was destined for better things than him. He had no land, no title. He had nothing to offer her .
Drawing in a sharp breath, Blaine pulled himself away from Kathleen abruptly, standing and dusting himself off. “Let us go. We have a long way ahead o’ us.”
Kathleen took a moment to pet her horse once again, speaking softly to it as Blaine fetched his from where it had wandered off down the path. Once he reached Kathleen, he hopped off and offered her a hand to help her up, but she only smirked at him before jumping on on her own.
Blaine shook his head with a soft, amused chuckle. “It’s only polite tae offer.”
“Dinnae fash fer me, Master Farquharson,” said Kathleen and the way she spoke his name, with that hint of playfulness, had his stomach twisting with the kind of sudden need that left him reeling. “If there’s one thing I can dae, that’s ridin’.”
Rather unhelpfully, Blaine’s mind supplied him with images of Kathleen doing just that—only not the kind of riding that was proper for a lady like her. Despite his years, despite his experience with women, he found his cheeks heating with embarrassment at his own thoughts.
Then they heated even more as he realized his blush was not only ridiculous for a grown man, but also surely visible to anyone with a pair of eyes .
He rushed to jump on the horse behind Kathleen in the hopes that she wouldn’t notice the redness on his cheeks. He could easily blame it on exertion or the heat—though the day, like most days in those parts, was chilly. And Kathleen would probably know the truth regardless. Women had a strange intuition like that.
Pulling Kathleen’s horse behind them, Blaine led his own down the path once more, only this time they were riding at a much more leisurely pace. He would have loved nothing more than to ride as fast as his horse could go and put an end to this torture of lingering and persisting embarrassment, but Kathleen’s horse could only limp slowly down the path.
And so, Blaine resigned himself to the fact that he would spend several hours with his chest pressed against Kathleen’s back, with her hips brushing against him with every step his horse took.
They were far too close for comfort. It wasn’t often that Blaine rode with someone else sitting in front of him, and certainly not such an alluring woman. Blaine could feel the heat emanating from her body, the soft breaths she drew, the soft undulation of her body as she balanced herself on the saddle. He gazed at the curve of her neck, the soft, bare skin there that seemed to glow under the dim light of the day, the cascade of her auburn waves down her back.
It was a mesmerizing sight and Blaine found himself distracted by it, so much so that when his horse abruptly adjusted its gait to compensate for a slant in the road, he began to slip off the saddle, heart leaping to his throat.
He held on with his thighs on the last minute, a surprised grunt escaping him as he was suddenly wrenched back to reality. In front of him, Kathleen jumped, alarmed, her head whipping around to stare at him in concern.
“Are ye alright?”
“Och aye,” said Blaine with the brightest smile he could manage under the circumstances—which still looked more like a grimace than anything else. “All is good. Dinnae fash.”
“Are ye certain?” Kathleen insisted. “If ye’re too tired, we could stop fer a while longer.”
“Nay, nay,” Blaine assured her, pushing on a little faster to show Kathleen he was fine. How could he explain to her it was not exhaustion which had made him falter but rather the feel of her so close to him, the warmth of her body, the lavender scent of her hair? He was surrounded by her presence and it was driving him mad with lust—a lust upon which he could never act.
As they made their way to the next village, Blaine did everything he could to stop himself from showing any signs of arousal. The last thing he needed was for Kathleen to feel him harden against her and then question him about it. He would have nothing to say to her. He would have no excuse, no words that could better the situation, and if her father ever found out, then he was bound to have his head for it.
I'd deserve it, too.
He was better than this. He wouldn’t lose his mind over a woman, no matter how beautiful or how alluring. And he certainly wasn’t going to jeopardize his mission for something as silly as desire.
For hours, they traveled like this, with Kathleen a little stiff in front of him and Blaine resembling a wooden board, each muscle in his body working hard to keep him as far away from Kathleen as possible, although it wasn’t far enough. The only thing he succeeded in was to keep his hips away from hers, which was, at least, a small blessing. By the time the next village appeared in the far distance, it was enough to invigorate him, and he perked up a little as they approached.
Soon, his torment would be over.
A village! Finally!
Kathleen cursed the moment her horse had stepped on that piece of glass—not only because the glass had hurt the beast, but also because the injury had forced her to ride on the same saddle as Blaine.
Never before had Kathleen shared a saddle with a man. There had been a few times in the past when she had shared a saddle with a relative, but that was far from a similar experience.
For one, she had never felt such agonizing attraction.
The entire way, Kathleen could feel Blaine’s warm breath on the back of her neck. She could feel the solid wall of his chest, the gentle embrace of his strong arms where they wrapped around her to reach for the reins. He was only steering the horse, of course. It was nothing more than necessity, but Kathleen found herself leaning into it regardless, letting herself enjoy the feeling of being held by a man for the very first time.
What would Blaine think if he kent?
Kathleen doubted he would appreciate the sentiment. A part of her couldn’t imagine him with a woman, despite his good looks. He was so cold and distant most of the time, so sullen, that she didn’t even know if there was space in his heart for romance .
She had the luck, at least, to reach the village without making a fool of herself. Blaine must have been too tired to notice anything was amiss, since he had even slid off the saddle at one point in their journey, managing to catch himself at the very last moment. He had denied being exhausted, but Kathleen knew better than that; and it was that exact exhaustion which had saved her from any real embarrassment.
Had he been more present, he would not have missed her awkwardness.
As they entered the village, Kathleen looked around, taking in the unfamiliar sights. The first few homes were small and squat, almost dilapidated, but the farther in they moved, the more vibrant the village became. The homes were still small, humble, but their gardens were bursting with colorful and fragrant flowers. The streets were filled with people and children, the latter laughing and running around without a care in the world.
And there, right in the middle of the village, was a market. The entire village square was filled with vendors and their carts, selling anything from flowers and lace to wine and ale. Kathleen looked around in wonder. It wasn’t the first time she had been to a market, but it was so rare for her that it still felt like a treat.
Behind her, Blaine laughed as she whipped her head back and forth, trying to catch every single detail—the deep reds and browns of the fabrics one of the vendors sold, the scent of mulled wine, the patterns in the delicate lace hanging from the top of a cart and fluttering in the wind. She wanted to spend all her day there, looking through the different wares and tasting all the different delicacies the vendors were selling, but they had no time for that. Blaine didn’t even stop, deciding to ride right through instead, in his search for the farrier, whose workshop was just past the main square.
“Good afternoon,” called Blaine as he slid off the saddle, this time on purpose. Kathleen followed him, staying with his horse as he brought hers inside the small, stone structure, with its entire front side open to the outside. “I have a horse here that needs a good lookin’ at.”
“Good afternoon,” said the farrier as he stood from his bench where he had been hammering a horseshoe and made his way over to Sorrel. He was an older man, short and plump, with a waddle in his gait, and when he approached Sorrel, he did so with the confident calm of someone who could make any horse their friend. “Let us take a look at ye, then, lassie.”
Kathleen watched the man as he took Sorrel’s leg and examined her hoof, tutting softly to himself. It wasn’t long before he straightened, shaking his head.
“This will take a few days,” he said. “I can pull the glass out an’ change the horseshoe, but the glass is in there deep. It’ll be four, perhaps five days afore she can carry weight. ”
“We dinnae have that much time,” Blaine said. “Is there naethin’ ye can dae tae help? We’ll reach our destination soon.”
The farrier drew his gaze to Sorrel, hands on his hips as he considered Blaine’s request. “I wouldnae risk it if I were ye. Such a bonnie horse, be a shame if ye cripple it.”
“Blaine,” said Kathleen, rushing to him to place a hand on his shoulder. “I dinnae want tae hurt her.”
With a sigh, Blaine ran a hand through his chestnut hair. “I thought ye wished tae attend the weddin’.”
“I dae,” Kathleen said. “But nae at her expense.”
“Ye can leave the horse here an’ take her on yer way back,” the farrier suggested. “I’ll take good care o’ her.”
“Ach, could ye?” Kathleen asked, turning to the man. Quickly, she reached into her coin purse, pulling out a small mound of coins, but just as she was about to present it to the man, Blaine snatched her hand and pushed it behind her back, much to Kathleen’s confusion.
“Where will we find another horse?” Blaine asked before Kathleen could say anything else to the man .
The farrier looked around, then shrugged a shoulder. “Ye have one right there, dinnae ye?”
Blaine glanced back to his own horse, frowning. “Ye want us tae ride all the way tae Castle Stalker on one horse?”
“Castle Stalker isnae that far an’ ye have a fine horse there,” said the farrier. “It’ll take ye where ye need tae go. Otherwise ye can stay here until the lassie’s healed.”
Kathleen could see a small vein appear in Blaine’s forehead. She could see the clench of his jaw, the muscle there tightening. He didn’t like the idea of the two of them riding together, and she began to wonder if he had, after all, noticed her awkwardness and had simply decided not to mention it.
If that was the case, she should be grateful for it, but she found no real comfort in the thought.
“Fine,” said Blaine through gritted teeth and then proceeded to take a few coins from Kathleen’s hand, stepping over to the farrier and handing them to him. “Take good care o’ the horse. We’ll be back fer it in a week or so.”
The farrier tipped his head in a small bow and Blaine pulled Kathleen away, whispering in her ear. “Never reveal how much gold ye have on ye. Did nay one teach ye that?”
With a frown, Kathleen quickly shoved the coins back in her purse. “I never had tae worry about such things.”
“O’ course ye didnae,” Blaine mumbled, so low that Kathleen figured he must have been speaking to himself. “Well, ye ken better now. I’ll go fill the waterskins. Ye go an’ find somethin’ fer us tae eat, an’ then we’ll be on our way.”
“So soon?” asked Kathleen in the hopes that she could spend some time in the market, at least. “We havenae seen anythin’ yet!”
“Dae ye wish tae see the village or go tae yer friend’s weddin’?” Blaine asked, and that was enough to convince Kathleen to hurry up. Just as she parted ways with Blaine, heading back to the market while he continued towards the other side of the town in search of water, he called back to her, “Be careful. An’ dinnae trust anyone.”
Kathleen didn’t need to be told twice. Ever since her brush with the Campbell soldiers, she didn’t think she could trust anyone else again.