Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
Checking that the children were following behind, Noah lifted Keira’s remaining things into Mac’s saddle bags.
The horse shook his head in protest, pawing at the ground with his feet and whinnying at him.
“I ken, lad,” he said, “I’ll give ye a long brush down when we return.”
Mac was still covered in sweat from their gallop to the village, and Noah could tell he was exhausted from the morning’s efforts, his ear pinned back and his head lowered.
Keira went round to Mac’s nose and stroked him, whispering sweet nothings into his ears. She bent down to the ground, plucking an apple from the floor and holding it out to him. Mac took it gratefully, munching on the fresh fruit with obvious relish.
“Ye’ll spoil him with that,” Noah muttered, growing even more annoyed when Mac’s ears went forward again, and he nuzzled affectionately at Keira’s chest.
What I wouldn’t give to be me horse, he thought wryly.
“He’s a beautiful beast,” Keira said, scratching Mac’s nose.
Noah shook his head. “Dinnae tell him that either, his head is already big enough.”
As Keira stepped up to the horse’s flank, Noah glanced back to check on the children. They stood behind them, Scott leading the donkey while Daisy rode on its back, just as eager to leave as Noah was.
He held his hand out to Keira. She seemed to take it against her better judgment, a small frown on her face.
He pulled her briefly to him, unwilling to have her body against his for too long. He relished the feel of her slim waist as he placed his hands about her and lifted her into the saddle.
“Ye go ahead,” he called to Scott. “Mac doesnae wait for anyone unless he’s followin’ in line. He’ll be too fast for that donkey’s legs.”
“She’s called Cuddy,” Scott protested.
“I dinnae care what she’s called, just get goin’,” Noah barked, and the boy dutifully followed his orders.
Noah pulled himself up into the saddle, his legs going either side of Keira’s thighs. He grunted as he settled himself, her body meeting his at the least appropriate place as he grabbed Mac’s reins and clicked at him to follow along.
The woods were calm and silent.
Noah risked one last glance behind him, but he could see no one pursuing them and breathed a sigh of relief.
They moved slowly through the trees, following behind Scott and his sister. The little donkey munched on ferns as they went at a painfully slow pace. Noah was desperate to canter away from this entire situation, but he was tied to them now, just as they were to him.
He shook his head in exasperation. He was the laird of the land, famed for making the right choices. Yet, in the space of two days, he had entangled himself with a raven-haired healer, her two young siblings, and a donkey.
As Mac continued on the path, bored by the pace, he kept dipping his head to tug at passing branches. Each time he did it, Keira would slip a little further back in the saddle.
The third time it happened, Noah half groaned at the back of his throat, unable to prevent the sound from breaking free. She turned her head, her deep blue eyes puzzled.
“Is it yer shoulder?” she asked, moving as though to twist in the saddle to look at it. In doing so she rubbed her shapely thighs against his, her back pressing against him in a manner that almost drove him wild with lust.
“Just sit forward,” he growled. She did so, looking a little taken aback. The horse was not paying them any mind, however, and pulled at a tough root that he dislodged from the ground, sending Keira back against Noah’s body so hard that he had little hope she had not noticed what her presence was doing to him. He was so hard in his trews it was almost painful.
She froze, her back against his for a fraction of a second before she took hold of the pommel and pulled herself forward, relieving him of some of her weight and the tension that had built between his legs.
He almost missed her heat as she did it, but he said nothing more. He was embarrassed by his body’s reaction to her and clung to the faint hope that she hadn’t noticed.
They continued on in silence for many miles until the walls of his castle finally came into view. It had been the longest and most confusing ride of his life.
He was not accustomed to being so affected by anything, least of all a woman. Once she had moved, he found himself smelling her hair in an attempt to stay close to her.
I am losin’ me damn mind, he thought irritably; I need to get this lass out of me life as quickly as I can.
Noah was relieved when the horse’s hooves began to clip across the gates to his castle. It was already late afternoon, and the journey had taken many hours at such a slow pace.
He was met by a barrage of servants and a very worried-looking Callum. His man-at-arms was running from the keep as he saw his master return.
“Me laird!” he called. “Ye had me worried, man, where have ye been?”
In his haste, Callum had not noticed the small band of followers Noah had brought with him. Only as he came to their level did he stare at the donkey and the two red-haired children in consternation.
“What is all this?” he asked, not unkindly, coming forward to help Scott lift Daisy from the donkey’s back. The little girl was nothing like her sister, small and weak, with a perpetual look of worry on her face.
Noah waved an arm to his servants, who all came forward to attend him as he dismounted.
He left Keira on the horse for a few minutes before composing himself. He had been at a stand for over an hour and hoped that putting distance between them might help to alleviate it.
“Miss Keira Young and her siblings, Scott and Daisy,” he said loudly so that every one of his staff would know who they were. “They are goin’ to be stayin’ at the castle for the next few weeks.”
He turned to the bustling maids, pulling the bags from the donkey’s side. “Take Scott and Daisy to the guest rooms in the east wing and ensure they have everythin’ they need. Bank the fires high. They have had a long journey and get Miss Daisy some refreshment immediately.”
Keira alighted beside him, looking at him gratefully for the attention he showed to her sister.
“Show Miss Young to Deindre’s quarters and acquaint her with the healer’s rooms,” he said stiffly and stalked away, leaving his servants to handle everything from here.
He needed a stiff drink.
He thundered down the corridor, trying not to think too hard about what he had brought into his life. He could hear footsteps following behind him and turned to find Callum trotting to catch him up.
“Is all well? Who are they?” he asked, keeping pace with him and assuming his customary expression of polite interest.
Noah valued Callum above all others on his staff. They had been friends for years. Callum's ease was always a calming influence on his somewhat temperamental mind, but he did not relish telling him the truth of his recent activities.
“They were goin’ to burn her at the stake,” he said bitterly, feeling the fury rage through him before he could stop it. Saying it aloud made it seem all the more real.
“Who?”
“A village not far from here.”
There was a long silence beside him, and he glanced at Callum angrily.
“And?” Callum asked, “What business is it of yers if they burn her?”
Noah stopped mid-stride, turning to glare at him. “What did ye just say?”
Callum raised his hands in protest. “I’m nae sayin’ they should! I am just askin’ why the Laird of the MacAllen clan has to get involved with such things.” Callum was frowning at him with what looked like genuine concern now.
Noah growled as he resumed walking toward his study.
“I met her in the woods by chance. They were chasing her like a wild animal. Torches, pitchforks, and some crazed priest who called her a witch. She’s nae witch, she’s a healer, and she has done nothin’ wrong.”
“And how do ye ken that?”
“I just do.”
They continued in silence for a short while, and Noah wasn’t inclined to elaborate, waiting to hear what else his friend had to say.
“Well, that was very noble of ye then,” Callum conceded a little awkwardly.
“Away with ye, I ken ye think I’m mad for bringin’ her here.”
“I wouldnae think ye were mad for havin’ some compassion,” he said, sounding thoughtful. He cleared his throat. “It would help if she were twice her age and dinnae have nae teeth, though. I might believe yer reasonin’ a little more,” he mused.
Noah scowled. “Dinnae be a fool. I can hardly entertain such notions. She’s a healer; that is all, like Deindre is.”
“Of course, Me laird, I never would have doubted it. And her sister and brother?”
“I could hardly leave them there to fend for themselves, now could I?”
“And where is ‘there’ exactly? Should we be expectin’ company?”
“Nay. It’s a tiny village on the Donaldson lands. Other than that mad priest, there is nothin’ for us to worry about. The laird willnae get involved in such a small matter.”
“Aye, of course nae, isnae as though our Laird got involved, is it?” Callum commented.
“Ye’re tryin’ me patience,” Noah murmured as he pushed through the door to his study, walking straight to the whisky decanter and pouring himself a healthy dram.
“She’s a bonnie thing,” Callum said as he followed behind, shutting the door. “If ye arenae interested, would ye object to me gettin’ acquainted with the lass?”
Noah drank the whisky in one swallow. “Ye stay away from her. I thought ye preferred women with fair hair besides.”
“I do, I just wondered what ye’d say if I tried. And now I have me answer.”
“Ye are in a gleeful mood today; if ye’ve finished judgin’ me, ye can be about yer duties.”
Callum chuckled. “I havenae seen ye this riled up in an age. Maybe she is a witch; she has certainly bewitched ye.”
“Do ye want a black eye, is that it?” Noah said, pouring himself another dram. He held it in his hands instead of knocking it back in one swallow. Callum was right; he was riled up, and having a thick head wouldn’t solve anything.
He stared down at the amber liquid, watching its rise and fall in the glass, calming his breathing.
“I dinnae like it,” he confessed, eventually.
“What?”
“That kind of thing happenin’ on me lands.”
“Yer lands? I thought?—”
He waved a hand vaguely. “They chased her into me woods, that’s how I saw her in the first place, or I wouldnae have kenned it was happenin’.” And wasn’t that an unpleasant thought.
“A priest, ye say?”
“Aye. Crazed. Mad. Never seen anythin’ like it. She refused his hand, and now he wants her dead. What kind of man treats a woman he claims to care for that way?”
“A jealous one,” Callum said. “Ye’re sure he’s nae threat?”
Noah shook his head. “It’s a tiny place. He wouldnae be able to bear arms. I just wanted to get her and her family out of there. She’ll be on a boat away from these shores in four weeks, and she’ll be safe until then. That is all I wanted.”
“Well then, ye did a good thing,” Callum said sincerely. “Ye should get some rest. Ye dinnae sleep what with ridin’ all night.”
Noah nodded. “Aye.”
“How’s the chest?” Callum asked.
Callum was the only one who knew of Noah’s chest pain other than his sister, Amelia. It had started many months before, after the death of his mother, and had not abated since.
“The same,” he muttered. “Nothin’ to worry yerself over.”
“Aye, well, get some sleep. Like ye say, she’s safe now.”
Callum departed, leaving Noah slumped before the fire, nursing his whisky.
He looked at the portrait above the mantelpiece of his baby sister, wishing that Amelia were here now. She would undoubtedly find his infatuation very amusing if he ever plucked up the courage to admit it to her.
It had taken everything in him not to put a hand around Keira’s waist for the entire ride. He had been itching to touch her, feel her heat, feel her skin again.
Her hair smelled of lavender and wildflowers. With her comely figure pressed so hard against him, he had barely been able to remember which direction to point the horse.
He had lied to Callum. He had felt the pain in his chest forming since he had dismounted. It was a sharp and suffocating feeling he had grown to hate over the intervening months.
Throwing the whisky back, he resolved to do the only thing that ever did any good. He would go outside and train.
It was late evening by the time Keira had unpacked all of her things. She had been amazed by the suite of rooms she had been led to.
Her new bedroom was three times the size of her old one at the cottage. The healer’s quarters boasted two basins with fresh running water, a fireplace, and a stove—more than she could ever have hoped for.
However, she was not entirely comfortable, feeling as though she were trespassing on someone else’s territory. The maid who showed her the place had mentioned the name ‘Deindre’ several times.
The previous healer had evidently left to care for the laird’s ailing grandmother in a place called Carraig a’ Chuain and had left her rooms for the new occupant to fill.
Keira did not like the idea of another healer tending to Laird MacAllen. It was ridiculous, considering that she had no claim on him whatsoever, but she could not dispel the images of another healer examining him, her slim fingers running over his flesh…
She scowled, deciding to stretch her legs and take in her new surroundings. She was not accustomed to a castle of this size and was curious about what she might discover. She supposed she should have been exhausted after the day she had had but felt too alert to sleep.
She walked through the many halls and corridors until she saw the large doors out to the main courtyard and decided to take a stroll in the evening air.
She was relishing every breath of her freedom and was happy to see the stars glittering above her head as she stepped out into the gathering dark.
A few torches were burning on brackets around the courtyard, and she could hear a strange rhythmic thumping sound from somewhere. She listened intently, curious as to its origins, but saw no one nearby. For want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the sound—if it turned out to be nothing of interest, that would be her sign to go to bed and get some rest.
Her ears led her through an archway at the back of the courtyard that opened into a small square. In the center, a man was ruthlessly attacking a dummy with a sword. He was shirtless and covered with sweat, but she would have recognized him anywhere.
He had a beautiful back, the muscles rippling across every inch of it as he moved with a poise and grace that she would not have expected from a man of his size.
She wanted to thank him again for all he had done for her, to express her gratitude and happiness at her situation and his generosity in helping her. Instead, the words that came out of her mouth were somewhat different from what she had intended.
“I thought I told ye nae to strain yer shoulder!”