Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“ W alk the perimeter with me,” Colin said when Ewan dismissed them men. “I need tae talk tae ye about somethin’.”
“Aye, all right. I can inspect the defenses at the same time. What is it ye want tae talk tae me about?” he asked as they set off across the camp, thinking little of his friend’s request, assuming it was something to do with the upcoming attack.
“I want ye tae be honest with me about what’s goin on with ye and… Harris,” Colin said.
Ewan frowned, disconcerted by the question. He wondered if Colin could read his mind and had somehow divined that something significant had occurred between him and Isla at the inn. “What d’ye mean?” he replied cagily.
“Well, fer starters, I just had a very interestin’ conversation with her, and it seems she is so worried about ye gettin’ hurt in the attack that she tried tae persuade me tae get ye tae call it off.”
“Will ye be careful what ye say?” Ewan hissed, checking around to make sure no one had heard Colin’s slip of the tongue. While it warmed his heart to know Annie was afraid for him, he had not forgotten her attempts to convince him that searching for a secret entrance to the castle was naught but a fool’s errand that would end in bloodshed. “Tell me, what exactly did he say?” he asked Colin.
After Ewan’s reprimand, Colin recounted the conversation as if he were really speaking of Harris. “It was obvious he was trying tae persuade me tae advise ye tae call off the attack. That’s very suspicious,” he finished. They reached the main entrance to the camp and nodded at the guards as they walked by.
“Maybe,” Ewan replied, putting his hands behind his back, his thoughts racing. He trusted Colin as his closest friend and knew he was only doing his job properly. Much as he wished he could simply take Annie’s apparent concern for him at face value, especially after what had happened between them at the inn, he knew he could not simply dismiss Colin’s remarks.
“Apart from that, I’m also troubled by this closeness ye and Harris seem tae have formed between yersel’s. There’s somethin’ different about ye lately, Ewan.”
“Eh? What are ye talkin’ about, man?” Ewan protested, glancing at Colin with surprise while inwardly flinching as his friend’s accusation touched a raw nerve.
“Dinnae bother tae deny it, Ewan. I’ve kent ye so long, ye cannae hide it from me. Somethin’s changed in ye, somethin’ significant. Ye might think ye can keep on hidin’ it from me. But I assure ye, I’m the man who kens ye better than any other, and sooner or later, whatever’s goin’ on will come tae light.”
Ewan did not respond to that. He knew Colin was right, something profound had changed within him, but he did not even understand it himself, and if he was confused by it, he doubted very much doubted Colin could either. With all that was on his mind, he did not care to discuss it further. “I dinnae ken what ye’re talkin’ about,” he hedged, adding briskly, “Now, let’s put an end tae such idle talk and focus on the business in hand, all right?”
Colin pursed his lips, but he nodded. “Aye,” he said.
They continued with the inspection of the camp’s defenses. However, when it was finished and he parted from Colin, Ewan walked back to the tent with his friend’s assertion about the change in him ringing in his mind. It left him with a lot to think about, and it always came back to one thing—Annie and the true nature of his feelings towards her.
Determined to talk to her about it right away he stepped inside the tent, her name already on his lips. He looked around, confused to find her nowhere in sight. Supposing she had slipped out for some reason, he went out again to look for her. But after searching for some time and still not finding her, he realized she must have sneaked out of the camp—against his specific orders.
Bloody hell! Where has she run off tae this time? Why can she never stay where I tell her to?
Filled with a mixture of anger, urgency, and apprehension, he strode to the stable to fetch his horse, determined to find her and bring her back. While he waited impatiently for the stallion to be saddled, he suddenly had an idea of where she might have gone. Once he was astride the beast, he quickly rode out of the camp and headed towards the healer’s cottage at a gallop.
When he arrived, he was relieved to see Annie’s mare grazing on the grass in the garden. He slid from the saddle, let his horse join her mare, and immediately went to hammer on the cottage door with his clenched fist. When Annie opened the door and looked out at him with a strangely fearful expression on her face, he let fly.
“Aye, ye should look afraid! What the bloody hell d’ye mean by disobeyin’ me orders like that? Have I nae told ye many times nae tae leave the camp without me permission? Can ye nae get in intae yer head that ’tis dangerous?!” he found himself shouting.
Her fearful look was quickly replaced by a flash of the old defiance “Sorry,” she replied pertly, “there’s nay need tae tear yer hair out over it. As ye can see, I’m perfectly fine. Ye were busy, and I didnae wantae disturb ye over somethin’ so trivial as fetchin’ some more tea from Ella. I planned on bein’ back before ye even noticed I was gone.”
“Well, ye were nae back, and I damned will did notice. Now, if ye’re done, we’ll be gettin’ back tae the camp right away,” he replied, his anxiety and annoyance draining away rapidly. He refused to feel foolish for his outburst though. It was dangerous for her to go gallivanting about by herself. He did not know what he would do if any harm came to her.
Ella appeared in the doorway behind Annie, and he could see she was stifling her laughter. Ewan summoned a smile and nodded at her. She waved at him mirthfully. “Hello, Ewan. How’s yer chest? Is the wound healin’?” she called.
“Aye, thank ye, ’tis doin’ very well,” he replied. “I’m grateful for yer help.”
“Och, ye’re welcome. Now, dinnae forget tae have Annie here change the dressin’ eh?”
“I willnae.”
“Thank ye fer the firewood,” she added. He had given the order immediately upon his return to camp. “That’ll keep me goin’ fer a while.”
“Grand. We’re even then,” he told her. Then, he looked at Annie expectantly and jerked his chin at the horses. “Are ye comin’?”
She nodded. “Aye, give me a minute tae get the tea and I’ll be with ye.” She vanished inside, and he could hear them whispering together and the rustle of paper before she appeared a few moments later. Ella followed and stood in the doorway while they mounted up and prepared to leave. Ewan saluted Ella over his shoulder, whilst Annie waved at her and called, “Good bye, Ella. Thank ye fer everythin’. Take care of yersel’. I hope I see ye again soon.”
“Likewise!” Ella called after them, returning the wave as she watched them ride off down the lane before finally shutting the door.
However, now Ewan had calmed down and Annie was safe at his side once more, he decided he was not going to put off the conversation he wanted to have with her any longer. But he was not yet ready to return to the tense atmosphere of the camp and thought it would be better to find a quiet place where they could talk in private. So, when he heard the distant sound of rushing water, he followed it, leading Annie beneath the trees into the lush forest.
“Where are we goin’?” she asked.
“I’m nae sure yet, but I’ll ken it when we get there,” he told her, forging onward between the trunks until, as he had suspected, they arrived at a secluded waterfall. The waters tumbled down from above before tracing a glittering path over large rocks and a gravelly bed that wound between steep banks. The gentle plashing and gurgling created an atmosphere that was both peaceful and intimate. “This is it,” he said, thinking it the perfect spot to confide his feelings for her at last.
“’Tis very pretty and tranquil,” she murmured as they dismounted and walked slowly the edge of the waters and stood side by side looking out over the lovely scene.
“I havenae told ye this before,” he began, “but this reminds me of home.”
“Oh? Is it by a waterfall?” Annie asked.
“Nay, but me castle is on the coast and it overlooks the sea. For as long as I can remember, the sight and sound of water has been the only thing that truly calmed me soul.”
“Aye, I love the water too. ’Tis very soothin’,” she agreed. “But ye said ’tis the only thing that calmed ye. Daes that mean somethin’ has changed?”
He turned to face her and nodded. “Aye. Somethin’ has. Bein’ around ye, Annie, also brings me a deep sense of calm. When ye’re nae givin’ me a heart attack by doin’ one of yer disappearin’ acts that is.”
She laughed as she looked up at him. “I ken ye’re jokin’ because ye must feel the opposite of calm around someone who once tried tae kill ye.”
Ewan had to smile at that. “Och, I’m certain that I’ll eventually uncover yer reasons fer that and whoever was behind yer attempt tae assassinate me. But I dinnae wantae think about that now.”
“Oh?” she replied, smiling at him a little uncertainly as he moved closer to her and looked deeply into her eyes. They seemed to have taken on the green of the canopy above.
“Annie?” he said softly.
“Hmm?” She took a small step backwards and must have misjudged her footing, for before either of them knew what was happening, the edge of the gravel bank gave way beneath her foot. She let out a little scream as one leg buckled beneath her and she teetered on the edge of the steep bank, her arms windmilling frantically in an attempt to regain her balance. But it was not enough to stop the momentum of the fall, and she looked at him in horror as she began to go over the edge. Her arms reached out to him in desperation, and she screamed, “Ewan! Help me!”
Acting on pure instinct, Ewan’s arm shot out, and in one movement, he grasped her hand, yanked her back from the brink and then wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her to safety and away from the edge. She fell into his arms and hugged him tightly, sobbing with relief. “I could have died if ye hadnae caught me, Ewan. Thank ye, thank ye fer savin’ me,” she gasped, her voice breaking.
Ewan was more shaken than he cared to let on, and he could feel her heart pounding against his chest as he held her tightly. “That was close. Thank God. Are ye all right, Annie?” he asked, looking down at her face worriedly. She looked so young and scared it tugged at his heartstrings.
“Aye, I-I am now,” she stuttered, still hugging him as if she would never let go, a sensation he found himself enjoying now she was safe. The look on her face as she had fallen, the way she had reached out to him, trusting him to save her was affecting him profoundly. Overwhelmed by relief and tenderness, he cradled her head in his hands, bent his head and kissed her lips.
The warmth with which she immediately responded to him lit a fire inside him, and the intensity of their kiss and the intimacy of their embrace flared rapidly into a passion he could not have stopped even if he had wanted to. Lifting her off her feet, he carried her over to a grassy spot far enough away from the steep bank to be safe from further danger. There, he laid her gently down and lowered himself beside her, leaning on his forearm.
“Be careful of yer stitches,” she whispered, reaching up to stroke his face, her eyes shining like gems as they looked deeply into this. He felt he could happily drown in them.
“Dinnae fash yersel’,” he told her with a smile, his voice low and thick, “I’ll scream if they start tae hurt. Right now, I have other things on me mind.” He pulled off her cap and let down her golden plait while she lay looking up at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her lips slightly open. The sight inflamed him further, and he groaned as he buried his hand in her hair, cradling her head, and kissed her again, more forcefully this time, taking full possession of the lips he already thought of as belonging to him.
“Och, Ewan, yer kisses taste so sweet, I never want ye tae stop,” she begged him, slipping her arms about his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair, her body writhing against his provocatively.
“Unless ye tell me tae, I’m nae gonnae stop, Annie, because I cannae have enough of ye,” he told her hoarsely, his manhood already rock hard and pressing urgently against the front of his trews and her belly. “I wantae make love tae ye so badly, so tell me tae stop now if ye dinnae want me tae go any further,” he said, his breath coming raggedly as his arousal grew.
“I told ye, I dinnae what ye tae stop,” she panted, her eyes alight with excitement, her small hands gliding over his shoulders beneath his shirt.
“Thank God fer that!” he exclaimed happily, leaning up and tearing off his coat, then his jerkin and shirt. He watched hungrily as she hurriedly wriggled out of her clothing, revealing her deliciously lithe, curvaceous body, and her smooth, white skin, a sight which fanned the flames of his desire ever higher. He hastily pulled off his boots and stockings and shucked off his trews. Naked now, his manhood throbbing like a club between his legs, he gazed down at her perfection, hungry to devour her.