Kissing the Countess (24 page)

"Good fellow, but he does have the look of the wolf to him. I'd be wary of his offer. He'll fleece you if he can. Picked up two grouse I shot today and claimed the brace as his own. Not sporting." Arthur shrugged.

Evan huffed a wordless comment. Then he glanced toward Kildonan Castle, seeing a few people strolling the castle grounds, including four women in wide belled skirts, carrying parasols. Stopping, he shaded his brow.

"I believe our guests are here." Evan quickened his pace as he strode down the hill.

* * *

Catriona walked toward the fairy bridge after parting with Morag in the hills, aware that Evan did not want her to take this route. But this was the fastest way back to Kildonan Castle, and she was not worried about crossing the broken bridge, which had not crumbled any further for decades.

As she left the forested lower slope and approached the bridge, she could hear the rush of the water in the gorge. Looking up, she saw Kenneth Grant standing on the other side of the bridge. Slowing her step, gripping her walking stick, she stopped to stare at him warily.

"Lady Kildonan, how nice to see you," he said.

She slowed. This was the only way across, though she felt as if she entered a trap. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Only to make sure you cross safely." He held out a hand.

"I can manage on my own, thank you."

"I saw your husband earlier. He's quite concerned about the condition of this bridge. He worked like a laborer today to make some repairs—so you would be safe."

She noticed additional stones wedged in the raw edges of the break and stout sticks braced across the gap. "It looks quite sturdy. I do not need help, Mr. Grant. You can go home."

"I thought we could talk again. Come," he said, beckoning.

Looking about frantically, she saw a man walking the moorland in the distance between the castle and the bridge. Relieved, she recognized Evan. The sight of him lifted her spirits—she need not fear Kenneth Grant here.

Reaching the middle of the bridge, she leaped the gap easily. As her feet touched stone, she felt the improved stability in the old bridge surface.

Grant took a long step toward her and grabbed her arm so fast that she gasped. As he yanked her toward him, she stumbled, and her left foot slipped off the ragged edge of the breach, knocking out one of the prop sticks.

Then he tilted her backward, so that she latched on to his arm in desperation. Waving her arm as she held her walking stick, she tried to use that to keep her balance. Grant struck it violently out of her hand, and she heard it clatter all the way down, then splash into the water.

"Be careful, my dear," Grant said, and he pulled her back up to stand beside him in a stable spot on the bridge. "You nearly fell."

Catriona stared up at him, heart slamming. Had he truly meant for her to stumble, or had he nearly lost his balance, with her beside him? She knew what he would claim. Stepping back, she pulled with her arm, but he would not release her.

"You did not tell me you and Kildonan were to be married that day. You should have said so," he hissed.

"I did not know it then. Stop hurting me—" She twisted.

He lessened the pressure, but did not let go. "Be careful not to fall again, my dear," he murmured. "And remember what you and I talked about."

"I don't understand—why are you so angry with me, so set on punishing me and my family? We have always trusted you."

"I trusted
you,
my dear, but you hurt me to the quick with your hasty marriage. I do not intend to hurt you, but I had always hoped that if you decided to marry, you would turn to me for that. What changed when you saw Mackenzie? Did he charm a lonely, plain young woman? Or did you set out to trap him for his title and his fortune?"

"How dare you! You know the circumstances. We had no choice but to marry." She felt vulnerable standing with him on the narrow bridge, on a part of the arch just below the crack—but Grant did not allow her to move to the safety of the path.

"So, an admission of your sin. When we found you in the shieling hut, I saw the way you both looked at each other... and I knew then that you welcomed his affections. The Plain Girl of Glenachan could not resist Kildonan," he growled.

"You do not understand." But she would not explain the details to him or to anyone.

"I have bided my time, but never expected you would give yourself to a stranger. I never thought that particular man would come back here, to be truthful. I thought his sister and Sir Harry would run the estate. I am understandably upset, for his return has ruined my life—and yours." He stared at her, looking cold and suddenly dangerous.

She yanked her arm. "What is it you want?"

"I want what he took from me," he growled, pulling her to him, bending to kiss her mouth while she twisted in protest. Lifting his head, he held her tightly. "I want you to take heed, Plain Girl," he finished.

She glared at him. "My husband and my kinsmen will not tolerate this—"

"But you cannot tell them. You pay a price for my silence, as I told you before. I can ruin your family. They will leave this glen... like the others did."

Breath heaving, she knew deep in her gut, like a twist of fear, that he was right. She could not speak or her family would suffer. The people of the glen would suffer, too, without Finlay to help them, without her father to shepherd their souls.

"So will you tell your earl and ruin your family?" He cupped her head to kiss her again, but she wrenched away.

"Leave me be," she hissed.

"Is it prison for Finlay, then, and ruin for Thomas? Pity. I like them both. Well, I have written letters to the sheriff and of course to the earl. They only need posting." He let go of her.

She stepped back, rubbing her forearms. "I never thought you could be so hateful."

"Where shall we meet again to discuss our bargain? We could use the shieling hut where you dallied with your earl. You could tell him that you are going out with Morag MacLeod."

"No," she said, breathing hard.

"I think you should, Catriona," he said, voice low. Then he glanced toward Kildonan Castle in the distance. "Ah, look. Your bridegroom is coming to your rescue." He pointed.

Catriona turned and saw Evan walking up the hillside toward them. "Evan!" she called, while Grant squeezed her arm. "Evan!"

Chapter 17

"Kildonan! Here!" Grant waved and called, to Catriona's surprise. Then he tugged her off the bridge and waited with her at the top of the hill as Evan came closer.

Her heart pounded, and she fought tears, yet she stood calmly. She realized that Evan would know nothing of what had just transpired. From the low angle of the hill, he could not have seen them clearly on the bridge.

And she did not dare tell him what had happened.

"Lucky thing you came by, sir," Kenneth Grant said as Evan reached the top of the hill and came toward them. "Your bride had quite a fright. She nearly fell from that infernal bridge. I'm very glad I happened to be passing this way."

Evan's face turned grim as he strode toward them. "Dear God," he said, and set an arm around Catriona, pulling her against him. She leaned, resting her head on his shoulder, relief pouring through her. "Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine." She wanted to dive into the safety of his embrace. Instead, she clutched the back of his frock coat and stood close, felt safe now, while she faced Grant.

"Your bride stumbled on the bridge," Grant said. "I was near enough to catch her. You are wise to barricade the area and forbid use of the bridge, sir. It should have been done long ago."

"I am in your debt, sir." Evan shook Grant's hand.

"Not at all. A pleasure to help. Good day to you both." He barely glanced at Catriona. "I will see you soon, when we go climbing, sir."

"Indeed," Evan said. Grant doffed his hat and walked away.

"Climbing?" Catriona asked. "He's going with you?"

"Arthur and I saw him earlier, and Arthur asked him to join us. How lucky he saw you on the bridge. I was on my way to meet you, but would have come too late. Good God, what a fright you gave me," he said, drawing her closer.

When she thought he might take her into his arms—might kiss her—he only draped his arm around her shoulders and turned with her to walk down the hill. She sighed, disappointed.

Glancing back, she saw that Grant was gone. "I do not mean to seem ungrateful, but must Mr. Grant come along on your outing?" she asked. "I do not much care for him. You do not know him as well as I do," she added.

Evan tilted his head, looking puzzled. "But he is your savior, my lass." He said it lightly.

"No," she said, pressing close to him, so glad he was there. "You are my savior. I did not feel safe until I saw you."

He stopped then and murmured something low that she did not hear, but wished she had. Sweeping her hard against him with one hand at her back and the other behind her head, crushing her hair in his hand, he bent his head and kissed her.

Surprised, feeling her own strong, wild response, she leaned into the kiss, savored its tenderness and strength. Looping her arms around his neck, she arched into him and kissed him back fervently, delighted, feeling loved, safe—whether or not it was true.

Wrapped in his embrace, standing in the grass with the wind billowing her skirt and her plaid, she felt dizzy, enchanted, aware of the watchful dominion of the mountains, the clouds, and she and the man together like a crystal point, magic and mystery—she never wanted the feeling to end.

He let her go and held her away from him. His breath came hard, his hands gripped, his hazel eyes went green, intent.

"I promised to leave the decision to you about such things. But I almost lost you today. It was a devil of a fright. Promise me you will keep off that bridge."

She exhaled, shook her head. "Morag and I need to go back and forth to those high hills. We have work to do."

He let go and she resumed walking beside him, wishing suddenly they could turn time back to a moment ago—or a few days ago, in the shieling hut, before life became so complicated.

"There are other ways into the hills," he said.

"We cannot climb down into the gorge and leap the stones in the burn. Morag is over seventy years old."

"Then she should not be leaping the gap on the bridge either." He cocked a brow as he glanced at her.

"She's been crossing that wee bad step for longer than I have. I always make sure she gets over safely."

"You could both fall one day. That fairy charm did not do you much good today. I want you to take ponies along the drover's track from now on."

"That's impractical where the hills are steep and rough, and the tracks in poor condition now, with no herds of cattle being driven along to keep them smooth. It would take much longer on ponies, and we could not reach the remote crofts. There are not many people left in this glen," she said, "but there are several in the high hills who look forward to our weekly visits."

"I see. We will think of something, then. Come, my girl, you need to go home. You look shaken, and at least need tea."

"I'm fine," she said. "I had tea with Morag and her husband."

"I left the gig under those trees over there. Let's go home to Kildonan." He tucked her under his arm again, and she came into that circle gratefully. They walked in natural tandem, their bodies a complement of curves and hollows in motion. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she said nothing more as they walked down the long hill.

She did not really know this man, and yet she did, somehow. He tapped feelings in her that she wanted. Needed.

Falling swiftly, almost literally into her life, he fit now as if there had been a place waiting just for him. She felt safe with him, and wished they had never left that shieling hut, never learned more about each other than what was most important: that they cared, that they could love, flourish and enjoy life together.

For the moment, Grant and his ugly threats had diminished like shadows in sunlight. But she feared it would not last.

* * *

"Look—who is that?" she asked a little while later, as she and Evan neared Kildonan Castle. Several people made their way along one of the steep hills behind the castle.