To Catch a Highlander: A Highland Erotic Romance (3 page)

“I only hope you understand, Brianna,” he said. “And I am sorry to bring up your mother like that. It is only that I loved her a great deal, and you remind me of her every day. She’d have been very proud of the feisty young woman you have become, you
know.”

“Shame I seem to have got my father’s looks rather than hers, haven’t I?” I said. I inherited my father’s strong features and black hair, rather than the soft red locks and round features that peered out from the numerous portraits of my mother that
dotted the walls of our home.

“I would not call it a shame at all,” Lord Galbraith told me. “You are your own woman, and you are a wonderful blend of both of them. I, for one, shall miss you a great deal, Brianna.”

I couldn’t resist looking at him for the first time. Unsmiling and serious as always, even as he delivered such flattering lines! But what else might I have expected? In any event, I was in no mood to be conciliatory. “You’ll miss me, but you’re going to deliver me to that horrid Gordan!”

“
Gordan is a good man,” he said, though he sounded somewhat reluctant to say it. “Yes, I know he eats and drinks a bit more than he should, but he will take wonderful care of you.”

He looked just as dour as ever as he said it. I couldn’t resist asking, “If you
believe that, why do you look so unhappy as you say so?”

At long last he cracked a smile. A ridiculously subtle smile, such that I could scarcely detect it as I glared at him; but it was there. “If you have a hard time understanding why I am not more cheer
ful, Brianna, recall that I have been doing the bidding of your father for well nigh unto thirty years!”

I enjoyed my first genuine laugh since before being called on Father’s carpet the night before, and he joined in. I almost felt a sense of goodwill now
, and was even tempted to tell him how Penny and I had always admired him from a safe distance when we were younger, to say nothing of how attractive he was in that moment. But I found I could not. I was still his prisoner – ever a prisoner to one man or another in this lifetime – and he was still marching me off to a life with a man I could never hope to love. I simply said, “I understand all too well, Lord Galbraith,” and left it at that.

The road veered ever so slightly to the west, winding its way betw
een the mountains just north of our town. Having not travelled that road in some time now, I struggled to envision what was before us and when and how to make my escape. To the best of my knowledge, there was precious little between us and Inverness, a ride of two days at the rate we were going. Of course, if left to my own devices, I knew I could spur Honey to get me there much more quickly, and the city would surely be large enough for me to remain lost to Lord Galbraith…all I needed to do, then, was wait for an opportunity to ride off without him. Best, of course, to make him think I had other ideas as to where I might escape to. With that in mind, I heaved my most dramatic sigh. “I do hope we shan’t have to pass through Inverness along the way,” I announced. “Such a crowded and filthy place, isn’t it?”

“We can skirt the city rather than passing through if you like,” he said, “But I must warn you, that could add some time to our journey.”

“I shouldn’t mind a longer trip into the arms of Gordan anyway,” I grumbled. Truer word was never spoken!

“I suppose I cannot blame you for that,” he conceded. “Yes, if you prefer, we can keep clear of the city.”

“Cannot blame me?” I asked. “If you agree that this is such a wretched fate…”

“Now, I did not say that, Brianna
,” he corrected. “Gordan is an honest gentleman who will take good care of you, and that is just what you need at this point in your life. I merely said I cannot blame you for being unhappy about being compelled to marry a man you scarcely know. But I can tell you from experience, one does learn to accept these things and get on with life.”

“Experience?
What experience? You’re a bachelor, aren’t you?”

“Precisely,” he said, in a tone so stark I nearly felt sorry for him.

“I…I’m sorry, Lord Galbraith,” I forced myself to say. “That was rather thoughtless of me.”

“Yes, I’m afraid it was,” he said. “I am indeed a bachelor, but not entirely by choice. My life has nevertheless been a full and satisfying one, and I am sure yours shall be as well.”

I was now dying to ask just what had transpired to lead to him never marrying, and also found myself wondering why I had never questioned it before. Probably, I concluded, because I myself had never wished to marry either. I had, naturally, always been aware that the choice was not mine and that one day I must be handed off to some gentleman or other; but I had never once looked forward to that fate. Seeing no way to rescue the conversation now, I once again held my tongue as we rode on, always waiting for the opportunity to make a run for it.

That moment arrived before much longer. As we arose higher into the mountain pass and the trees thinned out, I became increasingly aware of my need to retreat into the trees at some point
while they were still present to offer their bit of privacy. I thought of asking Lord Galbraith for a moment to visit the woods, but then it occurred to me that if I needed to make water, the odds were good that he did as well. So I held my tongue and my bladder, and waited.

Sure enough, within a ma
tter of minutes, he called for a halt. “Don’t know about you, Brianna, but I’m feeling an urge to go water the bushes,” he said with a naughty grin that I had rarely seen before. “We won’t have any cover for it much longer, so now is the time.” He slid off his horse. “I shan’t pretend not to know you’re the kind of gal who’s perfectly capable of tending to her own business in the woods,” he said. “You just go off to the right and I’ll take the left.”

“You’re quite right, I don’t mind at all, I said.” It was
true, Penny and I had never developed any ladylike qualms about such things. I made as if to slide off Honey, but hesitated as I watched him retreat. Gentleman that he was, he never looked back, and so just as I had hoped, he never noticed that I did not dismount.

I could not resist the naughty thrill of waiting a moment longer for him to lift up his kilt and let loose with a torrent that I could only hear rather than see. But it was enough just to know he had his cock in his hand, the very essence of man
liness as I had known it from all the many times I’d seen Father’s stallions relieving themselves ever so powerfully in their pasture. It did have the rather unfortunate effect of reminding me of my own increasingly pressing need, but the scintillating arousal I felt was worth it!

There was, however, no time to waste while an escape was still possible. And so I tore my gaze away back to the road, and prodded Honey into a gallop. “C’mon, girl, let’s go!” I ordered in a husky whisper, and Honey obeyed as usua
l.

Naturally, Lord Galbraith knew instantly what had happened. “Hey!” I heard him call from behind. I laughed, knowing there would be several more seconds before he would even be able to get back to his horse. I pushed Honey on at a punishing pace for sev
eral more minutes, looking behind me occasionally to see if he was on our trail, and there was never any sign of him. It was only as Honey began to break her stride that I realized the enormity of what I had just done. I was well and truly alone now, nothing to my name but my horse and the dress on my back, and the bit of money I had stashed in my girdle that morning lest Alva try to take it from me. That money would last me for a few days, no more, and where could I go in any event?

I had no idea. But at
least I was free, and I knew there were ways a common girl could survive on her own, and that sustained me for the time being.

When we came to a fork in the road, Honey was clearly tired and not likely to put much more space between us and Lord Galbraith.
The right fork was better-travelled, clearly in the direction of Inverness. I had no idea where the left fork might lead. I had, of course, told Lord Galbraith I had no desire to go to Inverness. But he wasn’t stupid, that I knew, so it seemed more than likely he would guess I had taken the right fork. I took the left.

It led downhill into a village I had never visited before. I clopped through it at an easy pace, hoping to avoid drawing any attention to myself, and evidently succeeding. There was an inn o
n the village square where I gave serious thought to stopping for a bite to eat, but quickly thought better of it. It was best that I stayed out of sight for at least a few hours. So I steered Honey on through the far side of the village and off into another wonderful wooded area with a babbling brook. Honey was desperate for a rest and I was desperate for a wee, and so I drew her to a stop by the water and she lost no time in bending down for a drink. Careful to walk downstream of her, I found a bush nearby to attend to my needs.

Honey was still enjoying her drink when I returned, and so I let her drink her fill. “There, girl,” I said, patting her gently. “We can go a little easier from now on.” I debated with myself as to whether it was too soon and I sho
uld remain out of sight, but soon concluded that I was perfectly safe: Lord Galbraith was undoubtedly well on his way to Inverness by now. Perhaps I would follow in a few days after he had given up and returned home. For now, I reasoned, I was safe where I was.

I was soon riding Honey back into the village, and to the inn. Withdrawing my purse discreetly, I went inside – and was confronted with a most unpleasant realization as soon as the door had swung shut behind me. I knew exactly how to conduct myself
in an establishment such as this when disguised as a man; but I had no idea how a lady would carry herself. For that matter, I hardly knew
if
a lady would ever find herself inside such a place; certainly one of my status would not. But after all, I was aiming to shed my true identity.

“Looking for a bit of fun, are you?” came a male voice, and I turned in fright to see its owner leering at me.

“Hands off, she’ll be joining me.”

My heart caught in my throat, and I thought of dashing back outside. But it wa
s no use; I was caught. I turned around to see Lord Galbraith munching happily at a meat pie. He cast a menacing glare at the man who had just approached me, who presently slunk back to his table, where I was pleased to imagine his friends jeering at his pathetic efforts “Gave me quite a scare there, you did, my lady,” he said. “But you made a beginner’s mistake, I’m afraid. You never stop at the first watering hole you find; everybody stops there.”

I plopped down silently across from him, and smiled my tha
nks at the barmaid when she presented a mug of ale before me.

“Now then, enjoy your luncheon, but I am quite sure you shall understand I will have to be more careful with you when we resume our journey,” he told me. “I suppose I will have to take your ear
lier request to heart and avoid Inverness, though. Much too easy for a restless prisoner to escape there.”

“I am no prisoner!” I protested. “I am Lady Brianna Douglas!”

“And acting most unladylike, I’m afraid,” he replied. “Believe me, I get no joy from what I must do next. But you have left me with no other options.”

Admitting defeat – for now at least – I guzzled my ale, hoping it might take the sting off my change in fortunes. It did, slightly at least, and I was once again resigned to my fate as I watch
ed Lord Galbraith pay the barmaid and then grab me roughly by the wrist to leave. At least, I told myself, I would not be paying for my own meals for some time yet. That would allow my savings to reach farther along after I made my next, successful attempt. Despite having my wrists cuffed together in an ungainly metal contraption to which Lord Galbraith had the key, I knew there would be a next time. The man had to sleep at some point, after all. As we rode together back through the village and toward the fork in the road where I had been so sure I had outsmarted him, I refused to give in to despair. This was but one more challenge, and I had no doubt I could beat it somehow as well.

It was, I suppose, around this time that I felt the first naughty stirring
s within. Though I was terribly disappointed that he had found me and had every intention of making another escape, I could not deny that a certain sense of naughty pleasure was to be found in my current state. This lovely man, whom I had occasionally lusted after in my younger years – this quiet, shy, overly serious man who was ever so much older than I – now had me literally as a captive, the key to my freedom jangling enticingly on a ring just out of my reach. Just what would I do if he never let me go? Just what would I be willing to do to make him change his mind? For the time being, there was nothing for me but to consider all that. No man, save Father, had ever held any sway over me before, and I liked it that way; I could only see my current predicament as a challenge to keep it that way.

He made pleasant small talk with me as we made our way back to the fork in the road and turned back towards Inverness, but of course I was in no mood to converse. It felt so very queer, being expected to carry on an
ordinary conversation with one who now held complete dominion over me! But I found myself slowly warming to the situation as I imagined how it might feel for him, knowing – or at least believing – I was at his mercy, a lovely young woman to whom he could do as he liked, and yet he treated me with all the dignity that was due me. I could hardly help but develop a certain respect to mingle with my resentment. Further, I found myself imagining what I might do if the tables were turned, if I were free to lay him helplessly in the heather and lift up his kilt…what would I do? The question was not answerable, but it inspired a definite stirring between my thighs, and the jostling of Honey’s back made that sensation most enjoyable.