To Catch a Highlander: A Highland Erotic Romance (6 page)

“Likewise, Brianna, you would never understand what
Gordan might be capable of if he suspected anything of us on this journey. Indeed, as it is, he most likely already does suspect as much! We mustn’t leave anything to chance.” He took my face gently in his hands and gazed into my eyes. “I love you, Brianna. But we mustn’t consummate that love. You may never understand why not; but if you did, rest assured you would thank me for my reticence.”

“Regardless of all that, Ewan, I could offer you a night you would never forget!”

“I shall already never forget your beautiful body, that much I can promise you!” He pulled back the lone blanket on the bed. “If you should care to lie together in a chaste embrace, I should be most delighted with that memory as well.”

Though I felt defeated and even humiliated, the thought of his skin against mine all through the night was delightful. Accepting that was all I could expect,
I gave up and climbed into bed and into his waiting arms. They enfolded me in heavenly comfort against the harsh reality I faced in the coming days, and as I returned the gesture, I did the best I could to enjoy the moment. At least I might have this pleasant memory to get me through the coming days and weeks that might pass before I could take my leave of Gordan. I knew not how long that might take, but as I fell asleep in Ewan’s arms, once again I vowed that I would not be any man’s property – most especially not Gordan’s.

That promise remained foremost on my mind the following morning. I awoke first, with the earliest grey of dawn visible beyond the curtains, and in the night we had at some point rolled off to our own sides of the bed. So Ewan was never
aware as I got out of bed and made my way behind the screen for the privy. The joy and frustration of the night before still being very much alive in me in those first moments, I had second thoughts about escaping. We had, after all, shared a great deal, and he had ignited a great deal of hope in me that I might yet prevail upon him to run off with me. And oh, the lovely sight of his body and his adoring gazes upon mine!

It was only after I had washed my hands in the basin and stepped back before the scre
en, and saw the heavy iron shackles awaiting me at the foot of the bed, that I knew what I had to do. Ewan was still snoring away harmlessly, and as I stood there naked and utterly free and – I was sure – loved by that man in the bed, I knew going back on the road with him was out of the question. Even if he elected not to chain me up again, the mere knowledge that he had the option after all that we had shared the night before was utterly intolerable.

Calm as could be, knowing I could simply claim to have
been dressing for the day should he wake up, I hurried on my clothes. I paused long enough to assure that my change purse still had all my money inside it; and on confirming that it did, I was forced to consider robbing Ewan. My own savings would not get me far past Inverness, and I shuddered to think what I might have to do to make a living there on my own. But as I made for his pants on the chair by the bed, I chanced a long look at his peaceful, beautiful body, and I knew I could never do it. Surely a resourceful young woman like myself would find some solution that would not involve hurting the one and only man I could say I had loved.

I did, however, steal the shackles. It seemed all too likely I would need them at some point in my travels. With the h
ated metal contraption clutched in one hand, I eased the door open slowly and stepped out into freedom. Ewan stirred just a bit as I was pulling the door shut, and my heart skipped a beat in terror. But he did not awaken, and I had a clear path to an escape. I lost no time in finding the inn stable and coaxing Honey out of her stall, and we were well on the way to Inverness before the sun was fully up.

It occurred to me, far too late, that I could have shackled Ewan to the bed. But even when that came to m
ind, I knew I never could have done that after what we had shared the night before. Whatever miserable fate he was charged with leading me into, our baring of our bodies and our souls had been entirely sincere and I could never have found the strength to do such a thing. Besides, the wily gentleman surely had a key hidden somewhere!

All along the road to Inverness, I gave little consideration to the possibility that Ewan would catch up with me. After what we had shared, there would always be a silver linin
g to that, or so I told myself time and again on the long winding paths through the hills. If I were to face life with Gordan, even the slimmest chance of one more night with Ewan seemed most worthwhile indeed. As I drew nearer the city, from my first glimpse of the castle off in the distance, such concerns grew farther from my mind. With the vast panorama of buildings and bridges and the vast Ness drawing ever closer, so grew my confidence that I was going to succeed in my escape. Ewan could never find me here! I had little doubt that he would try; my flimsy suggestion to the contrary yesterday notwithstanding, I now knew the man well enough to understand that he would by now be fully aware of where I was going. But even a noblewoman can get lost in a big enough crowd!

It was near the hottest part of the afternoon when at last I clopped into the busy streets, where no one seemed to care who I was. Father had often warned me against the evils of cities – “No one will look at you twice, even a lovely girl lik
e you, because they’re all so wrapped up in their own business!” – but right now that sounded absolutely heavenly. Being my father’s daughter had never suited me terribly well back home, always catching the attention of one and all wherever I roamed, and true anonymity was something I had known only when I disguised myself as a boy. That, it occurred to me, would have been a great strategy for staying out of sight in Inverness. But I had no boys’ clothing and no means to bind my breasts, and as I blossomed forth into the crowded city streets, it took some time before I could be quite sure my anonymity now was real. But it was, and after ten minutes or so inside the city proper and no shouts of “My God, it’s Lady Brianna Douglas!” I was persuaded there would indeed be none.

Once my paranoia subsided, I realized I was quite desperately hungry. Once again I was bitterly disappointed that I had not brought my male disguise with me, for there was no question of a lady entering any of the pubs I saw along the high
street. Under other circumstances I might well throw caution to the wind and at least try to get a pint, however small my chance of success, but I was wary of drawing such attention to myself when Ewan was likely on my trail. And so I wandered about, searching every side street for an eating house of some repute and also trying to spot places that might be in want of a new barmaid.

Just as I thought my hunger was to get the best of me, my eyes fell upon a lovely cottage squeezed between two large stone bu
ildings, with gabled windows and a waft of smoke from the chimney that promised a late luncheon. With a sigh of relief, I tethered Honey and smoothed out my dress as best I could, and stepped inside. I shall never know whether or not I was aware of the lady of the house taking note of my arrival as I ambled up the path, but in the eye of my memory that is now how I always imagine it.

Whether I had noticed her or not beforehand, she was present and friendly when I entered the otherwise-empty dining room. “
Welcome, madam!” she said. “A table for you?”

“If you please, yes.
I am absolutely famished.”

“I shouldn’t wonder, at this time of day. Would you care to start with some scotch broth with lamb?”

“Why, that is my favourite soup!” I said, never thinking I was stepping into any sort of trap, undoubtedly because I was so very hungry.

“Very good, then, I shall have that for you shortly,” she said.

“Thank you,” I said. Alone for the moment in the lush dining room, with all the tables set and ready for the dinner hour, I relaxed and let my guard down just far enough to have it bounce back up and smack me between the eyes. Was it too good to be true that the lady had offered me my favourite soup without even showing me a menu? Why, of course it was! But Ewan could hardly be behind any of this, I reasoned, and with that I resolved to enjoy my late lunch and be on my way.

Only then did I recall that I would also require work if I were to make it on my own in
Inverness, and this looked like a lovely place to earn one’s keep. And so it was that when she reappeared with the soup a few minutes later, I straightened up in my seat and smiled as broadly as I could in my condition. “I say, madam, I intended to ask as well after your need for other ladies to work here?”

“Why
yes, I do need a barmaid,” she said. “Perhaps you would like to discuss the opportunity with my lord.”

“I certainly would,” I said, also nodding thanks for the soup as she set it before me.

“Well, as luck would have it, here he is,” she said, pointing toward the door just behind me. Excited now at the fast turnaround in my fortunes, I turned to see the door open,and who should walk in but Ewan!

“Dear God,” I said, throwing my spoon down in resignation.
“How?”

“I know many a shortcut into the city,” he s
aid, sitting down across from me uninvited. “And I know you. Margaret here is an old family friend, and knowing you would not be able to disguise yourself as a man this time, the list of eating houses to which you would even have access was fairly short. Even if you did not appear this very afternoon, I had little doubt you would find your way here before long. So I paid Margaret a visit, and asked her to notify me if anyone should ask for scotch broth with lamb.” He gave me a knowing nod as I recalled all the many times I had requested that opener for our dinner when I was younger.

“I’m terribly sorry, Lady Douglas,” Margaret said. “But I assure you this is for your own good. A city like this is no place for a young woman who has never been on her own befo
re.”

“I have been on my own for most of my life,” I grumbled. “That is the very problem!”

Ewan took his hat off; I could see from his face that he regretted the faux-pas of not doing so sooner. “Eat your soup, Brianna. You need it, and I know how you love it. I shall pay for it, but then we must be on our way.”

Margaret also brought us warm bread and a meat pie, and I was too hungry to object to any of it. I glared at Ewan with a knowing look in my eyes as to all we had shared last night, but even I was too
much of a lady to speak of such things in public, even if the room was otherwise empty. He did at least have the decency to also look regretful as he ate. In spite of myself, I could not help but admire the ingenuity that had led him to me, and he looked just as lovely as ever in his rumpled riding coat. When we were finished and Ewan had paid for the meal, Margaret presented me with a small parcel. “Some cakes for the road,” she said. “Whatever you may be guilty of, my dear, I admire a woman with such spunk. Lord Galbraith, I do hope you appreciate the treasure you have here.”

“It would be mightily difficult not to, after what we’ve been through the past two days,” he agreed.

“Th…thank you,” I told her.

“You’re very welcome, dear. I hope you make peace wi
th your fate soon; Lord Galbraith will make a wonderful husband whether you can see that now or not.”

“Excuse me?” I snapped to attention, looking at Ewan, who cringed.

“That’s enough of all that, my dear,” he said, putting an arm around me. “Thank you again, “Margaret, but we must be on our way!” Before I was entirely sure I had heard her correctly, he had hustled me out into the front yard.

“What exactly did she mean –?” I stammered.

“I’m afraid I had to tell her it was me you were marrying, rather than Gordan,” he said. “That gentleman does not have the best reputation in Inverness, and I couldn’t be sure she would have helped me had she known the truth.”

“Good Lord, Ewan!” I was outraged now, and felt my eyes burning with tears. “Not only do you know
that man is no good, you even know others know it too! Ewan, how can you do this to me, especially after last night!”

“It is
because
of last night that I now must,” he growled. “If word of that ever got out, then…”

“Then what?”
I demanded. “Then everyone would know we are two people who love one another and will be blissfully happy together for life! Just what is wrong with that?”

“Your father would never allow it!” Ewan hissed. “And as I told you last night, I am not at liberty to explain why. Now come al
ong!” He gave me a gentle but firm push in the direction of our horses. Seeing no other option for the time being, I untethered Honey and swung up on her back.

“Surely you would agree that it is too late in the day for us to continue far beyond the city,”
I said as soon as we were back in the precious anonymity of the busy street.

Ewan made no immediate response. I turned aside just in time to see his implacable scowl turn upwards just a bit. He knew just what I was thinking. But I didn’t care. Evidently
he didn’t either. “Indeed,” he agreed. “Very well, then. I know an inn on the far edge of the city.” And we wended our way through the filthy streets in silence for the next hour or more.

The inn he knew was just as rustic as the previous one, situated on
a picturesque hill just where the trees and grass began to reassert themselves over the dust of the city. As he stepped down and tethered his horse, he looked thoughtfully up at me. “I know full well you have my shackles in your pack,” he said. “As a gesture of what I rather suspect is misguided trust, I shan’t put them on you at this time. Surely you understand by now that I shall find you if you try to run again.”