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Out of the corner of his eye he could see her casting him sideways glances, but her eyes would quickly dart away if he caught her. They reached the summit and stood side by side, gazing at the landscape below; the bare treetops, bushy green pines, shimmering water of the loch.

“This rugged beauty reminds me of ye,” he murmured. “Stark and dormant in the cold, but when the weather warms and the spring rains come, it softens. The earth turns green with promise, the fields are alive with heather blooms.”

“Goodness! The cool air has brought out the troubadour in ye, James.” She laughed nervously, then offered him a small smile.

He did not return it. Instead, he inhaled his frustration, then came directly to the heart of the matter. “I want the truth from ye, Davina. Why did ye come to my bed last night, only to leave it before the dawn broke?”

Davina swallowed against the emotion crowding her throat. It was horrible seeing the hurt in James’s face, but worse knowing she was the cause of his misery.

“What in heaven’s name . . .”

“What?” Davina turned her head sharply, squinting to see what had so suddenly captured James’s full attention.

“There’s something moving in the trees,” he declared.

Davina stepped forward and squinted harder. “I dinnae see anything.” She had no sooner spoken the words when her eye caught a glint of sunlight reflecting off the blade of a drawn sword. For an instant she was mesmerized, but then a flash of a second, third, and more blades broke the spell.

“Damn it! We shouldn’t have walked so far from the castle without a guard.” James drew his lips together grimly. “There are too many of them fer me to fight.”

Davina shuddered. “Perhaps they dinnae mean us any harm?” The look of disbelief he sent her way made her throat go dry. “Mayhap we can bargain with them?” she croaked.

“They dinnae appear to be in a bargaining mood.”

The men were climbing steadily, spreading out in a formation that covered all avenues of escape. “We’re trapped,” she whispered bleakly.

“Not if we can find a way down where we won’t meet them coming up,” James muttered.

“’Tis impossible. They have fanned out to cover all the pathways. We willnae be able to slip by them.”

James shifted his stance and looked down at the gray waters of the loch. His brow furrowed for a moment, then suddenly his expression brightened.

“Ye have a plan?” she asked hopefully.

“Aye.” He stared again at the rippling water and Davina gasped in sudden panic. “James, ye cannae mean fer us to jump into the loch?”

“It’s not that far. Malcolm and I did it often as lads.”

“In the middle of winter? We’ll freeze to death.”

He flashed a smile so wicked her heart leaped. “Better to risk a watery grave than to be taken by an unknown foe.”

Davina stared down at the murky surface of the water. They were so high! Her eyes widened as she turned back to him. “Is there no other way?”

He shook his head and her heart sank further. “I’m not a very strong swimmer,” she admitted.

“Neither am I.”

Davina’s head whipped around at the quip. She nearly screeched when she saw his eyes dancing with amusement, but then her fear calmed. If James was able to tease her, he must have complete confidence in their chances of escape.

“We probably need not worry about the swimming,” she said quietly. “Most likely the fall will kill us.”

“That’s the spirit.” James’s lips tightened into a cheeky grin. “Will ye trust me to keep ye safe?”

“Aye.” Her lower lip trembled and she caught it between her teeth. She did not want James to think her fear was born out of a lack of confidence in him.

“Hold on to me tightly,” he whispered.

“Always.” Heart pounding, Davina pressed herself against his chest. His strong arms encircled her and she sighed, reveling in the warmth and power of his body. She had every faith in his ability to protect her; yet she knew the odds were not in their favor.