Page 32 of Bound to a Scot (Sins in a Kilt #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

E mmeline laid in his arms, taking comfort in the solidness and warmth of his body. She trembled and shivered, partly from being soaked through and the cold, and partly from the terror that racked her body. She stared at the heavens above her and watched as clouds rolled in from the east, turning the sky into a mottled patchwork of varying shades of gray. Thunder growled in the distance, promising that a storm was on its way.

In a way, the coming storm summarized her day perfectly, going from bright and happy to dark and stormy in seemingly the blink of an eye. It hadn’t just been that they’d attacked her that had left Emmeline rattled. It was how they had tried to kill her. Her fear of the water was overwhelming on a good day. But to be dragged out into a pond like that… it was more terrifying than she could have ever imagined. It justified every fear of the water she’d ever had and somehow, made it even stronger.

As she realized how close to death she had come, Emmeline choked back a sob, struggling to understand what had happened and why. Why to her. And what she had done to bring it upon herself.

“Dae ye ken who those men were, lass?” Maddox asked.

She shook her head. “I’ve never seen them afore in me life.”

He looked back at the bodies that lay strewn on the bank of the pond and frowned. Something was troubling him. Emmeline’s eyes were drawn to the man floating in the water, fixing on the silver handle of Maddox’s dagger protruding from his chest. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and Maddox gently brushed them away with the pad of his thumb.

“They were probably just some bleedin’ cutpurses,” she offered.

“Could be. But I dinnae think so,” he said softly. “Cutpurses would’ve just taken yer things. They wouldnae have taken the time tae drag ye out intae the middle of the pond like that. Nay, they werenae just cutpurses.”

“Then who were they?”

He shook his head “I dinnae ken.”

Still shuddering and gripped by the fear of what had just happened, Emmeline felt an enormous weight on her chest. Her breath came in short, stuttering gasps and she felt like she was beginning to hyperventilate. Maddox stroked her hair gently, being more tender with her than she thought possible from him.

“Just breathe, lass,” he said softly. “Breathe slow and easy.”

Emmeline drew a deep breath and tried to get herself under control. Thunder crashed, closer this time, making her flinch and a cold breeze swept in, making her shiver.

“We need tae get ye somewhere where we can dry ye off and get ye warm,” Maddox said.

“Why dinnae we go and fetch our horses and ride back tae the castle?”

He seemed to consider it for a moment then shook his head. “Nay. We dinnae ken if these three have confederates in the village. They could be waitin’ fer us just in case somethin’ went wrong with their friends ambushin’ ye.”

“I hardly think it likely.”

“I willnae take the risk,” he said sharply. “Nae with yer life in the balance. They’ve already tried tae kill ye once. I willnae give them another chance tae finish the job.”

Maddox’s protectiveness sent a warm flutter through her heart. But the thought of somebody trying to kill her—again—chilled her to the bone. Why would somebody be trying to kill her? She wasn’t somebody of import who would warrant assassins being sent after her. Emmeline shook her head and fought back waves of emotion as she tried to understand what was happening to her.

“Come,” he says. “We need tae find somewhere we can shelter for the night and try tae figure out what the hell is happenin’.”

“I—I think I ken a place we can go,” Emmeline said.

“Where?”

“There’s an old huntin’ cabin deeper in the woods.”

“Then that’s where we’ll go.”

Maddox waded out into the pond to retrieve his dagger. Emmeline shuddered as she watched him yank it from the dead man’s body and wipe it off before sheathing it again. He returned to the bank and took her hand.

“Come,” he said. “Let’s go.”

They wound their way through the tangled undergrowth of the forest, walking for a bit before they found the cabin tucked away among the wide trunks of the trees. Emmeline let out a small breath of relief seeing it was still deserted.

“How did ye ken of this place?” Maddox asked.

“The kids in the village showed it tae me.”

“Excellent,” he said with a nod. “Wait here. Let me make sure it’s empty.”

He stalked to the cabin, drawing his sword from the sheath on his back and pushed the door open. Emmeline’s stomach clenched as he disappeared into the darkness beyond. But he reappeared a moment later and motioned her forward.

“’Tis clear,” he said as thunder crashed overhead.

“None too soon.”

Emmeline had just stepped inside when the first drops of rain started to fall. Maddox closed the door behind her then went to the small pit in the center of the floor and sets to work starting a fire. A moment later, the flames sprung up and as the column of smoke rose to the small hole set in the thatched roof above them, the small cabin began filling with light and warmth.

“Sit near the fire,” Maddox said.

She did as he instructed while he began digging through a stack of boxes that stood in the corner of the cabin. Cecilia leaned closer to the flames, reveling in their warmth. A few moments later, Maddox appeared beside her and held out a thick cloak to her.

“Get out of those wet clothes,” he said. “Wrap yerself in this cloak and we’ll hang yer clothes up tae dry.”

She looked at him, shocked. “I’m nae takin’ me clothes off.”

“Ye can either dae that or freeze tae death,” he said. “It’s about tae get a lot colder.”

As if on cue, a gust of wind rattled the thatch roof, and Emmeline did indeed feel the stinging bite of the cold upon her skin. She frowned.

“Fine,” she said. “Just… go over there. And dinnae look at me.”

Maddox chuckled but did as she’d told him and walked to the far side of the cabin—which, given how small the place was, wasn’t that far away at all. But he opened the wooden shutter and stared out into the oncoming gloom of the night. Thunder crashed overhead and rain lashed the sides of the cabin making so much noise, it sounded like the end of the world was near.

Emmeline pulled the thick cloak over her though and managed to wriggle and squirm her way out of the wet clothing that uncomfortably stuck to her skin. Only when she had gotten it off and the cloak wrapped tighter around her, did speak.

“Ye can turn around again,” she said.

Without a word, he picked up her clothing then hung it up close to the fire on a line he’d stretched across the room. He rooted around in the boxes again and brought her back a couple of old furs that, while a bit stale and smelly, helped to ward off some of the chill seeping into her bones. Once she was situated, Maddox carried his saddle bag over and sat down beside her.

“I need tae see that arm,” he said.

“Me arm?”

He nodded. “I noticed ye took a cut.”

With everything going on and all the adrenaline pumping through her veins during the attack, Emmeline hadn’t noticed that she’d been injured. She still didn’t feel it. But when she slipped her arm out of the furs, she noticed there was indeed a thin gash across her flesh.

“I didnae notice it,” she said.

“’Tis nae surprisin’. It happens that way sometimes.”

Maddox opened his saddlebag and pulled out a small bottle, pulled the cork, and offered it to her.

“Ye’ll want tae have a swallow, lass,” he said. “This may sting a bit.”

She took his advice and took a long swallow, wincing as the strong liquid hit her tongue. Then Maddox poured a bit of the liquid—whisky, judging by the taste—onto a white cloth. She grimaced and hissed when he put the alcohol-soaked rag onto the cut on her arm.

Maddox continued to work on her wound, using a small kit he carried to stitch it closed. It had been excruciating but he had worked on her with a delicacy that surprised her. With a tenderness she didn’t know he was capable of. He had surprised her in a thousand different ways that day. But as she reflected on it, one thing surprised her more than anything.

She looked into his eyes. “Ye came fer me,” she said softly. “Ye saved me.”

He offered her a gentle smile. “Aye. And I always will.”