Page 48

The last time she had been near any man was when she was still a child.

But even those she remembered looked nothing like the ones that filled the seats and spaces surrounding her.

Large, gruff, and loud, speaking words she could hardly understand, the men laughed or argued while they tossed back their ale like it was water.

Holding her cloth bag tightly too her, Vivian cautiously made her way towards the bar where the innkeeper and the woman beside him busily attempted to keep his patrons satisfied.

She slipped in behind a broad-backed man, catching the attention of the woman, who’s eyebrows hitched at the sight of her.

“Are ye lost?” she asked brashly. “We dinnae get the likes o’ ye in a place like this.”

Vivian shook her head. “No. I’m not lost,” she replied in her soft tone. “I need a place to sleep, and I could do with a meal.”

The conversations around her quieted, until not a word was spoken.

When the maid looked passed her, Vivian turned to see every eye in the inn looking at her.

No one spoke for a long second, and she could feel the fear rising in her gut.

She did not belong there, that much was obvious.

Her refined appearance, soft speech and evident unfamiliarity with the place had clearly drawn attention to her.

Attention that she neither needed or wanted, for Laird Sutherland and his men were surely looking for her.

Perhaps I will never make it to the coast, never mind to Aveline.

But a few seconds later, the discussions began again, the voices growing louder and louder, until the previous volume of banter, laughter and raucous was reached.

“Here’s a key,” the maid said, handing her a long key with a wooden fob attached by a piece of string. On the wooden fob was a number.

As Vivian frowned at it, the maid looked at her like she might be mad. “That’s the number o’ yer room.”

“Of course,” Vivian said, a light nervous laughter falling from her lips.

Giving her yet another strange look, the maid nodded to a table against the far wall. “Sit yersel’ down. I’ll bring ye a plate o’ stew and some bread.”

“Thank you,” Vivian replied, immediately turning and making her way across the room.

Side-ways glances were thrown in her direction as she seated herself, but the conversation continued to flow all the same. With her cloak wrapped closely around her, she kept a tight grip on her cloth bag. This definitely looked like the kind of place one might try and relieve her of it.

It was just as her food arrived that Vivian noticed two men sat across the room, both glancing at her intermittently.

Neither wore clan colors, but their interest put her immediately on edge.

Most of the others had lost interest by now.

To them, she was just another stranger. Clearly, not one of them, but harmless all the same.

These men, however, now presented with the opposite. Their interest in her had built in the short time she had been sat there, trying to mind her own business and blend in. Though the latter was evidently never going to happen.

Though neither of them moved, Vivian sensed that there was something threatening about them, as though they were likely to bring her danger.

Perhaps they are Laird Sutherland’s men? Could he really have found me so quickly?

Why not? The man was as resourceful as he was vicious. No doubt he had men all over the Highlands. Besides, if he had killed her father, he would have also planned to find her. He wanted her father’s lands after all, and he could not take them if the heir still lived.

“There ye go,” the lass said, leaving the stew and bread on the table before walking away. But as she left, the larger of the two men meandered over to her table.

“May I sit?” he asked, his tone falsely polite and not suiting his gruff appearance at all.

Even as her heart was thumping in her chest at his proximity, Vivian steeled herself.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t,” she replied, tersely enough to let him know he wasn’t welcome.

“Why?” His upper lip curled as he snarled down at her. “Too good for me, are ye? Let me tell ye, Missy. I’ve had better than ye.”

Her mouth fell open at his words, but despite her fear, she was not about to let him get away with his disgusting suggestion.

“I doubt that. In fact, I’d be surprised any woman would let you anywhere near her with your horrendous breath and body odor.”

The mask of politeness shed from him completely then, and with a heavy thud, his hands went down on the table.

He leaned forward, bringing his face dangerously close to hers.

For a long second, he only looked at her, his lips still curled, regarding her like she was something he had wiped off his shoe.

But then, he said, “Laird Sutherland was right about ye.”

And in that second, Vivian sucked in a breath. Her instinct had been right. The men were working for Laird Sutherland. She couldn’t be sure how they had found her, but it made sense that someone had seen her. Perhaps the laird had men in Inverness, and had sent word from there.

What did it matter now? She had been found out, and her earlier thought returned once more.

I will never make it to the coast.

Not a moment later, the man’s companion crossed the room, and without any hesitation, they grabbed her, one at either side.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked. Thrashing about and trying to fend them off, she continued. “Let me go. Let me go at once!”

Already, they had pulled her to her feet, but Vivian was not going to go quietly. She kicked out at them, catching one in the leg. He hissed at the pain, but only gripped her arm harder, making her whelp.

Even as she continued to scream and fight, no one in the inn stepped in to help.

Some turned away, pretending it wasn’t happening.

Some continued to watch, but didn’t move an inch, and just continued sipping their ale as though a woman being dragged out against her will was something that happened every day.

Maybe it did. But not to Vivian.

Now outside, she was terrified. The men were far too big to fight against, and all she could feel was fear coursing through her body.

Still, she screamed as though somehow, that might help her, even though it had had no effect so far.

Manhandling her and not caring if they hurt her, they dragged her toward a horse, one of theirs, she could only assume.

This is it. I am to be taken and no one will ever hear from me again.

But just as they reached the beast, a voice came from the shadows.

“Let her go.”