Page 14 of Savage Kilted Highlander (Temptation in Tartan #9)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T hey set off once more, in relative comfort this time, making their way steadily through the sheltering forest. They spoke little, which was just as well because Constance’s head was full of confusing thoughts concerning Bane, which she could not seem to pin down. Bane also appeared sunk in his own mysterious deliberations.

But after a time, as the day began to gradually wane, she began to get anxious about where they were going to spend the night.

“Where are we making for this time? Have you got another derelict ruin lined up for us to sleep in tonight?” she asked, only partly joking.

“’Tis nae much further now tae our destination. We should be there by nightfall. And nay, I havenae got another ruin lined up. Ye’ll sleep in style tonight,” he assured her, “in a proper bed. Though I daresay it’ll nae be as soft as the ones ye’re used tae at home.”

“I don’t expect so. Unless you are taking me to an English manor house with fine feather beds to sleep on.”

He gave a rueful chuckle, which reverberated through his chest and into Constance’s body, sending a tingle up her spine. “I couldnae afford it if I wanted tae.” He paused before adding, “I ken ye must miss yer comforts.”

“I do. I hate being cold and wet. But I am getting used to eating mouldy bread and goat meat, and it is not so bad when you get used to it, especially when you are famished,” she admitted. He looked surprised, which made her smile. “Odd, is it not? A well-bred young English lady like me? I am mystified by it myself. I suppose you could say that this… adventure is teaching me many things I would not have otherwise learned. And learning is good, is it not?”

He shrugged. “Aye. But it depends what ye’re learnin’.”

“That’s true enough. I wonder how you would get on in an English manor like the one I grew up in. Do you think you would be revolted by the lavish dinners, having a fleet of servants at your beck and call, or sleeping in warm, soft beds?”

“Nay. I’d make meself right at home.”

She could not help laughing. “I would love to see you sitting down to dine with Lord Ashbourne, the man I believed was my father. He hates all Scots and is a stickler for etiquette.”

“Ach, I’d put him in his place and then eat all his food and drink all his wine.”

“That would be fun. But I suspect you would not be invited back,” she replied, tickled by the notion of seeing Bane put the vicious snob in his place as he suggested.

“Who says I’d wantae?”

“Indeed. I for one am never going back there.”

While Bane had changed his sopping wet clothes for dry ones, he had sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens that he had heard Constance screaming to him for help and got to the river in time to save her from drowning. Thinking about what would have happened if he had not made him feel queasy, and he tried to put it out of his mind.

She was all right, that was all that was important, and not just because he needed her to get Tav back, but because he found he did not want anything bad to happen to her, which was quite a shock to him. Apart from Tav and Fia, he had never really cared much about anyone else, certainly not himself. But now, he could not deny, he was starting to care about Constance.

When he had brought back her mother’s locket, it had been worth it just to see the way her face had lit up, her green eyes warm and glowing, her smile ecstatic. He had felt like a hero for the second time that day. God, she was the most breathtakingly beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes. Even as wet and bedraggled as a half-drowned rat, her nose red from cold, her face pale and drawn from weariness, or screwed up in fury, she drew him to her like a lodestone drew iron. And the best thing was, she had no idea how lovely she was, none at all. She was utterly innocent.

They were heading for the cottage they had not managed to reach the night before because of the weather. As he rode quietly through the forest, with Constance nestled in front of him, a warm, soft weight between his thighs, he wondered if it was normal for a grown man to feel as though putting a necklace on a woman was the most erotic experience he had ever had in his entire life.

Because when he had stood behind Constance to do that, and she had held her luscious auburn hair aside for him, the urge to trail his fingers over the smooth, flawless, white skin of the nape of her graceful neck and then follow that up with kisses, had been almost overwhelmingly strong. His sudden and embarrassing state of arousal had been a testament to that, and it had taken a mighty effort of self-control not to just grab her and devour her. How many times had he wanted to devour a woman? Never, until now.

But it could not go on, he knew it. Whatever feelings he was developing for Constance, they could not be allowed to get in the way of his mission to save Tav. But if not for the mission, he would never have encountered a woman as beguiling and fascinating as Constance Ashbourne. She was everything a lowly Scottish blacksmith like him should despise. What did he have in common with a prim, rich, upper-class English lady like her? He might be employed to shoe her best hunters, but that was all. By class and by nationality they were poles apart. There could never be anything between them, and he ordered himself to put all such thoughts out of his mind and keep his distance.

So, why did he groan inwardly and feel so bad when Constance got excited to see lights shining in the distance in the valley below the tree-lined bluff where they were riding as darkness began to fall?

“Bane, look, lights! It must be a village or even a town down there,” she said, sounding like a child on Hogmanay Eve.

“Aye,” he admitted reluctantly, mentally kicking himself for not having foreseen her reaction and half-wishing he had taken another route. “’Tis a small town.”

“A town! That means there will be an inn. Oh, can we go down there and see if there is one? Think, we could stay in an inn, in comfort for the night. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“I’m sorry tae disappoint ye, but it daesnae figure in me plans. Besides, it’ll be too dangerous.”

She pouted. She actually pouted. And it did something to him, something he had been telling himself for the last few hours he had no business feeling.

“Why will it be dangerous? You told me yourself we are over the border of my father’s lands and out of his reach,” she argued with annoying accuracy. He had told her that, more fool him.

“I told ye, I have a place fer us tae stay already. Surely, ye can see why it would be a bad idea tae go among people?”

“No, I do not see that at all. We have come many miles, we are cold and hungry and tired. We need a place to stay that is comfortable. Down there we will likely find an inn.” She jerked her chin down the hill towards the lights. “What is the difficulty with getting a room there for the night?”

He told her the truth bluntly. “Fer the simple reason that if we dae, what’s tae stop ye screaming fer help the first chance ye get, and me ending up gettin’ arrested and thrown in jail?”

That silenced her, and he thought she had given up. But he should have known he was wrong.

“Bane, you saved my life today. And you returned to me the most precious thing on earth to me, which was lost, my mother’s locket. I owe you something for both of those things. What sort of person do you think I am that I would try to have you arrested and thrown in jail after that?”

“I’m nae sure, Constance, why wouldnae ye?”

She thought for a moment, a small line appearing between her brows. “I see you do not trust me. Very well, then. I have an idea. You know how much my locket means to me. What if I give it to you for safekeeping while we are at the inn? You could even leave it somewhere safe, not keep it on your person just in case you are arrested for something else and accused of having stolen it. If I exposed you, I would lose the locket. You know I would never let that happen. What do you say?”

“Clever, Constance, very clever,” he said, admiring her intellect but still loathe to risk it. “But even so, inns are very expensive. I’m nae a rich man.”

“I have enough money to pay,” she said.

He looked over at her sharply. “What money? Ye told me ye lost all yer money in the river,” he asked suspiciously.

“Hmm, not all of it. I have a few crowns hidden in my boots,” she admitted. “Luckily, they stayed on while I was in the river. So, you see, there is no good reason you can come up with, why we should not go and stay at the inn. And apart from that, after what you have put me through these past few days, you owe it to me,” she finished triumphantly.

Bane pondered for a few moments. The thought of having a proper hot meal, staying in a warm room, and sleeping in a soft bed instead of lying on the ground in the cold was very appealing. But he was still not sure whether he could trust her. “Will ye swear on yer maither’s locket nae tae give me away?” he asked.

In reply, she took hold of the locket, looked him in the eye, and said gravely, “I swear by my dear mother’s memory and this precious locket that I will not give you away.”

Bane was not sure why, but laughter bubbled up from deep inside him and burst out. He laughed freely, as he had not laughed in an awfully long time, since before Tav had been kidnapped. When he was done laughing, he looked at her again, seeing how cold she was. Her lips had a bluish tinge to them, and her nose was glowing like a holly berry. He sighed. “Very well, me fine English lassie, we’ll go tae the inn. But ye’re payin’.”

Her joy was like a holiday.

“No!” Constance said firmly as the maid held the door of the room open and she looked inside. “It will not do. We need a bigger room that this.”

“I’m awful sorry, missus, but all the other rooms are taken,” the girl told her apologetically.

“This’ll dae fine, lass, thank ye,” Bane said with a nod at the maid. “Go on inside, Constance, and dinnae make a fuss,” he added, gently pushing her forward over the threshold. She obeyed, but she cast him a look over her shoulder, her lips pursed.

“Will ye bring some supper up for the two of us, and some ale as well?” he asked the maid. She bobbed her head in assent before clattering off downstairs to do his bidding.

Bane followed Constance into the room and closed the door. As he placed their baggage on the threadbare rug, she turned to face him. “This is far too small. And it is dingy. And there is only one bed.”

“Look, ye got what ye wanted, have ye nae? What are ye complainin’ fer?” he replied, taking off his cloak and hanging it over the back of a chair near the small fire that was burning in the grate. He found he could not be too angry at her. He was too relieved she had kept her word and stayed quiet when they entered the inn. The bar was surprisingly busy, and she could easily have cried for help. But she had not, and he was grateful to her for that. He thought of the locket, which he had stashed under a tree for safekeeping.

“’Tis warm and cozy. I thought ye’d be pleased.” He looked around at the accommodation. Two oil lamps cast a warm orange glow over the room. To his eyes, it was quite luxurious. “The room is plain, that’s true. Of course, ’tis naethin’ like yer fine manor house, I’m sure, but ’tis better than what I’m used tae. It has a fire and a nice big bed, and hot supper is on the way. I’m looking forward to a pint of ale and puttin’ me feet up.” He sat in the chair and pulled off his boots, placing them near the grate to dry.

“But as I said before, there is only one bed. And since we can hardly share it, that means one of us has to sleep elsewhere, and I can assure you it is not going to be me.” Her voice was tart, but he could see the fear in her eyes. He had never met a maid so innocent as she was, putting it down to her strict upbringing. Nevertheless, he could not resist teasing her.

“Why can we nae share it? There’s plenty of room in there. Are ye gonnae try tae have yer wicked way with me in the night, is that it?” he asked, laughing when her cheeks turned bright pink.

She glared at him, but he could tell panic was not far from the surface. “I have already explained to you why it is impossible. It is bad enough that we have to share a room. If anyone found out…” She bit her lip as she finally took off her cloak and hung it next to his. Is that an admission of defeat , Bane wondered.

“Ah, aye, I remember. Somethin’ about yer reputation, eh?” He unbuckled his sword belt and laid it next to the head of the bed, then took off his buff jerkin and sat on the bed. “Constance, stop mitherin’. If I’d wanted tae take yer maidenhead, I would have done it by now. I’ve nae intention of layin’ a finger on ye. Besides, ye should ken ye can trust me by now. We’ve been together fer three days already and slept by each other without any problem. So, can ye just try tae enjoy this and be content that ye got yer way?” Overcome by sudden weariness, he laid back on the bed and put his hands behind his head, watching her.

“That is not the point,” she said, standing on the rug, her face tight, fingers knotting nervously at her waist as she looked back at him. “It is not proper, not the way I have been brought up,. I simply cannot sleep in that bed with you in it.”