Page 15 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds (Clans of Mull #3)

Eva

Eva pushed her horse too far, ignoring the guards telling her to slow down. Well, they hadn’t just been embarrassed and infuriated at the same time.

Embarrassed that the man who offered for her told her he had withdrawn his offer.

Infuriated that her own brother had said he would basically force the marriage.

Sloan did say that he withdrew the offer because she wasn’t interested in him, but it still hurt. When coming from his lips, it hurt more than she’d ever admit to anyone. What Sloan must think of her, she wasn’t sure, but she tried not to think on it.

And Lennox? She couldn’t wait to have words with him.

When she arrived home, she jumped down from her mount, nearly falling on her arse, but she managed to keep herself upright. Lennox stood in the middle of the courtyard talking with Jasper.

“Brother dearest, a word, please.”

Her brother gave her a questioning look but held up his hand to let her know that she could wait. Pacing and fuming, she allowed him the chance to finish his conversation, but when Jasper left, she strode directly up to him. “How could you?”

“How could I what?”

“I’m sure you can guess. Think a moment.”

“Eva, when you calm yourself enough so you are not making a scene, I’ll discuss whatever this is with you.” He took her elbow and ushered her off to the side. “If this is about Sloan, I don’t think you want every guard here knowing you refused him and that I tried to push you to marry him. We don’t need everyone talking about you.”

Her eyes misted, but she swiped the tears away. “How could you?”

“Who did you see?”

“Sloan. He told me you accepted, and he rejected me. Now I’ve been embarrassed too. I’ve been jilted.”

Lennox’s jaw did that odd wiggling thing it did when he controlled his temper, but his voice came out in an even tone. “You have not been jilted. You refused Sloan. I tried to accept for you, hoping you would court him for a few moons to see if you suited, but he rejected it as much as you did. It was a mutually agreed-upon refusal. You have naught to be embarrassed about, Eva. No one knows but Sloan and me, so stop panicking. You got what you wanted. There is no betrothal. End of story, so stop being dramatic. It’s done as you wished.” He looked down at her, then glanced over his shoulder to see who was close by. “Eva, is it not what you wanted?”

“Aye.”

“Then why are you so upset?”

How did you explain to someone that it was because Sloan told her he refused her? That he would not marry her if she wasn’t willing, which was a perfectly reasonable response. “I don’t know.” She didn’t know how to explain it to him. She needed a female to speak with.

Not her mother. She’d dismiss her feelings.

Not Meg. She wouldn’t understand.

She had no one with whom to share her thoughts, her innermost fears.

Lennox kissed her forehead and said, “Go on inside and warm yourself by the fire. You have nothing to be upset about. All is the way you wanted. I’m sure you will find the right person when you least expect it. That’s exactly how it happened with me.”

She nodded and headed toward the keep, dragging her feet, but nonetheless, going inside, feeling rejected. Yet her brother was right. All was as she wished it to be. No betrothal. No Sloan Rankin.

She sat inside and caught Alycia coming down the staircase. “Alycia, do you have a moment, please?”

“Aye, but outside.” Alycia tugged her out the back door and asked, “What’s wrong?”

She did her best to explain the situation to her one and only friend but wasn’t quite sure how to explain how she felt.

“Are you betrothed to Sloan?” Alycia asked.

“Nay.”

“No betrothal. You refused him?”

“Aye. My brother was going to force me to marry, but then Sloan refused because he didn’t want to insist …”

“So, Lennox would force you, but Sloan wouldn’t? See, I told you he was a good man. You should have accepted. There are not that many noblemen on the isle.”

Eva scowled, not knowing how to explain what she’d meant. “Never mind. I’m fine.”

“Good. I have to change two more beds. We can talk on the morrow.” Alycia left with a smile on her face.

Shoulders slumped, Eva made her way around to the front of the castle toward the stables. She’d left her horse without brushing her down, so she thought to see how the sweet mare was doing. The stable lads were busy handling the guards’ horses, so she slipped inside and headed down the line of stalls until she found the white beauty at the end of the row, which pleased her because she thought at least her horse would listen to her. There was no one else close enough to overhear her words, especially with the chaos taking place at the stable entrance with all the guards and their horses.

“Greetings, Snow Queen. Forgive me for leaving you so quickly.” She reached into the apple barrel and pulled out a nice red one for her mount. Opening the stall door, Eva stepped inside and hugged her pet, wrapping her arms around the horse after giving her the treat, the chomping oddly soothing to her. “I don’t know how to explain it, Queenie, but I feel so foolish. I should have accepted. He is a fine man and a handsome man, but I’m just not ready. The one insulting Englishman wished to look at my breasts, and I don’t wish for anyone to look at them. If I had agreed, would Sloan have asked to see them too? I just don’t understand all this marriage and betrothal business. Mama says I’m old enough, but I don’t think I am. If I married Sloan, I’d have to leave MacVey land and move to Dun Ara. What would I do on Rankin land where I would know no one?”

The horse pawed the ground as if answering her. “No more treats yet, but you are right. I would know Marta and Sheona, but they’re different from me. Marta has two bairns and Sheona is only eight and ten. Younger than I am. She wouldn’t understand what I wish to tell her, that I plan to find my own husband, that he should be the man my father chose for me. That I wish for him to be from a faraway land, that we would marry and travel far, far away.”

Her horse let out a blow, and she jerked her head up. Queenie didn’t blow unless she didn’t like something. “What is it?”

A man Eva didn’t know stood on the other side of the door to the stall, a smile on his face that she didn’t like. “Look, a sweet lass looking for something to do. I have something you can do. Are you not a pretty one?”

“Please leave. Are you a new guard here? I don’t recognize you.” She knew most of them, though occasionally one came in who was a stranger. “Who are you?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m here to make you happy, sweet one.”

Eva had a bad feeling, so she made her way to the door of the stall, pushing against it to take her leave. Unfortunately, the only way out was past this man. If she could just get by him, she’d run down the line of stalls.

This was not good timing because a large group of guards had just returned from somewhere, keeping the stable lads busy, the sound of horses blocking out anything from this end of the building. The horse in the next stall began to stir as if he could sense her fear.

“I’m leaving. Get out of my way.”

He grinned and shook his head, his dirty brown hair sticking to his neck. He grabbed both of her hands and pinned them behind her back, forcing her into the back of the stall. “There’s a nice pile of straw here that will suit us perfectly. Relax. You’ll enjoy it.”

“Enjoy what?”

His mouth descended on hers in a sloppy kiss that she hated. She closed her lips tight, but he stopped and said, “Don’t fight me or you’ll regret it. Open your mouth.” He tried to kiss her again, and she did what he asked, opening her mouth and biting his lip, drawing blood. That infuriated him. “You bitch.”

She screamed, hoping someone would come to her aid. “Jasper! Help me! Someone help!” He slapped her hard, then covered her mouth with one hand while he knocked her legs out from under her, pinning her to the ground, her arms behind her back. He fell on her, his weight knocking the breath from her belly, and she felt as if she were choking, unable to breathe. She shook her head, fighting as much as she could. She bit his hand, and he punched her, hard enough that her vision blurred.

Scream. Fight.

She kicked as hard as she could, tried to free both of her arms, but she couldn’t reach anything but air. When she finally had her breath back, she knocked her head against his, giving herself the few seconds she had to scream, and she let out the loudest scream she could.

His hands ripped at her riding skirt, tearing the fabric as his hand scratched her leg while he fumbled with his own trews. He held her head down and she screamed into his hand, her screams now turning to sobs. But then she fainted.

When she came to, the bastard still held her down, panting oddly. Then his weight suddenly lifted from her, and he flew over her horse’s back. She found her footing, fixing her skirt and pushing up against the wall in fear, blood on her skirt and her hands. She wiped the blood onto her gown, not knowing where it had come from. What had happened?

Sloan had the man by the throat. “I’ll kill you. How dare you touch her!” He let go of him and landed three or four punches to the man’s face and belly.

She’d never seen Sloan so mad. Trying to stand, her legs buckled beneath her and her head hit the side of the stable, the sound echoing across the stall. Her poor horse moved about, attempting to rear, unable to understand what was happening. Confused, Eva fell back against the wall again, trying to stand upright, but failing.

“Eva!” Sloan was there in a second, picking her up and carrying her out of the stall. The man took off, heading out the rear of the stables.

Sloan held her tightly, but she fought him, fearing the fool was waiting for her just outside the door. “Don’t let him touch me again. He’ll hurt me. Please, Sloan. Don’t let him near me.”

“Hush, he’ll not touch you again.” Then he turned to Jasper, who was coming down the row of stalls, and shouted, “Go after the bastard!”

Jasper appeared behind Sloan, took one look at the situation, and bellowed, “Chief! You’re needed here.” Then he told the lads to get everyone else out of the stable. “Who was it, Rankin?”

“I didn’t know him. Go after him,” Sloan said. “Eva, who is he?”

She shook her head, her hands clinging to Sloan’s arms, afraid to let him go. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.” She buried her face in Sloan’s shoulder just as she heard her brother’s voice.

“Shite. What the hell happened to my sister? Who did this, Sloan? Eva, who hurt you?”

She sobbed and sobbed, her hands clutching Sloan because she never wanted to leave his safe embrace.