The Handfasting by St. John Becca

Author:St. John, Becca [St. John, Becca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Winterbourne Farm Publishing
Published: 2013-09-08T23:00:00+00:00

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

His men were mounted, the horses restless. At the very least, Talorc thought Maggie would see him off. He had expected that much, especially now that she knew what he was about. But something had her running off to the kitchens and he had a good idea what it was.

Talking to Seonaid had seemed right at the time. Would have been if Maggie knew the full situation, but Maggie didn’t. Nobody knew and he couldn’t tell them, even though it had so much to do with what was happening.

He needed Maggie to trust him. If she didn’t, then he would have to live with the consequences. If she didn’t want to be there for his departure, he wouldn’t lower himself to ask where she was.

One more time he would check their supplies and then, Maggie or not, he would be gone.

She still hadn’t come by the time he was astride, too much time wasted. Everyone was ready, waiting on him. He raised his arm in a final wave, opened his mouth to signal their departure, when another shout stopped him.

He reared his horse in the effort to turn toward the caller who ran toward him, her clothes askew, her hair a tangle.

“Stop Bold.” She shouted. “You just wait now.”

He couldn’t have moved if he wanted to. She was coming to him, all mussed from some adventure, but she was coming and of her own free will.

When she reached his horse, she bent over, hands on her knees, heaving for breath. Some kind of dust covered her from top to tail. An aroma of cured meats rose from her.

“What is it, lass?” He dismounted, alarmed now that he realized she wasn’t disheveled from play.

“Got myself locked in the meat room.” There was a hiccup of fear in her laughter. Hand shaking, she pulled tangled hair from her face. “And I wasn’t afraid of the dark.” She tried to chuckle despite the edge of tears he was certain she fought.

“Who let you out?”

She stilled at that, turning as though searching the crowd gathered. There was no hint of humor left when she looked back at him. “I got myself out, but I’m afraid I’ve broken the door.”

William joined them. “You had to break the door? It’s stout for a lass.”

“I swung the meat. The weight of it pushed the moorings out.”

“Wait,” Talorc held up his hand. “You were locked in the caves? And just how did that happen?”

“A prank, that’s all. But I got out. That’s all that matters.”

He put a finger to her cheek and brushed off the dirt, meat cure. A prank, she’d said. Locking her in the caves, in the dark which she hated. A prank. Fury rose in his throat, capped by William’s hand on his arm and a quiet, “steady now.”

That stopped him from reacting too swiftly, except for pulling Maggie into him. She was safe. That was the most important thing. He bent his head to hers, smelled sulfur in her hair.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.