Read Online A Highlander for Christmas by Jamie Carie - Free Book Online
Authors: Jamie Carie
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the floor to the door and opened it. “Stay down,” he said to Juliet, and then leaned out and around the door, took aim and shot at the men behind them. His arm jerked back as he looked up at Ruck and yelled, “Gretna Green is just over that hill, lad. I’ll hold them off, now get those horses moving!”
“MacLeon?” she could hear her brother exclaim. “Thank God, man. I thought you would sleep all day!”
Iain shook his head as he reloaded the pistol with black powder and grinned at Juliet, the crinkles at the sides of his eyes making him look more handsome. “And ’e’s complainin’ to me.” Iain shook his head. “The lad has brass, I’ll give him that.” He leaned around the door and shot again. Juliet crawled onto the seat and peeked over the back of the seat and out the window. They were too far away to see their faces, but one man had fallen from his horse so it appeared Iain’s shots were working—they were falling back.
“I see the village!” Ruck shouted from his high seat.
“None too soon,” Iain yelled back. “Head to the blacksmith shop.”
“The blacksmith shop? But isn’t that where couples go to be married?” Juliet asked, the fact well known.
“Aye.” Iain sighed and leaned toward her, his gaze roving across her face and settling on her lips. “’Tis the only way to save you from your fate.”
A wild mix of emotion made Juliet’s stomach tremble. Was this really what he wanted? “What about your clan? What will they think of a marriage to an Englishwoman?”
“I’ve less concern of them than what God has arranged.”
“God? You mean Ruck?”
He chuckled, grasping her to him in a sudden move that made her squeak. He stared down into her eyes with a look that turned heated, making the breath in her chest pause…waiting…waiting. His head lowered and her eyelids fluttered shut as his mouth closed over hers. This kiss was nothing like that stolen kiss in the garden by the earl. His was branding his own self, his clan, upon her. She could feel it in every fiber of his body straining toward her.
His voice was low and warm in her ear. “Nay, lass, not Ruck. I’m convinced only God’s helping hand could have made this plan succeed.” He shrugged. “I’ve been waiting for a sign from Him. I wouldnae have imagined such a harebrained idea as kidnapping the MacLeon but, as I’ve said, His ways are not my ways.”
He seemed so sure. But did she want him marrying her only to save her from Lord Malcolm? Did he love her? He made no mention of the word.
She didn’t have time to think it over any further. The carriage came to sudden halt, and as she sat up and looked out the window she saw that they had indeed reached the village and were stopping outside a building with a sign that said “Blacksmith Shop.”
Iain took her hand. “We’ve not much time, lass. We’ve only scared them off a little. They’ll be coming up from behind us at any moment.”
Juliet nodded and followed him from the carriage.
They ran toward the door, the three of them, Ruck grinning at Iain’s seeming return to health and agreement to the plan.
“He’s agreed, then?” Ruck whispered to Juliet as they flung open the wide wooden door.
Juliet nodded, excitement…fear…astonishment…relief—all expanding from her heart.
“I told you he was in love with you.”
“Aye, you did,” she said, skirting around him. She laughed as Iain grasped her hand, and she followed him into the large room where the heat of the forging fire made the room bright and warm, reflecting shadow and light on the stone walls.
A large man with a round, florid face turned and greeted them, a dangerous-looking hammer in his hand. “Are ye eager to wed, then?” He took in Iain’s tartan, gave a small bow toward him and reached out his hand.
Iain stretched out his arm and clasped the blacksmith’s hand in a tight squeeze. “I’m the MacLeon, chief of the Clan MacLeon of the highlands.” He turned toward
“MacLeon?” she could hear her brother exclaim. “Thank God, man. I thought you would sleep all day!”
Iain shook his head as he reloaded the pistol with black powder and grinned at Juliet, the crinkles at the sides of his eyes making him look more handsome. “And ’e’s complainin’ to me.” Iain shook his head. “The lad has brass, I’ll give him that.” He leaned around the door and shot again. Juliet crawled onto the seat and peeked over the back of the seat and out the window. They were too far away to see their faces, but one man had fallen from his horse so it appeared Iain’s shots were working—they were falling back.
“I see the village!” Ruck shouted from his high seat.
“None too soon,” Iain yelled back. “Head to the blacksmith shop.”
“The blacksmith shop? But isn’t that where couples go to be married?” Juliet asked, the fact well known.
“Aye.” Iain sighed and leaned toward her, his gaze roving across her face and settling on her lips. “’Tis the only way to save you from your fate.”
A wild mix of emotion made Juliet’s stomach tremble. Was this really what he wanted? “What about your clan? What will they think of a marriage to an Englishwoman?”
“I’ve less concern of them than what God has arranged.”
“God? You mean Ruck?”
He chuckled, grasping her to him in a sudden move that made her squeak. He stared down into her eyes with a look that turned heated, making the breath in her chest pause…waiting…waiting. His head lowered and her eyelids fluttered shut as his mouth closed over hers. This kiss was nothing like that stolen kiss in the garden by the earl. His was branding his own self, his clan, upon her. She could feel it in every fiber of his body straining toward her.
His voice was low and warm in her ear. “Nay, lass, not Ruck. I’m convinced only God’s helping hand could have made this plan succeed.” He shrugged. “I’ve been waiting for a sign from Him. I wouldnae have imagined such a harebrained idea as kidnapping the MacLeon but, as I’ve said, His ways are not my ways.”
He seemed so sure. But did she want him marrying her only to save her from Lord Malcolm? Did he love her? He made no mention of the word.
She didn’t have time to think it over any further. The carriage came to sudden halt, and as she sat up and looked out the window she saw that they had indeed reached the village and were stopping outside a building with a sign that said “Blacksmith Shop.”
Iain took her hand. “We’ve not much time, lass. We’ve only scared them off a little. They’ll be coming up from behind us at any moment.”
Juliet nodded and followed him from the carriage.
They ran toward the door, the three of them, Ruck grinning at Iain’s seeming return to health and agreement to the plan.
“He’s agreed, then?” Ruck whispered to Juliet as they flung open the wide wooden door.
Juliet nodded, excitement…fear…astonishment…relief—all expanding from her heart.
“I told you he was in love with you.”
“Aye, you did,” she said, skirting around him. She laughed as Iain grasped her hand, and she followed him into the large room where the heat of the forging fire made the room bright and warm, reflecting shadow and light on the stone walls.
A large man with a round, florid face turned and greeted them, a dangerous-looking hammer in his hand. “Are ye eager to wed, then?” He took in Iain’s tartan, gave a small bow toward him and reached out his hand.
Iain stretched out his arm and clasped the blacksmith’s hand in a tight squeeze. “I’m the MacLeon, chief of the Clan MacLeon of the highlands.” He turned toward
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