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for a boat, though, so either they’d crossed the stream, or they’d walked through it for a while before coming back out. That didn’t change his mind about it all being an accidental encounter though. They were in England. What Englishman wouldn’t use the stream to cover his trail when an angry Scot was after him, ready to trounce him for coming upon his wife like that?
    Satisfied that all was well, Ross called off the search and left the men to hunt up dinner while he returned to the campsite and his bride.

 
    Chapter 4
    A nnabel rolled onto her back and opened her eyes with a happy, sleepy little sigh, then blinked in surprise when she found herself staring at a ceiling overhead rather than open air. Sitting up abruptly, she peered around, eyes wide as she took in the room she was in. It was a large one with a table and chairs in the far right corner, two chairs and a small table before a fire directly across from her, and a stand for a washbasin between two windows to the left of her . . . and then of course there was the bed she was in, quite the largest bed she’d ever seen, and so soft and comfy. It felt like it was stuffed with feathers rather than straw. It was at least five times bigger than the hard, narrow cot she’d slept in for the last fourteen years at the abbey, and almost twice the size of the bed she and Ross had slept in at Waverly. It was also definitely more comfortable than that bed had been. Annabel was quite sure even the king couldn’t have a nicer bed when it came to comfort.
    The problem was, she had no idea whose bed it was, or where she was. The last thing Annabel remembered was riding her mare on the third day of their interminable journey to her new home. They had stopped the first two days when the sun had begun to set, but on the third night they’d continued on well past sunset. Annabel had wondered about that, thinking perhaps they were near MacKay, but hadn’t asked and had simply continued forward.
    Annabel supposed she’d fallen asleep in the saddle and was rather surprised she hadn’t toppled right off her horse. Really, that silly sidesaddle was an atrocious invention. People weren’t meant to ride with their legs to the side, she was sure, and while she’d never ridden astride on a saddle, she was positive it must be much more comfortable. Certainly, it had to be easier to direct the horse with a squeeze of legs instead of counting wholly on the reins.
    The opening of the bedchamber door drew Annabel from her thoughts and she tensed and glanced to it, relaxing a bit when an older woman stuck her head in. The stranger then beamed when she saw Annabel upright in bed.
    “Ah, good! Yer awake, ye are.” She opened the door wide then and bustled in, leading a parade of servants carrying various items.
    Annabel drew the furs up to her chin and stared wide-eyed as a tub was carted in by two men and set in the large space remaining in the far left corner of the room. It was followed by four men, each carrying a bucket of water in each hand; some of those buckets were steaming, others were not. The men were followed by women carrying soaps, linens, and one a tray with food on it. The last to enter the room were two more men carrying a chest between them.
    It was quite crowded in the room for a moment, but cleared out quickly as each person set down their burden and hurried out with a quick curious glance, a bobbing curtsy, or a smile in her direction. Annabel smiled anxiously back, nodding at each person as they passed until just the first woman who had entered was left.
    “There we are!” she said cheerfully, closing the door behind the last departing servant. “We’re all set then I think.”
    “Erm,” Annabel murmured, still clutching the furs to her chin. She wasn’t quite sure what they were set for. She wasn’t even sure where she was, though she was beginning to suspect she’d slept through their arrival at MacKay. Someone had obviously carried her up here to