have a good time.” Cassy took a hefty pull from the glass in her hand. “Tell me more about this mystery guy. I don’t remember much from last night.”
“Really?” Tara asked sarcastically. “Maybe it had something to do with the amount of this...” She pointed to the glass Cassy held. “...you drank last night.”
Unaffected by her friend’s accusation regarding 53
Catherine Bybee
the sobriety of the previous night, Cassy asked again about Duncan and the time Tara spent with him.
“Tell me what he looks like.”
“Well, he is about yea high.” Tara placed her hand a good six inches above her height. “His shoulders are out to here. He has dark hair that falls to his shoulders.” She paused for a moment and closed her eyes. “I never thought I’d find long hair on a man attractive.”
Cassy smiled as she continued.
“Once I realized his accent was real, I wanted to melt.” Tara looked around to make sure no one else listened to her confession. “I’ve never been so tempted in all my life.”
A man approached Tara from behind. Cassy saw him put a finger to his lips asking for her to be quiet.
Playing along Cassy asked, “So what stopped you?”
“I honestly don’t know. But man, does he make my blood boil.” She sighed.
Cassy laughed and looked beyond Tara.
“Is that so, lass?” The voice was familiar, but not quite right.
Tara turned and looked at who must be Duncan’s brother. He looked like him, so much in fact she wondered if they were born on the same day.
“Nice try,” she said. “You must be Duncan’s brother.”
“I’m gravely disappointed, Tara. All afternoon I’ve spent with you and you don’t remember me?” He delivered his most charming smile in an effort to convince her she was mistaken.
“Ha! My guess is your mother tanned your hide when you tried that on her. Your teachers may have been fooled, but I’m not.”
They did look a lot alike, Tara thought. The height was off by a margin and this brother’s nose was a little too straight, his expression much less serious than Duncan’s.
Duncan’s brother laughed and caught Tara’s 54
Binding Vows
hand. Like Duncan, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed their tips. “’Tis a pleasure to meet you, Tara. Our mother would appreciate your keen observation.”
Yin and yang, she mused. Where Duncan was serious, this man was not. “I’m sorry, but in all our conversation Duncan never told me your name.”
“My friends call me Fin.” He snapped his legs together and gave her a quick bow. “At your service.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fin. This is my friend Cassy.” Tara moved aside.
Fin kissed the back of Cassy’s hand. She watched his every movement with a gaping mouth.
“Duncan will be along in a minute. I took advantage of the opportunity to see who it was he was talking my ear off about. It seems all he says is true.”
“All good I hope.”
“Of course.” Fin took the wine that was offered him. “Ah, here comes my much older brother now.”
Laughter peeled from Tara at the comment.
“Much older my foot! What is it, twelve or thirteen months between you?”
Fin smiled but didn’t answer her question.
****
Watching the enemy from across the room, Grainna calculated her next move. Patience was never her strong point. With victory in sight it grew terribly short. It took every ounce of will to keep from snatching Tara up and hiding her until the solstice.
No, it would not bode well to have the authorities alerted of a missing person. Besides, Tara was surrounded by Grainna’s guard, and now that she knew of the threat, watching them would be easy. When all was said and done, no one would be able to touch her. Besides, by the time the authorities found Tara’s body, Grainna would be 55
Catherine Bybee
long gone.
The anxious woman sitting beside her hung on every word Grainna muttered. Fools, all of them are fools.
If she told the woman what she really saw
“Really?” Tara asked sarcastically. “Maybe it had something to do with the amount of this...” She pointed to the glass Cassy held. “...you drank last night.”
Unaffected by her friend’s accusation regarding 53
Catherine Bybee
the sobriety of the previous night, Cassy asked again about Duncan and the time Tara spent with him.
“Tell me what he looks like.”
“Well, he is about yea high.” Tara placed her hand a good six inches above her height. “His shoulders are out to here. He has dark hair that falls to his shoulders.” She paused for a moment and closed her eyes. “I never thought I’d find long hair on a man attractive.”
Cassy smiled as she continued.
“Once I realized his accent was real, I wanted to melt.” Tara looked around to make sure no one else listened to her confession. “I’ve never been so tempted in all my life.”
A man approached Tara from behind. Cassy saw him put a finger to his lips asking for her to be quiet.
Playing along Cassy asked, “So what stopped you?”
“I honestly don’t know. But man, does he make my blood boil.” She sighed.
Cassy laughed and looked beyond Tara.
“Is that so, lass?” The voice was familiar, but not quite right.
Tara turned and looked at who must be Duncan’s brother. He looked like him, so much in fact she wondered if they were born on the same day.
“Nice try,” she said. “You must be Duncan’s brother.”
“I’m gravely disappointed, Tara. All afternoon I’ve spent with you and you don’t remember me?” He delivered his most charming smile in an effort to convince her she was mistaken.
“Ha! My guess is your mother tanned your hide when you tried that on her. Your teachers may have been fooled, but I’m not.”
They did look a lot alike, Tara thought. The height was off by a margin and this brother’s nose was a little too straight, his expression much less serious than Duncan’s.
Duncan’s brother laughed and caught Tara’s 54
Binding Vows
hand. Like Duncan, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed their tips. “’Tis a pleasure to meet you, Tara. Our mother would appreciate your keen observation.”
Yin and yang, she mused. Where Duncan was serious, this man was not. “I’m sorry, but in all our conversation Duncan never told me your name.”
“My friends call me Fin.” He snapped his legs together and gave her a quick bow. “At your service.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fin. This is my friend Cassy.” Tara moved aside.
Fin kissed the back of Cassy’s hand. She watched his every movement with a gaping mouth.
“Duncan will be along in a minute. I took advantage of the opportunity to see who it was he was talking my ear off about. It seems all he says is true.”
“All good I hope.”
“Of course.” Fin took the wine that was offered him. “Ah, here comes my much older brother now.”
Laughter peeled from Tara at the comment.
“Much older my foot! What is it, twelve or thirteen months between you?”
Fin smiled but didn’t answer her question.
****
Watching the enemy from across the room, Grainna calculated her next move. Patience was never her strong point. With victory in sight it grew terribly short. It took every ounce of will to keep from snatching Tara up and hiding her until the solstice.
No, it would not bode well to have the authorities alerted of a missing person. Besides, Tara was surrounded by Grainna’s guard, and now that she knew of the threat, watching them would be easy. When all was said and done, no one would be able to touch her. Besides, by the time the authorities found Tara’s body, Grainna would be 55
Catherine Bybee
long gone.
The anxious woman sitting beside her hung on every word Grainna muttered. Fools, all of them are fools.
If she told the woman what she really saw
Similar Books
