Read Online Bride of Dunloch (Highland Loyalties) by Veronica Bale - Free Book Online
Authors: Veronica Bale
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here.”
“Indeed, my Lord. I am trying, and I do think I shall be quite comfortable in time.”
“I had hoped to take you to the village,” he continued, “and introduce you to some of the local craftsmen and prominent inhabitants to help you blend in to your new surroundings. But I fear that journey shall have to be postponed.”
“I understand, my Lord,” she answered, hiding her pleasure behind a mask of disappointment. “You must have so much to do in such a grand place as Dunloch.”
“The least of which is finding MacGillivray,” he agreed. “We think he may have gone south into the Grampians, but there is no word of him in any of the towns or villages beyond Invercleugh. We fear there is a possibility that he’s hanging around, waiting to attack again.”
Jane blanched at his assessment. Was it possible that the fearsome MacGillivray chief was running loose through the mountains at the same time that she was sneaking off from the castle? What if she were to encounter him on her way to the abandoned hut—would he know who she was to Dunloch? To Lord Reginald?
“But ... but he has no force,” she countered. “How can he hope to attack the castle when it is so well defended?”
“There is no telling what the man is capable of,” Lord Reginald answered enigmatically. “He knows Dunloch very well, and I’ve no doubt that were he of a mind to, he could easily slip past our guards and pick our unsuspecting nobles off one by one. Perhaps our women and children, too, for he is a beastly one.”
“That is a frightening prospect,” she answered, considering the likelihood that she might encounter the man.
“Not to worry,” he assured her when he registered her pale visage. “My men and I shall seek him out before it comes to that. He shall not harm a hair on your head, I promise you that. By the way,” he added, changing the subject, “I have spoken with my lady mother. She likes you a great deal, I daresay. How did you find her?”
“I liked her very much,” she answered truthfully. “Now that I know her better, I am sorry she could not attend her son’s wedding.”
“My Lord, the horses are ready,” announced Dunloch’s horsemaster as he approached the dais.
“You’ll excuse me, my dear,” Lord Reginald said in Jane’s direction.
He stood from the wooden trestle table and held his hand out to her. With a smile, Jane placed her own hand in his, and he kissed it affectionately.
Watching him as he stepped down off the dais and departed the great hall with several of his nobles in tow, she decided that perhaps the match was not a bad one after all—it certainly could have been worse. She harboured no illusions that Lord Reginald was in love with her, but perhaps that was just as well. So far he had been kind, and seemed genuinely concerned for her safety and well-being. Perhaps that was all she needed to be happy ... right?
She did not have long to consider the matter, however. As soon as the baron was out of sight, she sopped the remainder of her pottage with the last of her bread and stuffed it hastily into her mouth. Still chewing as she stood from the head table, she scurried back to her chamber to don her cloak; within minutes, she was on the main road.
Her stroll along the bank of the forest brook was peaceful. She absorbed the sounds of the spring birds in the trees with reverence, and was comforted by the melody of the rippling water. The scent of the new pine needles was fragrant, and she breathed deeply as she walked, allowing the aroma to fill her soul and soothe her.
When the hut came into view, her first thought was that she was relieved it had not burned down in the hours she’d been gone. A thin column of smoke rose from the short chimney, indicating that the fire had not died completely.
She pushed the reed door open and entered the small hut. Indeed the fire had not died. The embers did burn quite low, but with a bit of attention they could be revived. Next
“Indeed, my Lord. I am trying, and I do think I shall be quite comfortable in time.”
“I had hoped to take you to the village,” he continued, “and introduce you to some of the local craftsmen and prominent inhabitants to help you blend in to your new surroundings. But I fear that journey shall have to be postponed.”
“I understand, my Lord,” she answered, hiding her pleasure behind a mask of disappointment. “You must have so much to do in such a grand place as Dunloch.”
“The least of which is finding MacGillivray,” he agreed. “We think he may have gone south into the Grampians, but there is no word of him in any of the towns or villages beyond Invercleugh. We fear there is a possibility that he’s hanging around, waiting to attack again.”
Jane blanched at his assessment. Was it possible that the fearsome MacGillivray chief was running loose through the mountains at the same time that she was sneaking off from the castle? What if she were to encounter him on her way to the abandoned hut—would he know who she was to Dunloch? To Lord Reginald?
“But ... but he has no force,” she countered. “How can he hope to attack the castle when it is so well defended?”
“There is no telling what the man is capable of,” Lord Reginald answered enigmatically. “He knows Dunloch very well, and I’ve no doubt that were he of a mind to, he could easily slip past our guards and pick our unsuspecting nobles off one by one. Perhaps our women and children, too, for he is a beastly one.”
“That is a frightening prospect,” she answered, considering the likelihood that she might encounter the man.
“Not to worry,” he assured her when he registered her pale visage. “My men and I shall seek him out before it comes to that. He shall not harm a hair on your head, I promise you that. By the way,” he added, changing the subject, “I have spoken with my lady mother. She likes you a great deal, I daresay. How did you find her?”
“I liked her very much,” she answered truthfully. “Now that I know her better, I am sorry she could not attend her son’s wedding.”
“My Lord, the horses are ready,” announced Dunloch’s horsemaster as he approached the dais.
“You’ll excuse me, my dear,” Lord Reginald said in Jane’s direction.
He stood from the wooden trestle table and held his hand out to her. With a smile, Jane placed her own hand in his, and he kissed it affectionately.
Watching him as he stepped down off the dais and departed the great hall with several of his nobles in tow, she decided that perhaps the match was not a bad one after all—it certainly could have been worse. She harboured no illusions that Lord Reginald was in love with her, but perhaps that was just as well. So far he had been kind, and seemed genuinely concerned for her safety and well-being. Perhaps that was all she needed to be happy ... right?
She did not have long to consider the matter, however. As soon as the baron was out of sight, she sopped the remainder of her pottage with the last of her bread and stuffed it hastily into her mouth. Still chewing as she stood from the head table, she scurried back to her chamber to don her cloak; within minutes, she was on the main road.
Her stroll along the bank of the forest brook was peaceful. She absorbed the sounds of the spring birds in the trees with reverence, and was comforted by the melody of the rippling water. The scent of the new pine needles was fragrant, and she breathed deeply as she walked, allowing the aroma to fill her soul and soothe her.
When the hut came into view, her first thought was that she was relieved it had not burned down in the hours she’d been gone. A thin column of smoke rose from the short chimney, indicating that the fire had not died completely.
She pushed the reed door open and entered the small hut. Indeed the fire had not died. The embers did burn quite low, but with a bit of attention they could be revived. Next
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