Read Online Highland Knight of Rapture (Highland Dynasty Book 4) by Amy Jarecki - Free Book Online
Authors: Amy Jarecki
Ads: Link
meddling. The lady had made her decision long ago. She’d broken his heart once and seeing her again only served to open the old wound.
Her wail howled on the wind.
Eoin’s heart twisted. They had been good friends once. His memory returned with clarity. Of the four sisters, Helen had always been the most well-mannered—not that any of Duncan’s sisters were audacious. But why had Lady Helen married a rogue?
Pushing aside his unfounded concern, he continued with his inspection of the hull.
The wail came again. This time the agony in the lady’s tone cut through to his gut.
Before he allowed himself another thought, he strode toward Lady Helen’s hiding place. The rocks were sharp and slick with mist. She could have fallen .
Arriving at the outcropping where she’d disappeared, Eoin looked down. The hem of her blue kirtle peeked from under the stony shelf.
As he descended, Helen’s stuttered breaths swelled up to him. Her voice filled with incredible agony, the woefulness of it wrapped tendrils around his heart.
Jumping down, Eoin landed upon smooth sand.
With another gasp, her hem disappeared further into the cavern.
“Lady Helen?”
“Leave me.” Her voice trembled.
I really ought to take her advice . Eoin crouched down and peered inside. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized she had a bruise forming under her eye.
I could kill the bastard .
He crawled beside her and kneeled. “You’ve been hit.” She had another, larger bruise on the right side of her jaw. “More than once.”
“I am fine.” She snapped a hand to her chest, sucking in sharp inhales as if she were trying to regain control.
Reaching out, he brushed the bruise near her eye with the back of his finger.
She flinched.
“Did Sir Aleck do this?” Honestly, he needn’t ask.
She pursed her lips and nodded, the anguish in her eyes unmistakable. Eoin wished he’d been the one on the receiving end of that strike. Aleck MacIain would think twice before he lashed out at a woman again.
“I-I-I…” Drawing the corners of her mouth into a tortured frown, she turned as red as a ripe apple. She hid her face in her hands, breathing like she’d just run a footrace.
Eoin slid onto his haunches and smoothed his arm over her shoulders. “Easy, lass. There’s no need to say a word.”
She leaned into him as if craving compassion. “I’m sorry.”
Wishing to give her comfort, to do anything to take away her agony, he rubbed his palm on her shoulder in a circular motion. “There’s nothing to forgive. Just have a good cry and everything will feel better.”
Gently he rocked her, realizing Helen wore no veil covering her hair. Her locks were the color of burnt honey and smelled of lilies and rain. How anyone could raise a hand against such perfection, Eoin would never know.
Her breaths grew short—like hiccups. Eoin encircled her with his free hand and continued to sway, back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm. “It will be all right,” he whispered into her temple. He hoped to God it would. Why did she marry that brutish maggot of a husband?
“It will never be all right.” Her voice was as bitter as bile.
Not once had Eoin ever heard such defeat come from another living soul. His tongue twisted—spewing curses about Aleck MacIain wouldn’t help the lady. If he hadn’t witnessed the bastard’s behavior last eve, he never would have believed a woman as genteel as Helen could be so openly scorned by a man who had taken a solemn marriage vow to love and protect his wife. But to see the lady battered made Eoin want to march into the keep and show Aleck MacIain exactly what it was like to take a beating.
He bowed his chin to Helen’s silken tresses and kissed the top of her head. “I do not take kindly to any man who strikes a woman, no matter the cause.”
She sighed deeply and shook her head. “I suppose I deserved his ire.”
He blinked. “Why on earth would you say that?”
“I tried to confront him
Her wail howled on the wind.
Eoin’s heart twisted. They had been good friends once. His memory returned with clarity. Of the four sisters, Helen had always been the most well-mannered—not that any of Duncan’s sisters were audacious. But why had Lady Helen married a rogue?
Pushing aside his unfounded concern, he continued with his inspection of the hull.
The wail came again. This time the agony in the lady’s tone cut through to his gut.
Before he allowed himself another thought, he strode toward Lady Helen’s hiding place. The rocks were sharp and slick with mist. She could have fallen .
Arriving at the outcropping where she’d disappeared, Eoin looked down. The hem of her blue kirtle peeked from under the stony shelf.
As he descended, Helen’s stuttered breaths swelled up to him. Her voice filled with incredible agony, the woefulness of it wrapped tendrils around his heart.
Jumping down, Eoin landed upon smooth sand.
With another gasp, her hem disappeared further into the cavern.
“Lady Helen?”
“Leave me.” Her voice trembled.
I really ought to take her advice . Eoin crouched down and peered inside. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized she had a bruise forming under her eye.
I could kill the bastard .
He crawled beside her and kneeled. “You’ve been hit.” She had another, larger bruise on the right side of her jaw. “More than once.”
“I am fine.” She snapped a hand to her chest, sucking in sharp inhales as if she were trying to regain control.
Reaching out, he brushed the bruise near her eye with the back of his finger.
She flinched.
“Did Sir Aleck do this?” Honestly, he needn’t ask.
She pursed her lips and nodded, the anguish in her eyes unmistakable. Eoin wished he’d been the one on the receiving end of that strike. Aleck MacIain would think twice before he lashed out at a woman again.
“I-I-I…” Drawing the corners of her mouth into a tortured frown, she turned as red as a ripe apple. She hid her face in her hands, breathing like she’d just run a footrace.
Eoin slid onto his haunches and smoothed his arm over her shoulders. “Easy, lass. There’s no need to say a word.”
She leaned into him as if craving compassion. “I’m sorry.”
Wishing to give her comfort, to do anything to take away her agony, he rubbed his palm on her shoulder in a circular motion. “There’s nothing to forgive. Just have a good cry and everything will feel better.”
Gently he rocked her, realizing Helen wore no veil covering her hair. Her locks were the color of burnt honey and smelled of lilies and rain. How anyone could raise a hand against such perfection, Eoin would never know.
Her breaths grew short—like hiccups. Eoin encircled her with his free hand and continued to sway, back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm. “It will be all right,” he whispered into her temple. He hoped to God it would. Why did she marry that brutish maggot of a husband?
“It will never be all right.” Her voice was as bitter as bile.
Not once had Eoin ever heard such defeat come from another living soul. His tongue twisted—spewing curses about Aleck MacIain wouldn’t help the lady. If he hadn’t witnessed the bastard’s behavior last eve, he never would have believed a woman as genteel as Helen could be so openly scorned by a man who had taken a solemn marriage vow to love and protect his wife. But to see the lady battered made Eoin want to march into the keep and show Aleck MacIain exactly what it was like to take a beating.
He bowed his chin to Helen’s silken tresses and kissed the top of her head. “I do not take kindly to any man who strikes a woman, no matter the cause.”
She sighed deeply and shook her head. “I suppose I deserved his ire.”
He blinked. “Why on earth would you say that?”
“I tried to confront him
Similar Books
