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Authors: Tracy Brogan
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cold rain? Do you hear that thunder? A mighty storm is coming.”
“I told her not to go,” she said faintly. “She commanded I take her place. ’Twas not my will.”
His lungs felt full of peat bog. “Where is she off to?”
Bess ducked her head, as if to avoid a blow, though not one of them had raised a hand. “She forbid me to tell.”
Myles bent closer still. “You do her no service by keeping this secret. She’s sure to come to harm in those woods. If you care for your mistress, you’ll tell me where she was headed. Home?”
Bess shook her head and eyed him warily. “Will she come to greater harm if you find her?”
Myles grit his teeth in frustration. “I will treat her with care. I cannot promise the same for you if you do not answer. Where has she gone?” He pressed upon her shoulder.
“To Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart,” the maid spit out.
“The convent?” the men exclaimed in unison.
“Aye. She has an aunt there. Her mother’s sister.”
“Where is this convent?” Myles asked. Surely no destination could be less suitable for his disobedient bride. Then again, perhaps a life of discipline and penance might be just what she needed.
Tavish spoke. “In Ludlow. I know the place. But ’tis a full day’s ride from here. She’ll never make it without a horse. She didn’t steal a horse, did she?”
Bess rose up straighter. “My lady is no thief!”
Myles snorted. “No thief, perhaps, but a troublesome she-devil. And you”—he pointed a finger at Bess’s nose—“you should have awoken me last night.”
“She cannot have gone far in the dark,” Cedric said. “And clever as the lass might be, she no doubt left a trail wide as Loch Ness.”
Myles moved to the bed of blankets and shoved one foot into a boot. He bent to lace it. “I’ll deal with this, Father. You be on your way. I’ll find her quickly and catch up to you.”
Cedric nodded. “The carts keep our pace slow enough, but if we reach Inverness, we’ll stay and wait for you. Take ten men on your search. More eyes will make the task easier.”
Myles wanted to argue and insist he could find her without aid. ’Twas disgraceful enough she’d left him while heslept! Christ Almighty! What kind of a soldier was he, to let the enemy slip from his grasp just because he was content and sleepy? But then again, who could have imagined the chit would be so foolish?
“Tavish, choose the men,” Myles ordered.
Tavish snapped to attention. “’Tis done. And if it suits you both, I’ll count myself among them. ’Twas I who let the girl out of sight.” He turned to leave the tent, nearly tripping over Bess. He nudged her none too gently with his toe. “And what shall we do with this sack of gristle and bits?”
“Tie her to a tree and leave her for the wolves.” Myles wasn’t serious, of course, but let her think he was, by God. Then she’d tell her mistress not to cross him again. If he ever found her. An odd sensation twisted in his gut. It took a moment to recognize it, for the feeling rarely visited him.
It was worry.
The earl regarded her a moment. “Put her in the cart. She goes with us to Dempsey. And, Tavish, don’t judge yourself too harshly over this occurrence. After all, the lass is pure Sinclair.”
The brothers exchanged a look that Myles didn’t wholly understand, but he’d press his father on that issue later, after his bride was found.
Tavish nodded and hauled Bess from the tent.
Myles tugged on his other boot, avoiding Cedric’s gaze. Sinclair or no, the girl had duped him with her compliance. He jerked the laces tight and finished tying them.
“You mustn’t judge yourself too harshly either, son.”
“I had that old crone in my bed, Father, without even realizing. Marriage has me addlepated, and it’s only just begun.” Frustration rasped in his voice.
Cedric’s easy laughter filled the tent, his good humor in stark contrast to Myles’s own. “Truer words were never
“I told her not to go,” she said faintly. “She commanded I take her place. ’Twas not my will.”
His lungs felt full of peat bog. “Where is she off to?”
Bess ducked her head, as if to avoid a blow, though not one of them had raised a hand. “She forbid me to tell.”
Myles bent closer still. “You do her no service by keeping this secret. She’s sure to come to harm in those woods. If you care for your mistress, you’ll tell me where she was headed. Home?”
Bess shook her head and eyed him warily. “Will she come to greater harm if you find her?”
Myles grit his teeth in frustration. “I will treat her with care. I cannot promise the same for you if you do not answer. Where has she gone?” He pressed upon her shoulder.
“To Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart,” the maid spit out.
“The convent?” the men exclaimed in unison.
“Aye. She has an aunt there. Her mother’s sister.”
“Where is this convent?” Myles asked. Surely no destination could be less suitable for his disobedient bride. Then again, perhaps a life of discipline and penance might be just what she needed.
Tavish spoke. “In Ludlow. I know the place. But ’tis a full day’s ride from here. She’ll never make it without a horse. She didn’t steal a horse, did she?”
Bess rose up straighter. “My lady is no thief!”
Myles snorted. “No thief, perhaps, but a troublesome she-devil. And you”—he pointed a finger at Bess’s nose—“you should have awoken me last night.”
“She cannot have gone far in the dark,” Cedric said. “And clever as the lass might be, she no doubt left a trail wide as Loch Ness.”
Myles moved to the bed of blankets and shoved one foot into a boot. He bent to lace it. “I’ll deal with this, Father. You be on your way. I’ll find her quickly and catch up to you.”
Cedric nodded. “The carts keep our pace slow enough, but if we reach Inverness, we’ll stay and wait for you. Take ten men on your search. More eyes will make the task easier.”
Myles wanted to argue and insist he could find her without aid. ’Twas disgraceful enough she’d left him while heslept! Christ Almighty! What kind of a soldier was he, to let the enemy slip from his grasp just because he was content and sleepy? But then again, who could have imagined the chit would be so foolish?
“Tavish, choose the men,” Myles ordered.
Tavish snapped to attention. “’Tis done. And if it suits you both, I’ll count myself among them. ’Twas I who let the girl out of sight.” He turned to leave the tent, nearly tripping over Bess. He nudged her none too gently with his toe. “And what shall we do with this sack of gristle and bits?”
“Tie her to a tree and leave her for the wolves.” Myles wasn’t serious, of course, but let her think he was, by God. Then she’d tell her mistress not to cross him again. If he ever found her. An odd sensation twisted in his gut. It took a moment to recognize it, for the feeling rarely visited him.
It was worry.
The earl regarded her a moment. “Put her in the cart. She goes with us to Dempsey. And, Tavish, don’t judge yourself too harshly over this occurrence. After all, the lass is pure Sinclair.”
The brothers exchanged a look that Myles didn’t wholly understand, but he’d press his father on that issue later, after his bride was found.
Tavish nodded and hauled Bess from the tent.
Myles tugged on his other boot, avoiding Cedric’s gaze. Sinclair or no, the girl had duped him with her compliance. He jerked the laces tight and finished tying them.
“You mustn’t judge yourself too harshly either, son.”
“I had that old crone in my bed, Father, without even realizing. Marriage has me addlepated, and it’s only just begun.” Frustration rasped in his voice.
Cedric’s easy laughter filled the tent, his good humor in stark contrast to Myles’s own. “Truer words were never
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