her or care enough to worry over her fate. Quite simply, she doesn’t care what happens to her. She only wants to be free and to enjoy a moment’s peace. She would feel deeply betrayed by all that I’ve confided in you. It brings me no pride that I have done so. But I would not have her mistreated any longer.”
Bowen reached to take Taliesan’s hand in his. “You did right, lass. And you needn’t worry that Genevieve will be mistreated any longer.”
Taliesan’s gaze was hopeful as she stared back at Bowen. “Then you’ll go after her?”
Bowen’s lips formed a grim line of determination as he rose. “I’ll not return without her.”
C HAPTER 9
Genevieve stared at the rolling hillside dotted with rock outcroppings that spanned as far as the eye could see. A feeling of hopelessness weakened her with its intensity, and she tried valiantly to shake it off.
It mattered naught where she was. Walking out of the keep had been freeing in a manner she hadn’t expected. As soon as she’d ventured beyond the walls, the oppressive weight bearing down on her had lifted.
No matter what happened to her from now on, she was no longer a helpless victim. Ian McHugh couldn’t use or debase her ever again. No more would the McHugh clan mock and revile her.
She pulled the cape closer around her face, though there was no one to see her. There wasn’t a single person or animal that she could see in any direction.
The keep had long since faded behind a hillside as she put more distance between her and her prison of a year.
Someone would help her. Someone would direct her to an abbey. She had to have faith, because at this point she simply couldn’t fathom any more cruelty in the world around her.
There were good people in this world. She knew it firsthand. Her family were the best kind of people. They would die if they knew of her circumstances, and that was why
she’d
die before ever divulging her fate. It waskinder to let them think she’d been killed than to have them know the truth.
Her kin were loyal to their bones and fiercely protective of everyone they called friend or clansmen. Though court was rife with deception and greed, Genevieve had never experienced these things herself. Everyone had been kind and courteous to her. Everyone save Ian McHugh.
She froze as a distant sound reached her ears. Faint vibrations tingled her feet. A horse’s hooves. Someone was close, and riding closer still.
She fled toward a small grove of trees nestled in the valley of two hills. A stream flowed through the middle, and congregated close to the banks were trees and other greenery. She all but dived into the bushes, praying that she hadn’t been spotted.
The sound grew closer and then it stopped. She held her breath and peeked through the branches to see the body of a horse on the path she’d been walking. She couldn’t see who was astride the horse because the foliage obscured her view.
Then the horse started forward again, and Genevieve sighed in relief. Still, she waited several long moments before extricating herself from the bushes and making her way back to the path.
The climb over the next hillside took more of a toll than the others. It was steeper and the rise was higher. When she topped the hillside and began her descent, she halted so suddenly that she nearly tripped and went tumbling down the incline.
Astride his horse just a short distance away was Bowen Montgomery. He was facing in her direction, calmly surveying her, almost as if he’d been waiting for her.
She had no idea what to do. No idea why he was here. Her first instinct was to flee, but she’d done nothingwrong. Whatever sins Ian committed had nothing to do with her, and she’d be damned if she was going to pay for them.
Pulling calm around her like a warrior’s armor, she walked stiffly on, her head down. She was past Bowen when she heard him sigh. Then the soft thud of his feet hitting the ground as he dismounted his horse.
It took
Bowen reached to take Taliesan’s hand in his. “You did right, lass. And you needn’t worry that Genevieve will be mistreated any longer.”
Taliesan’s gaze was hopeful as she stared back at Bowen. “Then you’ll go after her?”
Bowen’s lips formed a grim line of determination as he rose. “I’ll not return without her.”
C HAPTER 9
Genevieve stared at the rolling hillside dotted with rock outcroppings that spanned as far as the eye could see. A feeling of hopelessness weakened her with its intensity, and she tried valiantly to shake it off.
It mattered naught where she was. Walking out of the keep had been freeing in a manner she hadn’t expected. As soon as she’d ventured beyond the walls, the oppressive weight bearing down on her had lifted.
No matter what happened to her from now on, she was no longer a helpless victim. Ian McHugh couldn’t use or debase her ever again. No more would the McHugh clan mock and revile her.
She pulled the cape closer around her face, though there was no one to see her. There wasn’t a single person or animal that she could see in any direction.
The keep had long since faded behind a hillside as she put more distance between her and her prison of a year.
Someone would help her. Someone would direct her to an abbey. She had to have faith, because at this point she simply couldn’t fathom any more cruelty in the world around her.
There were good people in this world. She knew it firsthand. Her family were the best kind of people. They would die if they knew of her circumstances, and that was why
she’d
die before ever divulging her fate. It waskinder to let them think she’d been killed than to have them know the truth.
Her kin were loyal to their bones and fiercely protective of everyone they called friend or clansmen. Though court was rife with deception and greed, Genevieve had never experienced these things herself. Everyone had been kind and courteous to her. Everyone save Ian McHugh.
She froze as a distant sound reached her ears. Faint vibrations tingled her feet. A horse’s hooves. Someone was close, and riding closer still.
She fled toward a small grove of trees nestled in the valley of two hills. A stream flowed through the middle, and congregated close to the banks were trees and other greenery. She all but dived into the bushes, praying that she hadn’t been spotted.
The sound grew closer and then it stopped. She held her breath and peeked through the branches to see the body of a horse on the path she’d been walking. She couldn’t see who was astride the horse because the foliage obscured her view.
Then the horse started forward again, and Genevieve sighed in relief. Still, she waited several long moments before extricating herself from the bushes and making her way back to the path.
The climb over the next hillside took more of a toll than the others. It was steeper and the rise was higher. When she topped the hillside and began her descent, she halted so suddenly that she nearly tripped and went tumbling down the incline.
Astride his horse just a short distance away was Bowen Montgomery. He was facing in her direction, calmly surveying her, almost as if he’d been waiting for her.
She had no idea what to do. No idea why he was here. Her first instinct was to flee, but she’d done nothingwrong. Whatever sins Ian committed had nothing to do with her, and she’d be damned if she was going to pay for them.
Pulling calm around her like a warrior’s armor, she walked stiffly on, her head down. She was past Bowen when she heard him sigh. Then the soft thud of his feet hitting the ground as he dismounted his horse.
It took
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