Read Online Kate Wingo - Highland Mist 01 by Her Scottish Captor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Her Scottish Captor
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had no fear of being trampled by a charging horse.
Not giving herself time to change her mind, Yvette began to loosen her grip on Iain’s waist. With only scant seconds to act, she impulsively leaned her head forward and lightly kissed Iain on his leather-clad shoulder just before she flung herself off the back of the horse.
Windmilling through the air, she hit the ground on her left side with a jarring thud, the impact causing an instant surge of nausea.
Unable to move, Yvette lay sprawled on a soggy bed of grass, hit with ensuing waves of pain.
Although dazed, out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the backend of Iain’s horse just before it disappeared into the grove of trees.
When the pain finally diminished to a tolerable level, she staggered to her feet. Her movements slow and ungainly, she furtively glanced to-and-fro.
Sweet Jesu ! I did it!
Iain and his kinsmen were nowhere in sight, the sextet of riders having disappeared into the pine grove up ahead.
To her bewilderment , the fact that she’d successfully eluded Iain incited a momentary panic. Inundated with a deluge of unfettered emotions, Yvette sank to her knees .
Confusion. Fear. Anguish .
A pandemonium of emotions roiled within her, creating a veritable tempest.
Blinking back treacherous tears, she once again clambered to her feet and limped gracelessly toward the small loch on the other side of the grassland, her left ankle throbbing against her boot.
She’d gone only a few feet when, still winded from the fall, she came to a sudden halt. Hearing a low grunt emanate from behind her, Yvette glanced over her shoulder.
And promptly shrieked.
No more than two ells away, white froth dripping off menacing yellow tusks, was a wild boar!
CHAPTER SIX
“Damnation! What do ye mean she fell off the horse?” Diarmid shouted angrily.
His own ire on a short tether, Iain glared at his cousin, suspicious as to the reason for Diarmid’s impassioned reaction. “I mean exactly what I said. She fell off the bloody horse a few moments ago. Just before we entered the pine grove.”
God help the wench! Hopefully, she didn’t break her bloody neck.
Because his kinsmen were unaware of the mishap, Iain had quickly urged his mount into a gallop so that he could halt the fleeing horsemen. Danger loomed, and disaster might very well strike if they were inadvertently separated. Before he rode back to retrieve Yvette, it was imperative that he give orders to his men. Orders that could very well save their lives.
Diarmid’s eyes narrowed. “I think Lady Yvette intentionally threw herself off yer horse.”
“Why in God’s name would —”
“If I was the lass, I would have done no diffe rently,” his cousin interjected. “What were ye thinking this morning, lying in that dirt hovel wi’out so much as a stitch on yer back? Could ye no’ have controlled yer animal urges at least until ye got her into a proper bed?”
“The dev il take ye, Diarmid MacKinnon! Ye were the one who convinced me to bed her!” Iain bellowed angrily, barely resisting the ‘animal urge’ to grab his meddlesome cousin by the neck and fling him over the front of his mount. “She’s a widow no’ an untried maid. She kens full well what a man is hiding beneath his plaid.”
“That is no’ a valid reason to accost the lady.”
Furious that he was wasting precious time arguing over something that was none of Diarmid’s concern, Iain turned to his men and said, “I want ye to ride to the pass at Drumochter. When ye get there, split into two groups, each heading in a different direction. Once ye go through the pass, ride no more than a league then split off again. That should put the bastards off our scent. Wait for me at the auld standing stones. If I don’t show up by the morrow, continue to Castle Maoil wi’out me.”
“God be wi’ ye. And give my regards to Lady Yvette,” Diarmid shouted over his shoulder before he urged his horse into a
Not giving herself time to change her mind, Yvette began to loosen her grip on Iain’s waist. With only scant seconds to act, she impulsively leaned her head forward and lightly kissed Iain on his leather-clad shoulder just before she flung herself off the back of the horse.
Windmilling through the air, she hit the ground on her left side with a jarring thud, the impact causing an instant surge of nausea.
Unable to move, Yvette lay sprawled on a soggy bed of grass, hit with ensuing waves of pain.
Although dazed, out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the backend of Iain’s horse just before it disappeared into the grove of trees.
When the pain finally diminished to a tolerable level, she staggered to her feet. Her movements slow and ungainly, she furtively glanced to-and-fro.
Sweet Jesu ! I did it!
Iain and his kinsmen were nowhere in sight, the sextet of riders having disappeared into the pine grove up ahead.
To her bewilderment , the fact that she’d successfully eluded Iain incited a momentary panic. Inundated with a deluge of unfettered emotions, Yvette sank to her knees .
Confusion. Fear. Anguish .
A pandemonium of emotions roiled within her, creating a veritable tempest.
Blinking back treacherous tears, she once again clambered to her feet and limped gracelessly toward the small loch on the other side of the grassland, her left ankle throbbing against her boot.
She’d gone only a few feet when, still winded from the fall, she came to a sudden halt. Hearing a low grunt emanate from behind her, Yvette glanced over her shoulder.
And promptly shrieked.
No more than two ells away, white froth dripping off menacing yellow tusks, was a wild boar!
CHAPTER SIX
“Damnation! What do ye mean she fell off the horse?” Diarmid shouted angrily.
His own ire on a short tether, Iain glared at his cousin, suspicious as to the reason for Diarmid’s impassioned reaction. “I mean exactly what I said. She fell off the bloody horse a few moments ago. Just before we entered the pine grove.”
God help the wench! Hopefully, she didn’t break her bloody neck.
Because his kinsmen were unaware of the mishap, Iain had quickly urged his mount into a gallop so that he could halt the fleeing horsemen. Danger loomed, and disaster might very well strike if they were inadvertently separated. Before he rode back to retrieve Yvette, it was imperative that he give orders to his men. Orders that could very well save their lives.
Diarmid’s eyes narrowed. “I think Lady Yvette intentionally threw herself off yer horse.”
“Why in God’s name would —”
“If I was the lass, I would have done no diffe rently,” his cousin interjected. “What were ye thinking this morning, lying in that dirt hovel wi’out so much as a stitch on yer back? Could ye no’ have controlled yer animal urges at least until ye got her into a proper bed?”
“The dev il take ye, Diarmid MacKinnon! Ye were the one who convinced me to bed her!” Iain bellowed angrily, barely resisting the ‘animal urge’ to grab his meddlesome cousin by the neck and fling him over the front of his mount. “She’s a widow no’ an untried maid. She kens full well what a man is hiding beneath his plaid.”
“That is no’ a valid reason to accost the lady.”
Furious that he was wasting precious time arguing over something that was none of Diarmid’s concern, Iain turned to his men and said, “I want ye to ride to the pass at Drumochter. When ye get there, split into two groups, each heading in a different direction. Once ye go through the pass, ride no more than a league then split off again. That should put the bastards off our scent. Wait for me at the auld standing stones. If I don’t show up by the morrow, continue to Castle Maoil wi’out me.”
“God be wi’ ye. And give my regards to Lady Yvette,” Diarmid shouted over his shoulder before he urged his horse into a
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