Read Online Seducing the Laird by Lauren Marrero - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Marrero
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promise. To attack you like that after he offered peace … even for an Englishman that was wrong."
Cairn chuckled dryly in the darkness.
"Even for an Englishman."
He turned and walked farther into the woods. Half-formed plans rose in his mind and were quickly discarded. Winter was fast approaching and instead of helping his clan prepare Cairn languished in a dungeon. He would have to work day and night to recover the lost time.
Suddenly Cairn paused as some unseen threat caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise. He felt he was being watched by malignant eyes. It could be a wolf or other forest predator, or perhaps the hunter whose lime trap Verena had found. The two young archers were dead, but there must be other soldiers searching these woods.
The thick clouds shifted overhead, allowing a small ray of moonlight to filter through the trees and Cairn finally saw his watcher. It was a bear of a man dressed in muted colors that blended perfectly into the darkness. His arms and face had been liberally smeared with dirt. The only features that stood out were his peculiar eyes that resembled live coals against the dross of his background. So well did he blend in to his surroundings that Cairn blinked, wondering if he were truly a man at all, or some vengeful spirit sent to plague him.
He must be from Langthorne, though he wore no livery. Nor did he carry a tool to distinguish himself as a hunter or woodsman. The man shifted his weight slightly and Cairn tensed, recognizing the man’s fighting stance and intent. This was no hunter.
"To arms!"
Instantly Cairn’s men sprang up clutching their weapons and itching for a fight. They ran to their lord looking about for signs of a threat, but the forest man had vanished.
"A man is watching us," Cairn explained. "He disappeared through those trees."
Instantly they spread out, combing the forest for any sign of disturbance.
"What is it?" Verena asked, groggily climbing out of the shelter. She looked adorably tousled with her unbound hair, unlaced dress and bootless feet. The knife was once again clutched in her small hand. Cairn noticed more than a few of his men casting curious glances at her over their shoulders as they left in search of the man.
"Stay inside!" he barked a little harsher than he intended.
She blinked at Cairn’s tone and opened her mouth to argue, but after casting a worried glance at the giant Scotsmen surrounding her, she demurely returned to the tent. Verena had gotten over her initial fear of Cairn, but he was weakened from his ordeal and she had spent days nursing him to health. She had no such relationship with his men.
"Fergus," Cairn called before he went off with the others. "Guard the woman. Keep her here."
"Aye, milord."
"What exactly are we looking for?" asked Andreu after they scoured the forest for nearly an hour. Aside from a few recent footprints they had failed to find any sign of someone in the trees.
"A man. His clothes and everything about him were made for concealment so I think he has been watching for some time. He was alone, but unafraid so there might be others nearby."
"I don’t like this," said Andreu. "It feels like a trap."
"I agree. We have a few more hours of night and I suggest we use them. The faster we leave England the better."
With those words the anticipation of a fight turned to wariness. Each man cast uneasy glances at the forest expecting an army of English soldiers to appear.
Verena had stayed in the tent but Cairn could see her wide, terrified eyes watching from the entrance. She was wise enough not to try to run with Fergus hovering about like a grumpy bear, nor did she scream, cry or speak. The lass merely watched and waited.
Cairn started toward her and gestured for his brother to do the same. Verena noticed the approach of the large Frenchman first and took several steps backward in fear. A Norse ancestor had turned his stepbrother into a formidable giant.
"Verena, this is my brother
Cairn chuckled dryly in the darkness.
"Even for an Englishman."
He turned and walked farther into the woods. Half-formed plans rose in his mind and were quickly discarded. Winter was fast approaching and instead of helping his clan prepare Cairn languished in a dungeon. He would have to work day and night to recover the lost time.
Suddenly Cairn paused as some unseen threat caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise. He felt he was being watched by malignant eyes. It could be a wolf or other forest predator, or perhaps the hunter whose lime trap Verena had found. The two young archers were dead, but there must be other soldiers searching these woods.
The thick clouds shifted overhead, allowing a small ray of moonlight to filter through the trees and Cairn finally saw his watcher. It was a bear of a man dressed in muted colors that blended perfectly into the darkness. His arms and face had been liberally smeared with dirt. The only features that stood out were his peculiar eyes that resembled live coals against the dross of his background. So well did he blend in to his surroundings that Cairn blinked, wondering if he were truly a man at all, or some vengeful spirit sent to plague him.
He must be from Langthorne, though he wore no livery. Nor did he carry a tool to distinguish himself as a hunter or woodsman. The man shifted his weight slightly and Cairn tensed, recognizing the man’s fighting stance and intent. This was no hunter.
"To arms!"
Instantly Cairn’s men sprang up clutching their weapons and itching for a fight. They ran to their lord looking about for signs of a threat, but the forest man had vanished.
"A man is watching us," Cairn explained. "He disappeared through those trees."
Instantly they spread out, combing the forest for any sign of disturbance.
"What is it?" Verena asked, groggily climbing out of the shelter. She looked adorably tousled with her unbound hair, unlaced dress and bootless feet. The knife was once again clutched in her small hand. Cairn noticed more than a few of his men casting curious glances at her over their shoulders as they left in search of the man.
"Stay inside!" he barked a little harsher than he intended.
She blinked at Cairn’s tone and opened her mouth to argue, but after casting a worried glance at the giant Scotsmen surrounding her, she demurely returned to the tent. Verena had gotten over her initial fear of Cairn, but he was weakened from his ordeal and she had spent days nursing him to health. She had no such relationship with his men.
"Fergus," Cairn called before he went off with the others. "Guard the woman. Keep her here."
"Aye, milord."
"What exactly are we looking for?" asked Andreu after they scoured the forest for nearly an hour. Aside from a few recent footprints they had failed to find any sign of someone in the trees.
"A man. His clothes and everything about him were made for concealment so I think he has been watching for some time. He was alone, but unafraid so there might be others nearby."
"I don’t like this," said Andreu. "It feels like a trap."
"I agree. We have a few more hours of night and I suggest we use them. The faster we leave England the better."
With those words the anticipation of a fight turned to wariness. Each man cast uneasy glances at the forest expecting an army of English soldiers to appear.
Verena had stayed in the tent but Cairn could see her wide, terrified eyes watching from the entrance. She was wise enough not to try to run with Fergus hovering about like a grumpy bear, nor did she scream, cry or speak. The lass merely watched and waited.
Cairn started toward her and gestured for his brother to do the same. Verena noticed the approach of the large Frenchman first and took several steps backward in fear. A Norse ancestor had turned his stepbrother into a formidable giant.
"Verena, this is my brother
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