allow himself to be taken by surprise simply to be warmer.
She plucked her chemise from the floor and hurried into it. Norris never moved as she dressed, but she left her shoes off when she crept from the chamber. She froze when she turned and found herself facing one of Norrisâs men. The burly retainer had the section of his plaid that normally rested on his shoulder raised up over his head while he slept. He was sitting on a stool with his back propped against the wall. But his hands were locked around the pommel of his sword.
Of course there was a man at the door. Maybe while they were alone it would be possible to forget who Norris was. Part of her cringed as she moved away from the retainer and down the stairs. Her chamber was three stories up in the main tower. It was also the coldest.
She sat down and put on her boots before hurrying to the kitchens to warm her hands over the hearth. The cook wasnât at the long worktable yet, which made Daphne frown. She checked the spice cabinet, but it was locked.
The cook held the keys.
She would have to hope another hour would not make much difference, even if it would increase how many eyes would know what she was about.
Daphne refused to care. She really couldnât afford to, anyway. Gitta might be of the firm opinion that a child would ease their suffering, but there was no way Daphne was going to risk her courses not arriving soon. Sheâd brew the necessary concoction and suffer the cramps. And that was the end of it.
Guilt tried to needle her, so she left the kitchen and walked out into the yard. The gate was just being raised, and someone ran through it. He was just a small boy with one missing front tooth. He stopped in the middle of the yard, looking at the men on the walls and scratching his head as if trying to decide how to get to them. When he noticed her, he smiled.
âLady. Lady. Me da sent me to tell ye the Comyn are in the pens with the sheep.â
Her temper flared, and the boy flinched from the sight of her. She shook her head and forced her anger behind a serene expression.
âThank ye. Yer da should be very proud of ye. Now go inside and wait for the cook.â
He tugged on the corner of his cap before scurrying away. Daphne hurried into the stable, startling the boys who slept there.
âThe Comyn are stealing the sheep again. Wake the men.â
She took only the time to bridle a horse and then mounted the animal.
âLady⦠ye need to waitâ¦â
Daphne rode out of the stable before she heard the rest of what the boy was trying to say. Keith would be on her heels quick enough; the man was far more at ease on the back of a horse than she was. Besides, she was on a mare, and the retainers all rode stallions.
But sheâd failed to realize how close she was to the pens theyâd shut the sheep in. Inexperience with riding making her ignorant of just how little time it would take her mare to travel the distance. Before there was much more than scarlet light on the ground, she was watching the sheep being herded out of the pens, and Keith had not caught up to her.
Which left her very much on her own against the Comyn.
***
âIâm going to blister her backside.â
Norris didnât give a damn about the looks he was drawing from the MacLeod retainers. There was something balled up in his gut that he didnât like at all. He understood the feeling of fury well enough, but this was something that sickened him.
He leaned low over the neck of his stallion and gave the beast its freedom. The animal surged forward, digging his hooves into the soft morning earth. Gahan was at his side as he raced up the rise and pulled his stallion to a stop at the crest. The animal snorted and danced in a circle as he obeyed.
Every muscle Norris had rebelled against stopping, screaming to charge down into the valley where the sheep had been penned, but he was not a fool or some beardless boy who had never seen a
She plucked her chemise from the floor and hurried into it. Norris never moved as she dressed, but she left her shoes off when she crept from the chamber. She froze when she turned and found herself facing one of Norrisâs men. The burly retainer had the section of his plaid that normally rested on his shoulder raised up over his head while he slept. He was sitting on a stool with his back propped against the wall. But his hands were locked around the pommel of his sword.
Of course there was a man at the door. Maybe while they were alone it would be possible to forget who Norris was. Part of her cringed as she moved away from the retainer and down the stairs. Her chamber was three stories up in the main tower. It was also the coldest.
She sat down and put on her boots before hurrying to the kitchens to warm her hands over the hearth. The cook wasnât at the long worktable yet, which made Daphne frown. She checked the spice cabinet, but it was locked.
The cook held the keys.
She would have to hope another hour would not make much difference, even if it would increase how many eyes would know what she was about.
Daphne refused to care. She really couldnât afford to, anyway. Gitta might be of the firm opinion that a child would ease their suffering, but there was no way Daphne was going to risk her courses not arriving soon. Sheâd brew the necessary concoction and suffer the cramps. And that was the end of it.
Guilt tried to needle her, so she left the kitchen and walked out into the yard. The gate was just being raised, and someone ran through it. He was just a small boy with one missing front tooth. He stopped in the middle of the yard, looking at the men on the walls and scratching his head as if trying to decide how to get to them. When he noticed her, he smiled.
âLady. Lady. Me da sent me to tell ye the Comyn are in the pens with the sheep.â
Her temper flared, and the boy flinched from the sight of her. She shook her head and forced her anger behind a serene expression.
âThank ye. Yer da should be very proud of ye. Now go inside and wait for the cook.â
He tugged on the corner of his cap before scurrying away. Daphne hurried into the stable, startling the boys who slept there.
âThe Comyn are stealing the sheep again. Wake the men.â
She took only the time to bridle a horse and then mounted the animal.
âLady⦠ye need to waitâ¦â
Daphne rode out of the stable before she heard the rest of what the boy was trying to say. Keith would be on her heels quick enough; the man was far more at ease on the back of a horse than she was. Besides, she was on a mare, and the retainers all rode stallions.
But sheâd failed to realize how close she was to the pens theyâd shut the sheep in. Inexperience with riding making her ignorant of just how little time it would take her mare to travel the distance. Before there was much more than scarlet light on the ground, she was watching the sheep being herded out of the pens, and Keith had not caught up to her.
Which left her very much on her own against the Comyn.
***
âIâm going to blister her backside.â
Norris didnât give a damn about the looks he was drawing from the MacLeod retainers. There was something balled up in his gut that he didnât like at all. He understood the feeling of fury well enough, but this was something that sickened him.
He leaned low over the neck of his stallion and gave the beast its freedom. The animal surged forward, digging his hooves into the soft morning earth. Gahan was at his side as he raced up the rise and pulled his stallion to a stop at the crest. The animal snorted and danced in a circle as he obeyed.
Every muscle Norris had rebelled against stopping, screaming to charge down into the valley where the sheep had been penned, but he was not a fool or some beardless boy who had never seen a
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