Page 35 of The Mad Highlander
Her sobs eased as she tore her face away from his chest and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Cayden, I am so sorry, I didnae mean to cause trouble; all we wanted to do was pick berries.”
“Dinnae fuss. It wasnae yer fault.” Cayden let go of her body and cupped her face in his hands, wiping her tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs.
“But if I had only…” Her voice broke again as a second flood of tears burst free.
“Ye are nae to blame for this, Iris. McReed is a good-for-nothing dog, an’ ye could ne’er have kent that a man inside this clan would do anything like that. I didnae even ken that he was capable of this.” Cayden swore under his breath again before pulling her into his arms and holding her close to his chest.
He wasn’t sure what he would do to McReed, but he’d make him pay. The fear that had coursed through his body when he realized that Iris was in danger had shaken him to his core.
“Ahem.” Robyn cleared her throat and came forward. “I ken that the two of ye are having a moment, an’ I dinnae wish to break things up, but I am fine as well, nae that anyone asked.”
Iris suddenly raised her head as if she had remembered that she and Cayden weren’t alone. “Robyn, I am so sorry, I didnae mean to make ye feel as if ye dinnae matter. Where ye hurt?” She quickly rushed over and examined the girl.
“Nae, I am well, just shaken. I think we should head back to the castle ’afore anything else happens out here.” Robyn glanced over Iris’ shoulder, smirking at Cayden when Iris wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace.
So much for being the matchmaker, more like the obstacle creator.
15
Iris examined the marks on her arms that were already beginning to discolor. She would have a few bruises on her body, that was for sure.
The maid brushed the strands of her wet hair, patting them down her back as the girl took extra care not to bump any part of her body that had been harmed.
“Ye must have had quite a shock, Me Lady. I hope the hot bath has eased yer muscles a bit?” The kind young girl with mousy features and a spray of freckles across her nose finished braiding her hair and took a step back, examining her handy work before tidying all of the things she had used.
“Yes, it was quite a shock, I’m not sure what we would have done if His Lairdship hadn’t come along when he had.” Iris swallowed hard, recalling the terror that had rushed through her body. Everything had seemed so quiet and peaceful before the men had suddenly appeared out of the bushes and dragged them both deeper into the woods.
The fear in Robyn’s eyes had awakened something within her that made her suddenly fight back. Breaking free, she had bitten into the man’s grubby hand before letting out a blood-curdling scream that had pierced even her sensitive ears.
“It’s a good thing, too; the servants are all talking about what happened. I cannae believe it was McReed that hired those men. But then again, none of us ever liked him much. He would always bark at us an’ ne’er said thank ye.” She paused as a deep blush spread over her cheeks. “Not that a man of his station ever has to show humility or gratitude,” the girl quickly corrected her statement.
“Dinnae fuss, I ken what ye meant,” Iris reassured her with a smile.
The girl relaxed considerably as her shoulders slumped back down. “Will that be all, Me Lady?”
“Aye, that will be all, thank ye.” Iris smiled at the girl before watching her disappear down the hallway.
Turning back to the mirror, Iris sighed heavily and let out her breath. She hadn’t been able to reflect on her feelings since Cayden had come to their aid. Margot had met them at the edge of the forest and ushered them all into the castle where Astrid had been waiting to see to their wounds.
Astrid.
Iris had been in such a state of shock that she hadn’t even questioned why the beautiful young woman was seeing to her wounds. A few days ago, Cayden had told Iris that Astrid was the castle healer, but did she actually mean more to him than he was letting on?
“Iris?” A gentle knock sounded at the door before Iris had a chance to pursue that particular train of thought.
“Cayden.” Her heart fluttered when she looked in the mirror and saw his reflection. He was clad in a fresh cotton shirt and clean breeches. The cut across his cheek had been sewn shut.
“Did I scare ye?” he asked gently, his eyes boring into hers through his reflection.
“Nae, I was deep in thought, but ye didnae scare me.” She smiled softly, allowing her eyes to wander over his body where his muscles bulged against the confines of his clothes. The pit of her stomach coiled with desire despite the ordeal they had just been through.
Cayden nodded. “Good. Do ye mind if I come in?”
“Sure.” She nodded to his reflection in the mirror before turning around to face him. Her heart skittered when he moved to shut the door but left it ajar.
Did he change his mind?
She wondered if he had planned to shut the door but then changed his mind at the last minute.
