Page 28 of The Highlander's Illicit Bride
“We need tae dismount and walk the horse along the path,” he said and with a finger Struan pointed at the path ahead of them. “It’ll be easier if we go on foot.”
Struan brought the horse to a stop and slipped off the back. He turned and reached for Isolde, his hands curling around her waist as he lifted her down. Her skirts brushed against his chest, her breath feathering his neck, and for a heartbeat, neithermoved. He set her down on the ground, then took hold of the horse’s reins.
“Come on,” he said. “Stay close and keep yer eyes open then, eh?”
“Aye.”
Shafts of sunlight speared down through the thick canopy overhead, making the motes of dust sparkle like flakes of gold in the bright light. The air around them was thick with the damp, earthy musk of the forest. Birds sang in the branches overhead and small animals rustled the bushes as they scurried away.
Isolde pointed to what appeared to be claw marks on a thick tree trunk beside them. “Looks like there are bears in the area,” she said. “Those marks look fresh.”
Struan nodded. “Aye. Looks like it.”
He scanned the thick forest around them, his eyes cutting left and right. It wasn’t only men they needed to be wary of that deep in the woods. There were plenty of natural predators who’d undoubtedly see them as a tempting food source. Growing up, his father had made sure he knewwhat to look for and more importantly, what to do if he ever found himself in a dangerous confrontation.
Struan could tell the difference between various tracks—bear, mountain lion, deer, and more. He knew the signs of theirpassing. Those things had been ingrained in him from an early age. But they were not, by any means, common knowledge for noble lasses. So Isolde’s comment took him by surprised.
“How’d ye ken those were bear scratches and nae somethin’ else?” he asked.
“When I was young, I asked a lot of questions of the people who kent these things. I always enjoyed learnin’,” she said and then her smile faltered. “Me faither put an end tae that though. Said ‘twas nae ladylike tae be askin’ so many questions or learnin’ things only men should ken.”
Struan frowned. He thought that was stupid. Living among the trees, as so many Scots did, it made sense to know everything a person could counter. It helped keep people safe. But then, he supposed, for a woman who was likely going to be married off and forced to spend her life inside a castle’s walls, it perhaps didn’t matter as much. There was far less of a chance of being attacked by a bear inside a castle’s bedchamber.
However, he couldn’t help but admire her desire for knowledge. Isolde had such a fiery and vibrant spirit, it was difficult to imagine her being kept in a cage her whole life. Difficult to think about having that thirst for knowledge and that vivaciousness he had seen bits and pieces of stifled.
As they walked the path, Isolde casually pointed out different things—animal tracks and broken branches that served as trail markers among other features. At first, he thought she was just showing off, trying to impress him. But a little while later, as shecontinued her narration of their adventure through the woods, he realized something else. This wasn’t about showing him her depth of knowledge. Struan turned to her.
“Ye sound like somebody who kens this land well,” he said.
Her cheeks flushed and a stricken expression crossed her face. It was as if she hadn’t even been aware that she was speaking until she realized she’d said too much.
“Have ye wandered around out here a lot?” he pressed.
“I… I’ve been out here, aye.”
A sharp jag of suspicion shot through him, twisting his gut into knots. He didn’t believe she was leading him into a trap. And yet, she knew this land all too well for somebody who lived so far away from it. It piqued his curiosity and put him on edge.
“’Tis a long way from Moy Castle,” he said slowly. “How is it ye found yerself out this way?”
A long, heavy sigh burst from her lips. “’Tis because I’ve been forced tae come out tae these lands before.”
“And why is that then?”
“Struan—”
“I want tae understand how ye ken this land so well, Isolde,” he said. “Are ye leadin’ me intae a trap? Has all this been about gettin’ me back intae yer faither’s dungeons?”
Her face paled and her mouth fell open as she shook her head. Fear flashed through her features. But then the color in her cheeks faded, and an expression of indignation soon replaced the fear.
“What are ye bleedin’ talkin’ about?” she asked.
“’Twas a simple question. Are ye leadin’ me tae captivity?”
“Nay. Are ye mad?” she gasped. “I’m tryin’ tae get away from me faither as sure as ye are.”
“Then how is it ye ken this land so well?”
She sighed heavily again, her full lips curling downward. She seemed to consider her answer for a long moment, as if debating with herself whether to tell him or not. But when she raised her gaze again and looked into his eyes, she seemed to see the steely determination in his face. He was going to have answers.
