Page 13 of Highlander's Caged Rose
Moira swallowed nervously and took a step backwards, but Niall reached out and grabbed her hands, clasping them so tightly that she could not free herself. She tried to pull away from him, but his grip was too tight, and she gave up.
“Speak to me,” he ordered roughly. “Who are you running from? I do not want my family involved in any of your troubles. I do not want my clan to become entangled in any more battles. God knows, I’ve had enough of those to last me a lifetime.”
Moira tried with all her might to push him away, but Niall was too strong, and held on to her without any apparent effort. Then his mood suddenly changed.
He stepped even closer to her. Her nearness was disturbing, her soft musk, her shining hair, porcelain skin and pale blue eyes. Everything about Moira Jamieson attracted him, so why did he have so many doubts about her?
“Perhaps I should keep you here just for your rare beauty. I have never seen a woman like you before. The first time I saw you, I thought of the tales of elves and faeries that I had heard from my nanny.”
He laughed at his own wit, but Moira obviously did not find his words funny.
“No!” she screamed. “No man is going to imprison me again!”
Niall shook his head, smiling at her overreaction. “I meant that as a compliment, Moira,” he said, frowning in puzzlement. “Surely, you did not think I was serious? I would never do any such thing.”
“Let me go!” Moira cried again, and this time she dissolved into tears.
Niall stepped back, still mystified by her reaction. He was longing to put his arms around Moira and comfort her, but he knew enough about her by now to realise that she would reject him instantly.
“Lass,” he said gently. “I did not mean to frighten you.”
He looked her up and down, thinking how much she resembled a deer who had run away from his bow and avoided becoming a meal. He had meant to cheer Moira up, and he felt wretched for upsetting her so much.
“Did your betrothed really hurt you? What kind of harm did he do to you?” He felt Moira’s hands trembling in his, and loosened his grip a little. “Please tell me. Perhaps I can help in some way.”
Moira looked up at him, unsure of what to think, then she realised she was allowing herself to be led into yet another trap. Men were always pleasant when they wanted something; it was only later, when a woman was under their roof, when they had her dowry, that they showed their true colours. She would be anutter fool to believe this man was any different just because he was so good to look at.
“You can help me by leaving me alone,” Moira cried.
She wrenched her hands out of his grasp and mounted her horse, then rode her out into the gathering dusk. In her haste, she quickly lost her bearings and had no idea where the loch was, but at that moment she did not care, she merely wanted to be out of the castle and away from the cursed place.
Niall stood watching her until she was out of sight, wondering whether to follow her or not. Moira Jamieson was like no other woman he had ever met, and he was utterly fascinated by her; he needed to know more.
6
Strangely enough, as soon as she had made the decision to go down to the loch, Moira’s headache began to clear, and she felt the tension ebbing out of her body. That was until she had an encounter with Niall.
It was a clear, cold evening, but she had been cold before and survived, and no doubt she would again, she reasoned. There was still an hour or so till full darkness and a long twilight.
The stables were a safe space for her; warm with the heat of the horses’ bodies, and although the smell of the animals was not exactly akin to eau de parfum, Moira loved it. She had often been able to escape from her cruel husband in the stables by hiding in the hayloft and covering herself in straw. That was why the atmosphere of the horses’ abode was so dear to her.
Now, Niall had ruined that for her.
Moira began to wish she had put her cloak on, since she began to shiver. She thought about going back to retrieve it, but she had no wish to encounter Niall again. Two confrontations in one evening was more than enough!
Her wrists were still tingling from the pressure of Niall’s grip, and although she could not see them, she knew there would be red marks there.
Her tears had dried, but a whirlwind of emotions coursed through her, the main one now being embarrassment at having allowed herself to become so emotional in front of Niall. Now she had given him a stick to beat her with—a metaphorical one that he could cast up in her face any time he wished.
However, as she looked at her dappled-grey horse, she knew that if she made it as far as Loch Begg, she could make it out of Baltyre without too much trouble. After all, the bandits were gone, and if her horse was swift enough she could outrun most wild animals. Immediately, her confidence increased; she straightened her back and lifted her chin. She could do this.
Why should I care about Niall McPhee?she thought mutinously.I will soon be gone from this place.
The notion strengthened Moira’s determination. She had been idle for too long; tomorrow morning there would be no more delay. She would not stop to break her fast or greet anyone. She would avoid all contact with Niall, Glennie and Gerald. She would simply slip away; in fact, had she thought of it before she would be escaping now, but she had none of her belongings with her.
Moira wished she knew in which direction the city of Aberdeen lay. She had made up her mind to go there and look for opportunities in the bustling city. There was no chance that she could find a place to work in Baltyre, it was too small an area and her husband’s brother would be on the lookout for her.
Moira had hardly remembered Brodie McDonnell during the time she had been away, but suddenly the memory of him came surging back. He had been instrumental, along with her father, in arranging her marriage to his brother, Roy. It was he who had told him about Moira and how beautiful she was.
