Page 13 of The Outlaw's Bride
The young woman stared at him, her eyes growing wide.
Gently, she pulled back from him, tugging at his hand. Reluctantly, Lachlann let her go.
“I know this place,” she observed, shifting her gaze from him. He caught the edge to her voice and knew the touch had affected her as it had him. “These woods lie north-east of the keep. Da and his men often hunt here.” She abruptly stopped speaking, realizing she’d unwittingly revealed her identity.
The lass took a step back from him, drawing her mantle close.
“Worry not, Lady MacLeod,” Lachlann drawled. “I guessed yer identity the first moment I set eyes on ye. It changes nothing of our agreement. However, I would like to know yer name … if I may?”
She watched him, her face glowing pale in the moonlight. “Adaira,” she said softly.
Lachlann held her gaze. He couldn’t believe his luck; this girl was his angel of mercy. What a reprieve—and now he was free, he intended to stay that way.
“Can I ask how ye knew of such a passageway?” he asked. “The dungeon isn’t a place for high-born maids.”
She swallowed. “My sisters and I discovered it years ago,” she replied softly. “We weren’t supposed to play in the dungeon. Da would have been furious if he’d known. We used to dare each other, to see who the bravest was … who could explore the farthest.”
Lachlann smiled. “And who discovered the end of the tunnel?”
She looked away. “My sister Rhona.”
“Well, Lady Adaira,” he murmured. “Argyle is a long way off. I say we travel through the night and rest in daylight. Yer father will be after us come the dawn.”
Chapter Six
Aingeal
“I KNEW YE were an angel … the moment I set eyes upon ye.”
The words were muttered in-between large bites of bun, slathered in butter and jam.
Watching Lachlann Fraser devour his second sweet bun, Adaira smiled. “Slow down, or ye will give yerself belly-ache.”
He nodded but then proceeded to stuff half a bun into his mouth, chewing vigorously. “Ye have no idea how good these are,” he managed when he’d swallowed. “I’ve had nothing but weevil infested bread and rancid cheese since they threw me down in that hole.”
Adaira’s smile faded, and she suppressed a shudder at this comment. She looked around her, noting that the sky was growing lighter by the moment. After emerging from the tunnel, they’d fled like hunted deer. Lachlann had led the way east, his long legs covering the ground easily until Adaira had called out to him, begging him to slow his pace. She couldn’t run great distances, especially wearing skirts and carrying a heavy satchel and cloak.
Lachlann had relieved her of the satchel, and they’d set off once more, this time at a brisk walk.
Dawn had stolen upon them quickly, arriving with startling swiftness. They now sat on the mossy bank of a creek, taking a much-needed rest. Adaira’s lungs still ached from exertion, as did her legs. She’d taken off her heavy cloak and now carried it. Her léine—a long ankle-length tunic she wore under her kirtle—now stuck uncomfortably to her back.
“Ye should eat,” Lachlann said as he reached for a third bun. “Or I’ll end up finishing all of these.”
“I brought them for ye,” she replied. “I can eat once we reach the coast. I’ve got some pennies with me. We’ll resupply when we find passage across the water.”
Lachlann Fraser raised an eyebrow. “Going hungry on my account … ye truly are anaingeal.”
Adaira looked away, her cheeks warming. “Not really,” she murmured. “I’m too nervous to eat.”
“Well, I’ll leave the last bun for ye,” he said, his mouth curving. “For when ye get yer appetite back.”
Their gazes met briefly, and Adaira returned his smile.
She’d been wary of Lachlann Fraser at first, especially after his confrontation with Taran. Yet he’d behaved honorably so far. He’d carried her satchel and slowed his pace to accommodate her. When he’d taken her hand to help her out of the tunnel, heat had jolted up her arm. The feel of his strong fingers curling around hers, the warmth of his skin, had completely scattered her wits.
She’d been acutelyawareof him ever since.
Adaira watched Lachlann now as he scanned their surroundings. The good humor faded from his face, and his moss-green gaze narrowed. “We can’t stay here much longer. Very soon, someone will notice we are missing.”
