Page 27 of The Highlander's Inconvenient Wife
“Who is going to be killed?” Darragh asked as Avery’s anxiety grew.
“Joan Moore!” the man yelled. “He’s taken her captive.” He began to sob.
Darragh and Avery looked down the road at the carriage in the distance that was no bigger than a spec on the horizon. It couldn’t be the baron when he was making a hasty retreat in the opposite direction.
14
Jasper looked out over the evening fog that was beginning to set in around the castle. He’d always felt at peace amidst the dreary weather conditions on the mountain; it made him feel safe and secure as if he were hidden from the world at large in a thick blanket of mist. The way the castle was situated on a peak was less convenient for others, but the solitude suited him just fine.
Taking a deep breath, he wandered over the yard with the gravel crunching beneath his boots until he came to the softer grass that led to the gardens. He needed a moment to clear his thoughts. His mind had been occupied by Joan since the second she had stumbled onto his lands.
What was it about the beautiful English lass that had him dreaming of her at night and calling her name first thing in the morning? He needed to watch himself where she was concerned; they’d already kissed once and almost kissed again at lunch. There was danger in loosing oneself in another person. Any little gap in his concentration could lead to his enemies gaining the upper hand on him.
His eye suddenly ached as he brought his hand up to the patch and gently applied pressure. It had always been like this when he was stressed; the old wound would act up and hurt, bringing back the dreadful memories of the night he’d lost his eye.
Suddenly realizing that he wasn’t alone, Jasper lowered his hand and stepped behind a tree, hiding the bulk of his figure behind the massive trunk.
There, just a few steps away, was Joan as if his thoughts had summoned her into being. She was standing on the tips of her boots in an attempt to reach a bunch of low-hanging cherries.
What is she doing out here?
Taking a minute to watch her, he took in the curves of her hips and the thick braid that hung down her back. He wondered how long her hair actually was; it seemed to him as if she had done some kind of intricate braid in an attempt to either hide the length or make it more manageable. Either way, he wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through the long strands. Without realizing what he was doing, he took a step forward, leaving the safety of the tree.
He began to panic when Joan turned to see him standing there in the open. He hadn’t intended to talk to her as part of his plan to not place himself in difficult situations anymore.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there,” she said and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Did you need me for anything?” she asked and looked him in the eye.
The woman had the annoying habit of not reacting to the patch over his eye like everyone else did.
Jasper wanted nothing more than to grip that hand and kiss her wrist, but he fought the urges as she stepped out from behind the tree. “Nay,” he cleared his throat and tried to make his voice as level and distant as he could, “I was just taking a walk.”
“I was just gathering some cherries for Martha,” she said in an awkward yet friendly manner and gestured up to the cherries on the tree. “I was just struggling to get those last ones up there.”
Jasper looked at the nearly full basket of fruit at her feet and back to her face as she looked away. Was she trying to avoid him?
“Do ye need any help?” he asked with one eyebrow raised. It seemed to him as if she may have gotten the same idea that he had and wanted to stay away.
“Oh no, not at all,” she answered a little too quickly, confirming his suspicions that she was avoiding him as well. “I think I can manage.”
Knowing full well that he should walk away and leave her be, Jasper took a few steps forward, suddenly feeling as if her avoidance was a challenge to him. If anyone was going to be avoiding, he would be the one to decide when it was happening.
Joan gulped as she took a few steps back, grabbing the basket and holding it in front of her body as if it were a shield.
“Are ye sure?” he asked with a smug grin. Her sudden change in behavior was giving his ego a boost; perhaps it was possible that she felt the same way he did. There could be no other explanation as to why she didn’t want to get too close.
“Very sure,” she said and wrung the handle of the basket with both hands. “I like to complete a task once I’ve set my mind to it; I wouldn’t feel right asking anyone for help.”
“It’s nae trouble,” he said and reached up for the bunch of cherries after walking past her.
“No, really, please don’t,” she began to protest as she took a step forward. “I want to do it on my own.”
“It will go faster if I help,” he answered stubbornly and continued to reach for the cherries.
“But then I wouldn’t have accomplished my goal.” She placed the basket back on the ground and came to his side, reaching for the fruit and trying to get past his hand.
“What does it matter if I help ye?” His irritation began to grow at how stubborn she was. “Nobody has to ken that I helped ye; ye can tell everyone that ye did it. I daenae care, just let me help ye.”
“But I will know that I had help!” Her voice suddenly became desperate as she jumped and snatched at the fruit, bumping her shoulder against his in her attempt.
