Page 23 of Kidnapped By her Highland Enemy
Lucas simply nodded. “Against all odds.”
“How do ye ken this will go over with the elders an’ yer faither when he kens that ye are dallying with the enemy?” Oliver asked, tilting his head a bit. “It’s nay going to be received well.”
“Aye,” Lucas said while raking his fingers through his hair, leaving the strands standing pell-mell. “We’ll have to deal with that when we come to it. If both of us go, is Ian going to be enough to guard the two?”
“I daenae reckon yer miss will do anything to endanger herself. Tis the other one who he should watch out for.” Oliver looked down the hall to where Maisie’s maid stayed. “She is nae fond of us, is she?”
“Nay,” Lucas shrugged. “I’d imagine it’s because she was hurt by one of us, her family was hurt, or she’s been told to hate us. It’s one of the three.”
“Could be all,” Oliver’s gaze was still latched onto the door down the passageway. “But Ian has proven himself capable of many a thing, so I daenae ken he will have trouble with these lasses.”
“We’ll leave by daybreak,” Lucas agreed. “Where is Ian?”
“Out, hunting,” Oliver said.
“And Eilidh?”
This time, Oliver nodded to another room. “Resting. I ken it’s time for her to go back home because the bairn might be coming anytime now.”
“Make sense,” Lucas then finally allowed himself to look upward where Maisie rested.
Clapping Lucas on his shoulder, Oliver said, “Go see to her if that’s what’s on yer mind.”
Heading to the stairs, Lucas took them two by two before arriving at the doorway. Gently, he cracked the door open, expecting to see Maisie sleeping. Instead, she was seated near the window, looking out.
Closing the door, he neared. “What’s troubling ye, lass?”
“That someone is out there manipulating our families into hating each other more than they already do,” she said quietly. “And that either ye or me may end up dead because of it.”
Perching his back on the windowsill, Lucas held unto the frame. “I should apologize, Maisie. At first, I took ye because I figuredthat any assassin from yer family would have to ken twice if they still wanted to come against me.”
She did not look surprised and after seeing her reaction, Lucas snorted to himself, “But ye kent that already, did ye nae?”
“I have,” she said simply. “At first I was enraged that ye would do such a selfish thing, but now that the second part of this debacle has become known, a part of me is happy that ye did take me away from possible danger.”
“Do ye ken how to defend yerself, lass?” Lucas asked, his brows narrowing. “How to handle a sword, a dirk, a dagger, anything?”
She shrugged, “Nay. I was raised with the notion that I wouldnae have to. The closest I can come to defending myself is how to use hemlock.”
Reaching out for her hand, Lucas used his thumb to open her palm. Her skin was soft, with barely thickened skin on the heel of her hand and the tips of her fingers. Maisie shuddered under his touch, and he felt pleased at her reaction. “I’d like to teach ye some simple ways to defend yerself, lass.”
“Here?”
“Aye,” he made a circle with his thumb over her palm before dropping it. “We have time here, an’ I basically brought a wagonful of weapons with me.”
Maisie rubbed her hand on her dress idly. “Is that necessary?”
“As much as I would love to fight for ye, it willnae harm to learn to protect yerself,” Lucas replied. “Better to have and nae use it than nae have it and desperate to use it. I like it when women can defend themselves.”
“Ye do?”
“Most of the women in me clan do,” he shrugged. “When most of the men and lads are at war, the women must defend themselves, be it a rogue band or raiders or a wild beast, they have to do what must be done an’ kill it.”
“Ah,” she nodded. “I daenae see how that can hurt. When do ye plan on starting?”
“On the morn,” he said while getting to his feet. “I’ll carry up yer supper, because I want ye to tell me more about yerself.”
A flash of apprehension crossed her face, but she held his gaze and nodded, “Only if ye’ll do the same.”
