Chapter Six
Calum cracked open his eyes as the soft pink of dawn peeked through the trees. At once, his bleary gaze sought out Arabella. Nestled in a bundle of furs, she lay a short distance away, safe and sound.
He arched his back and his stiff body relaxed a measure. He scrubbed a hand over his face and scratched the whiskers along his cheek. Why had he not pressed her for details last eve?
Once she’d spoken of her brother’s murderer, the perfect opportunity presented itself, but his conscience would not allow him to continue with his questions. Especially after he’d dumped her on a pile of furs in his haste to distance himself from her. After one long, hard look at her tired, distressed face, he presented her a respite she gladly accepted. Within moments, she fell into a deep slumber, wrapped in a mass of furs from head to toe.
He, on the other hand, spent the remainder of the night propped against the base of a tree, listening to the most unnatural sounds known to man billow from the lump where she slept undisturbed.
In all his years, he would’ve never guessed such a wee scrap of a woman could expel such fierce snores. The noise resembled a wild beast caught in a snare, struggling to get free. At first, he convinced himself the sound was not as dreadful as he feared, until one of his men awoke, muttering a complaint. ’Twas a mercy the enemy had been nowhere near their camp.
Despite the disturbance, he reached one conclusion during the night. From the deliberate neglect of her health to the hopeful gleam in her eye when he carried her from the stream, the lass was going to drive him mad. There was no doubt about it.
With daylight’s fast approach, Calum shook thoughts of Arabella from his head and looked over the camp. Their small group needed to move out, and soon. He rose to his feet and stretched his arms overhead, working the sore muscles in his rigid shoulders. Then he lumbered off in the direction of the stream.
Personal matters attended to, he shuffled to the brook’s edge and plunged his head beneath the icy water, welcoming the jolt to his senses. The bone-chilling water stripped away the last remnants of sleep clouding his mind and forced him to focus on the hazards of travel. With the enemy unknown to him and his men, they’d no notion of the potential threat they might face along the way. At least until he questioned the lass.
As he lifted his head, he caught a glimpse of Liam and Symon from the corner of his eye. He got to his feet, shook the water from his hair, and moved to join the pair.
Symon’s mouth curled into a faint smile. “I’m sure you’re aware your lady’s snores would’ve given away our location had enemies been anywhere nearby.”
“She’s not my lady.” Calum glared at his commander. “And ’twas hardly that bad.”
Symon wrinkled his nose in distaste while Liam gaped.
“Aye, if you’re deaf.” Liam spared a thoughtful look. “I reckon all that noise served a purpose, though.”
Symon cast Liam a sideways glance. “What blasted purpose?”
Curious to hear the answer as well, Calum crossed his arms over his chest.
Liam shrugged. “She kept the wild animals from venturing too close to camp.”
Calum snorted, amused by his cousin’s explanation. The statement rang true to a degree. No animal in the right frame of mind would’ve entered the clearing with those infernal sounds howling through the night.
“Just listen a moment.” Liam cupped a hand to his ear and tilted his head toward camp.
Calum and Symon did as he bid, pausing to take in the noises of the surrounding wood. Within moments, he comprehended his cousin’s meaning. One distinct, yet distant sound traveled through the forest.
Liam tossed his hands up in the air. “By the Saints, you can hear the lass from here!”
His cousin’s horror-struck face, coupled with faint rumble of Arabella’s snores, stirred Calum’s humor. A guffaw tumbled out before he could recall it. Then another, and another, until wild laughter poured out of him. He clutched at the stitch in his side, unable to restrain himself. Liam and Symon joined in, their laughter resounding through the wood.
Symon managed to choke out, “And to think, Fraser wishes you to wed her.”
The words leeched the humor right out of Calum.
“Do not speak of her so,” he growled. “She’s a fine lass.”
Liam grinned. “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind?”
He transferred his scowl from Symon to Liam. “Are you barking mad?”
The two men burst into another round of laughter. Several harsh curses later, Calum managed to silence the pair.
“Arabella shall ride with me today.” At their raised brows, he explained, “I do not wish her to do more damage to her feet, trying to keep pace with us.”
“A sage plan,” Symon agreed.
“Have you questioned her yet?” Liam cut in.
“Christ’s bones, I’ll get the tale from her soon enough.” He shot a dark look at his cousin, who held his hands up in surrender. “I need everyone alert and on watch today.”
“Something amiss?” Symon inquired.
“Nay, but who knows?” Liam shrugged. “Better to tread on the side of caution, though.”
Symon nodded. “I’ll pass word to the men.”
The stern commander shifted to leave, but Calum grabbed his forearm. “Aye, but have a care around the lass. I do not wish to worry her.” He shook his head. “No doubt she’ll not be pleased to ride with me, and I’d rather not deal with a hysterical woman as well.”
“She does have spirit. I’ll give you that.” Symon grunted. “Now that she’s had a bit of rest, I’m certain she’ll be up for the challenge.”
Calum grimaced. Aye, he feared the same. “Come, let’s get back. ’Tis time to be on our way.”
As soon as they entered the campsite, he strode to the tree where Arabella rested and stooped beside her pile of furs. He nudged her shoulder, or at least he hoped ’twas her shoulder. Snores continued to billow through the pelts. He puffed out a breath and tried with a firmer shake, but she slept on, undisturbed. Jesu, the woman would most likely sleep through battle. After three more unsuccessful attempts, he grabbed both her shoulders and shook, bellowing her name.
She came awake with a start, throwing the covers from her head. Ignoring his men’s smothered laughter, Calum regarded her with amusement. Her bright locks were an untidy mess and her skin was flushed pink. She squinted against the early light of day. As he took in every inch of her comely face, another image of her in a similar disheveled state sprang to mind. Namely, one involving her in his bed. He clenched his hands into tight fists to keep from hauling her against his chest and kissing those plump, parted lips of hers.
Hell, he was losing his mind.
Arabella stifled a yawn. “Did I oversleep?”
“Nay.” He swallowed hard and glanced away from the tempting sight of her. “Your clothes are dry by the stream. I’ll carry you there so that you might redress. Not to rush you, but we must leave soon.”
She gave a halfhearted nod, and he lifted her and the furs in his arms. He retraced his steps to the stream and placed her on the same rock she’d sat upon the day before when he found her. Untying the pouch of salve at his belt, he handed her the jar.
“Lather more on your feet. To keep infection from setting in.” He hesitated long enough to quell the impulse to see to her feet himself. “Call for me when you’ve finished and I’ll return for you.”
Allowing her privacy, he turned away and retreated to camp. In a bid to dismiss his concern for her, he saddled his stallion and tied off his bags, but his nagging thoughts would not cease. He reasoned this odd need to look after her welfare was instinct, a natural response. He’d spent his life protecting others—his family, his clan. ’Tis what any man of his station would do. Yet, she was not his to care for. A fact he would do well to remember for the duration of their journey.
Damn, ’twas far too early in the day for him to think this much. He passed a hand over his damp hair and swung around in time to witness Arabella’s mad dash through camp with the furs bundled in her arms.
Calum dropped his head back to stare at the tree branches overhead. Why could the stubborn woman not obey a simple request? Just once?
Grappling for patience, he marched toward her while she packed away her belongings in her satchel. He grabbed her upper arm. “I told you to call for me.”
Her bold, heated gaze met his, and she lifted her chin in a clear challenge. “Thank you for the concern, but I’m quite well today. Your salve does, indeed, work wonders.” Her voice dripped with such sweetness his teeth ached. “I’ll be ready in a few moments.”
He paused in disbelief, giving her a chance to wriggle free from his hold. She turned her back to him and continued to fumble through her bag. Annoyed by the blatant disregard, he inhaled a deep breath to quash the sudden impulse to shake her. Did she give any thought to her own welfare?
Christ, Fraser was right. She was in sore need of a protector. Clearly, that included safeguarding her from herself—the blasted, reckless woman.
Calum grasped her arm and spun her to face him. “You need to understand the difference between a request and an order. When I tell you to do something, you do it.”
Anger flashed in her brilliant, green eyes. Chest heaving, she jerked her arm loose. “I’m neither one of your men nor a child! You’ve no right to order me about.”
In an instant, he caught her around the middle and hauled her close until she stood on her tiptoes, the top of her head just beneath his chin. The soft mounds of her breasts pressed into his chest and her small, fisted hands pushed at his shoulders. The fit of their bodies was naught short of perfection in his mind.
Color stained her cheeks a bright pink, while a storm of defiance brewed in her scorching gaze. Saints, she was beautiful. A sudden flux of lust battled his temper, directing the blood in his body southward in response. God help him, but wanted to kiss the anger out of her, right there in front of his men.
He ducked his head closer, his mouth within a hairsbreadth of hers. “You’ll not speak to me in such a manner in front of my men ever again. If you take issue with an order I’ve given, then we can settle it without an audience. Understood?”
She answered with a slight narrowing of her eyes. Calum dropped her flat on her feet and whirled away to mount his horse. Once he crossed the camp and vaulted into his saddle, he worked on steadying the frantic thrum of his heart. Though he would not suffer her disrespect, he quite enjoyed her display of temper. In fact, the depth of fire in her aroused him beyond belief.
He sat astride his mount, observing Arabella’s every movement, amused at her huffing and stomping. When she stood at her gelding’s side, adjusting the stirrups, he decided to make a move. Nudging his stallion into a trot, he rode up alongside her. When he drew near, he seized her under the arms and hoisted her onto his lap. Her loud gasp rent the air and she twisted to face him, aiming a wrathful glare his way.
Struggling not to laugh at the enraged kitten in his arms, he forced a stern look. “You’ll ride with me so you do no further harm to your feet.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he lifted a brow, daring her to speak. The saucy, little lass dared to roll her eyes, shrug her dainty shoulders, and tuck his mantle around her. She wiggled her lush bottom on his thighs, adjusting her position, and he tightened his hold to cease her writhing. Of course, she would’ve stopped if she’d realized just how achingly hard he’d grown beneath her. With a grumbling sigh, she fell back against his chest with a hard thud. Undoubtedly, ’twas going to be a long ride.
*
Slowing his stallion’s gait to a walk, Calum stretched in the saddle and adjusted his hold around the female in his arms. Much to his astonishment, Arabella slept straight through the day’s bone-jarring ride. Not that he was complaining. Without his worry for her, much of the day passed in a haze, aside for a handful of short breaks to attend personal matters and water the horses.
He glanced down at her sleeping profile and grinned. With one arm slung around his waist and the other resting on his chest, she slept on undisturbed, unaware the day drew to an end. He shook his head and tucked his mantle beneath her chin. What a paradox she was.
From her appearance, she was small, delicate, and incapable of taking care of herself by his estimation. But the more time he spent in her company, he learned there was naught small or delicate about her. Her fierce sense of pride would rival that of any hardened warrior. And stubborn…the woman possessed a streak of stubbornness long enough to span the Scottish coast. She kept her own counsel and refused to accept aid when offered. Both of which irritated him worse than Liam’s careless disposition.
Since he’d set eyes on the woman, Fraser’s ridiculous proposition continued to circle in his head. For the longest time, he adamantly rejected anything to do with the sanctity of marriage. Years ago, once he’d healed from his wounds and grief, he accepted a suit with another chieftain’s daughter for the sake of his clan, but one look at his scarred face and the lass had begged her father to release her from the match. He’d called on every scrap of dignity he held to hold his head high. Quite simply, he refused to consider another arrangement after one failed attempt.
Until now, that is.
If he was completely honest with himself, he yearned for a good, loyal woman to spend his life with—a relationship akin to the one his mother and father had shared. But, he knew better than to delude himself into believing such was possible. Nay, marriage was not for him. Moreover, not to the enticing beauty in his arms. Unable to resist, he bent his head and placed a chaste kiss on her temple as she slept on.
’Twas a short time later when they drew near the campsite Symon had scouted for the eve. Calum nudged at Arabella to wake her. To his utter relief, his first shake awakened her from her slumber. Relaxed as a contented cat, she rubbed her forehead against his neck, yawned, and peered up at him with sleepy eyes and a shy smile that would melt any man’s resolve.
Inhaling the faint scent of roses, he longed to bury his nose in her bright red tresses. He swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat. “We’ll be stopping to make camp soon, and there’s a loch close by as well.”
“I slept all day?” She blinked, her heavy-eyed features transforming into alarm. “You should’ve woken me.”
A delightful blush crept over her cheeks before she ducked her head.
“Do not worry yourself, lass,” he spoke near her ear. “You needed the rest which was another reason I wished you to ride with me.”
Her flush deepened to a shade of crimson. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze in earnest. “I truly regret my behavior this morn, Calum. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Her bright eyes held him in thrall. How had he missed the wee flecks of amber? With a mental shake, he focused on her words.
“There’s naught to forgive. Just know I’ll never give an order without sound reason, Arabella. You’ll have to trust me in this.”
For long moments, her deliberate gaze studied him as though she measured his words…measured his worth as a man. Apprehension itched along his spine, forcing him to shift in the saddle. Powerless to break her stare, he waited and his grip tightened on the reins.
“I do not know why, but I do. Trust you, that is.” With a nod of her head, her intense gaze slipped away, breaking the spell. “Tell me, is your clan very large?”
Immediate relief filled out his tense muscles and put him at ease. Elated by her admission, he almost laughed. “Nay, but ’tis ample enough for me.”
“How long have you led your clan?”
“A little more than twelve years now.”
Arabella twisted to look at him. “But you seem so young.”
“I was sixteen when my father was slain.” Calum shrugged. “I had little choice in the matter.”
Her gaze softened. “I’m truly sorry for the loss of your father.”
“’Twas long ago.” He offered her a faint smile. “Truth be told, things could’ve been much different had Fraser not helped me through such a dark time.”
One of the many reasons Calum found himself in the man’s debt.
“Uncle Hammish?” she asked in surprise.
“Aye, the very same. You see, he and my father were close friends for many years. When my father died, I sank into despair, but Fraser stood by my side, supporting me through the troubling time. Despite his bluster and foul temper, Fraser’s an honorable man. Probably one of the most honorable I’ve known.”
“He truly has a good heart.” Arabella laughed, a low tinkling sound. “Though, I’m sure he’d rather run someone through than hear them speak of him so, but it shall be our secret.”
She winked, wringing a chuckle out of him. He drew her back against his chest, and they fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way through the surrounding wood.
At the campsite, he brought his stallion to a halt and dismounted, then reached for Arabella. He held on to her upper arms until she gained her legs. Faith, he needed a chance to gain his, too. As he gazed at her rosy, upturned face, his own knees felt weak and shaky. Christ above, she’s making me daft.
Calum peered over her head to his men preparing the camp for the eve. He reminded himself their journey was not one of leisure but borne out of necessity. Their welfare depended on learning the details of her brother’s death and her captivity. He could not protect her if he knew not what he and his men might face.
“Arabella…” Her soft smile gave him pause. “I do not wish to upset you, but for your sake and my men’s, I need to know what happened at Penswyck and to Iain.”
Her slight smile dropped into a frown. She wrung her hands together in front of her. Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. “I understand. Allow me to see to Devlin and refresh myself first, then I shall tell you.”
As soon as he released her arms, she rushed across camp to her gelding. The distress marring her features unsettled him. What bothered him the most was the knowledge he caused the look. When she was out of sight, he wheeled around, leaned his forehead against his saddle, and shut his eyes.
Jesu, he could not remember a time when his thoughts had been in such a state of disorder. And all because of one small, troublesome bundle of a woman. He banged his head against the stiff leather a few times in an attempt to gain his lost wits. A handful of deep breaths and a sore head later, ’twas safe to admit his good sense might forever be lost.
Over his shoulder, loud whispers drew his notice and he turned to see his men gathered in the middle of camp. Curious, Calum strode over to join the group. What captured their attention made his jaw sag.
Arabella leaned against that offensive beast she called a horse, feeding him apples, tousling his mane, and cooing near the gelding’s ear. The same demon-horse whose temper he and his men witnessed earlier in the day.
That morning, once he had Arabella settled on his mount, his cousin endeavored to tie her gelding to his own for the day’s journey. It’d taken a nasty bite from the animal, plenty of chase, and a distraction from Gregor before Liam accomplished the feat. Now the wretched creature docilely hung its head and nuzzled his mistress’ shoulder.
Calum snorted. Hell, he would do more than nuzzle her shoulder if she’d ruffle his mane and coo at him like that.
When Arabella noted she’d gained the curious stares of his men, she lifted her shoulder in a dainty shrug. “He’s fond of apples.” She gathered her belongings from the saddlebag along the animal’s side. “Which way to the loch?”
Speechless, Calum lifted his hand to point in the general direction. As soon as she disappeared into the forest, Liam cast him a disbelieving look.
“That blasted devil bit my hand this morning!”
His cousin marched toward the horse, pausing a few steps away. With an obstinate glare and his hands planted on his hips, Liam took measure of the enemy. Guarded, he reached out a caution hand to brush over the beast’s muzzle.
“I knew it!” Liam grinned as he stroked the horse’s nose. “He’s all bluster.”
Where Calum stood, the gelding looked as though it might breathe fire at any moment. Before he could call out a warning, the horse pinned his ears and struck, delivering a sound bite to his cousin’s hand.
Liam howled in pain and cradled his hand. “You insufferable beast!”
In a sudden burst of movement, the animal lowered his head and rammed into Liam’s chest. Caught unaware, Liam toppled over and landed flat on his back, stirring a cloud of dust around him. The gelding released a loud whiny, then trotted away to join the other horses settled on the edge of camp.
A bark of laughter tumbled out of Calum, cutting through the men’s stunned silence. Moments later, his men followed suit. Weak from laughter, he staggered across the clearing to his felled cousin.
Extending his hand to offer assistance, he could not resist adding, “I guess you showed him who’s master, eh?”
Liam glared up at him and slapped his hand away. His cousin pushed to his feet and stomped into the forest. The entire way, he spat out a steady stream of curses and kicked at the undergrowth until he disappeared from sight.
Calum continued to laugh until his sides hurt. He may dislike Arabella’s wretched devil of a horse, but at least the beast was good for a laugh. Even if ’twas at his cousin’s expense.