Lochlan smiled at her words as he continued to hold her hand. "So you received my message?"
"Aye and it couldn"t have come at a better time. I was already near madness." She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath as if savoring the thought. "Thank you."
He tsked at her as he led her outside to a small garden that was just off the hall. "Do you think me such a villain that I"d leave you to your worst nightmare after you saved me?"
"Honestly, I"ve known many who would have. But nay, I expected you to come for me."
"Then I"m grateful I didn"t disappoint you."
Cat paused by a bench to look up at him. In the moonlight, he was so incredibly handsome. Then again, he was always handsome, no matter the light. There was just something about the moon that softened his features and made him appear less harsh and stern. Her heart pounding, she wanted to taste him.
She rose up slowly.
Lochlan let out a feral growl before he pulled her against him and kissed her breathless. She should have no feeling for this man and yet she did. All she wanted was to hold him close. To keep him right here, in her arms. She didn"t know why, but she drew strength from him. Comfort.
And she never wanted to leave that.
But the most surprising thing she felt was the foreign sensation of being home. It was as if she were meant to be in his arms.
Closing her eyes, she breathed him in.
Lochlan cupped her head in his hands as desire flooded his body. In all his life, he"d never ached like this for a woman. He wanted her in a way that defied any reason. He was about to do something for her that he"d sworn he"d never do for anyone.
Jeopardize his people. Risk his life.
And he didn"t even care. Nay it wasn"t that, he did care. But keeping her safe was even more important to him.
Someone cleared their throat.
Lochlan pulled back to find Lord Reginald scowling at them.
"Your Highness?" the man said coldly.
Cat blinked her eyes open. Instead of looking behind her to see Reginald, she continued to look up at Lochlan. The innocent desire he saw reflected in her eyes tore through him like fire.
Whatever this madness that had possession of him had also taken her.
"Highness," Reginald practically barked. "I think it best you return inside."
"Don"t forget me," she mouthed the words to him.
"Never," he breathed.
Her smile floored him before she pulled away and turned to follow Reginald back inside. Lochlan stood there, his heart aching from the loss.
"You are a brave man."
He turned at the deep voice that was coming out of the darkness behind him. He could make out only the faintest outlines of the man"s body. "How so?"
Damien St. Cyr stepped out of the shadows to eye him coldly. As before, his face was concealed by a silver mask, which made Lochlan wonder if the man wasn"t infected with leprosy. "You dabble with a princess when half her father"s court is in attendance. What else could you possibly be?"
"Foolish."
Damien let out a low laugh. "Aye, of that I have no doubt. I will say this though, my cousin doesn"t trust anyone and yet she followed you out here. I find that...odd."
"Is that why you were spying on us?"
Damien smirked. "Nay. I was here already. You two disturbed the fresh air I was trying to find."
"Then I shall leave you to it." He started back for the hall.
"Lochlan?"
He paused at Damien"s call. "Aye?"
"A word to the wise. There are enemies aplenty here."
His blood ran cold at the warning. "Meaning what?"
Damien brushed his bottom lip with his thumb as if considering how to respond. When he did, his voice was laden with warning. "A good friend once told me to be wary where you put your trust.
Not everyone is as careful with it as you are." And with that he vanished back into the shadows.
Lochlan stood there, contemplating those words. They were wise indeed, but he wondered what had prompted them. He was still frowning when he returned to the great hall.
A quick scan failed to locate Catarina. But Simon joined him almost as soon as he returned.
"Are you all right?" Simon asked.
"Aye. I just had a strange encounter."
Simon"s eyes widened. "Are you speaking of your tryst with Catarina?"
Lochlan scowled. "I beg your pardon?"
"That was on the tongue of many a wagging gossipmonger when I arrived. It appears you were seen kissing Catarina outside in the gardens."
Lochlan let out a sound of disgust. "Nay. Have they nothing better to do?"
"Than ruin lives for no other reason than they can? Nay. "Tis the nature of people, I fear, to speak out of turn and harshly about those they don"t know."
Truer words were never spoken.
Simon cleared his throat. "Well if you aren"t speaking of the gossips, then what has you scowling so?"
"I spoke to Damien St. Cyr outside. He told me to be wary of my trust. That others wouldn"t be as careful with it as I."
"Hmmm."
There was something hidden in that idle comment. "What?"
Simon folded his arms over his chest. "I find it odd myself. "Tis something Stryder used to say when we were youths together."
Hmmm indeed. That was interesting. "You think it a threat against Stryder?"
"With Damien, one never knows. Something truly horrible happened to him in the Holy Land. He didn"t come back intact and I don"t mean just his face was disfigured. Methinks his mind as well."
"Disfigured?"
He nodded. "It"s why he wears his mask. Apparently the Saracens tortured him and his face was destroyed. To my knowledge no one has seen it since he returned."
So that explained it. "I thought he had leprosy."
"Nay. But from the tales that are told, he would probably prefer that."
No doubt. Lochlan let out a tired breath as he scanned the crowd again seeking a dark, slight form.
"If you"re seeking our lady, they took her above as soon as she entered the room. Most likely to get her away from...oh what term did the crone use? Your most lecherous lips."
He cringed at Simon"s teasing. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
Simon grinned playfully. "Nay, I was hoping to incense you."
"For any particular reason?"
"My nature. Now if you"ll excuse me, I see my lady wife is attempting to climb out of her chair.
Let me go a.s.sist her."
Lochlan watched as Simon rushed across the hall to a pet.i.te but plain woman. Her features softened the moment she saw him and the love in her expression made his own chest tighten.
He would give anything to have a woman look at him like that.
Just once.
Simon kissed her hand before he practically picked her up out of her chair and set her on her feet. Offering her his arm, he escorted her to the stairs.
Lochlan glanced up to the ceiling above his head as he wondered where Catarina was and what she was doing. He felt her absence like a physical pain.
But they would be together again soon enough. Holding close to that thought, he made his way back toward his tent.
Cat couldn"t stop pacing as time once again dragged on unmercifully. It really was true that time only pa.s.sed swiftly when one enjoyed oneself. If one were suffering, it lagged like the weakest of snails.
But finally midnight came.
Relieved, she used the pretext of needing to go to the garderobe to get past her guards and Reginald"s wife. As soon as she was certain they weren"t following her, she diverted her course toward the gardens where she"d left Lochlan earlier.
The moon had fallen behind a cloud, making the entire area dark and spooky. Her imagination went wild with seeing demons and wolves in every shadow.
Or worse someone who would call out to the guards to take her.
She moved slowly and with purpose until she was back at the very spot where they"d stood earlier.
Her heart hammering, she tried to peer through the darkness to find her champion. Where are you, Lochlan? The question chased itself around in her mind until she felt a presence behind her.
She turned toward it with a smile...one that faded as soon as she could see the man"s face.
It wasn"t Lochlan.
Terrified, she started to move away only to run into another man"s body. Tall and broad- shouldered, he looked down at her with an evil glint in his eye.
"Evening, Princess."
Before she could move, he stuffed a cloth in her mouth and wrapped a rope around her body.
She tried to scream and kick, but they seemed to expect it.
The next thing she knew, they"d covered her head with a sack and had her completely tied up.
"She may not have a brother to demand his life, but methinks the king will be sure to kill Lochlan for us. Now leave the cloth and let us go."
Chapter 11.
Lochlan frowned as he continued to wait for Catarina in the shadows by the stairs. She should have been here long ago. Something was wrong. He knew it.
Worried, he headed outside to where Simon and Stryder were waiting for them so that they could take Catarina to safety. "She hasn"t shown."
Simon looked to Stryder. "You did tell her the stairs, correct?"
"Me?" he asked, aghast. "I thought you were to tell her."
Simon snorted. "Nay. I distinctly remember we decided you would be the one to give her the meeting time and place."
"No one informed me of this. Last word to me was that you would be the one to speak to her."
A bad feeling went through Lochlan. "She told me after supper that she"d received my message."
Stryder scowled. "Did she say who"d given it to her?"
He shook his head.
A muscle worked in Simon"s jaw. "Do you think Bracken could have told her?"