Lochlan laughed. "True enough." He carried Catarina into the barn, where Julia quickly made a makeshift pallet for her. Laying her down, he covered her with his cloak. Her cheeks were bright from her slumber and her black hair coiled becomingly around her face. d.a.m.n, but she was the most beautiful woman he"d ever seen, especially when she was silent and not tormenting him.
Bracken paused beside him. "You keep staring at her like that, and I"m going to suspect you"re infatuated with her."
He scoffed at Bracken"s words. "I"m too old for infatuation."
"We"re never too old for infatuation."
Of course they were. He was a man full grown and would soon be married to another...if he ever got back and proposed. Infatuations were for children and silly women, not men.
Disregarding Bracken"s words, he went to unsaddle his horse and make it as comfortable as possible while Bracken and Bryce tended theirs. Julia made the pallets, then went instantly to sleep.
Bryce was next to follow her, then Bracken. As he followed them, Lochlan made sure to take his sword to the pallet with him. He placed himself between Bryce and Catarina on the floor.
Cradling the blade to his side, he closed his eyes and was instantly asleep.
But even so, dreams of Catarina tormented him. He could see and hear her laughing with him, feel her body against his. It was the most pleasurable thought imaginable. Oh to have her with him like that forever...
Impossible thoughts those. She was a woman who refused to be tied down and he was a man whose restraints were never to be broken. He couldn"t travel about. He had too many duties and responsibilities for such frivolity.
But his dreams didn"t care about that. Here, he was free to be with her and, honestly, it was a sweet moment that left him smiling even in his sleep.
Cat woke up to a foreign noise. Still exhausted, she opened one eye to find herself enveloped by a warm body. Her back was against someone"s chest while one heavy masculine arm held her close. Even the backs of her thighs rested against his.
A quick survey of the barn to see Bracken lying asleep a few feet from her told her exactly who held her. Lochlan. A smile curled her lips as she tilted her head up to see him sound asleep over her.
Goodness, he was a handsome man. The stubble on his face seemed so out of place and at the same time it added a wildness to him that was absolutely compelling. She wondered if he even knew he held her like this. Given the rigidity of his personality, she doubted it.
He must have reached out to her in his sleep. Good thing that since Bryce was only a few inches from them. No doubt Lochlan would have been most horrified to be curled up against the boy.
Smiling at the thought, she impulsively laced her fingers with his. His hand was so much larger than hers that it amazed her. His fingers were long and well tapered. Meticulously clean and strong. He had a small gold signet ring on his smallest finger. It was engraved with the MacAllister crest of a lion and thistle.
As she turned it slightly on his finger, she again heard the sound that had awakened her. It was a group of horses.
She tensed and waited to see how close they would come. They stopped not far from the barn.
But her relief was short-lived as she heard a man"s gruff voice.
"Ho, good farmer. We"re searching for someone."
Chapter 6.
Cat sat up immediately and shook Lochlan awake. She covered his mouth with her hand as he started to speak and motioned for him to listen.
"Who are you seeking, sir?"
"The worst sort of miscreant. He calls himself Le Faucon and is traveling with two boys. His brothers, we believe."
"Ah, nay, sir. We"ve seen no such persons here."
"Are you sure? The crown is offering quite a reward for any information that leads to the arrest of this thief."
"Then I most certainly wish to claim it, but unfortunately, he"s never been seen here."
"Very well. Should you hear of anything--"
"I won"t hesitate to let the local sheriff know."
"Good day to you then."
"Good day, sir."
Cat didn"t breathe again until she heard the men ride off. She offered Lochlan a sheepish smile.
"I"m sorry I woke you. I thought it was more pressing than it turned out to be."
"Nay, la.s.s. You did well. It could have been dire indeed." He scratched at the stubble on his chin.
"You should probably wake the others so that we can be on our way. The next group that comes calling could very well be seeking us."
She didn"t like the sound of that, but knew he was most likely right. Scrambling away from him, she quickly did as he asked.
Bracken groaned as soon as she poked his shoulder to wake him. "Have kindness for me, Cat.
Slide a blade between my ribs and leave me here to sleep."
She shoved playfully at him. "Get up, you louse. The daylight"s wasting."
He harrumphed at her. "You"re an evil shrew. Unlike someone I could name, I didn"t spend half the night sleeping in a man"s arms."
"I didn"t know you had such fantasies, Bracken. I don"t know if Lochlan would concur, but--"
"Don"t you even..." he snapped, rising immediately. He gave Lochlan an indignant grimace. "Did you hear her, Lochlan? I"m not sure which of us was most insulted."
His eyes actually twinkled. "I think her insult was definitely directed toward you."
"You would," Bracken grumbled as he made his way out of the stable.
Julia laughed at her brother"s surliness. "Never mind him. He"s always disagreeable whenever he wakes."
""Tis true," Bryce concurred before he yawned. "Father used to say that if our castle was ever breached, he hoped the invaders broke into Bracken"s room while he slept. Then he"d be like a berserker and defeat them all just to have a few moments more of rest."
Cat smiled even though a part of her ached at the tale. She remembered their father--tall like Bracken, he"d been a kind, gentle man and she couldn"t imagine how he"d ever been labeled a traitor. The loss of him would have to weigh tragically on all three of them. It made her heart ache.
After Bracken"s return, she and Julia went to attend their needs while the men readied the horses. By the angle of the sun in the sky, she"d guess it was just before midday. All in all, she felt rested--Lochlan had made an excellent cushion in the night. But it was late in the day to start their journey. She only hoped that the others weren"t exhausted.
The two of them knelt on the ground to wash their faces in a small stream. Cat shook her head as she remembered what had awakened her. "Julia? Have you ever heard of a thief called Faucon?"
The girl actually paled. "Why do you ask?"
"That was what woke me. I heard a group of men asking the farmer about him and I was wondering if you"d heard of him in your journeys."
Cat wouldn"t have believed it possible had she not seen it, but Julia actually paled even more.
She sprang to her feet and rushed back to the barn.
She hurried after her, wondering what was up. By the time she entered the barn, Julia had Bracken by his arm.
"Bracken, we must hurry."
He frowned at his sister before he disentangled his arm from her grasp. "Why?"
"Cat said there were men here, seeking you."
He cursed.
Cat scowled at them as she finally understood what was going on. "You"re Faucon?"
There was no pride in his face, only a look of deep resignation. "Aye, indeed. And don"t look at me like that, Cat. You"ve been taken care of all your life. You have no idea what it"s like to bear the responsibility of a loved one"s belly and health. Trust me. It makes you do things you would never think yourself capable of."
"Hunger has no morals," Lochlan said quietly.
She saw the relief in Bracken"s eyes as he realized he was in the presence of someone who wouldn"t judge him for what he"d done to protect his siblings. Cat was trying hard not to. But she"d been taught from the cradle that it was better to starve to death than to take even a morsel from someone else to feed herself.
However, her morals had never been tested and she knew Bracken to be a fair and decent man.
If he had stolen, then truly he would have had no other recourse.
Cat offered him an understanding smile. "I don"t condemn you for what you"ve done, Bracken.
I"m just hurt that you"ve been reduced to this."
His eyes burned into her. "Believe me, no one is sadder over it than I am."
Cat stepped forward and hugged him. "You"re a good man, Bracken and well I know it. Have no fear that I think any less of you."
"Thank you," he whispered before he stepped away from her as if embarra.s.sed by her actions.
"We just have to make sure no one recognizes him." Lochlan opened his saddlebags and pulled out two of his tunics. "It"ll be a bit large for Bryce, but you should find it a good fit."
Cat noted the way Bracken ran his hand over the fine linen. She could tell that the man had never thought to touch its like again. No one would mistake them for peasants or thieves wearing those garments.
Taking a cue from Lochlan, she fished one of her gowns out and handed it to Julia, who beamed like a child on a Christmas Day feast.
""Tis lovely! Thank you, Cat, thank you."
She inclined her head to the girl, who practically ran for privacy so that she could change her clothes while her brothers exchanged their tunics immediately. Cat averted her gaze, but the flash of Bracken"s well-muscled chest made her think about Lochlan"s. How strange that was what her desire would be directed to and not at the beautiful body before her. Rather it was the man to her left that she wanted to see naked.
You have lost your mind.
Truly, there was no other explanation. Why else would she not be fascinated by the swell of Bracken"s muscles? He was a fine-looking man and yet his body, while she could appreciate it, didn"t make her heart pound or steal her breath away. What she needed was something to distract her from these disturbing thoughts.
"I"ll see about buying more food from the farmer," she said, moving toward the door.
Lochlan stopped her and handed her his purse. "You"ll find your purchase much easier if you have coin."
She laughed, trying to cover her embarra.s.sment. "This is probably true. My thanks."
A slight hint of a smile tugged at the edge of his lips and at her heart. She didn"t know how such a simple gesture could make her knees weak when Bracken"s nudity had done nothing to her, but it did.
Yet that was nothing compared to the overwhelming urge she had to reach up and touch his face. Afraid of the mere thought, she quickly took her leave.
Lochlan couldn"t help but watch as Catarina sashayed out of the barn. There was something about the sway of her hips what was beguiling.
"You"ve fallen bad."
He frowned at Bracken"s words. "I"ve what?"
"You know what. If her father were here, he"d gouge out your eyes for the way you"re staring after her. You"re all but salivating."
Lochlan felt a childish urge to argue, but to what point? Bracken was right. He hadn"t felt this kind of pull toward a woman in many years. "Aye, well, I"m old enough to know when not to act."
"Would it be so bad if you did?"
Aye, it would. He had enough responsibility on him and Catarina wasn"t the kind of woman he needed in his life. Her willful spirit would be a constant strain on any man.
"Hearts are fickle things," he said quietly to Bracken. ""Tis why the Lord gave us brains so that we may recognize stupidity when we see it. She"s a French princess whose father already has her husband chosen. I learned a long time ago to stay out of such politics. I"ve had one clan war that almost destroyed my people. I"ve no wish to start another."
"Then why are you helping her?"
Lochlan looked away as he tightened the cinch for his saddle. "I owe her my brother"s life and I gave her my word."
"Is that the only reason?"
"Of course it is."
Bracken tsked at him. "If you choose to believe those lies..."
Julia scoffed at her brother as she returned to their side. "Look at you...preaching to another about love." She shook her head. "Pay him no attention, Lord Lochlan. My brother knows even less of love than I do."
Bracken rolled his eyes at her. "You"ve listened to too many minstrels, child."
"Perhaps, but I would never suffer the one I love to marry another."