“Best ye say yer goodbyes.”

Lara could hear the severity in his tone and did not wish to make him wait any longer. Nodding her head, she turned to say her goodbye to Rowena thanking her for her hospitality and apologizing for her abruptness in leaving.

“Will I ever see ye again?” Tavish asked Bram.

“I dinna ken Tavish, but I hope to see ye again someday. I may have use of a strong warrior,” he smiled fondly at him.

Lara followed Bram to the stables. Using a stool, she mounted the horse and waited for Bram to do the same.

Chapter 7

With lightning speed they raced over the hills, passing vast fields and meadows, until they entered a dense forest and were forced to slow their pace. The sunlight shone through the branches of the canopy, and a pungent, earthy smell of morning dew hung in the air.

“My lady, we will take a short rest up ahead.”

Bram slowed the horse, stopping along a shaded glade.

“I will need a moment of privacy as well,” she told him.

“Aye, but dinna be too long. I am no’ certain whose land this may be, and whether they are friend or foe.”

Bram helped Lara dismount. She followed the sound of trickling water that led to a nearby creek. The water seeped down a winding path and emptied into a small pond. The foliage was thick and lush. Lara welcomed the shade that offered her protection against the scorching sun. Leaning towards the water, she dipped her hands in the stream to cool her face.

She returned shortly after to find Bram tightening the straps on the horse.

“Are ye hungry?” he asked her.

“Aye. I have no’ eaten since this morning and then I ate only a little.”

Bram opened the flap of the saddle bag and pulled out a smaller brown bag and handed it to Lara. Inside was an apple and some dried venison.

“The men we borrowed the horse from were kind enough to stock the saddle bags with food and coin,” he noted, as his lips turned up at the corners.

Lara had almost forgotten that they had stolen the beautiful black steed. She was grateful they had found the horse when they needed it, and prayed their good fortune would continue.

“If ye are ready, we should be on our way. I want to make it to Dumfries before the sun sets,” Bram suggested, interrupting her thoughts.

Lara cringed at the thought of being back in the saddle. Her aching muscles were one thing, not to mention the strange sensations caused by being held in Bram’s arms. She tried to sit as upright as possible, keeping her distance, but he scooted closer to her, holding on to her even tighter. She hoped it was just to make sure she was secure on the horse, and nothing more.

When they finally reached Dumfries, the hour was late. Lara’s thighs and bottom burned from the hours spent in the saddle and she felt exhausted.

“May I help ye down, lass?” Bram asked, holding his arms up to her.

Lara smiled down at him for his chivalry. She swung her leg over the saddle and took him by the hand as she slid down the side of the horse.

“Thank ye,” she said and curtsied.

But when she took a step, her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground. Sitting for so long on the saddle had caused her legs to go weak and turned her backside numb.

“Are ye alright, lass?” Bram asked, kneeling down beside her.

“Aye,” she responded with a crooked smile, and allowed Bram to help her back to her feet.

With Lara in his arms, Bram could not help noticing how weightless she felt even wearing the baggy wool dress. There was no doubt he was besotted with her, but she was no wench. This close, he could smell the lavender in her hair and the softness of her skin as he cradled her in his arms. As he held her, his manhood grew, but he desperately tried to ignore it.

Once she was steady on her feet, he released her but her body remained close to his. He wanted to think that she felt comfort there, but just as he thought it, she stepped back. He searched her eyes, looking to see if she shared his desire, but they looked tired, with dark circles shadowing the lower lids.

“Thank ye,” she said, holding his gaze.

“Yer welcome.”

Along the thoroughfare were several shops and merchant stalls filled with food, fabrics and pottery. The town was bustling with shoppers purchasing their goods.

As they browsed the stalls of merchants, a woman stepped out in front of Bram. Wearing a tightly fitted red gown with a low neckline, she quickly caught his attention. The woman gave him a mischievous smile but when she looked at Lara her smile faded.

“That be a fine medallion you wear around your neck. Ye can fetch a mighty price for that piece of silver,” the woman said in a thick French accent, eyeing the medallion that hung low around Bram’s neck.

He had kept it secured in the lining of his kilt while imprisoned so that the guards knew not who he was or to which clan he belonged. But now, free from danger, he wore it proudly.

“Aye, and what would ye offer fer it?” Bram asked, curious to know what worth it had to the woman.

“If it is coin you seek I can offer you plenty, or maybe the company of a warm bed for a prize piece like that one,” the woman responded, placing a finger on his forearm, slowly drawing it up and down. Displaying a devilish smile, she continued, “A trade, perhaps?”

Bram met her gaze. Her regard showed that she was quite persistent. He stepped closer so that he was out of earshot of Lara.

“What sort of a trade?” he curiously asked.

Bram’s instinct told him not to trust the woman but his curiosity got the better of him. And he had to admit that under normal circumstances, the voluptuous woman was exactly the type who often warmed his bed.

Squeezing his upper arm, she pulled him closer. She had the sweet smell of lilac and Bram could not stop his eyes from tracing down her neckline and dwelling on her well-exposed bosom. She stepped up on her toes so that her head was near his. He could feel her breath against his ear.

She whispered, “Information.”

Information? He pondered. What sort of information would this harlot have that he could possibly want? Or need?

“What use would that do me?” he asked. “I have nay need for useless words, woman. But for a price I would be willing to sell ye the medallion.”

The woman squinted as if she struggled with her choices. Taking a deep breath, she puffed it all out at once and nodded.

“Well, as I am feeling most generous today, I shall give you both,” she said.

Shifting to his side and wrapping her arm around his, the woman directed him away from the crowd and between two of the shops. Slowly, the woman spoke, articulating each word as if she needed to choose them carefully. Her eyes fixed on Lara.

“You are in grave danger with that chit accompanying you.”

“What sort of danger?”

“If she is the lass I believe her to be, there were men here in the village searching for her. But I can say no more. I do not know who they were. These walls are thin and ears are everywhere. You must take her and be gone from this place.”

Bram did not know whether or not to believe her allegations. The little information she gave him caused his mind to race with a hundred unanswered questions. Bram silently removed his medallion and handed it over to the woman. It made no difference to him if the woman had this medallion or not; he had two others at home.

The woman snatched it greedily and pulled out a small leather pouch kept in the bosom of her dress. Handing the bag to Bram, she turned and quickly made her way down the passageway until the darkness swallowed her whole.