Hamish kicked him in his thighs then yelled, “Get out of here before I finish you off, you piece of filth!”
The man crawled away, and Hamish turned to Amanda.
“What were you thinking, Amanda?” he demanded. “I told you not to wander away!” His face was flushed with fury.
“I was looking for you,” Amanda retorted. “I waited and waited…”
“You were looking for trouble!” Hamish snapped. “Why could you not just do as I told you?”
As he watched her, Hamish felt a mixture of rage and fear. What would he have done if anything had happened to her? Suddenly, a fierce wave of protectiveness washed over him, and he wanted to crush her into his arms and keep her safe from every threat.
“I do not take orders from you,” Amanda said furiously, fisting her hands and glaring up at him. “I am not one of your guards.”
“If you were, you would be doing an extra long shift as punishment for your cheek,” he barked. “What would you have done if I had not arrived to save you?”
That was when the truth suddenly hit her. Even though the stranger had been an old man, it was unlikely that she would have been able to fight him off. Once again, Hamish had saved her from being violated by a horrible old specimen of humanity.
“I would have been…” She could not bear to say the word, and shook her head as if to cast it out. “Thank you for what you did for me, Hamish. I am sorry for being so ungrateful.”
She looked up at him, surprised to find a look of—was it tenderness—on his handsome face?
“Once again, you’ve saved me from the unwanted attention of a horrible old man.”
Hamish smiled. “I would do the same for any other woman,” he told her. “So would any other man worthy of being called a man.”
He took Amanda’s hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was so small, so soft, and he felt a sense of pure gratitude and relief that nothing had happened to her.
“Time to go back,” he said. “I see that you got your dress; it’s very pretty.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
She told him about the trade with the shopkeeper and he laughed.
“I am truly impressed,” he remarked.
It was true. Amanda Tewsbury never ceased to amaze him.
Hamish lifted Amanda onto the horse and mounted up behind her, and this time, when they set off, she felt his arm holding her more tightly than before, and she felt completely safe.
10
By the time they reached the camp, dusk was beginning to fall, and the whole community was outside, sitting around the fire eating supper, talking, laughing, and sharing stories. There was a massive cauldron of stew in the middle of the gathering, and a few big loaves of fresh-baked bread sat on wooden trays beside it, from which everyone helped themselves. Some of the children acted asde factowaiters, passing bread around between the men and women sitting on the ground.
Everyone looked content as they sat eating, and Amanda wished she could sit down among them and chat with them about the little inconsequential happenings of the day, tell the children stories and generally blend in with them.
Yet, it would never be, she realised. Her smooth English accent and delicate manners prevented it; she was not one of them and never would be.
Once again, Hamish helped her dismount and she felt the friction between their bodies as she slid down against him. A delicious tingling spread through Amanda as she met his eyes for a few seconds, then she turned away and walked towards the fire to warm herself.
As Amanda drew nearer to the fire, many heads turned to watch her, and quite a few of the women raised their eyes and pointed at her, looking her up and down critically. They spoke in Gaelic to each other, but Amanda had realised a short while ago that they were not necessarily being rude; it was just that many of them could not speak any English at all. Her experience with the young lady at the market had taught her that not all Scots were unpleasant.
She fetched a plate of stew and bread, then a mug of ale for herself, and sat down near the fire to eat, deciding that she would not try to engage anyone in conversation. She would eat, then try to find a place to sleep. In all the confusion and panic of dealing with the old lecher, she had forgotten all about that problem.
Although sleeping in Hamish’s tent had been a deeply satisfying experience, she had no wish to risk the wrath of any more of the women in the camp by repeating it, but no one had yet offered her an alternative.
As she was sitting eating her meal, Gregor came to sit beside her. “That new dress suits ye, healer,” he remarked, as he smiled at her and raised his eyebrows in approval.
“Thank you,” Amanda answered, pleased.
