Barely seven-and-ten, she had been so touched by David’s kindness as he carried her heavy basket to Father Bede, but the other boys had mocked him for it.
“You know, Davey, if nags are to your taste, I have one to sell ya.”
Maggie covered her ears with her hands to blot the memory. At times like this, she wondered why she even cared whether or not her male tormentors perished under a MacDouglas sword. Most of the men around her age had earned that fate given the misery they had heaped upon her over the years.
But as soon as the thought occurred to her, she felt shamed for it. They didn’t deserve to die for their meanness, but in all honesty, she wouldn’t mind seeing them taken out and thrashed for it.
And in that moment, she realized why she had always loved Braden so much. Out of all the men in the clan, he was the only one near her age who had never laughed at or mocked her.
Not once.
“Are you all right?” Braden asked as he looked past Sin to see her sitting up.
Maggie nodded as she let her hands fall away from her ears.
“Why did you let me sleep so late?” She noted that it was already midmorning.
“We decided you needed your rest.” Braden handed her a skin of watered-down ale.
“But we need to reach the MacDouglas as soon as possible.”
“And so we shall,” Braden assured her with a gentle, dimpled smile. “A couple of hours will make little difference.”
For a minute, she thought of Lochlan and his predicament, until she remembered that Braden’s mother would take care of it.
Still, once the women were free, they had little time to persuade the MacDouglas to peace.
In that moment, she wished she had brought horses. But then three unknown “men” riding across MacDouglas land would have invited the kind of attention and confrontation she would rather avoid. Especially since two of the men were Braden and Sin.
There was no telling what either might do when confronted, and Maggie certainly didn’t want to find out.
Braden handed her part of the hare. “Eat and wash, then we’ll get started. We still have plenty of the day left to travel by.”
Maggie nodded. She ate quickly, then took a few private minutes in the denseness of the forest to attend her needs before rejoining the men.
They had already put out the fire and had everything neatly stored in the packs. Maggie reached for hers, but Braden draped it over his shoulder.
She smiled. “I appreciate the thought, Braden, but should we come across others, I’m rather sure they would think it odd you carry my pack.”
“She’s right,” Sin agreed. “It defeats the whole purpose of having her dressed as a boy.”
“Very well.” But before Braden would let her have it back, he put half the contents into his own pack. “There’s no need in you getting tired unnecessarily.”
Maggie’s heart pounded at his thoughtfulness. Aye, Braden was an easy man to love. Kind, considerate. If only loyalty to women was one of his numerous virtues.
“Are you all right?” Braden handed her the pack. “You seem troubled.”
Aye, troubled by a handsome man who haunts my dreams and my heart.
“I’m fine.” She offered him a smile. “Just thinking of the task ahead.” As well as the fact that when this was all over, she would return to her little cottage alone and he would be off...
She didn’t finish the thought. She couldn’t.
Sin gave her a knowing, sympathetic look, then led them through the forest, toward MacDouglas lands.
They walked through the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon. Instead of stopping for a meal, they ate pieces of bread while they walked, and spoke very little as they kept mostly to the ancient forest.
It was midafternoon when a strange tingling sensation started on the back of Maggie’s neck and ran over her scalp. An eerie shiver went through her.
