“Well, ye’re a beauty, eh?” she said admiringly, laying a hand on the mare’s neck. It nodded a little skittishly, looking at her sideways. “Ye’re all right, darlin’, I’ll nae hurt ye,” she murmured, winning the horse over by scratching behind its ears.
Her breath caught when she felt Malcolm come up behind her, every nerve ending in her body thrilling to his closeness, feeling his magnetic force. She was sure he must hear the fast beating of her heart.
“She’s lovely,” she said, trying to focus on the mare, smoothing her hand down its velvety nose. “What’s her name?”
“Brianna. She’s four. I brought her a few months back at Dunbeath. Watch her, though, she startles easily. And if she’s nae happy, she tends tae bite.”
“Och, poor thing. Horses always have a good reason tae act like that. Mayhap she didnae have a good owner before or somethin’ scared her so much, she cannae forget it,” Catriona said, feeling sorry for the animal as she gently petted it.
When a loud shout came from outside, Brianna did indeed startle, the big, powerful horse shifting suddenly on her feet,threatening to knock Catriona over. But she had no time to be afraid because two steely arms went around her and pulled her away. She found herself firmly held within them, her face pressed against Malcolm’s chest.
“Easy now, lass,” he murmured, whether to her or Brianna Catriona was unsure. But the vibration of his deep voice rumbling through her was both reassuring and exciting at the same time. Brianna steadied too, and Catriona was released from Malcolm’s arms, feeling more than a little breathless as well as bereft of his strength and warmth.
“I’d like tae ride her if ye’ll let me,” she said, looking up at him hopefully.
He frowned. “I’m nae sure yet. Ye see how skittish she can be. I’ve only ridden her the once mesel’.”
“How was she?”
He chuckled. “Fast when ye allow it.”
“What’s she like with the other horses? Does she bite them as well?”
“I’ve had nay reports of it.”
“Hmmm. Well, she’s certainly beautiful. Mayhap she’ll settle down in time, once she feels secure.”
“Aye, that’s what I figured,” Malcolm agreed, to Catriona’s surprise, pulling an apple from his pocket and handing it to her. “Feed it tae her. If all else fails, a bit of bribery seldom goes amiss.”
Catriona laughed as she held out the apple to Brianna, who delicately snuffled it with her whiskery lips before devouring it with powerful crunches.
“Bribery definitely has its place,” she said, pleased to see Malcolm smiling too.
“Is the gray mare ye hired for me still here? She’s a good horse, that one,” Catriona asked, glancing around at the other horses.
Malcolm shook his head. “Aye, she is, but she went back tae the saddlery a few days ago along with the colt. I needed old Warrior back,” he said, referring to his favorite stallion, who had served them so well during the escape. “He’s out in the field now, kickin’ up his heels, the devil,” he added with touching affection.
“Well, he surely deserves a rest. I’ll save him some sugar lumps,” Catriona said. “But och, ’tis a shame the gray mare’s gone. Mayhap ye’ll let me ride Brianna instead, eh?” she said cheekily, eliciting a deliciously warm chuckle from Malcom that made her insides melt.
Without even noticing it, they had gravitated closer to each other and were only jolted into awareness of their proximity when a stable boy came to work on another horse in the neighboring stall. He doffed his cap respectfully to them both.
As at the well the previous night, the interruption shattered the intimate mood between them. They moved on from Brianna, soon becoming engrossed in discussing the various horses in the extensive stables. When Warrior was brought in, she made a fuss of him and fed him the sugar lumps she had promised, which he heartily enjoyed.
Though she tried not to show it, Catriona was acutely disappointed when Malcolm told her he had business to attend to and steered her firmly to the door.
“Mayhap ye should go in and rest yer ankle fer while?” he suggested as they stepped out into the weak sunshine and made for the keep.
“Och, Malcolm, will ye never stop yer fussin’?” she asked, unable to help smiling despite the ache in her chest at the thought of leaving him. “I’ll rest later.”
He tutted, making her laugh. “So, what will ye dae?”
She shrugged a shoulder with false casualness. “I’ll find some way of amusin’ mesel’ fer an hour or two.”
His handsome brow darkened. “That sounds ominous. I suppose I’ll have tae trust ye tae be careful.”
It was not the response Catriona secretly craved, though she was unsure exactly what that was. In any case, the ache in her chest expanded.
As they crossed the courtyard, she reached for horses as a safe of topic of conversation. The lightly spoken words filled what would have otherwise been an awkward silence until they reached the steps to the keep, though for Catriona, they were heavy with things unspoken.
