She’d pled women’s troubles and made her bed up to look as if she slept. Hopefully it would be a few hours before her mother came to check on her and discover the note.
It might be enough time.
You should never have left that note!
Aye, but she hadn’t wanted her father to worry overmuch. She’d thought by mentioning Ewan’s name, it would both scare and soothe her father into leaving her be or at least hesitate before he sought her. It hadn’t sounded so daft when her maid had helped her come up with the plan.
Och, this was a bad idea all around now that she thought it over again. But she’d been desperate and as her mother said, desperate people do desperate things. Not to mention her maid had encouraged her to seek out Ewan.
“Surely such a man as a MacAllister wouldn’t leave a lady in distress. ‘Tis said they have each sworn to protect all those downtrodden, and I can think of no one more downtrodden than a lady married to Lord Ryan. Seek him out, my lady, and whatever you do, don’t let him sway you from this course.”
And so here she was on top of a mountain with a man who looked as if he’d rather have his head pried apart than tolerate her company for another moment.
Nora watched Ewan move about angrily. He was a fearsome beastie and yet she wasn’t truly afraid of him. There was a deep sadness to his eyes and an air of ill-humor. Still, other than being gruff, he didn’t appear mean or abusive.
At least he listened to her.
Somewhat, anyway.
He moved to stand beside her and she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “Whatever did they feed you to make you grow so large?”
An amused gleam came to his eyes. “A great deal of breast milk.”
Nora gasped at his response. “You take great delight in shocking people, don’t you?”
His smile softened his face and made him appear almost boyish. Charming. But it didn’t last long before his features settled back into the frown she was getting used to. “What I delight in is people leaving me alone. I find that by being shocking, it often causes them to flee my presence posthaste.”
“I offered to leave, if you remember.”
“And get yourself killed … which would start another feud, no doubt as your father would demand my hide for abandoning you.” He growled at her. “Come, we might as well get started. The sooner I get you to Lochlan, the sooner I can come back here.”
“And mope?”
He stiffened at that. “I’m not moping.”
“Oh, forgive me, my Lord Giant. See, where I come from an upside-down smile means you’re frowning and if you’re frowning while withdrawn from everyone and everything, it means you’re moping. I guess here in your cave, the world is backwards and a frown means you’re happy.”
“Do you always talk this much?”
“Aye, especially when people, usually men, try to ignore me.”
He gave her a droll stare. “What a wonderful trait to possess.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “I personally think so. My aunt calls me charming.”
“Your aunt Eleanor?”
“Aye.”
“And when, pray tell, did you journey to England to meet her?”
“Oh, never. My mother doesn’t travel well, so Eleanor has come several times over the years to visit and catch up.”
“And no one else in Scotland knows of this?”
“My father always knows, but Eleanor prefers to travel in disguise. Seems something happened once when she was traveling as queen and now she makes sure no one knows who she is or when she travels.”
“I see.”
