Chapter 4
Upon seeing her former fiancé and his Lindsay clansmen, terror flashed through Mairiana. "Oh, good lord!" she gasped and fled to the opposite side of the ferry, stumbling into other passengers. She looked about for an escape route, but found none, other than the plank where she'd boarded and that was close to Alec.
He now stood conversing with the captain, who shook his head. She scanned the area for Darack. He waited in line at the food cart, further along. He had not noticed Alec and his men. He couldn't help her now anyway, and she didn't want to draw Alec's attention to Darack. That would put his life in danger, too.
What could she do?
Frantic, she darted her gaze back to Alec. He dropped coins into the captain's hand and pushed past the other passengers boarding. "Out of my way!"
Good heavens, there was nowhere to hide. His malevolent, ice blue gaze locked onto her as he rudely jostled people aside.
"Why the hell did you leave?" he yelled as he strode toward her, his face a red mask of fury.
"Stay away from me!" She backed toward the rail.
"I ought to throttle you," he growled.
Two large, kilted male passengers moved in front of her. "Watch yourself, sir!" one of them warned. "What is your quarrel with this woman?"
"She's my betrothed. Move aside!"
"I'm not marrying you, Alec!" she yelled. "Leave me be."
"Why? What happened between supper last night and this morn?"
Murder, she wanted to say, but she dared not infuriate him even more. "I've simply decided we do not suit."
He narrowed his eyes, observing her with that astute, intelligent gaze. Her stomach knotted, for she had never received such a cutting and murderous glare from him. She now knew that, deep down, he was ruthless. What might he do to her if he got his hands on her?
"Where are you running off to? Rornoch?" he asked.
She was certain that must be obvious to him but she didn't confirm it.
"I won't allow it!" He pointed a finger at her. "You're getting off this ferry and returning to Lenor Castle with me now."
"Nay, I won't!"
"Stay back, sir!" one of the men shielding her ordered.
"Do you know who I am?" Alec demanded of them. "The future chief of the Lindsays of Lenor. My cousin is an earl. I'll have you both arrested and thrown in the tollbooth for kidnapping my betrothed."
When they didn't move, Alec flung a quick fist at one of them, striking his jaw and knocking him to the floor of the ferry.
"Nay! Leave them be!" Mairiana shouted. "I don't even know who they are."
"They will learn to stand aside!" Alec swung at the other man and he fell under the powerful blow.
What a bastard! With no one and nothing standing between her and Alec, Marianna searched desperately for an escape.
She knew how to swim, she suddenly realized, though she hadn't done so in almost a decade. Surely she would remember how. 'Twas her only chance of escaping him. She climbed across the rail and leapt overboard.
Holding her breath, she splashed into the icy water of the harbor and it enveloped her, head to toe. She kicked her feet and paddled with her arms, but could hardly move. 'Twas her heavy clothing! A split second of a memory flashed through her mind—when she'd been a young lass, she'd secretly swam in the nearby loch in naught but her thin smock. Quickly, she untied the belt holding thearisaidin place, but she did not have time to remove her silk dress or her petticoats.
Swimming hard, she pushed herself to the top of the water, at least, and took a deep breath. The air burned her lungs. Loud shouts echoed over her head. She did not want to look up and see Alec. Instead, she tried to swim beneath the docks, but her clothing dragged her under the surface. The water bubbled, loud and disorienting in her ears. She couldn't tell how deep she was. She only knew she had to hold her breath.
Without warning, an arm snaked around her waist and lifted her. She opened her eyes to find her head above water again. She sucked in another breath. Though hesitant, she glanced back, expecting to see Alec, but nay, 'twas Darack. "Thanks be to God!" Relief flowed through her.
"What the hell, Mairiana? Why did you jump in?" Darack demanded.
