Page 40 of Return to Wildsyde

Lyall snorted and reached past her, gathering the reins. He felt her body stiffen as she realised how intimately close they must sit. Reaching one hand around her, Lyall held both her and Murdoch in the circle of his arm as he gave Jupiter leave to walk out. It would be a slow journey, for he did not want to cause Murdoch pain by going any faster, but at least they were on their way.

Luella shivered, the fine tremor transmitting itself to him through his arm where it circled her.

“Ye are frozen to the bone, lassie.”

“I’m fine. Murdoch is keeping me warm,” she said firmly.

“Lean back against me, ye will make yer back ache in any case, sitting forward like that. I will nae bite ye. My manners are just as good as Murdoch’s, I assure ye.”

She turned her head, giving him such a doubtful glance that he gave a bark of laughter.

“Aye, I suppose I deserved that. Well, they’re nearly as good as Murdoch’s, aye?”

She laughed, relaxing a little but did not lean back, so he tightened his arm until he felt her back settle against his chest. “Just move with the horse, aye? Don’t fight him. Relax, lass. Ye will nae fall, I promise.”

“It’s an awfully long way down,” she said dubiously.

“Nah, ye are going nowhere. That’s the way, close yer eyes and ye will feel the motion better. Just relax into it.”

Little by little she did, and he felt her lean into him, her head resting on his shoulder. He dared a glance down, seeing the sweet curve of her cheek, flushed with cold and glistening with rain. The moisture sparkled in her dark, curling hair, glittering like tiny diamonds in the last of the daylight. An odd sensation stirred in his chest as her eyes opened, that stormy grey gaze meeting his. Her eyes fell to his mouth, and he saw longing there, so raw it made his entire body fire to life. She looked away at once, the moment so brief he might have believed he had imagined it if not for the simmering heat beneath his skin. Good God. She wanted him, and going on how stiff and unyielding her body was once more, she hated that she wanted him.

The idea was so intriguing it occupied his mind all the way back to the castle.

Once they got home, Luella’s brother fell upon her, alternately scolding her for scaring him to death and congratulating her for rescuing Murdoch, whom Jack seemed to like better than most anyone else at Wildsyde except for his pony. Lyall assumed Luella would take herself off the moment she could, but she lingered as he carried Murdoch inside.

“Will he be all right?” she asked anxiously.

Lyall paused, regarding her with interest. His scrutiny made her colour and drop her gaze, which amused him. “Aye, thanks to ye,” he said. “I am grateful for what ye did.”

She looked up then, her cheeks pink with pleasure at his words, and such happiness in her eyes that it struck at something cold and hard, finding a tiny unguarded corner and stabbing deep.

You’re welcome,” she said softly, and then allowed Jack to hurry her away.

But, as she reached the stairs, she turned back and smiled at him.

13th June 1845, Wildsyde Castle, The Highlands of Scotland.

Murdoch hobbled across the room and sat down before the fire with a heavy sigh.

“Dinnae give me that wounded soldier act,” Lyall said, not looking up from the letter he was writing. “T’was yer own stupid fault and I’m nae gonna feel sorry for ye.”

Murdoch made a pitiful sound, and Lyall set down his pen, looking up. Murdoch’s tail thumped hopefully. It was almost a week since he’d been hurt and he was recovering well, but Murdoch enjoyed a bit of fussing whether or not he deserved it. With a sigh, Lyall got to his feet and walked over to his dog, sitting down on the floor beside him.

“Spoiled, ye are,” he scolded affectionately. “Ye great numpty,” he added, hugging him and kissing the top of the dog’s head.

The door opened and Lyall looked up, a little irritated to discover Luella looking at them with obvious amusement.

“I beg your pardon, am I interrupting something?” she asked with a cheeky grin.

“Nae, Murdoch here was just enacting a deathbed scene for me. If I dinnae give him some love, he goes into a decline.”

Luella laughed and came into the room, and he saw now that she carried a folded cloth in her hands. “I thought you had gone to visit one of your tenants. Mrs Baillie said you were to go this afternoon. I just brought Murdoch a little treat to keep his spirits up, as he can’t go with you.”

“Ach, so ye are the one feeding him up. I thought he was getting fat.”

“He is not in the least fat, and it’s only a bit of chicken. Poor darling, he needs to keep his strength up, don’t you, Murdoch? Yes, my love, there you go. Oh, isn’t that yummy? Good boy, yes you are,” she crooned. “Such a handsome boy. Yes, I love you too. I do. Yes, I do.” She laughed as Murdoch licked her fingers and tried to lick her cheek too, showing his affectionate appreciation.

Lyall watched, an odd sensation in his guts—at least, he thought it was his guts—as she petted and fussed over his dog.