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Dristan held his anger in check and was amazed at how calmly he was able to do so.
“Aiden?” he questioned aghast his voice sounded not like his own.
“Amiria!” Her voice crackled with hostility that she had been found out.
It explained so much, he thought, but to be duped by a mere woman was beyond his comprehension. Bloody hell, ’twas not only her doing but the entire inhabitants of the castle and clan that partook in her ruse! Surely all knew this mere slip of a girl had made a fool of him. He took hold of her arm as they swam whilst he all but dragged her to the small remaining bit of light still found in the middle of the pool. Taking her chin in hand, he lifted her face and saw angry eyes of violet returning his gaze in a rebellious manner. ’Twas the eyes of a woman who had haunted him for days.
Dristan released her with a look of revulsion and left her there, for where else was she to go naked as she was? He made his way to where his clothing lay on the grass. Dressing quickly, he turned his back and offered his cape for her to cover herself. It did not take long for Amiria to dress. Then, Dristan lengthened his stride to return to their men.
’Twas not hard to miss the gasps of surprise coming from his guardsmen as they stood at attention with their mouths agape at the sight afore them. One did not mistake the obvious sight of a woman, who followed their lord as she was draped in his cloak, reaching down past her feet. The MacLaren clansmen were positioned next to their horses as they uncomfortably shuffled from one foot to the other, trying to figure out how best to help their mistress.
Dristan glanced back to Amiria whose wet hair fanned down over his cloak. This sight alone could have tempted a saint to sin. ’Twas when his gaze settled on her captain, how-ever, that at last broke the damn on his tolerance of being duped and made the fool. One look into Ian’s hazel eyes silently told Dristan that Ian knew he would bear the brunt of their charade.
Dristan raised his arm, pointing to Ian, and spoke a command that was not to be dismissed. “Bind him.”
“Nay!” Amiria yelled, trying to put herself between the two men whose eyes blazed furiously at one another.
“You will not speak lest spoken to, woman, else you may not like what happens to you next,” Dristan voiced coolly with unmistakable authority. He pushed Amiria aside and headed towards his horse. He could no longer stand the sight of her, no matter how much he had wanted to find the woman from the beach. How could he have known they would be one and the same?
Amiria was helpless whilst Ian allowed his wrists to be tied. He was assisted onto his steed, his reins were taken, and he was led from the glade in a manner much like an ill behaved child whose privileges had been stripped from him. What had been an afternoon filled with a sense of much needed independence, had turned into an afternoon of regret. ’Twas just as Ian had predicted.
Tears silently fell down her cheeks as they made their way slowly back to Berwyck. ’Twould be some time to come afore she would be able to right the wrong she had done her captain.
