AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 12
The traveling party arrived at Cluny Castle just after nightfall the next day. Fia felt exhausted, and her body ached from riding a horse for so long. It wasn’t easy traveling with Alastair’s arm wrapped around her waist the entire time. They’d barely spoken to each other. This concerned her. What bothered her even more was that Alastair had done nothing to try to kiss her or touch her intimately again.
Had she made a mistake by pushing him away? Niven told her that Alastair drank the entire bottle of whisky and then fell asleep over one of the tables in the tavern last night. She had missed sharing a bed with him like she thought they would have done. Actually, she was sure they would have if she hadn’t teased him and then turned him away.
Thankfully, he hadn’t even tried to look in the travel bag. That, at least, took a lot of pressure off her.
“Here is my castle,” he mumbled as they rode over the drawbridge and into the courtyard. There were a few rushlights but, for the most part, it was very dark. She could barely see a thing. The castle seemed large and foreboding, but there weren’t many people around at all. To her knowledge, she’d only seen a few sentries on the wall walk and one stable boy in the courtyard. Mayhap there were more people inside.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
“When I’m no’ in residence there is no need to spend money housin’ staff. They will be here tomorrow when the word gets out that I’ve returned.”
“I see.”
They entered the great hall that was dark and very cold since no fire lit the hearth.
“Niven, see that the stable boy tends to the horses and then return and light a fire since the men will be sleepin’ in the great hall and it is quite chilly. I want them to be comfortable.” He had a caring side to him. Fia liked that.
“Yes, my laird,” answered Niven. “Shall I see to a fire in yer solar as well so we’ll be warm tonight, too?”
“Nay. Fia will stay in the solar with me. Ye will stay in the great hall.”
“Again?” complained Niven. “But my laird –”
“I’ll no’ hear another word. Och, I forgot the travel bag. Bring that as well as my hound to the solar right away.”
“Of course, my laird.”
“Yer hound?” Fia asked, curious to know more.
“Laird Alastair has a hound from hell,” Niven told her with a grin.
“Hound from hell?” She chuckled at the thought.
“Dinna laugh until ye meet Cerberus for yerself.” He took her arm and guided her through the dark. She held on to him tightly, not wanting to fall since she couldn’t see where she walked. It impressed her that he moved with purpose as if he had light guiding his way.
“How can ye see where ye’re goin’ and why dinna ye light a torch?”
“I could walk these corridors with my eyes closed. I dinna need to waste a torch that will serve me no purpose at this point.”
She tripped on the toe of her shoe and would have fallen if he hadn’t grabbed her. He was probably aiming for her waist, but his hands came up under her armpits, his fingers brushing against the sides of her breasts. It warmed her instantly, bringing back memories of their playful time together. She was sure her face flushed from the thought, making her glad there was no light so he couldn’t see the blush rising to her cheeks.
“I think Cerberus is a horrible name for a cute dog.”
He snorted.
“What?” she asked.
“I have never heard anyone say my hound is cute.”
“I think all dogs are.”
“I assure ye, he’s no’.”
“I dinna understand why ye say that. Does the wee thing have three heads or somethin’?”
“Fia, I wouldna call him wee. And some might say he has three heads the way his mouth is always open and nippin’ at somethin’ or another.”
