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“What are ye doin’ here, Fia?” It took all of Alastair’s strength not to strangle the girl for sneaking into the wagon. This was the worst situation he could be in at the moment. In trying to protect her, he had caused her to do something that put her directly in the line of fire. “I told ye to stay back at the keep.”
“I am sorry, but I couldna do that.” She slid out of the wagon and stood, brushing off her gown. “I ken I disobeyed ye, but I did it for the guid of the entire clan.”
“God’s eyes, what are ye talkin’ about?”
“Alastair, ye said yerself that sometimes we need to make decisions that concern others and no’ just ourselves.”
“I said that when I still had a mind to trade ye to the Grants.”
“I think ye still should.”
“Fia, what are ye sayin’?” Alastair realized most of his men stood watching, so he took Fia’s arm and guided her to the edge of the forest to speak in private.
“Alastair, ye have no choice. Ye have to use me as a trade so the Grants will release yer faither.”
“I am no’ nearly as worried about my faither as I am about ye and what Clan Grant might do to ye.”
Fia straightened her back and flipped her long braid over her shoulder. “I am a Gordon and am aligned with them. Plus, I am a granddaughter of the late King of England. They willna harm me. If they do, they will have to deal with my faither.”
“And do ye think that scares them?”
Her green eyes opened wide. “I think it does. Everyone is afeard of my faither as well as my uncles. They were once kent as the Demon Thief. They are the Legendary Bastards of the Crown. No one wants to anger bastards of the king.”
“A dead king,” he reminded her. “Fia, no one cares about legends or bastards of a king who is no longer in power. Dinna ye see how dangerous this is? Ye might be hurt. I would never forgive myself if anythin’ happened to ye.”
“Ye are bein’ ridiculous and over-cautious, Alastair. Without me, yer entire clan might be killed. Now, let’s go before anythin’ happens to yer faither.”
Alastair grabbed her arm to keep her from moving. “He’s been imprisoned for three years, another ten minutes isna goin’ to make a difference. I want to talk to ye, Fia.”
“It’s no use. I’ve made up my mind.” She shook loose from his grip. “There is nothin’ ye could say that would make me stay behind.” She turned to go.
“I love ye,” he blurted out before he lost the nerve to say it. She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.
“Ye what?”Fia could barely believe her ears. No man had ever told her he loved her before. The last person she would expect to hear it from was her captor.
“Ye heard me, Fia.” He stepped forward and cradled her hands in his. “I care for ye. I dinna understand how this happened so quickly, but ever since I saw yer heart brooch I kent we were destined to be together.”
“Alastair, I am flattered.” She looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I have feelin’s for ye as well. But we canna let our feelin’s get in the way of makin’ important decisions that involve the lives of others.”
The dog ran over to join them. It looked as if it were going to jump on Alastair, so she reached out and pulled it away.
“My laird, the horses are watered, and the men are ready to approach the castle,” said Niven interrupting their conversation. “Hello, Fia. I didna ken ye were here.”
“Of course, I’m here,” she said, noticing Alastair’s stance. His arms were crossed, and his hands were in fists. He was closed off from even listening to her. A deep crease was prominent between his furrowed brows. She had put him in a very awkward situation.
“So, ye are to be the trade to the Grants for Laird Duncan?” asked Niven.
“Aye,” she said at the same time Alastair said, “nay.”
“I’m confused.” Niven shrugged his shoulders and looked from Fia to Alastair and back again. “Are ye goin’ with us or no’?”
“Nay, she is no’,” snapped Alastair. “Niven, take Fia on yer horse and return to Cluny Castle anon.”
“Back to the castle? But we just came from there.”
“Just do it.”
Niven shrugged his shoulders and held his hands in the air. “All right, even though I dinna understand what is goin’ on.”
“Take the bluidy dog with ye, too,” Alastair called out. “And whatever ye do, dinna let Fia out of yer sight for even a minute. If anythin’ happens to her, I swear I will have yer head. Do ye understand?”
“Aye, my laird,” said Niven, taking Fia’s arm and leading her away from Alastair with the dog following.
Glancing over her shoulder, Fia saw Alastair mount his horse and lead his men toward Grant territory. Everything had happened so quickly that she didn’t have time to tell Alastair anything. Her heart ached because she hadn’t told him that she thought she was falling in love with him as well. And now, he marched right into the midst of trouble. For all she knew, she might never see him again.
