Galeren watched with a smile as Mac nodded slowly, admitting no offense had been committed. He was still smiling when his friend rode away. She turned to look up at him from beneath her veil.
“No one has ever turned his heart away from fightin’,” Galeren marveled.
“’Tis evident by his appearance,” she told him softly. “Fighting is likely his whole life.”
Galeren nodded.
“How can a man take offense to a friend’s accolades?”
He laughed. Indeed, how could he? She was correct and it had worked on the most cynical of them all.
“So, all I have had to do all these years,” said Galeren with the residue of laughter on his lips, “was compliment him?”
Her smile widened and made her sea-blue eyes dance. “Aye, ’twas all you had to do.”
“Eventually, I would have two Wills on my hands!” he exclaimed in a horrified whisper closer to her ear.
She laughed. The most dangerous, powerful sound to his ears.
“How many years have you known them?”
“I have known Mac fer nine years, Morgann fer one, and Padrig and Will fer seven. Padrig and Will are brothers,” he told her. “Padrig is the oldest. When they were seven and nine, their parents were executed before their eyes by the English king. Their mother was a chambermaid fer Lord and Lady Edmund Everhart. She was accused of stealin’ a costly jewelry set. Padrig and Will were sent back to an orphanage in Scotland. I dinna know the entire tale. Best ye let them tell it.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Captain. I will. What about you?”
He blinked. Did she want him to share some of himself with her? No. It was a bad idea. She was his charge. He had to keep his head on straight. There was no reason to get to know her better when he would deliver her back to Bamburgh and the priory in a fortnight and never see her again. “There is nothin’ we need to know of each other on this journey, Sister.”
“I see,” she breathed after a moment. “I did not know we could not be friends.”
“We canna.” He could not look at her and kept his gaze on the road.
After an hour, they stopped in a forest so she could pray. Galeren was determined not to let her affect him. He had a duty to see to and see to it, he would. He didn’t need to watch her for an hour while she remained motionless.
So he didn’t.
No one saw the shadows coming up behind her.
Chapter Four
She was praying.It was so peaceful, so quiet—and then there was a hand over her mouth, and she was snatched away without a sound. She tried to scream but the hand was pressed so hard to her face she could barely breathe. Who would do this? Where was Galeren? He said his duty was to watch her. Could the hand possibly belong to him? He said he didn’t want to be her friend. She didn’t know why. Mayhap he didn’t like her. She didn’t know the captain or his men. Perhaps it was one of his men.
She was shoved and her feet left the air. She landed on her side and hit her head on something hard.
She prayed. God, protect her!
She looked up and saw a man she had never seen before. He was dirty and wild-looking and he wore a smile that frightened her.
The sound of swords clanging came into focus. Men were fighting. She prayed it was Galeren and his men. She closed her eyes as her abductor leaned over her, and she prayed for Galeren’s victory.
“You a virgin, Miss?” the man asked in a gravelly voice.
Oh please, Lord, don’t let him rape me.Her heart felt as if it would burst! What could she do against him? Could she kill him with her bare hands? She would begin with his eyes.
She made the sign of the cross and he laughed.
“Is this moment worth your eternal damnation?” she asked of him.
“Aye. I will make certain it will be.”