Chapter 4

© Copyright 2005 by Sara Keprensk



�Look�s like we�ve got trouble, Patrick.� Aaron commented shortly after breaking away from the rest of the group, nodding his head towards a large band of soldiers moving towards them across the English landscape.

�I don�t think we�re the ones with the trouble,� Patrick remarked. �I�d rather be in our shoes than in Robert�s when these people turn up with him.�

�Just let me do the talking,� Aaron advised. �I tend to be able to tell the truth in a way that implies something else better than you do.�

�Just be careful what you say,� Patrick warned. �There is a veritable army there and there�s only two of us.�

Aaron nodded and the two warriors rode on to meet the formation ahead of them. They stopped at a signal from the man obviously in charge of the other group. They eyed the English soldiers with suspicion.

�You have just ridden in from Scotland, I assume.� The big-nosed leader said stiffly.

�Nay, we�ve just arrived from the Amazon.� Aaron replied sarcastically.

�Did you see any girls on your travels?� he asked, getting straight to the point.

�Only the one that was travelling with us,� Aaron said innocently. �She went back with the rest of the group while the two of us carried on. Why? Have you lost someone?�

�My�daughter. She objected to a marriage proposal and set off. I think she�s in Scotland somewhere.�

Aaron and Patrick exchanged glances. That confirmed that this was Baron Fulford on the look out for his errant betrothed.

�Why would an English girl go to Scotland?� Patrick asked, barely concealing the contempt in his voice. �Scotland is not the friendliest of countries for someone of English blood.�

�She�s intelligent. She knows that if her betrothed were to follow her there he would not get any help from the hostile Scottish Lairds.�

�She won�t get far on her own in Scotland,� Aaron predicted. �You�ll have more luck due to the number of your men. I�m sure you�ll find her eventually. Now, if you�ll excuse us, we have work to do.�

�Not so fast, young man,� the Baron�s men formed a circle round them as the Baron lifted his hand. �I am very anxious to find my daughter. She has the face of an angel, long dark hair and violet-blue eyes. If you see her get word to the Fulford Castle.�

Patrick made to say something scathing about forced marriages but Aaron shot him a glance and nodded enthusiastically.

�We�ll do that,� he agreed. �We can�t have a woman wandering around the country on her own. If we hear or see anything we�ll head for your Castle. I assume it will be easy for us to find.�

�Everybody knows of the Fulford Castle,� he boasted. �Anybody you ask will point you towards it. Thank-you for your cooperation.� He called his men off and they rode off abruptly.

Patrick and Aaron continued on their way, waiting until they were sure that they were out of earshot before they spoke.

�He must be old enough to be her father,� Patrick commented. �No wonder she didn�t want to marry the man.�

�I don�t think it�s his age that bothers the lass,� Aaron urged his horse into a gallop, trying to remember what the next direction was. �I think it�s his eyes. Did you see them? All cold and hard. Nay, the lass isn�t worried about his age, she�s worried about his person.�

�I don�t think that Robert has much hope of keeping the lass safe.� Patrick goaded his horse to keep beside Aaron.

�Leave the worrying about Lady Annabeth to our Laird,� Aaron advised. �We have other business.�

�What do you suppose she meant when she said that her sister is different to other women?� Patrick mused.

�I think that perhaps, in many ways, her sister may still be a child.�

�Like Felicity?� Patrick grunted. �I�ll leave her to you then. I never could cope with Felicity, I just haven�t got enough patience.�

�The good Lord blessed you with the ability to be patient, you just don�t try hard enough.� Aaron countered. �Aye, you leave the lass to me, you�ll have her in tears if you try to deal with her. A weeping lass is the last thing we want on our hands.�

�I take exception to that, Aaron, I do not make lasses weep. I could fight you for that.�

�You could�but you�re not going to. We haven�t got time. We�re going to find Lady Morris and Lady Megan and then get out of this godforsaken country. I�m staying here no longer than necessary.�

�Finding them could take a while,� Patrick commented. �Lady Annabeth was riding for a while.�

�Lady Annabeth,� Aaron snorted, �didn�t know where she was going, she is English and she is a woman. I think we shall manage to cover the same distance in less than half the time that she took. I wager we�ll be back in bonny Scotland by tomorrow evening at latest.�

* * * * * * * *

�Who, what, where, when, why, how?� Annabeth awoke with a jump.

Robert was lifting her down from his horse. He smiled at her and carried her to a plaid that Liam was setting out for her.

�You look like an angel when you are sleeping.� He remarked, putting her down and sitting next to her.

�You sound like the baron.� Annabeth wrinkled her nose up.

�That�s the second time that you have likened me to the baron,� he frowned. �And I�m not sure that I like it. The only thing that I really know about him is that he beats women. That is nothing like me. I would never strike a woman no matter what she did. What did you do that he thought deserved a beating anyway?�

�I disagreed with him about the future of the family fortune. He, of course, wanted it all for himself but I told him that it won�t go to him. I told him that I am managing it but that I don�t own it. I sort it out for Megan but, if she ever gets married, her husband will take over that duty for me.�

�He beat you just because you didn�t agree with him?�

�Yes,� Annabeth nodded. �And, as I knew that I would be forever disagreeing with him, I had to get out of his way quickly. I hope he hasn�t done anything to my family. I hadn�t even thought of that possibility before Aaron mentioned it this morning.�

�Don�t think on it, if they are in any danger at all, Aaron and Patrick will sort them out. I�m more worried about you. Your back needs seeing to, it�s making you even weaker than you naturally are. I said earlier that I might let you ride your own horse tomorrow but I think I would rather you ride with somebody, you need to conserve your strength.�

�Hang it all, idle refinement!� Annabeth exclaimed, stretching. �Sitting on a horse is exhausting whether it is my horse or somebody else�s.�

�You fell asleep on the journey today,� Robert observed. �You couldn�t have done that if you had been on your own horse. Would it be so dreadful to ride with me once again?�

�Yes, it would.� She replied, �Your presence disturbs me rather more than I would like. Now, would you be so kind as to remove to a different plaid so that I may get some sleep?�

�You must eat first.� Robert said firmly, holding out his hand for [Owen] to give him some food.

�I really am more tired than hungry, thank-you Laird.�

�Nevertheless, you will eat before I leave you to sleep.� Robert insisted, pressing bread and cheese into her hand. �If there is to be any chance of you riding by yourself tomorrow you will be needing all the strength that you can muster. That isn�t a promise, mind you. I will decide tomorrow whether you can ride or not.�

�You greatly enjoy controlling people, don�t you?� Annabeth frowned. �I think that I should be able to decide for myself whether I can cope or not.� She swallowed her last bite and sighed.

�You would say that you could cope if you were half dead.� Robert said bluntly. �Nay, Beth, your safety is to be left in my hands. Now, sleep, if you can after sleeping most of the day away.� He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead and then rose.

�You promised that you wouldn�t do that anymore.� Annabeth called after his retreating figure.

He returned. �I promised that I wouldn�t do what?�

�Kiss me.�

�No I didn�t.�

�Yes you did, I recall it with perfect clarity.�

�I promised not to kiss you without taking pleasure in it.� Robert corrected. �And believe me, I took pleasure in that kiss.�

Annabeth blushed furiously and turned away from him, wrapping herself in the plaid and stretching out on her side with her eyes closed. She heard Robert chuckle, and blushed even harder. She was determined not to reply to his comment.

She lay awake for a while, listening to the men talk.

�What are the plans for the morrow, Laird?� Liam asked. �Will we be riding hard to get rid of this mysterious baron that Lady Annabeth seems to be so scared of.�

�No, I see no occasion for that.� Robert replied lazily. �We�ll be at the holding by the end of tomorrow anyway and once we�re there we�ll be safe from him.�

�Do you imagine that the man won�t stop off at the holding anyway?� that was Owen.

�No, I expect that he will stop but we can�t spend the rest of our lives trying to keep one step ahead of the baron. At the holding we can keep Lady Annabeth out of sight. I am sure that he will catch up with us eventually but I am also sure that she will be safe with us when he does.�

�How far behind us to you suppose the man is?� Liam questioned.

�Probably not far,� Robert said, so quietly that Annabeth could only just hear his words. �Despite my assurances to Lady Annabeth, I�m not entirely sure that, if he is so determined to marry her, he will be so careful as to stop riding at night. I don�t want to worry her though.�

�Do you think he�s near enough to reach us during tomorrow?� Graham spoke up.

�Quite possibly. However, we will be quite enough protection for Lady Annabeth, even if the blasted baron has brought the whole of the English army with him.�

�I don�t suggest that you tell Lady Annabeth what you think.� Liam laughed softly. �If she had even an inkling of an idea that you weren�t going to whisk her straight out of the baron�s path she would leave.�

�I take exception to that, Liam.� Annabeth called. �You make it sound as though I am completely depending on your Laird�s protection. I am not staying with you for your protection but rather because it would be a waste of time and energy to leave, as your Laird would hunt me down in the same way as a hound would hunt a fox.�

�The lass doesn�t carry too high an opinion of you, Laird MacAllen.� Owen roared with laughter.

�Perhaps not,� Robert tried to smile. �But I�ll wager that her opinion of me is higher than her opinion of you.�

Owen stopped laughing.

�I don�t have a particularly high opinion of any of you.� Annabeth observed, still wrapped in the plaid with her back to the men. �I just try not to show it as I�m sure that it would make the journey unpleasant if I did.�

�You shame us lass�uh, I mean Beth.� Robert said humbly. �You�re very patient with us and I thank you for it.�

�Are you mocking me?� Annabeth rolled out of the plaid and stalked over to the group of men by the fire.

�Nay, Beth, I was being completely sincere.� Robert said seriously. �Go to sleep now.�

�No, not if you�re going to talk about me. I�m going to join you to make sure that you don�t abuse me behind my back.�

Robert moved over to create some space between him and Liam and patted the ground there. �You have nothing to worry about there, I would never allow my men to abuse you.�

Annabeth sat down carefully and tucked her dress around her feet. �So what exactly are your plans for keeping me safe from Baron Fulford?� she asked, stifling a yawn.

�I don�t have a plan, I don�t need a plan,� Robert threw his arm around her, pulling her to his side and forcing her to lean against him. �With us here the baron won�t be able to do anything to you.�

�You�re an arrogant, big-headed lot aren�t you!�

�We prefer to think of it as being self-confident.� Alex grinned. �But it�s true, the English don�t get trained half as well as us Scots.�

�I say that you�re all sinfully arrogant and nothing will convince me otherwise.� Annabeth tossed her head, causing her cloak to slip off her head. She reached up to replace it.

�Leave it.� Robert caught her hand and lowered it, watching her carefully.

�I like to keep my hair covered.� Annabeth explained, struggling against his hold.

�Why? Your hair is beautiful.�

Robert�s men made disgusted noises and backed off, each one seeking out a plaid and making a ring to sleep in on the other side of the fire, leaving Annabeth alone with Robert.

�I think it is time for me to go to sleep.� Annabeth tugged at Robert�s hand.

�First you will tell me why you keep your hair covered.�

�I prefer that men not see it, that is all.� Annabeth tried to move but was firmly pinned.

�Is this another effect that the baron has on you? Did he not like your hair?�

�He liked it too much.� Annabeth replied simply. �If a man can�t see my hair he can�t get the urge to paw it.�

�Your hair makes you appear even more beautiful than you already are. No, stay here.� For Annabeth was trying to pull away. �You�re in a bad state if you can�t take a simple compliment without running away.�

�Please let me go.� Annabeth begged, cringing at the pleading that she could here in her voice.

Robert released her. �Go get your plaid and come back here and sit with me again, I want to talk with you.�

�Are you sure that talking is all you want to do?� Annabeth asked as she returned, blushing furiously.

�Why? Is it not all that you want to do?� He grinned wickedly at her.

�I don�t even want to talk to you.� She mumbled, dropping to the ground across the fire from him.

He rose to join her and helped her wrap the plaid closely around her. �We need to talk about our pact of earlier. You seem to dislike me kissing you. How can you respond the way that you do if you dislike it so much?�

�It�s only natural to respond.� Annabeth said reluctantly. �I don�t want to respond because if I do it won�t be long before my heart gets involved and I don�t want to get hurt. Besides, I want my thoughts to remain pure, in accordance to God�s laws.�

�I�m not aiming on giving you impure thoughts, Beth.� Robert sounded amused.

�Perhaps not, but that doesn�t mean that it won�t happen.� Annabeth refused to look at him. �I imagine many women have suffered from impure thoughts because of you. The women flock towards you, don�t they? You wouldn�t have to go out searching for a wife, would you? I wager that women fall at your feet.�

�There�s only one woman whose opinion I care for just at this present moment and this particular woman is neither flocking towards me nor falling at my feet.�

Annabeth blushed profusely and kept her eyes fixed on the ground, knowing that if she looked up, she would find his eyes looking intently at her. �I would ask you not to talk to me like that; I dislike men tangling with my emotions. If you can�t be serious please just don�t talk to me.�

�I assure you that I was being perfectly serious.� Robert said quietly. �I am finding you to be a very interesting young lady. You even believe in God the same as I do. I haven�t met a woman like that for quite a while. If it were not for the fact that my clan would have a conniption fit if I took an English wife, I would marry you as soon as the next priest appeared.�

�You are assuming that I would consent to that,� Annabeth observed. �And I can assure you that I wouldn�t. My plans for the future do not include you, neither do they include a big-headed clan of heathen Scots. All I plan to do in the near future is avoid the baron and keep Megan�s fortune out of his grubby hands.�

�And how exactly do you intend to do that? You can�t keep running for the rest of your life and the baron would be sure to catch up with you sooner or later even if you could. You�re going to have to accept help from somebody eventually. Talk sense, Beth.�

�I am not going to marry somebody just because I need some help.� Annabeth said firmly. �If I ever do decide to marry, it will be for love, nothing else will persuade me that I need a man in my life. I will not take those kind of favours and neither will I bestow them. Any help that I accept would have to be of a completely different nature to the kind that you have suggested.�

Her tone of voice was so determined and her expression so stubborn that Robert wisely changed the subject.


HEY! and don't forget to e-mail Sara Keprensk if you have a comment! She would really like to hear from you.





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