Highland Honor. Hannah Howell
middle of the night. “It could be hidden by pride or vanity, or I simply havenae done or seen what is needed to bring it forward. Howbeit, I truly believe that we each have a fear like that, a fear that willnae heed reason and fact.”
“If it will not heed reason or fact, then how can one ever conquer it?”
“One doesnae.” He grinned when she cursed, then grew serious. “Ye shouldnae let it plague ye so. If one must be blindly afraid of something, then wolves are a wise choice. Lass, it isnae the fear that is the weakness, but how ye act when ye must truly face it.”
“Then I have failed that test, for I am here, cowering behind you.”
“Nay, beside me.” He laughed when she swatted him on the arm. “Ye havenae truly faced it, lass. Ye can but hear the wolves in the distance, so ’tis no real crime to let your fear have its reign. The true test of courage comes when ye must confront them, and what ye do then decides whether or not ye or someone else dies.”
“I pray that day never comes,” she whispered, shivering at the mere thought of it.
“Sleep, lass. The beasts willnae trouble us this night.”
Gisele nodded and closed her eyes. The wolves did not grow silent, but she knew she would have no trouble sleeping. She was not sure if Nigel’s assurances or his presence at her side calmed her fears the most, but either reason still left her feeling very disappointed in herself. After being alone and caring for herself for nearly a year, she had thought she was strong enough and capable enough to endure alone, to survive anything with no one’s help. It troubled her to discover that she might have been wrong or just vain, for she could still have a long fight ahead of her and might not always have Nigel at her side. As sleep weighted her body, she decided that she would worry about it later.
Nigel heard her breathing grow slow and quiet, and softly cursed. It could prove to be a very long night. He could understand her fear. He did not like to hear the wolves, either. That sound meant that he might be wrong to think the forest was safer than the open road. Then he shook his head, abruptly dismissing that concern. There was only a small chance of confronting an animal that could hurt him or Gisele, but a very good chance of meeting with a DeVeau or someone who hungered after the bounty if he and Gisele did not stay hidden as long as possible. It was still a good plan to keep their forays into the more settled areas to as few as possible.
When she murmured in her sleep and moved closer, her lithe body touching his side, Nigel closed his eyes and struggled to rein in his errant desires. She was not inviting him to take her into his arms, just blindly seeking his warmth. He was a little alarmed and somewhat surprised at how quickly and strongly his passion soared in response to such an innocent touch. It also made him all the more eager to make love to her. If she could stir him so when she was asleep and unwilling, he could only imagine how she could make him feel if she were awake and eager. He silently laughed. If he kept thinking like that, it was indeed going to be a very long night.
Six
Warmth surrounded Gisele, and she huddled closer to it. She felt comforted and safe, just as she used to when, as a small child, she crawled into her grandmother’s bed. Her grandmother had always been ready to listen to her, to soothe her fears, and to believe in her. It was so nice to have her grandmother back.
As Gisele became more awake, more alert to her surroundings, she realized that something was wrong with her pleasant dream. The body she was curled up to was hard, not soft. The arms wrapped around her were big and strong, not those of an aging woman. There was no scent of roses, long her favorite flower. And her grandmother had never moved her small, frail hands over her back in such a way.
The moment she became aware of the fact that she was in Nigel’s arms, Gisele was reluctant to open her eyes. It felt good. The warmth of his lips as he lightly brushed kisses over her face and neck stirred her blood. His strong hands moved slowly, gently, over her body in a way that tempted her to press closer to him. If she opened her eyes she would have to acknowledge that she was awake, that she was willingly letting him move against her in a way that left no doubt about what he wanted from her. It was nicer to pretend that she still lingered within a dream. When he covered her mouth with his she welcomed his kiss even as she wondered how long she could savor it this time before the fear returned.
Nigel fought for the strength to proceed slowly. Gisele was warm, willing, and—he was certain—wide awake. He did not want to do anything that would stir up the terror he had glimpsed in her eyes the last time they had kissed. That fear had been bred in her by brutality. Nigel prayed that gentleness would keep it chained, and let passion rule.
When he first heard the sound, he ignored it. Gisele tasted so sweet and felt so good in his arms that he did not want to allow anything to distract him. His instincts, however, sharpened by years of battle, refused to allow him to be so foolish. Their lives depended on him being alert and prepared to act. It took every scrap of his willpower to do so, but he pulled away from Gisele and sat up.
Gisele found herself cast aside so abruptly that she felt cold, bereft. She had not yet felt any fear, so she knew the sudden ending of the embrace was not caused because she had somehow, pushed him away or resisted him. It was very confusing to be kissed passionately by a man one moment and then watch him buckle on his sword the next. If this was how Nigel intended to seduce her, Gisele doubted they would ever become lovers.
“Get up, lass,” Nigel ordered even as he swiftly rolled up his bedding.
Without hesitation, Gisele did as he said. The tone of his voice demanded obedience. Instinct also told her that this was not the time to take offense at that tone. She just wished she knew what had spurred him into this sudden decamping.
As she finished securing her saddlepack on her horse, Gisele got the answer to why they were hurrying so. There was no mistaking the sound of horsemen approaching through the wood. Even as she mounted her horse, she stared at Nigel with a mixture of awe and astonishment. How had he heard the men and realized that they were a threat so much sooner than she had? In truth, she was still not sure the approaching horsemen were a threat. She opened her mouth to ask a few questions, but Nigel just grinned and slapped the rump of her horse, sending the animal out of the clearing at a fast trot.
Gisele risked one quick look behind her as they rode away. The riders she had heard were just coming into sight, and there was no mistaking the DeVeau colors. She could not believe they had found her, and began to fear that there was no escaping pursuit—perhaps no escaping death, either.
The sun was high in the sky before Nigel allowed them to stop by a small brook. As he watered the horses, Gisele stole a moment of privacy and performed a hasty toilette. She could not recall escape ever being so exhausting, and began to think that Nigel was right. The DeVeaux had not really thought she could elude them for very long, and so had not tried very hard to hunt her down. Now the chase had truly begun. Gisele was not sure she could survive it all the way to Scotland.
“Dinnae fret yourself, lass,” Nigel said as Gisele knelt by the brook and refilled their waterskins. “We will shake these dogs off our tail ere the day is o’er.”
“You sound very certain of that,” she said, as she hung her waterskin over her saddlehorn. “These dogs could easily run me to death.”
“Nay, lass, ye are stronger than that.”
“Am I? And, before we begin to ride again, could you tell me how you knew they were near at hand?”
Nigel shrugged. “Smelled them?”
“I begin to think you have a nose stronger than the best hunting dog in my father’s pack.”
He laughed softly as he mounted and waited for her to do the same. “I dinnae ken how I knew. At times, I just ken that danger approaches. When challenged, I fear I have no sensible explanation.”
“Do you have visions?” she asked as she nudged her horse to follow his.
“Nay, I am nay gifted with the sight. ’Tis as if some unseen hand gives me a wee shake, as if some wee voice whispers