Chapter Three

A fierce pounding gradually invaded Rose’s dreams. The pressure behind her eyes throbbed until she could no longer keep them closed. Though opening them was the last thing she wanted to do. Until she remembered what she’d been doing before everything had gone black.

She sat up with a gasp and immediately regretted it. She brought her hands up to her head…her bound hands. A rising tide of panic threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to breathe, slowly and evenly, and take stock of her situation.

Her hands were bound but she wasn’t harmed or hampered in any other way. Her mouth was dry as toast and a bit sore at the edges. She wasn’t currently gagged but, from the way she felt, she most likely had been. She lay on a cloak covering a pile of straw in what looked like the ruined remains of what might have once been a parlor or receiving room of an old manor house. The straw was clean, as was the rest of the space, despite the slightly musty smell that seemed to permeate old buildings. The room also sported a huge, ornate hearth that unfortunately did not contain a roaring fire. She shivered and shrank farther into her cloak. The man who’d taken her was nowhere to be seen.

She tried pulling her wrists apart, testing how tight the ropes were. There was a little leeway. Enough to keep the rope from cutting into her skin. Not enough for her to pull her hands free. Her feet were thankfully not bound, though a slight redness around her ankles suggested they had been. How long had she been asleep?

She brought her wrists to her lips and tugged at the rope with her teeth, inwardly cursing the tree she had run into. Of all the stupid mistakes to make. Next time, she’d take better care to watch where she was going.

“I’d be careful there, lass. That’s a fine way to damage a perfectly good set of teeth.”

The voice behind her made her jump, and she spun around to find the man who’d taken her standing in the doorway, holding a bowl of something steaming. She scrambled backward but there was nowhere to go but up against the wall.

“I’ll no’ hurt ye, lass.”

“I’m afraid the evidence suggests otherwise.”

His lips twitched and she narrowed her eyes at him, surprised that he seemed amused rather than angry at her insolence. Not very villainous of him. Nor was the handsome face that was half hidden in the shadows. She relaxed for a split second and then tensed her muscles again. Pleasant features did not mean he was harmless. Not all devils looked the part.

“My apologies, lass,” he said. “Perhaps I should have said I have no intention of hurting ye further.”

She scowled and held up her bound hands. “This is not hurting me? Kidnapping me and bringing me to this…this…place is not hurting me?”

He shrugged. “Aye, well it’s no’ my finest hour, I’ll give ye that. But I meant what I said. Ye’ll come to no further harm. And if ye dinna prove a threat, ye’ll be free to go on yer way.”

She snorted. “You expect me to believe you?”

He gave her a faint smile at that. “I probably wouldna if I were in yer position. But I swear on my mother’s grave, I speak the truth.”

She still didn’t trust him, but her heart calmed some of its frantic beating at that.

“I brought ye something to eat,” he said, nodding at the bowl. He set it close to her and stepped back.

Smart. She’d had every intention of bashing him in the face if he’d gotten close enough. The amused look in his eye told her he was very aware of that intention.

She eyed the bowl suspiciously.

“It’s not poisoned,” he said. “I canna get any information from ye if ye’re dead.”

Well, that was true enough. And if she was going to escape, she’d need her strength. She picked up the bowl and sniffed at the contents. Some sort of stew. She took a cautious sip. Not bad. Not great, but not bad. And it was warm and filling.

The man waited until she’d eaten her fill and then snagged the bowl from her before she had a chance to sling it at his head. He sat down on a stool near her and rested his elbows on his knees so he could stare right into her eyes. She wanted to lower her gaze, but she wouldn’t show any sign of weakness. She straightened up and glared at him.

“Who are ye, then?” he asked. “And what were ye doing on the docks this morning?”

“I don’t see how that is any of your business.”

His faced hardened, and he leaned forward. “Dinna make this harder than it needs to be, lass. Answer the question.”

She swallowed, not wanting to put herself in more danger. But answering would put her mistress in danger. In fact, it was probably already too late. Without Rose there to cover for her, Lady Alice’s absence was surely already known. Rose could only hope no one would guess she’d sailed away.

“Who are you, then? Why does a barbarian Scot,” she said with a sneer, “have any interest in the identity of a simple maid?”

He ignored the insult, either because he was used to them or didn’t have the sense to realize he’d been insulted. She assumed the latter. “A maid? For whom?”

Damn. She hadn’t meant to betray any information. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Aye. It matters a great deal. Why were ye on the docks?”

She hesitated and then decided it couldn’t hurt to reveal a little of the truth. Maybe it would be enough to placate him. “I was running an errand for my mistress.”

“Yer mistress had an errand for ye? There? Seems like a more fitting job for one of the menfolk of the house.”

Rose shrugged. “That’s not for me to say. I do as I’m told.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

She glared at him again. “Doubt it all you want. You asked, I answered. Now let me go. My mistress will be frantic with worry. Wait…how long have I been here? And where is here?”

William raised an eyebrow and for a miserable second she didn’t think he’d answer. Then he shrugged, “Ye dinna need to worry about where here is. As for how long, a few hours. Ye hit yer head—”

“A few hours?” She struggled against her bounds anew and tried to stand, panic rushing through her. “I have to leave. I must get back. If my mistress’s family discover she’s gone—”

She stopped short, belatedly realizing she’d revealed too much.

The man narrowed his eyes. “Who is yer mistress? And where has she gone?”

“Let me go,” she said, shaking her bound hands at him. She wouldn’t betray any more.

The man frowned, his eyes focusing on her as if he’d pull all her secrets out whether she willed it or no.

“Why were ye at the docks, lass? Did ye accompany yer mistress there?”

Rose stopped at that, chest heaving from her exertions. “I cannot say. Please let me go. Before it’s too late.” Her chin trembled, and she swallowed back the tears, angry that her frustration and anxiety had driven her to that point. She didn’t want to give the wretch the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

The man seemed to hesitate before making some sort of decision. He leaned forward and spoke low and quiet. “Is yer mistress the Lady Alice? Was she meeting a man on the ship that sailed today?”

Rose gasped. “How did you know that?”

“Christ,” he said, leaning back before banging his fist on his knee. He paced around the room before coming back to her.

When she saw the knife in his hand she shrank back against the wall.

He released a frustrated sigh. “I’m no’ going to hurt ye, lass. Just cutting yer ropes.”

She didn’t trust that he told her the truth, but if he really wanted to hurt her, he could have done so many times over already. She held her hands out. But before he cut them, he leaned in again.

“I’ll release ye and take ye back to town. But ye mustna make a sound and dinna try to run. Ye are surrounded by enemies here. If ye want to live and make it back home, ye’re going to have to trust me and do as I say.”

She raised an eyebrow at that and he at least had the grace to give her a slightly sheepish half grin. “Aye, I ken very well that trusting me willna be easy, but believe me when I say I’m the only thing that will keep ye safe here.” He grabbed hold of the ropes binding her hands and leaned in farther. “Also believe me when I tell ye the last thing I want to do is draw attention to yer mistress and my kinsman.”

She startled at that. His kinsman?

“But if ye try to escape me, that’s exactly what ye’ll be doing. Understand?”

Not even remotely. But she nodded anyway, desperate to get free of the ropes. She’d worry about whether or not to trust him later.

He watched her for half a heartbeat more and then quickly sliced through the ropes.

The second he looked down to slip his dagger back into its sheath, she jerked her still clenched hands up, clipping him right under the chin. He staggered back, one hand to his face, and she darted in the opposite direction as fast as she could.

She made it three steps before strong arms wrapped around her waist and hauled her back. He kept her pressed tight against him, one arm around her waist, the other across her shoulders like an iron band.

“Did I no’ just say that running will only put ye in danger?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, struggling against him. “Let me go and I promise I’ll stay put this time.”

He snorted and then froze as the sound of voices floated in from another room. He squeezed her harder and she stopped struggling. “Listen to me if ye want to live. I ken well ye have little cause to trust me, but I vow to ye I’m no danger to ye. That is not true of the men about to come in this door. They’ll slit ye through with barely a bat of their eyes, if they dinna do worse to ye first. I’ll explain all to ye, but for now, ye’re going to have to stay put and trust me. Do ye understand?”

The terror bleeding into her veins made any movement difficult, but she forced a nod.

He turned her around so they faced each other, only inches apart. “Do as I say, without hesitation, and dinna speak a word unless I bid ye to, aye?”

She nodded again.

He glanced toward the door as the voices got louder and swore under his breath. “They are going to question yer presence here. I’ll…tell them something to explain ye. But if anything happens to me, run as fast and far as ye can.”

Her eyes widened, and he grasped her chin. “Do ye understand me, lass?”

She nodded again and then…he dragged her to him and kissed her, his lips claiming hers while his arms wrapped around her like a vise. She was too stunned to struggle and then it was too late, because the room was suddenly full of men. Who, after their initial surprise, were all staring at her as if they’d like to run her through with their swords. Or something more sinister. Suddenly, the man who held her, whose name she still didn’t know, didn’t seem quite so dangerous.

“Well, what do we have here?” one of them said, a cruel smile twisting his face.

Rose froze at her man’s side, terror clawing at her. Her eyes darted around the room. There were at least ten men, all armed, all dangerous looking. And only one exit.

“William!” one of the men said. “You’ve returned. And brought with you a little surprise, eh? Well done, brother!”

Rose gasped. Brother?

May the saints preserve her. He was one of them.

…

William tore his lips from the maid and plastered what he hoped was a properly leering smile on his face. He turned to face the men, keeping the woman as far behind him as he could. Not that he felt any safer standing in front of her. If she had any knives on her, other than the one he’d found in her pocket, he had no doubt she wouldn’t hesitate to shove it between his ribs. He could even admit he deserved it. But it would be best if she didn’t do so yet.

“So, who do we have here?” Lionel asked.

William pushed her a little farther behind him, and thankfully she didn’t protest. “She’s nobody to concern yourself with.”

“Well that’s easier said than done when you bring her here,” Lionel said. “Mr. Ramsay doesn’t like strangers. And bringing her around this lot might not have been the wisest course of action.”

William nodded. “Well, as ye can see, she’s no’ exactly a stranger to me,” he said, giving the man a playful wink. “And I didna have much choice. The lass follows me wherever I go.”

Several of them laughed and nudged each other, and Lionel’s expression lost a little of his suspicion. But he still wasn’t going to let it go. “Mr. Ramsay won’t be happy to find her here.”

William nodded again. “I ken that well enough, but the poor lass is miserable without me. I’m afraid she may do herself harm if she’s left all alone. Best if I have her where I can keep an eye on her. I promise ye, she willna be any trouble.”

“Well I don’t know about that, mate,” one of the other men said, stepping forward. “Seems like she might be too much for you to handle. I’d be more than happy to help out if you find you’ve got your hands full.”

The other men laughed, and William kept a tight rein on the sudden flash of rage that surged in him at the thought of anyone else touching her. “That’s all right, friend,” he said. “I can manage my woman on my own.”

“Oh, your woman, is she?” Lionel asked. “I didn’t hear her opinion on the matter. Maybe you have to keep such a close eye on her because if you didn’t, she’d run off.”

That hit a little too close to home, but William stood his ground.

“Enough of this,” Lionel said. “Keep her quiet and out of sight. Mr. Ramsay should be back in a few hours, and the last thing you want is to provoke him.”

William nodded again but didn’t move from his protective stance until the rest of the men had cleared out. Only then did he relax, not realizing how ready for a fight he had been until the tension drained from his muscles. He let out a deep breath and turned around. The woman might be a thorn in his side but at least she knew when to keep quiet.

He nodded at her. “It looks like ye have some brains about ye after all.”

She scowled. “I might be angry enough to run you through, and I’ll certainly never forgive you for what you’ve done, dragging me into a den of murderous brigands, not to mention the mess you’ve made of everything. But that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. If you had wanted to kill me you could’ve done so when I was unconscious or when we were back in the woods. There’s no point in you dragging me all the way here just to kill me in front of all these witnesses. So whatever your plans for me, I figured they must be better than what that lot had in mind.”

William snorted. “Accurate assumption.”

“So…what are you planning to do with me?” she asked.

William sighed and sat on a stool and motioned for her to do the same. She looked as if she’d protest again but instead she slumped back into a chair and stared at him, waiting.

“I think there might have been a misunderstanding here,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And what misunderstanding would that be?”

“What is yer name? And dinna waste time with lying or hesitating.”

She looked as if she wouldn’t answer him and then with an exasperated sigh she said, “Rose Thatcher.”

“And yer mistress?”

Her face twisted like she’d rather chew glass then answer him but she finally said, “Lady Alice Chivers.”

At that name William closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. “And would yer mistress have been meeting a Mr. Philip McGregor on the boat that sailed from Dover this morning?”

Rose sat up straight at that, her eyes going wide. “How did you know that?”

He sighed again and shook his head. What an absolute, bloody nightmare. “Because Philip McGregor is my kinsman. My cousin. We didna think yer lady would meet him, since we didna see her when we arrived. Then, when I saw ye on the dock looking suspiciously out of place, watching the ship, the only conclusion I could come to was that ye were spying for Mr. Ramsay.”

She raised another eyebrow at that. “That’s the only conclusion you could draw? That I was a spy? For the same Mr. Ramsay that you apparently work for?”

“I didna say it was a good assumption,” he said, more sheepishly than he would have cared to let on. “And my being here with Ramsay…it’s not what ye think. I canna explain it now.” His eyes glanced at the door through which the other men had left. “But let me assure ye my motives are in line with yers.”

“Then you must let me go,” Rose said, leaning forward to raise pleading eyes to his. “I was supposed to return back to the inn where my mistress’s family is staying. Her plan was for me to inform the others that she was ill and keep anyone from noticing she was not there for as long as possible. But if I have already been gone for several hours I fear her absence may have been discovered. If that is the case…”

Dread settled in William’s gut. “If that is the case, then the entire town will be on the lookout for yer mistress,” he said, swallowing hard. “And my kinsman.”

Rose nodded and sat back with a frustrated snarl. “All you had to do was tell me who you were and this all could have been sorted out on the docks. If I had known you were a friend to the man my mistress sailed with, instead of an enemy, I would have told you all. Instead you jumped to conclusions, kidnapped me, and now my mistress and your cousin are both in danger.”

“Not to mention those they are protecting,” William added, rubbing his hand over his face. “Aye, lass, I’m well aware how terrible a mistake this is.”

Rose frowned at that, confusion furrowing her brow, but before she could say much else someone shouted William’s name. He scowled and then stood and brushed his legs off. “I’ll try to spirit ye away later tonight, but I must go take care of a few things. Dinna leave this room or speak to anyone. If anyone comes near ye…”

He frowned, pressing his lips together as he weighed the pros and cons of arming her. Finally, he released an exasperated sigh and pulled her dagger from his waistband, pressing it into her hand.

“Where did you get this?” she asked, her eyes widening with surprise. And anger. Not surprising considering he stole it from her.

“I took it off ye when ye were unconscious. It didna seem a prudent choice to leave ye armed.”

Her lips twitched. She might have laughed if he hadn’t been about to abandon her to a room full of mercenaries. His gut twisted at the thought. “If anyone but me comes near ye, dinna hesitate to use that. I’ll try not to be too long.”

She held the dagger up and took a step closer to him, pointing it at his throat. He didn’t truly believe she’d use it, despite the anger still burning in her eyes. But his heart still thudded uncomfortably in his chest.

“And what if I choose to use it on you?” she asked.

He shrugged, forcing a nonchalance he didn’t feel. “Ye can if ye’d like, but then who would save ye from them?” He jerked his head over his shoulder in the direction of the other men.

She hesitated for a second. They both knew he had a point. With him she could be relatively sure she would come to no harm. With the others… He doubted she had any desire to chance it. She might be able to defend herself against one man, but not so many. She gave him a sharp nod and took a step back.

He didn’t truly think she’d be in danger or he wouldn’t leave her. The men in Ramsay’s gang were criminals, but reasonably well controlled. And he wouldn’t be far. Still, he hesitated to leave her until his name was shouted once more. Then he spun on his heels. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said.

“And what exactly am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” she asked.

He paused. “They think ye’re my woman. Do womanly things.”

She rolled her eyes and he left the room chuckling. The woman might be a thorn in his side, but she was a beautiful one. Strong, brave, and intelligent as well. Not traits he typically looked for in a woman. When he sought a woman out it was for temporary companionship. He’d never had a desire to spend more than a few pleasant hours with any of the women he’d known previously.

This one, however…with those flashing eyes and the way her cheeks flushed slightly when she had her dander up. Those full lips that he wanted to kiss even as they berated him. And there was a sharp wit behind that pretty face, one he wanted to explore.

If she could get over her desire to kill him for his admittedly stupid mistake, they might actually get along.

Might being the operative word.