Binding Vows (7 page)

Bile backed up in Grainna’s throat as she read the thought.

Tara looked up. They locked gazes. The woman was attempting to look inside Grainna’s mind. Tara didn’t know she was doing it, but Grainna did.

She glared back in the face of Tara’s defiance.

Tara addressed her. “Hello, Madame Gwen. We were just getting ready for dinner.”

Grainna placed her practiced fake smile on her lips. “I understand you had a guest today, Miss McAllister. I trust you had a good time evading the men placed here for your safety?”

“My safety? From whom?” Tara moved behind the curtain, using the small amount of privacy to dress for the evening meal.

“From those men whose intentions aren’t honorable of course, a virgin would be quite a prize to many.” Grainna looked to Cassy. “I’m sure your friend would agree.”

“I think Tara can handle herself.”

Grainna snapped her eyes to Cassy’s, capturing them. She fingered the amulet worn around her neck. Instantly, Cassy’s eyes glossed over.

“But you never know,” Cassy said, airily under the spell’s influence.

51

Catherine Bybee

“I wouldn’t put it past a man to force himself on someone who held your beauty, Tara. It’s your safety which concerns me.”

Cassy’s eyes lost focus when she watched the stone shifting in Grainna’s fingers.

“Convince her,” Grainna whispered in her ear.

Cassy’s lips curved on demand. “There are a lot of men who have been watching you since we arrived. I would hate it if something happened to you.”

“Come on, Cassy, we live in the valley. Gang capital of California. I think I can handle myself by now.” Tara came around the corner. “Listen, if it’s my virtue you’re worried about for your precious show, rest assured I didn’t give it up. But the last time I looked, we live in a free country. I do what I want, when I want. If this doesn’t work for you then we can just go back to our old tent and peasant status,” Tara challenged.

Grainna forced an agreeable look on her face and pushed into Tara’s mind. But the door was closed, which infuriated her even more. “We simply want all our guests to live a fantasy for a few days, in a better time,” she lied. “You help with the image of royalty. If you want to visit with your new companion just say so. We’ll have Samson go with you for the
image
of propriety. For the people.”

“Please,” Cassy pleaded. “It’s only for two more days. What could it hurt?”

“Fine!” Tara relented. “I want two more places set for dinner at our table. Duncan and his brother will be joining us. I’m sure you won’t have a problem with that?”

“Of course not, dear.” Grainna’s voice was syrup, laced with arsenic.
I’ll look forward to snapping your
neck like a twig.
“Of course not.”

****

Gwen hadn’t booted them out. They still held 52

Binding Vows

the highest title at the fair, outside of the Gypsy herself.

Tara took the time to make sure she looked her best before going to dinner. She applied a light amount of makeup and allowed one of Gwen’s maid’s to put her hair in a fashion fitting the times of the Renaissance.

Cassy’s pointed hat with a veil flowing down her back, matched the pink silk of her dress. She spun in circles making the dress and veil float. “Get a load of this.”

“‘All the world’s a stage, and we are all merely players.’ I have to agree with Shakespeare, no one could have said it better,” Tara said as she walked from the tent.

Unlike the night before, everyone in the entire village waited until Tara and Cassy arrived before beginning to eat.

Announced like royalty, Tara felt like the Queen she was treated like. It was hard not to be caught up in the moment. She walked ahead of Cassy and Gwen’s guards by only a foot, yet it felt like a mile.

Men and women bowed, children snickered only to be reprimanded by their parents. Tara had to confess it was fun.

Someone pushed a glass of wine in her hand as soon as Tara made it to their table. “Good God. This is crazy. You would think we actually meant something to these people.”

“You said we wouldn’t have a good time.” Cassy took a hefty pull from the glass in her hand. “Tell me more about this mystery guy. I don’t remember much from last night.”

“Really?” Tara asked sarcastically. “Maybe it had something to do with the amount of this...” She pointed to the glass Cassy held. “...you drank last night.”

Unaffected by her friend’s accusation regarding 53

Catherine Bybee

the sobriety of the previous night, Cassy asked again about Duncan and the time Tara spent with him.

“Tell me what he looks like.”

“Well, he is about yea high.” Tara placed her hand a good six inches above her height. “His shoulders are out to here. He has dark hair that falls to his shoulders.” She paused for a moment and closed her eyes. “I never thought I’d find long hair on a man attractive.”

Cassy smiled as she continued.

“Once I realized his accent was real, I wanted to melt.” Tara looked around to make sure no one else listened to her confession. “I’ve never been so tempted in all my life.”

A man approached Tara from behind. Cassy saw him put a finger to his lips asking for her to be quiet.

Playing along Cassy asked, “So what stopped you?”

“I honestly don’t know. But man, does he make my blood boil.” She sighed.

Cassy laughed and looked beyond Tara.

“Is that so, lass?” The voice was familiar, but not quite right.

Tara turned and looked at who must be Duncan’s brother. He looked like him, so much in fact she wondered if they were born on the same day.

“Nice try,” she said. “You must be Duncan’s brother.”

“I’m gravely disappointed, Tara. All afternoon I’ve spent with you and you don’t remember me?” He delivered his most charming smile in an effort to convince her she was mistaken.

“Ha! My guess is your mother tanned your hide when you tried that on her. Your teachers may have been fooled, but I’m not.”

They did look a lot alike, Tara thought. The height was off by a margin and this brother’s nose was a little too straight, his expression much less serious than Duncan’s.

Duncan’s brother laughed and caught Tara’s 54

Binding Vows

hand. Like Duncan, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed their tips. “’Tis a pleasure to meet you, Tara. Our mother would appreciate your keen observation.”

Yin and yang, she mused. Where Duncan was serious, this man was not. “I’m sorry, but in all our conversation Duncan never told me your name.”

“My friends call me Fin.” He snapped his legs together and gave her a quick bow. “At your service.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fin. This is my friend Cassy.” Tara moved aside.

Fin kissed the back of Cassy’s hand. She watched his every movement with a gaping mouth.

“Duncan will be along in a minute. I took advantage of the opportunity to see who it was he was talking my ear off about. It seems all he says is true.”

“All good I hope.”

“Of course.” Fin took the wine that was offered him. “Ah, here comes my
much older
brother now.”

Laughter peeled from Tara at the comment.

“Much older my foot! What is it, twelve or thirteen months between you?”

Fin smiled but didn’t answer her question.

****

Watching the enemy from across the room, Grainna calculated her next move. Patience was never her strong point. With victory in sight it grew terribly short. It took every ounce of will to keep from snatching Tara up and hiding her until the solstice.

No, it would not bode well to have the authorities alerted of a missing person. Besides, Tara was surrounded by Grainna’s guard, and now that she knew of the threat, watching them would be easy. When all was said and done, no one would be able to touch her. Besides, by the time the authorities found Tara’s body, Grainna would be 55

Catherine Bybee

long gone.

The anxious woman sitting beside her hung on every word Grainna muttered.
Fools, all of them are
fools.

If she told the woman what she really saw in her palm, or read in her mind, the woman would search out her unfaithful husband this minute. Telling these simpletons the truth only hurt the cause.

Grainna looked over at Tara and saw the man’s hand take hers to his lips. The color flowing into Tara’s flesh was telling.

Grainna smiled at her current customer, mumbled a cryptic, “You’ll live long and love another.” She then waved off the other patrons waiting for their turn.

56

Binding Vows

Chapter 5

Duncan marveled at how easily Tara slipped into her regal role. She walked toward him with hands extended, her smile radiant. He kissed her in greeting, a chaste kiss, but powerful enough to put a blush in her cheeks. “You look lovely.”

“Well you know what they say, if you can’t beat them, join them.”

Duncan didn’t have a clue as to what she meant, but instead of pointing out his confusion, he nodded and stepped back when she announced dinner.

Duncan found her tales of school fascinating.

Her effort to be a healer didn’t come as a surprise, but without the knowledge of how it was done in this century he couldn’t add anything to the conversation. He listened, and thought how much his mother would love to discuss how medicine would change in time.

Cassy and Tara did go on about their lives.

Duncan wanted to tell her tales of his own youth and the adventures he and Fin had had. However, it wasn’t possible. How could he tell her of the time he learned the ability to light a fire without the aid of flint? How with his brother’s encouragement, he almost burned down the west end of the Keep?

Nay. He could only listen. In an effort to feel closer to Tara, he took her hand. Heat surged to her face in the form of a blush, her pulse quickened under his thumb.

Not so unaffected by my charms
.

Fin leaned forward and whispered so only 57

Catherine Bybee

Duncan could hear. “She comes.”

Grainna walked toward them quickly, halting all conversation at their table. Duncan and Fin’s inner thoughts turned to the music being played and the woman in their company. Both shielded their feelings so Grainna couldn’t read them.

“Ladies.” She gathered her skirts and stepped up on the platform. “I trust you are enjoying yourselves?”

“This really is amazing, Madame Gwen,” Cassy answered.

Grainna’s eyes pierced Duncan. Her smile painted on. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”

“Of course.” Tara found her voice. “Duncan and Fin, this is Madame Gwen. The lady to whom we owe our elevated status.”

Grainna extended her hand.

Duncan shook her hand briefly.

“You put on a lovely show. Have you been doing this for long?” Duncan asked.

“For several years now, Mr...?”

He wasn’t about to tell her his surname. He had no way of knowing if she had encountered his ancestors before his birth.

Fin jumped in when Duncan stumbled on his reply. “Several years? Wow, it must be tiring for someone your age?” Grainna stared at him, displeased with his rude remark.

Duncan kicked Fin under the table. “I think what my brother is asking is if you plan on retiring soon? Although, I doubt any could do as good a job managing this event.”

“If everything works out, gentlemen, I’ll be retiring very soon.” Her gaze drifted to Tara. The scowl on her face lifted. “Enjoy your evening.”

Grainna turned to walk away.

Duncan let out a silent sigh of relief.

58

Binding Vows

****

They called it roast duck, when they served what was really chicken. Not that it mattered, because Tara didn’t taste a thing. Every once and a while, she would glance up when someone laughed a little too loudly or when a guest stumbled into their table. The party went on around her, but she didn’t notice much except Duncan.

Tara didn’t want to see the evening end. But as people started making their way to their tents, and the musicians stopped playing, she resigned herself to say good night.

Duncan walked her to her tent with Sampson close behind.

“Thank you for today.” Tara felt the twinge of an awkward moment, the first she had felt since she had climbed back on his horse.

Duncan took her nervous hand in his and leaned in for the gentlest of kisses. “Sleep well, Lady Tara.”

He turned on his heels, sailed past the guard, and disappeared into the night.

Tara watched him go.
Damn!

****

“Do you think he left?” Tara looked around the extra guard searching for Duncan in the crowd.

Cassy grinned through the haze of morning blur.

“I’m sure he’s here somewhere. Maybe he’s sleeping like half the other people here.” She protested their early hour viciously when Tara pulled her out of her bed. “Like we should still be doing,” Cassy added.

Tara cocked her head to one side. “This was your brilliant idea. Don’t go giving me lip because I’m starting to get into it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Where’s the coffee?”

****

“What are you going to do?” Fin looked over the rim of his cup at the women who hadn’t noticed them yet.

59

Catherine Bybee

Duncan didn’t acknowledge his brother’s question. He was too busy watching her.

Fin waved a hand in front of his brother’s eyes to gain his attention. “God’s teeth, Duncan, you have to focus. Our time is running out.”

“Damn if I don’t know that.” He tore his eyes away. “She is undeserving of what we are doing.”

Fin felt for his brother whose conscience was always getting in the way of the deed. “If we were home, I’d say pursue her as your wife. But since we are not, bed her and be done with it.”

Duncan winced. “And if she doesn’t go willingly, what then, Fin? Even you would not take when permission is not granted.”

“You have all of today and tonight. If the time doesn’t prove fruitful, then tomorrow’s games will give her a taste of the man you are.” Fin knocked his brother on his back and choked out a laugh. “Who knows, maybe I’ll let you win the games so you can be handfasted with her.”