School For Heiresses 3- Beware A Scot's Revenge (14 page)

Rosscraig was in no condition to support a woman ofVenetia ’s needs and wants. It teemed with boisterous, hardworking men and their scrappy, hardworking women. That roiling lot was no kind of company for a lass who couldn’t tell a tabby from a wildcat.

Who begged him to spare its life on account of its wee ones.

He paused while buttoning his drawers. What a tenderhearted lass she was—too tenderhearted for the harsh life of Rosscraig. She was better suited for someLondon lord who could appreciate her particular talents.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
A scowl knit his brow as he finished fastening himself up. He didn’t like the thought of that, either, of her in the arms of a puling English dandy. She deserved better, even if her father
was
the worst devil ever to betray his countrymen.

Of course, if she was right that the news about her kidnapping would spread, then she would never have the chance to marry anyway.

Devil take her, she was making him worry about things that weren’t going to happen, things that shouldn’t concern him! This was about Duncannon, about forcing him to live up to his responsibilities. There was no reason to believe that things wouldn’t go as planned, that she wouldn’t be returned to her cozy life inLondon without harm to her reputation or her future. So why did the other possibilities plague him every step of his way back to the coach, even more than his stiff leg and his aching ribs? Why couldn’t he take any pleasure in the sight of the morning sun dancing its light across the loch or the delicate scent of the honeysuckle twining along the edge of the woods? And why did anger roar into him with a vengeance to find Jamie sitting in the carriage with her, chatting along like any royal courtier with a princess?

“Out of the coach, Jamie! It’s yer turn up top.”

He didn’t miss the pleading glance Venetia shot the lad…or the reassuring pat Jamie gave her hand before he climbed out and facedLachlan with a stubborn set to his shoulders. “I thought I’d ride inside a bit longer if ye don’t mind, sir.”

“I do mind. It’s nigh on to twenty-four hours since I last slept.”

“I thought you didn’t need sleep,”Venetia taunted him. “I thought you said that soldiers were used to—”

“That was before I had to chase you for half a mile.” Before he’d had to endure her beating his ribs and thrashing about beneath him. He fixed Jamie with a stern glance. “Besides, laddie, the lass escaped on
yer
watch, not mine. So I mean to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Bristling at being called “laddie,” Jamie crossed his arms over his chest. “And I mean to make sure you don’t make untoward advances to the young lady.”

“Oh, Lord,”Venetia muttered, and threw herself back against the seat. Lachlan’s temper flared right high. What had the scheming wench told the lad? “Are you threatening me, laddie?” he asked, this time deliberately insulting. He strode forward, forcing Jamie to back up against the coach. “Because I’d think long and hard about that if I were you. I can still thrash you with one hand behind my back, and don’t think I wouldn’t do it, either.”

Jamie glared at him. “Do it if you please, sir, but I’m not backing down.”

Oh, the lad had fallen hard for the wench already, hadn’t he?Lachlan jerked his head toward the coach.

“Is that what the lady told you? That I made ‘untoward advances’?”

“She didn’t have to tell me,” Jamie said stoutly. “I saw how you held her. And she had twigs and leaves all over the back of her gown, too.”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Aye, because she went hurtling through the woods like a madwoman and nearly got herself mauled by a wildcat. All because ye slept through our stopping.”

Jamie paled, butLachlan went on venting his temper. “ ‘Untoward advances’ indeed—you wouldn’t know an ‘untoward advance’ if it bit you in yer hairy Scottish arse. She’s the only one who talks like that, and you ought to be ashamed of yerself for listening to her when she already got away from you once—”

“Enough!”Venetia said in a commanding tone.Lachlan glanced over to see her glaring at him from the open coach door. “Don’t blame Jamie for that. I got away because
you
were off pissing in the bushes.”

Jamie’s jaw dropped.

Lachlan’s was right behind it. “You said ‘piss.’

”Venetia flushed. “It seems the only sort of language you understand, you ill-mannered oaf.”

A choked sound came from Jamie, andLachlan looked over to find the lad fighting the urge to laugh.Lachlan ’s dark scowl took care of that.

“Now, sir,”Venetia continued, “if you insist upon riding inside the coach, by all means do so. I don’t care one way or the other.”

“No, milady,” Jamie protested, “I told you I’d look after you, and I will!”

“Silence, lad,”Lachlan growled. “She doesn’t make the rules around here, and neither do you. I’m riding in the carriage, and that’s the end of the discussion.”

“But—”

“It’s fine,”Venetia said firmly. “I’ve put up with the great lout until now. I’m sure I can put up with him a while longer, laddie.”

Jamie flinched to hear her refer to him that way, andLachlan almost felt sorry for the young idiot. Little did she know she’d done more to harm her cause with Jamie with that one word than with any amount ofLachlan ’s shouting.

Then Jamie drew himself up. “All right, then. I’ll drive.” He shotLachlan a resentful glance. “But I’m keeping the panel open.”

Lachlanrolled his eyes but allowed Jamie his bit of rebellion. After all, he could hardly blame the lad for turning into a mooncalf aroundVenetia . She was the kind of woman a man would die to protect. And no doubt she’d used that to her advantage. But she wouldn’t do it with him, Jamie or no Jamie. As soon as the coach set off, he reached under the seat and pulled out the lengths of rope he hadn’t needed until now.

Her eyes widened. “See here,Lachlan , I didn’t put Jamie up to challenging you. He did that on his own. So you can’t punish me—”

“This isn’t about that.” He bent down and began to bind her at the ankles. “I need to sleep, and I won’t be able to if ye’re free to run about.” He finished tying her legs and sat up. “Now give me yer hands.”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Please,Lachlan ,” she begged, tucking them beneath her skirts, “what if I promise I won’t try to escape?”

“Don’t take me for a fool. You know bloody well that the moment my back is turned, ye’d be running into the woods again.” He managed a smile. “It’s only for a while, and no harm will come to you. But I’ve got to get some rest, and you’ll make that impossible. Now give me yer hands, lass.”

When she just sat there, staring mutinously at him, he hardened his voice. “I see. So you’re up for another tussle, are you? Very well.”

She thrust her wrists out with insulting swiftness, though her eyes flashed fire. “If you touch me anywhere you shouldn’t while I’m like this, I swear to God—”

“I know, princess, I know.” He bound her carefully, not wanting to cause her any pain. Then he sat back against the seat. “Now, then, can I trust you to keep quiet? Or will I have to gag you, too?”

She swallowed. “I’ll keep quiet.”

“See that you do.” He lifted one eyebrow. “Because you don’t want to be giving me a reason for stopping up yer mouth.”

A flush stained her cheeks, wreaking holy hell on his insides. He’d have to stop saying things like that; it just reminded them both of what they couldn’t do.

He took up one of the blankets. “If you’ll slide into that corner there, I’ll cover you. You can probably sleep well enough like that.” And with her covered, he wouldn’t be tempted to spend his sleeping time staring at her body in a lustful stupor.

She did as he said, but a calculating look was already crossing her face. He knew that look only too well by now. “I’ll be handing my pistol to Jamie while I sleep,” he said,

“because I can’t have you trying to wrest it away.”

Her face fell.

“But we both know he doesn’t have the heart to kill anyone.” He drew out the tartan blanket and covered her with it. Then he moved to sit next to her. “So I want to remind you of one thing before we both try to get some rest,” he said softly. “If you scream, it’ll just wake me up to stop ye. Then you’ll be gagged, and I don’t think you want that.”

He turned her face up to his, and she stared at him mutely. “But if you do succeed in bringing attention to yerself before I can silence yer mouth, it’ll mean a fight at the very least. You might get yerself freed, or you might not, but one thing is sure. If they take me and Jamie and you tell them who we are, they’ll hang us.”

Brushing back her hair, he locked his gaze with hers. “We haven’t hurt you, neither of us, and I swear that you needn’t fear that we will. So do you really want our deaths on yer conscience, lassie? All because of some money that’s disputed between yer father and me?”

He was taking a chance by trusting her when he ought to be gagging her. But judging from the troubled
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
look on her face, his words had hit their mark.

“I’m going to sleep now, lass. And you’d be wise to spend the time sleeping yerself instead of inventing more ways to escape me.”

He settled back against the seat and closed his eyes, but it was a long time before he could relax enough to drift into sleep. The problem of Jamie now plagued him. It would be just like the lad to do something foolish on account of the lady—it grew rapidly apparent that Jamie had a soft spot for her. So they couldn’t go on like this. Once he’d had enough rest to hold his seat on a horse, there’d be a change of plan.

Because the only man he could trust aroundVenetia now was himself. Even if being alone with her meant he suffered in hell for the rest of the trip.

Chapter Eleven

Dear Cousin,

How could I ever “accept” the world you describe? The best I can do is teach my girls to
navigate it well, while making sure they surround themselves with people less cynical than you.
Your relation,

Charlotte

A
rumbling noise rather like distant thunder teasedVenetia awake. She snuggled deeper into her bed, then realized that her bed was living flesh and it was speaking to someone in low, muted tones. She jerked her eyes open to find herself wrapped inLachlan ’s arms, with her head comfortably tucked beneath his chin and her cheek pressed to his shoulder. Her bottom lay nestled between his splayed legs, and her bound hands rested on his thigh.

She yanked them up with a blush.

“It’s all right, lass,”Lachlan murmured. “I’ve got no feeling left in my legs anyway.”

Twisting her head back to gaze at him, she said tartly, “That’s what you get for tying me up.”

“No, that’s what I get for letting you crawl all over me while you slept.”

Her cheeks flamed hotter. Shoving against his chest, she scooted onto the seat beside him. “You could have pushed me off your lap if it was a problem,” she said, hating that she sounded apologetic.

“It wasn’t,” he said, though his clipped tone belied his words. Especially when he flexed his legs and true pain sliced across his features. It was just from having the circulation restored in his limbs, she told herself. It served him right for kidnapping her in the first place—let him suffer.

So why did she have the fleeting urge to take those thick, strong thighs in her hands and massage the muscles until the harsh lines softened on his brow and his eyes slid closed in contentment…

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Lord, how ridiculous. No lady worth her rank would ever do such a thing. And touching his legs would only lead him to attempt taking more liberties. Which she didn’t want. No, indeed. Strange, though, that he hadn’t tried anything while he’d had her neatly trussed. She’d warned him not to, but she didn’t flatter herself that he paid her threats any attention. So despite his boorishness and thievery, he must have gentlemanly instincts
somewhere
. Otherwise, he’d have ravished her in the woods when he’d had the chance.

He bent and dragged out the pack he’d kept their food in, then rummaged in it until he withdrew a sheathed knife.

She sat up straight. “Has that been there the whole time?”

“Aye. A pity you missed yer chance to cut out my heart while I slept.”

“That would hardly have been practical. Jamie would have shot me if I’d tried.” Lord knew the lad hadn’t stood firm in the one area she’d asked him to.

“Ah, you’re starting to grasp the way of things, I see.” His eyes gleamed at her as he sliced through her bindings with swift efficiency.

As she rubbed her wrists to get the blood moving, he sheathed the knife and shoved it into his pocket.

“No point in doing anything foolish. Not that you could have sneaked out the blade without me stirring, but even if you had, you sure as the devil don’t have the stomach for murder.”

“True. But unlike you, I don’t consider that a character flaw.”

His gaze grew shadowed. “It’s only a flaw when you’re fighting for yer life, lass. And I pray to God you never find yerself in
that
position.” Then he lifted his face to the open panel to hail Jamie. “How far to Kingussie?”

“A mile at the most, sir. Are you still wanting to stop?”

“Aye, we could use more in our bellies than sandwiches.”

“I won’t say no to that. But aren’t you worried about having to make explanations?”

“It’ll be fine. I’ll take care of it.” When Jamie shrugged,Lachlan added under his breath, “Especially since it can’t be helped, laddie.”

Lachlanbegan to tidy the coach. AsVenetia watched him fold up blankets and stuff items into the pack, hope sprang to life in her chest. “Does this mean that you intend for us to stay overnight in Kingussie?”

“Would I have needed to spend part of the day sleeping if I had?”

“Well, no, but…” Perplexed, she watched as he tied the pack up neatly. “Surely you’re as heartily sick of this carriage as I am. I’ll do almost anything right now to get out of it for a few hours.”