Page 10 of To Wed a Wild Scot
“Won’t be, as long as this lady doesn’t find him. She comes here, tell her you never heard of the place, and send her back the way she came.”
Juliana peeked around the corner and saw Fergus was shading his eyes from the last rays of the sun. “England’s the best place for her, I reckon.”
“There’s no place for her at Castle Kinross, that’s certain. You’ll tell your people to keep quiet as well, aye?”
“Aye.” Fergus’s weathered face broke into a grin. “I warned ye not to get yourself a duke, lad. Now you got ’im, he’s bringing all sorts of other odd ones your way. That’s the way of it, with dukes.”
“I wouldn’t have taken him if I’d had a choice.” Logan trudged over to his horse, shoved the packet of letters in his saddle bag, and swung up into the saddle. He kicked the big gray horse into motion, but then drew him to an abrupt halt again, and looked over his shoulder. “I don’t want that English chit at Castle Kinross, Fergus. You’ll take care to do as I asked?”
“Aye. I’ll see to it.”
Logan nodded and rode out of the stable yard. Juliana waited until Fergus went back inside, then she ran into the yard, hoping Stokes was waiting for her there.
He wasn’t. Juliana swept a frantic gaze over the yard. Stokes was nowhere to be seen, but the horse she’d ridden into the Sassy Lassie was hitched to a post nearby, munching contentedly on some hay while she waited her turn in the stables.
Well, she’d have to wait a little longer.
Juliana hurried to the horse, took up her reins, and mounted. She hesitated only long enough to cast a single hopeful glance toward the stables, but Stokes didn’t appear, and another anxious glance revealed the rapidly retreating figure of the scoundrel who’d just burned her letter.
Stokes was going to be beside himself when he found her gone, but she’d come back for him as soon as she could. He’d likely figure out what had happened, and anyway, there was no help for it. This might be her only chance to find Castle Kinross, and she didn’t intend to lose it. If nothing else, she refused to let a vile blackguard like that Logan outsmart her.
“Go!” She tapped her heels lightly against her horse’s flanks, and rode off in the direction he’d taken.
Juliana had always considered herself to be a practical lady, but she didn’t allow herself to acknowledge all the reasons why it might not be wise to follow a strange man down a gloomy road, straight into the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.
Not just any strange man either, but a scoundrel. A thief. The sort of blackguard who didn’t hesitate to rip open a letter not addressed to him, read it without so much as a by-your-leave, and without the faintest flush of guilt on his cheeks, consign it to a fiery grave.
Who the blazes did he think he was, trying to prevent her from reaching Fitzwilliam?
Logan. In the few letters she’d received from Fitzwilliam, he’d never mentioned that name to her. She didn’t know the man, and she couldn’t think of a single innocent reason why he’d be so determined to keep her and Fitzwilliam apart.
But she knew one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt. Fitzwilliam wasn’t involved in it. He’d never do something so low—not to anyone, and especially not to her.
Whatever tricks this Logan was playing, Fitzwilliam didn’t know a thing about it, and what’s more, Logan wasn’t going to get away with it. She was here now, and she didn’t intend to leave without her betrothed. Grace’s future depended on Juliana’s securing a husband, and she would do so, no matter how many scoundrels she had to chase to make it happen.
She followed the man deeper and deeper into the countryside. Her determination to reach Castle Kinross never flagged, but as the ride dragged on into an hour, then an hour more, her energy did. It grew darker with every step they took—so dark, in fact, it took all of Juliana’s concentration to keep track of the man in front of her. She dared not follow too closely behind him for fear he’d hear her horse’s hooves trampling the dirt, but she also didn’t dare to fall too far behind, in case she lost him entirely.
It had been easy enough to trail after a man on the public road, but it was much harder now she was obliged to be quiet. Horses were large, unwieldy animals, and this poor horse had been deprived of her rest at Inverness. As they plodded along, mile after mile, the horse’s enthusiasm began to ebb. Juliana tried to soothe her with comforting caresses and murmurs, but at one point the horse let out a mournful whinny.
Logan, riding some distance ahead of them, came to a stop.
Juliana froze, her hand on the horse’s neck to quiet her. She was too far back to see if he’d turned his head to search the darkness, or worse, if he was coming toward her. All she could do was remain as quiet as possible, her breath held as she listened for the sound of approaching hooves.
None came.
The silence persisted until at last Juliana allowed herself to gulp in a deep breath. He hadn’t heard them creeping along behind him, after all. She was vastly relieved at it, but whatever comfort she felt vanished when she realized Logan had disappeared around a bend in the road, and she’d lost sight of him.
She urged her horse forward, her heart rushing into her throat. If she lost him, not only would it become impossible for her to discover Castle Kinross, but she would find herself out here alone in the Highlands. She’d been too focused on keeping up with Logan to mark her direction from the Sassy Lassie. She hadn’t the faintest notion how to get back to Inverness.
At the very least, she’d be trapped here through the night.
Juliana didn’t fancy a night alone in the pressing darkness of the Highlands. If hungry, wild animals lurked anywhere, it would be here.
She guided her horse around the bend and peered once again into the thick darkness before her, but she couldn’t discern any shape or movement in the gloom. The man, Logan, seemed to have disappeared.
Apprehension raised the hairs on the back of her neck, but Juliana threw back her shoulders, straightening in the saddle. What nonsense. Men didn’t simply disappear into the dark. He’d only pulled further ahead, that was all.
She urged her horse forward again, this time with a bit more noise and haste than was perhaps prudent. Worse, her nervousness made her clumsy, and she flinched as the horse stumbled over an outcropping of rock.
