Page 27 of Kidnapped by a Rogue
Lizzie yawned and stretched her arms. They were both beyond tired.
“We can’t do anything before morning, so let’s sleep on it.” Margaret brushed Lizzie’s hair back from her face. “Thank you for helping me tonight. I don’t know what I would have done without ye.”
After Lizzie climbed the rope ladder up to the loft, Margaret set Ella’s basket on the floor beside the narrow bed, then she paused to marvel again at the girl was now her daughter. Though she had no right to this dear, sweet child, Ella needed a mother, and Margaret was determined to keep them together.
She had no idea how, and she did not have much time to figure it out.
In the morning, her brothers would discover she was not in the palace. How long would it be before they sent men to Blackadder Castle and the village to look for her?
God help me, what can I do?
She picked up the bag with her shattered onyx from the bed and dropped to her knees beside Ella’s basket. Though she doubted the stone retained its magical qualities after it was shattered, if it ever had any, she was desperate. The jagged pieces poked into her palm as she squeezed the bag and prayed for a way to escape with Ella.
When no answer came, she rested her head on her folded arms on the bed.
Her mind was foggy with exhaustion when she felt a slight draft and turned to see the lamp on the table in the other room flicker. She meant to have that door fixed for Thomas because the latch sometimes stuck open. With a deep sigh, she got up to blow out the lamp and shut the door. When she stepped into the other room, she came to an abrupt halt, too stunned to move as her mind tried to make sense of what her eyes seemed to see.
A huge Highland warrior sat with his feet propped on the table, a long dirk across his lap, and a wicked smile on his face. Margaret blinked, expecting the inexplicable vision to disappear. But the vision—or rather, the man—remained.
He had coal-black hair that fell past impossibly broad shoulders, a square-jawed face with the shadow of a beard, and startlingly blue eyes that watched her closely. Despite his smile and relaxed posture, his long, muscular body exuded an animal power that reminded her of the king’s lions. She knew instinctively that if she attempted to run, he would spring from his seat and pounce on her before she took one step.
She forced back the almost overwhelming urge to scream. That would wake Ella and Lizzie and alert the Highlander to their presence. She had to protect them, no matter what it cost her. Her heart beat so frantically that she felt lightheaded, but she was determined to keep her wits about her.
“This will be easier on both of us if ye cooperate.” The Highlander spoke in a deep, soft voice, as if soothing a frightened animal, but everything about him pulseddanger, danger, danger.
“Cooperate?” she asked, her own voice coming out in a thin whisper. “What is it ye want?”
“You, lass,” he said. “I’ve come for you.”
CHAPTER 7
“I’ve come to kidnap ye,” Finn said.
He let out his breath when the lass did not awaken half the village by screaming—at least, she had not yet. He’d gambled on her being a steady lass and not given to hysterics. After how coolly she reacted to seeing her former husband while half the Lowland nobles watched, he figured she either had ice in her veins or was extremely adept at pretending she did.
Of course, he could have avoided the risk by grabbing her from behind and muffling her screams with a hand over her mouth. But they had a long journey ahead and that certainly would start them off on the wrong foot.
The lass had been beautiful from a distance in her glittering gown, but this close—and, God help him, in just her shift—she stole his breath away. Hair the color of moonlight spilled in waves over her shoulders and breasts, which were firm and high.
Ach, what was wrong with him? He was frightening her enough without gawking at her breasts, fine as they were. With an effort, he dragged his gaze back to her face. He had the odd sensation of falling when he found himself staring into her deep brown eyes, but he shook it off.
“I give ye my word I won’t harm ye,” he said, and gestured to one of the stools at the small table. “Now can we talk this situation over quietly?”
She hesitated, but then she perched on the stool, all the while watching him warily with those large brown eyes.
“There’s no cause to make this difficult,” he said. “But one way or another, you’re coming with me.”
“Ye can’t kidnap me,” she said. “Do ye know who my brother is?”
“As it happens, that’s the verra reason for kidnapping ye,” he said. “You’re a valuable lass.”
“You’re mistaken if ye believe my brother places a high value on me,” she said. “He did not give a thought to what might happen to me when he fled to France.”
Finn had seen how her brother used her as a lure for the king and other powerful men. Archibald Douglas would want his beautiful sister back.
“As soon as your brother does what we want,” he said, “you’ll be returned home, safe and sound.”
“What if he doesn’t do what ye want?”
