Page 59 of Tess and the Highlander
It could be Colin and his men. They could be hidingin these same woods. With a sense of relief that almost took herbreath away, she opened her mouth to call to them…and thenstopped.
Whoever it was, they were getting closer,and Tess felt the hairs on her neck stand up. Acting on instinct,she took off again through the woods, away from the sounds. Bramblebushes caught at her clothes and young saplings slapped at herface, but she didn’t look back. Frantic, she charged on through thedark glade.
Tess no longer had any idea where she was orwhat direction she was going. Confusion surrounded her as she torethrough the forest. The pulsing of her heart in her ears blockedout all noise, and it was not long before her energy startedslipping away. Sobs of desperation rose into her throat, chokingher. And yet, on she ran.
She didn’t even see the man who stepped frombehind the tree until she ran into him. His bruising fingersclamped on her arms, and Tess could feel the missing fingers on hisright hand. She tried to scream, but fear and shock clawed at herthroat.
“And finally we meet.” He spoke quietly,without feeling. “And I am very grateful to you for making ourlittle business so simple for me to finish this time.”
Tess stared up into his dark eyes andrealized she was no longer thinking of her own end. Her feardissipated into the darkness like a puff of smoke. Instead, shefound that she was filled with anger at the injustice that wouldnever be righted.
“Why?” she said coolly. “Why did you have tokill my father? She could have walked away from the marriage. Whysuch cold-blooded murder?”
“He who lives by the sword, dies by thesword,” Burnett answered bluntly. “The sword was Stephen’s way. Hewas brave enough, and he was too proud to accept his wife leavinghim. It would have been a blemish on his name.”
“So you took his life.”
“He took Evelyn against her wishes. And I took herback. It was the way he lived. It was what he knew.”
“You stabbed him in the back.”
Burnett looked away into the darkness.“Think me evil if you will, but there was no difference betweenStephen and me. We lived our lives by the sword.”
“That’s a lie.”
“He killed in the name of the king. I killedin the name of justice.”
“And you callthisjustice?” Tesstried to shrug off his touch, but his fingers only tightened morepainfully on her arms. “Chasing me through the woods. Will you stabme in the back, too, and call it justice?”
A hard smile broke on his face. “Others willsee it that way after they hear that I have hung the outlaws who Iwill say attacked and killed young Macpherson and his men…andEvelyn’s only child. There are many in Ninestane Castle who willhonestly swear that a foolish lass ran off to meet with herHighland lover.”
“Colin,” she gasped. The taste of bile roseinto her mouth.
“As we speak, my men are putting your dearHighlanders to the sword. You will be relieved to know, though,that they will die peacefully while they sleep.”
Tess went wild in his arms, kicking andpunching with the fury of a tiger. “I’ll kill you with my barehands if you go close to him. By St. Adrian’s blood, I’ll cut youinto pieces and use you for fish bait if you so much as touchhim.”
He tried to hold her with his mutilated handwhile reaching for his dagger with the other. Tess bit hard on histhumb, and he roared in pain. Angry, he slapped her hard across theface, knocking her backward. Stunned by the force of the blow, Tessfell against a tree, striking her head hard on the knobbytrunk.
A million lights exploded in her head,nearly blinding her momentarily, and she felt herself sinking tothe ground. The woods whirled crazily. Tess watched helplesslythrough the haze as the murderer pulled the dagger out of itssheath and took a step toward her.
And suddenly, there were torches comingthrough the trees.
“They were not there, m’lord!”
“Empty rolls of straw and blanket!”
“Not one filthy Highlander anywhere.”
The urgent shouts of his men running intosight pulled Burnett’s attention away.
“What do you mean, no one there?”
“Their horses were still tethered to thetrees,” the first one answered.
“Don’t make a sound.” The whisper was so lowthat Tess thought she had imagined it. As Burnett started shoutingorders to his men, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist anddrag her slowly backward. She looked over her shoulder and felt herheart soar when she realized it was Colin.
Burnett turned at that instant, and hisangry roar echoed through the woods. “Stop him! Kill him!”
