Page 14 of A Highlander's Vow

He didn’t know why but felt himself tensing as he waited for her answer.

She offered him a soft smile. “Is any marriage happy?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I doona ken since it has ne’er been my wish to marry.”

She snorted. “But here ye are dragging me to yer clan to marry me.” She looked up at him. “As yerduty.”

He had a feeling he hadn’t said the right thing and needed to figure out how to answer the lass without making it seem that he had no liking or desire for her.

He did. Her golden red hair cascading down her back, deep greeneyes and enough curves to keep a man happy would certainly be a lass to desire. But did he like her? Would he want her as a wife if he didn’t have the duty to marry her? He didn’t really know her. That was the reason for asking questions. She was quite evasive in her answers, which he found troubling.

“I would be lying to ye lass if I said nay, I’m not here because of duty since we both ken that is the verra reason I showed up at the Sinclair castle.” He stopped for a moment and added, “Ye have to allow that marriage was never something I planned on.”

She lifted her chin and stared him right in the eye, even with the horse going at a clip. “Then why did ye agree to the pledge to marry each other’s widows? Did ye no’ take it seriously?”

Gregory stiffened at her charge. “We were young lads; neither one of us expected to die until we were of an old age. In fact, I ne’er thought about fulfilling the duty”—he cringed at using that word—“because Robert was such a good warrior that I thought he would definitely live longer than me.”

She stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. “What a surprise for ye.” She turned and left him wondering if their conversation had been good or bad for whatever relationship they were headed toward.

Gregory thought they’dtraveled a fair distance considering the horse carried both of them. They’d been quiet since the conversation earlier. Not one to banter back and forth with a lass—or anyone for that matter—he had no problem with the silence.

The sun was beginning to set and except for some dried meat he had on him, they’d had nothing to sustain them besides that and water.

Megan looked like she was about to collapse. He knew he should not have pushed them so far, but since he was the only one protecting the lass, he preferred not to encounter the Gunn or the Sinclair men.

“We’ll stop for the night now.”

She sighed and looked up at him. “Thank ye. Verra, verra much.”

What was it about the lass that made him feel guilty? As if she was suffering and he allowed it. Another strike for marriage. He knew nothing about providing a woman comfort, talking to her, saying the right things.

If he intended to fulfill his vow, he had to learn all of that. The last thing he wanted to do was make the lass miserable for the rest of her life.

He knew he was the better choice for her to marry, but when one considered who the other choice was, it was not really a compliment to him.

*

Megan slid offthe horse into Gregory’s arms. His strong, muscular arms. Even after hours of riding, he appeared as if he could go for another few hours.

Not her. She was so grateful when they stopped that she almost cried. She knew just by the short time they’d been traveling that Gregory Mackenzie knew very little about women. She imagined him staring at her with wide eyes if she broke down and cried.

“Why doona ye gather some sticks and we will start a fire. While ye’er doing that, I’ll see what I can find for our meal.”

Megan nodded and began her chore as he walked off with his bow and arrow as well as his dirk strapped to his leg. She was so tired it seemed as though she was the horse that had carried them part of the night and all day.

She’d been so busy thinking about the past few years and what she was headed to now, that she never paid attention to their travels.

The area they were in was best called a deer path. The dappled fading sunlight on the leaves was beautiful. The air was now gettingcooler, and soon autumn would turn into colder air and the Highland snow of winter. She shivered at the thought.

As she gathered sticks for their fire, small animals scurried about, maybe looking for something for their suppers. She had plenty of wood, but had no idea how to turn it into a fire. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing to have her cloak back.

The sound of thrashing in the wooded area caught her attention. Gregory moved aside some branches and walked toward her.

“I’m sorry I dinna start a fire, but I’m afraid I doona ken how to do it without a flint.”

Gregory dropped three rabbits at her feet and withdrew a flint from his pouch and tossed it to her.

She caught it and started the fire as he cut the rabbits and skinned them.

Megan pushed the wood around with a stick. “I have a question for ye.”

He continued with his cutting. “What?”

“Are ye truly trying to save me, or win a contest against Robert’s uncle?”

Never looking up he said, “Both.”