Page 13 of In the Highlander's Bed

“Ifyou catch her,” Brian said. “The lass is riding like the wind. I’ve never seen Robbie’s horse move so fast.”

“Oh,I’llcatch her,” Gordon said.

Constance rode with her heart pounding in her chest and her spirits high on freedom. For the first time since…well, before her father died, she felt alive. She feltpowerful.

She would be in Edinburgh before morning. She’d lost her money and her clothing but she didn’t care. She’d manage. She always had in the past. She’d be on theNovusbecause she was going home.

The horse was not as wild as the ponies she’d grown up on. She’d frightened it when shepushed his rider off, which was fine. A frightened horse was a fast one.

She was so involved in giving the animal his lead and her own unfettered happiness that she didn’t realize Mr. Lachlan had followed until he was upon her.

His hand reached for her bridle. He was a better horseman than herself. He leaned so far in the saddle, he could have fallen, and yet his legs held tight.

Her horse protested the yank of the reins. He tried to veer, wanting to take his head back. Mr. Lachlan jerked the rein and the horse kicked out, struggling to keep from stumbling.

Constance lost her balance.

She fell to the ground and barely missed being stepped on by inches.

The earth beneath her was spongy and damp. For a moment she feared she couldn’t move. She wiggled her toes, her fingers—and then found a rock to wrap her hand around.

She was not going with Mr. Lachlan.

She had a ship to meet. She didn’t have time to be kidnapped.

He subdued the horses some twenty feet from her and jumped to the ground. Dropping the reins on the lathered horses, he turned to her.

Constance clambered to her feet, prepared todefend herself with the rock in her hand. “Stop right there,” she ordered.

He didn’t listen. He kept coming. He looked very strong, very tall, and very angry in the night, a rope in his right hand.

She threw the rock as hard as she could. Rock throwing had worked for David against Goliath.

It didn’t work for her.

Her rock bounced off his chest and he kept coming.

She turned to run, but in a blink he was beside her, his hand closing around her wrist like a steel band. “You could have killed my man back there,” he said. “Or yourself with that wild riding.”

Constance had a stab of conscience. She had been rough on Robbie. “I have the right to escape,” she defended herself.

“It’s unfortunate for you that you didn’t,” he answered, his voice silky tight.

His men, Robbie on the back of Brian’s horse, came riding up to join them.

The giant, Thomas, said, “I’m tired of this merry chase. Tie her up and be done with her.”

“Aye,” Mr. Lachlan agreed. “We’ll not trust her again.” He walked toward his horse, dragging her when she refused to follow.

Constance was furious at the amused faces of the men on the horses. Mr. Lachlan was going to carry her off to wherever he wished and she’d miss her ship.

She decided to tell him the truth. “Please, I mustn’t go with you,” she said. “I have a ship to board. It’s leaving from Edinburgh in four days.” She twisted her arm, to no avail. “I want to go home. I don’t want to stay here any longer. IhateBritain. I hateEngland. I hateScotland. It’s cold, it’s damp, and it’s ugly. And I’m not too fond ofyou,either.”

Mr. Lachlan stopped, a tall, golden-haired warrior of a man in the moonlight. “Then we have something in common, lass, because I’m far from finding you attractive. As for leaving, you can go anywhere you like,afterColster gives me my sword.”

“Your sword? What sword?”

“The Sword of the MacKenna. Colster has it and I want it back.” He looked to his men before saying, “And it is not just the sword. I’m ransoming you for the freedom of my people. Now do you understand, lass? I don’t care what you hate or what you think or what you feel. I have hungry mouths to feed and a need for justice burning so deep within me, I’d go to hell and back for the sake of it. So resign yourself. Youare staying with me. When Colster gives me what I want, then you are free to go. You can set sail to the moon for all I care.”