Page 20 of A Temptress in Tartan

Involuntarily, her thoughts returned to last night. Despite all the challenges the residents of Ravenscraig had thrown at her, she had passed their tests. Her small victory brought a surge of satisfaction she had not experienced before. Lachlan had been proud of her. She was surprised at how happy the thought made her as the next segment of their journey began.

Lachlan had opted to leave the carriage behind for his coachman and Cameron’s men to deliver to Whittingehame at a later date, and instead to proceed on horseback for which Elizabeth was grateful since it meant she no longer needed to suggest such a tactic.

There was no sign of her father or his men this morning, but Elizabeth could not help but think they weren’t far away. Donald Ruthven was no fool. It wouldn’t have taken him long to figure out the deception of yesterday’s travel. At least on horseback, she and Lachlan could stay ahead of the Ruthvens if they picked up their pace.

Elizabeth nudged her horse into a slightly faster rhythm.

Lachlan increased his speed to match hers. “Are you in a hurry to put Ravenscraig behind us?”

She turned in her saddle to look at the landscape behind her, searching for her father’s presence. Finding none, she released a shattered breath. Just because she could not see her father and his men as she had before did not mean they were not there. “Lachlan, I . . .” She’d been trying to find a way to tell him about her father following them all morning, but had yet to find the words. “I need to tell—”

“Since you are not afraid of the water,” Lachlan said, interrupting her, “I’ve decided we should cross the Firth of Forth instead of taking the longer journey around.”

Elizabeth nearly sagged with relief. Again, Lachlan had spared her from formulating a half-truth or from betraying her clan. “I’ve never been on a boat before.”

“It’s more of a ship than a boat,” he corrected. “Large enough for a full crew, cargo, and several horses.”

Elizabeth pulled the edges of her cloak together against the cool morning air. “How long will it take us to cross the Firth?”

“With the winds to the southeast and in our favor, it should only take a few hours to reach the shores of Aberlady. We save a day and a half of travel taking this route.”

Her father would never expect them to sail instead of traveling by land. Pleased at the turn of events, Elizabeth kept her confession to herself. As the morning mist dissipated, the blue-green waters of the Firth of Forth came into view. Traveling closer to Kirkcaldy Beach, Elizabeth soon made out a long, narrow dock and a ship with three tall masts anchored there.

“Is that the ship we will be taking?” she asked as Lachlan brought his horse alongside hers.

Lachlan nodded. “She’s a carrack named The Golden Rose. Cameron Sinclair owns this ship and several others.”

“He’s a merchant?” Elizabeth asked.

Lachlan raised a brow. “He’s a warrior who dabbles in trade with exotic locales.”

“That explains the spices used on the roasted stag last night. I have never tasted their like.”

“Cinnamon.”

“What?” she asked.

“It’s the inner bark of a tree. Cameron has developed quite a fondness for the spice. He’s acquired that and many others from a trade route out of Egypt.”

“I’ve heard tales of great explorers who have sailed vast distances and discovered many wondrous treasures.”

“Aye,” Lachlan said. “Places filled with silver and gold, forests that go on forever, and many native cultures, in addition to many pleasurable things such as cinnamon.”

She nodded. “There is so much out there, so many things we have yet to discover or to even imagine.”

“You sound like an explorer,” he said.

“I have always been interested in what lies beyond the horizon. We live on an island, and there is so much more to see beyond the Scottish shores.” She became thoughtful for a moment. “Perhaps that is why I am drawn to water . . .”

“It sounds as though I should talk with Cameron about letting the two of us sail on one of his ships as it travels to foreign lands. Would you like that?”

She would love to travel, but she wasn’t certain if she wanted to travel with him. “I will think about it.”

Neither said anything further until they reached the coast where Lachlan dismounted then lifted Elizabeth down from her horse. “God’s teeth, you’re cold. Why didn’t you tell me you were so cold?” He pulled her cloak more closely around her.

“I didn’t feel the cold after a while,” she replied as the wind continued to blow all around her.

He removed his own cloak and settled it over her shoulders before he enfolded her in his arms. “This should help you stay warm until I can get the horses settled on the ship.”