Earl of Hearts(17)

No, that was ridiculous.

He growled again, and although he was angry with her, that low, throaty  sound stirred her heart. He meant it as a warning, but to her it was a  mating call.         

     



 

He tugged on the reins to slow Valor down as they began their climb into the mountains. "Do you see me laughing?"

"I understand the seriousness of our situation. I'm not suggesting that I  will do anything reckless." She doubted he would believe her since he  thought her stealing Somersby's book of accounts was the height of  folly, and now he was stuck having to keep her alive while getting that  book to the proper authorities.

"Then do as I say. I mean it, Nicola." There was something in the way he  now held her, as though wanting to take her into his heart and keep her  tucked in there forever. Was this how he felt whenever he was on  assignment? Did his need to protect run as deep with everyone he was  charged to watch over? Or was she different?

"Warning taken, John. I know Somersby will be relentless in his pursuit  of us. I'm more than a little scared of what might happen if he finds  us. Terrified, actually."

He eased his grasp on her. "Good. Stay that way. If he finds us, you need to keep out of my way and let me handle him."

She nodded.

They rode in silence a while longer and Nicola allowed herself to be  distracted by the scenery, marveling at the splendor of the rough pines  and tall oaks that soared to the sky and blocked most of the sun from  the forested paths. They crossed crystal blue streams that flowed over  pristine rocks and rich, brown earth. Green and amber grasses grew in  abundance along those stream banks.

They were safest while keeping to the forest, for the thick vegetation  hid them well. But they would also have to cross large expanses where  they would be forced out into the open, exposed to anyone's view from as  far as the eye could see. Crossing barren hills and open meadows was  the most dangerous part of their journey. Although those hills and  meadows might look beautiful in their sweep of purple heather, they  offered no protective cover. Their low shrubs would never hide them.

As the sun began to dip below the trees, John drew Valor to a halt  beside a stream. He dismounted and then helped Nicola down from the  saddle, holding her by the waist until he was certain she'd recovered  her footing. "There's an old military trail that runs near Aviemore.  We'll make better time once we pick it up."

"Do you think Somersby knows of it?"

John nodded. "Likely. Part of any smuggling operation is to get the  goods distributed as efficiently as possible. Old roads that are little  used and remain in relatively good condition are what any smuggler would  favor."

"Then why are we using it?"

"Because he will be looking for us on the main roads. He knows that's  where we'll make the fastest time, and that's where he'll ride to find  us."

"He saw us go into the mountains."

"Yes, but he doesn't believe I'd be so foolish as to take you over those  mountain peaks. There's a road that runs eastward we could have taken  about three hours ago, one that skirts Inverness and takes us a little  south of it to Cawdor and Nairn. That's where he thinks we're heading,  into Shakespeare's MacBeth territory where we can pick up another boat  to sail us to Edinburgh, perhaps even London."

While Valor drank from the stream and began to graze upon the nearby  grass, John sliced a few chunks of the bread and cheese he'd removed  from his pouch and handed some to Nicola.

She accepted the food gratefully. "Thank you, I'm famished."

They sat on the trunk of a fallen pine, and when they'd finished their  meager fare, John knelt beside the stream and cupped water into his  hands to drink. Nicola was surprised when he offered her the water  first, then realized that this was John behaving true to form. He  thought of others before he ever thought of himself.

She smiled at him and drank the offered water. Only then did he take some for himself.

"Um, John …  I need to take care …  um, personal matter."

He laughed, understanding what she was trying to say. "You'll find  privacy over there." He pointed to a row of bushes not far from the  stream. "I'll stay here. Don't take too long."

She hurried away, for the call of nature was persistent. She finished  quickly and then washed her hands in the stream. The water was cold  since it came down from the mountains, but felt bracing when she  splashed some on her face and neck as well.

When she returned to John's side, his big frame was stretched out on the  grass. His eyes were closed. He was on his back, his head resting on  his arms that he'd crossed behind his head to form a pillow. Shrugging,  Nicola sat down beside him.

He eased one eye open and shifted slightly to hold out his arm to her.  "Come here, brat. Valor needs another twenty minutes or so to rest and  we ought to do the same."         

     



 

She nodded and scrambled to lie down beside him. If not for the threat  of death hanging over them, she would consider this was a moment of  heaven. For years, she'd longed to be in John's arms. Here she was now,  resting her head on his chest as he held one arm around her shoulders to  draw her close to the heat of his body. "John, shouldn't we be reading  that book of accounts instead of sleeping?"

"No, brat. It will take us about a week to reach Edinburgh over land.  What's more pressing at the moment is to lose Somersby and his men."

"But you think he's following a false trail into MacBeth territory."

"Yes, but I can't be sure. He will consider every possibility. His own  life is at stake and the lives of all those involved in his operation.  He won't be alone in hunting for us. I don't know how many men he can  muster to track us down, but he'll be dispersing them throughout  Scotland in order to cover every potential route."

"But we have the advantage for the moment. Right?"

John nodded. "Right, he has to guess where we're headed, and with every  new choice, every crossroads he reaches, he has to give up a man or two  to follow that possible trail. He expects us to end up in Edinburgh or  London, but he can't be sure of that either. Nor will he know whether  we've hired another boat or will continue over land. There are several  roads leading into Edinburgh. I expect he'll have men positioned at each  entry point with orders to shoot us on sight. He'll have men watching  the docks and the regimental headquarters. He'll be desperate to stop us  before we speak to the regimental commander."

"All the more reason for us to ride straight to London."

He gave her shoulder a light caress. "And give him more time to find us  and that book? We're two riders on one horse and have little food or  money between us. He can ride on open roads while we have to keep to  mountain trails. He'll call on unsuspecting friends and give them some  lie about us. Perhaps that I've abducted you, that I'm crazed and  dangerous and must be shot on sight."

Nicola sat up abruptly. "No one would dare shoot you. I would tell them the truth."

He looked at her and shrugged. "It won't do much good if they've already shot me."

"John, you're as well-known as Somersby. No one is going to harm you. The notion is ridiculous."

"Fine. Then stop fretting and don't ask me any more questions."

He held out his arm to her again.

She sighed and settled against the muscled line of his body. Although  she was tired, her mind was too active to sleep. Or so she thought. The  next thing she knew, John was lightly shaking her to wake her up. "What?  I must have … " She blinked her eyes open and saw the elongated shadows  across the forest floor. "Has it only been twenty minutes?"

John shook his head. "An hour, to be precise. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"Oh, John! I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. We all needed that extra time and can make up the lost half  hour at any point. We'll reach Aviemore early tomorrow. Somersby will  likely have his men posted there as well."

"They'll see us."

"That's why we can't risk riding into town. We'll forage on the  outskirts, hopefully find something to eat. Perhaps a chicken left to  roam wild, abandoned by a crofter who gave up on farming the land. The  terrain is rugged up here and there ought to be more than a few  abandoned crofts along the way."

"Do you think we might sleep in one? I hope we come across one tonight. I  know we can't light a fire, but at least we'll be protected from the  wind."

He helped her to her feet and then lifted her onto Valor's back before  climbing up behind her. "We'll see. I'd like to get another three or  four hours of riding in this evening. There's a valley that runs between  these mountains and we need to cross it by night. There's no cover for  us in daylight."

Nicola settled back against his chest. John's body was becoming familiar  to her. She loved the size and strength of it and knew that she'd never  tire of being in his arms. But it was foolish to wish for their time  together never to end. There was no question that it would end as soon  as they reached Edinburgh …  or London, if he could be persuaded to take  her there instead.