Free Highland Thirst by Lynsay Sands, Hannah Howell

ye?”
    “Nay,
of course not. ‘Tis just that ye and your clan have enough trouble to deal
with. Ye dinnae need to have to worry about me as weel. And I might weel bring
Hervey kicking at your door.”
    “Let
him. ‘Twill save me the trouble of hunting him down. Ye will come to
Cambrun.”
    She
opened her mouth to argue with him and quickly closed it again. There really
was no argument to be made. She could go with him or she could wander about the
countryside trying to find some place safe to hide until Hervey was no longer
murderously angry at her and Angus had left Rosscurrach or died so that he was
no longer a threat. She did not think the men frowning at her right now would
see the latter as a very sound plan. The tone of command in Heming’s voice,
however, made her feel compelled to disagree and she knew she was scowling at
him.
    “Mayhap
we best give ye two a minute or so to discuss this,” murmured Colin. “We will
just take the dog for a wee walk. Come along, Thor,” he said to the dog as
Peter and Fergus stepped out of the room. As he started to follow them, Thor at
his side, Colin looked down to see the cat walking at his other side. “Weel, I
see that we will be taking Havoc for a walk as weel.”
    Brona
had to smile as she watched her pets march off with Colin. Then Heming grasped
her by the hand, sat down on his pallet, and pulled her down beside him. She
felt the hint of a blush touch her cheeks and was not sure why. They had been
sharing the chamber for five days so a moment or two alone should not make her
feel so uncertain.
    “Ye
dinnae have anyone ye can go to, do ye, lass?” Heming asked quietly.
    She
sighed, hating to admit the sad truth. “Nay, save for my aunt, and I cannae go
there now, can I? Aye, I have a few other kin, though we arenae close, but I
cannae be sure how to get to their homes. I fear I have been kept verra
secluded, verra sheltered. First by my parents and then by the fact that Hervey
seems to prefer it if I stay out of sight most of the time.”
    Although
Heming wanted to keep her at his side, he knew it was only fair to discuss any
other choices she might have. Not doing so was the kind of subterfuge that
could come back round and bite him in the end. He would give her what few
choices she had and then try to talk her out of taking any except coming to
Cambrun with him.
    “Mayhap
the easiest thing ye could do is stay right here until ye are certain your
cousin is no longer so angry.”
    “I
dinnae think there is much chance of avoiding punishment for what I have done
if I stay near Hervey. He may nay remain so furious he would wish to kill me,
but he willnae forgive either. He will also do something to make sure that I ne’er
want to go against him again. ‘Tis his way. But, I might weel try that if nay
for one thing—Angus wishes to wed with me.”
    Heming
actually saw red and felt his fangs slide into place. Angus had the same hard,
cold cruelty in him that Hervey did. The man had also been very creative in his
methods of torture, as if he spent many long hours finding or thinking of ways
to make people scream in pain. The thought of any man touching Brona was enough
to make him grit his teeth in jealous fury, which surprised him. The thought of
Angus touching Brona, of laying claim to her as his wife, was enough to make
Heming want to howl with rage and go after the man, hunt Angus down, and rip
him apart.
    “Ye
are the daughter of a laird. I would have thought your cousin would seek a more
fitting husband for one of your birth.” Heming almost winced at his own
hypocrisy, for if Angus was too lowborn for Brona then so was he.
    “I was the daughter of a laird. I am now just a cousin of the laird. And,
in truth, what I overheard implies that there was some dowry left for me. If I
wed Angus then Hervey gets to keep the dowry and he is in need of some coin.
They planned on seeing to that matter as soon as they were done with you.”
    “Then
ye must come with me