Free Winning the Highlander's Heart by Terry Spear Page A

To give them some privacy, Mai dropped back behind Anice, but walked her horse ahead of the wagon.
    “You had another message from the king?”  Anice tried not to sound too curious, but she was dying to know what disturbed Malcolm and his brothers so.
    “Nay,” he said, his voice clipped.
    Now it was her turn to stare at him in disbelief.  “The vellum that landed in the wash barrel was not from the king?”
    “Nay.”  Malcolm’s eyes focused on her veiled hair, then shifted back to her gaze.
    She swallowed hard.  Who else would have sent the missive?  “But it was about me.”
    Malcolm looked away.  “Aye.”
    She didn’t believe him to be the strong silent type.  “And?”
    “’Tis no’ important.”
    “But it is about me,” she insisted.  And their reactions made her suspect it was important.
    “I was concerned about you, last eve,” Malcolm said.
    All right.  She would play the game for a while.  If Malcolm didn’t tell her what the message said, she’d find a way to sneak a peek at it later.  “I appreciate your concern, but you need not have been troubled over me.”
    “His Grace would not force the issue, but he worried you would be in danger at Brecken.”
    She gave a ladylike snort under her breath.
    Malcolm smiled.  “I believe he thought you felt you would be in less danger at home than at Arundel.”
    “He would think right.”
    “I worry though.”  He gave her a pointed look.
    Malcolm’s thoughts shifted to the blurred missive that he and his brothers had attempted to decipher.  Only three words stood out, Anice, cursed, betrothals .  He could only guess what it meant, and though he didn’t believe in curses, Dougald and Angus did.  Was the lady cursed and that’s why some of her clansman had fallen?  But that had nothing to do with betrothals.  As far as he knew, the lady had never been betrothed.  The manner in which the message had been passed to him by a page from some unnamed knight, furthered his disquiet.  Was it a ploy to discredit the lady?
    Yet, he’d heard whispered rumors that Lady Anice had strange powers.  He’d attributed it to the Englishwomen not liking that she was Scottish.  Still, the way she appeared in the hall outside her chamber as if something had warned her they’d received the news about her treasurer, seemed odd.
    He rubbed his freshly shaved face.  His thoughts switched to the troubles at Brecken.  Though he had worried about them all night, he did not wish to discuss this with Anice.  However, another issue bothered him.  The kiss .  Did the lady oft kiss gentlemen?  He would put a stop to it.  Why, after saying he was not the kind of man she would be interested in, kiss him?
    The horse’s hooves clopped on the dirt road, the wagon’s wheels squeaking, but nothing garnered his attention like the woman sitting tall in her green woolen gown, a stray lock of hair fluttering over her cheek.  Instantly, he wanted to see her tresses unbound, draping over her shoulders, silky, kissed by the rays of the sun, red and gold combined, tickling her bare breasts.
    He leaned away from the pommel of his saddle when his trewes grew taut, nearly strangling him.  The journey would be long indeed, if he couldn’t keep his thoughts about the lady’s shapely attributes under control.
    Though he was sure she would not appreciate his bringing up the kiss, he had to ensure she did not avail herself to another gentleman in such a manner.  Furthermore, he had to know why she had kissed him.
    “About last eve--”
    “Aye, I am sorry I fainted again.  ‘Tis good you have a strong back and broad shoulders if you are going to be my steward.”
    He smiled.  “’Twas to be expected, milady, considering the ill tidings.  Had not you reacted as you did, I would have found your actions disturbing.”
    She turned her head slightly as if conceding a point.  “Aye, as if I were in on the plot.”
    “I worry about your safety.  One of my