Free Dangerous Pride by Eve Cameron Page A

her. The horse and rider bore down upon her at a fast pace, and stopped just short of her.  Clad in a dark cloak, the man slid effortlessly from the back of his horse, crossing the distance to Catriona with quick, confident strides.  Her greeting died on her lips as rough hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up to stand before him.
    “You haven’t so much as an ounce of common sense, do you, lass?” the deep voice accused.  Catriona felt her knees shake as her exhausted mind struggled to recognize the voice.  His face was obscured by the hood of his cape, but when the lightening flashed, she caught a glimpse of cool grey eyes that flared with a mixture of anger and relief.
    “It would have to be you, wouldn’t it?” Catriona muttered under her breath, cursing the mixed blessing that had brought Lachlan to her rescue.  “I should have kent it would be you.”

Chapter 5
    Lachlan didn’t know what made him madder – the weather or the reason he was out in it.  He had stopped briefly at Boyne Castle on his way home from a trip into Inverness to meet with his father’s bankers.  When the weather had turned, he had decided to spend the night there, not wanting to subject himself to a long, wet journey home when he could beg hospitality from the Earl for one night.  Considering how quickly Scottish storms could turn, he wasn’t about to freeze himself unnecessarily, not when a warm hall and a comfortable bed beckoned.
    Lachlan had arrived after the evening meal had already been served, but fortunately Cook had taken pity on him.  She’d had a meal sent to him in the Earl’s library as he sat visiting with Iain.  He’d barely begun to sample the delicious fare when the castle had been turned into an uproar.  After a lengthy absence from the keep, Catriona had been discovered missing.
    Annella was nearly frantic with worry, blaming herself for not raising the alarm sooner.  Catriona frequently wandered off by herself, Lachlan learned, and her maid had wanted to spare her from the Earl’s wrath for as long as possible.  The time to worry about such punishments was long past, and Lachlan and Iain had joined Seafield’s men as they searched every inch of the keep.  When she still had not returned after they finished their search of the baileys, the men were ordered to their horses so they could search outside the keep. Iain had taken a small party of men with him to search the southern part of his father’s lands, the area they had all agreed Catriona was most likely to have visited.  Lachlan chose instead to ride to the west, preferring his own company to that of the boisterous Ogilvies whose blood had risen with the excitement of the chase.
    There had been no tension between neighboring clans for some time, and Lachlan had reasoned it was unlikely the lass had been abducted or was being held for ransom.  It was far more likely she had simply lost track of time, and was seeking shelter until the storm passed.  He’d kept these thoughts to himself, however, not wanting to incite the wrath of Iain’s kinsmen, not when they were so eager for a chance to prove their bravery.
    As he stood in the downpour, Lachlan shook his head, smiling despite himself at the unwelcome irony that he would be the one to find the lass after all.  As she stood before him, defiant yet uncertain, he silently willed himself to remember she would be his sister-by-marriage one day soon.  The heavy rains had plastered her house dress tightly to her slim body, and her long, sopping mahogany curls hung heavily down her back.  Despite the fact she was nearly drowned, she looked so innocent, so appealing, so indignant and strong that he had to caution himself to keep his distance.
    Since they’d shared a kiss at the burn weeks before, he’d found himself thinking of Catriona more and more.  For most of his life, she’d been nothing more than the troublesome youngest sister of one of his best friends. He’d been fond of