Free Capturing A Highland Knight by F.S. Hyman

not answer, but waited for her to catch up to him.
                  “The priest is here.  He is ready to perform the ceremony when ye are,” she said, smiling.
                  Derek held back a curse.  He needed to clear his head, but there was no help for it. 
                  “Aye, let’s get it done with,” he said, retracing his steps to the keep.
                  He was shocked by the feeling of triumph he felt.
                  When they returned to the hall, everyone was gone and the tables had been cleared.  There was no sign of Annabelle or Colm.  Derek could feel his anger rising. 
                  “Where is she?” he asked Megan as they walked toward the kitchens.
                  “I doona ken.  She was talking with Colm err I left the hall,” she replied shuffling along behind him.
                  They entered the kitchen, but only Eilidh and another servant were there cleaning.
                  “Derek,” Eilidh shrieked, clearly delighted to see him.  She walked over to him, oblivious to the scowl on his face.
                  “Have ye seen Annabelle?” he demanded.
                  The smile immediately left Eilidh’s face and was replaced by a dark frown of her own.
                  “She left the keep with Colm,” she in a low voice.  She tried to hide her anger.
                  Without another word, Derek stepped past her and went through the door.  Eilidh followed his progression with barely suppressed rage.
                  “Retract yer claws, lass,” Megan hissed.  “Derek is about to be married to the lass.  The priest is here.”
                  Megan almost smiled at Eilidh’s gasp of surprise.  But it was quickly suppressed when she saw the storm clouds gather on Eilidh’s brow.
                  “Ye best get used to the fact that Derek is now off limits,” she said.
                  Eilidh turned toward her.
                  “He was already off limits,” she hissed back.
                  Megan did not reply but shook her head and left the kitchen.  There was going to be some hard times ahead for Derek.  But it was a situation of his own making.
     
    §
     
                  Derek stormed from the keep getting angrier by the second.  He was jealous, and he felt like murdering one of his best friends.  He looked in the stable, but there was no sign of the pair.  He went around to the garden, but they were not there either.
                  Derek stood for a minute trying to decide where to check next, when he heard swords clashing.  Following the sound, he went around to the courtyard.  There he found Annabelle and Colm battling each other.  He saw red.  Why would Colm be fighting a helpless woman?
                  He stalked over to them.
                  “What is going on here?” he demanded as he approached the pair.
                  At first, they did not seem to hear him and continued to spar.  Derek watched as Annabelle avoided a blow by Colm’s sword and then making a swift move by turning and pointing her dirk at Colm’s side.
                  “Aye, verra good, lass!” Colm exclaimed in clear appreciation.
                  “Thank ye!  It took Angus and me a long while to perfect that move,” Annabelle said breathing hard and smiling broadly.
                  “I can see how it can work against an opponent bigger than ye.  I think I may try to learn it myself,” Colm said still smiling and wiping sweat from his brow.
                  Derek walked up to the couple.  He found that his anger was to the boiling point.
                  “What goes on here?” he demanded again.
                  Colm and