Free The Trouble with Highlanders by Mary Wine

smoothing his hand along her arms, touching her as if she were a babe.
    â€œI am quite fit,” she announced and sat up to prove her point. Pain stabbed into her from too many places to count. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out because her entire body was frozen in agony. She could not draw breath, couldn’t do anything but endure.
    â€œWhat ye are is luckier than any soul has a right to be.”
    He boldly flipped up her skirt and ran his hands along her legs. Then he covered her again and cupped her jaw to look into her eyes. “But ye’re reeling, and that’s no mistake.”
    â€œI am nae,” she argued. “Me wits are in order.”
    He hooked her under her arms and lifted, still handling her like a child. She barely felt it when he put her on her feet, because the man was supporting most of her weight.
    â€œI can stand.”
    He grumbled something, and there were other voices in agreement. She looked around to find Gahan and the rest of his retainers ringing them.
    â€œWhat did that bastard want of ye?”
    It took her a moment to realize Norris had asked the question, and still longer for her mind to decide on the answer.
    â€œHe… He wanted me to swear to wed him. Today. At the church.”
    â€œThat accounts for why he stopped to beat her,” Gahan muttered from behind her. “The priests are holding to the law when it comes to brides taking their vows.”
    â€œWell… I was doing…” Her brain felt fuzzy, but she demanded it to function. “Fine,” she offered, satisfied with completing her thought.
    Norris cupped her jaw, gently bringing her attention back to his face. Surprise went through her when she looked into his eyes, because she saw the unmistakable shimmer of relief there.
    â€œLass, when ye have yer wits back, I’m going to be pleased to tell ye just how badly ye have misjudged yer performance.”
    â€œI have?”
    He nodded, and her brain refused to allow her to decide just where his thinking was wrong. In fact, a warm wave was sweeping over her body. It was hotter than warmed bath water, and it smothered her with its heat.
    ***
    Norris caught her when she sagged, cradling her easily as Gahan watched. His men had turned their attention away to watch the Comyn.
    â€œDamn fool thinks we can’t best him,” Gahan offered as Norris handed Daphne to him.
    â€œEven on the high ground we could take him, but he no longer holds the prize.”
    Norris swung up onto his stallion and reached down for Daphne. She slept on, another kindness of fate, because the ride back to MacLeod Tower was going to be a painful one for her.
    He glanced up to where Morrell Comyn was beating his shield with his sword. It was a challenge he would dearly love to take. Running the bastard through would please him mightily. But he had never risked his men’s lives needlessly. Today would not be the exception.
    â€œLeave the fool to his acting,” Norris declared. “He’s little better than a tone-deaf English troubadour. Certainly nae worth a drop of Sutherland or MacLeod blood. We have what they stole. Retribution can wait for a better setting. Fight hard, lads, but do nae forget to fight wisely. I’ll nae see Sutherland women wailing for the benefit of a fool.”
    His men agreed. But Norris realized he didn’t.
    He wanted to run Morrell Comyn through. Rage was tempting him to do something his father had trained him since his earliest memory not to do. Use the Sutherland men to extract personal vengeance. He glanced back at Morrell and watched him lift his kilt.
    Fool. The man was so drunk on his own pride, he was insane.
    His day would come. There was another thing his father had taught him. No one transgressed against the Sutherlands and prospered. Satisfaction wouldn’t be his today, but Norris grinned as he contemplated crushing the throat of Morrell Comyn.
    The rest of the world would think it