A Soldier's Salvation (Highland Heartbeats Book 7)(41)

“It isn’t normally like this,” Brice offered with a grin in Rodric’s direction. “Normally, it’s even worse.”

To his surprise and the warming of his heart, Caitlin smiled. “I’ve had worse than this. I’m glad to have something to eat at all.”

“When did you have worse?” Rodric asked. He couldn’t help himself.

She turned the meat over and over between her fingers. He thought she did it to pass the time while she came up with a story which the group would believe. The way she frowned, however, told a different story.

“It was the winter after you went away,” she murmured, glancing at Rodric before looking down at the half-eaten meat. “That was a bad winter. Very cold. It seemed the storms came back-to-back, with hardly the chance to catch one’s breath before the next one hit.”

“I remember that,” he agreed. “And I do recall wondering about all of you. How you were getting along.”

“At first, it wasn’t anything worse than any other winter,” she explained. “Yes, the larder was a bit sparser than normal, but it was nothing unusual. At first,” she repeated.

“How bad was it by the end?” he asked, moving closer until he felt the warmth of her body. And the way she trembled.

He wished he hadn’t asked.

“If I ate once per day, it was a good day,” she said. “Normally, a piece of bread was the most we could spare. Every few days, some pottage.”

“All day,” Quinn murmured.

“Every two or three days. I rarely got out of bed toward the end. I didn’t have the strength.”

“What happened?” Rodric asked, still unclear. “We had difficult winters prior to that. I don’t recall you ever coming close to starvation before.”

“We weren’t prepared.” And that was as much as she would say. There was a finality in her voice which put to rest any further questions. Did it mean Connor had allowed her to starve? That he’d allowed for such lack of preparation?

They passed the rest of their meal in silence, the men exchanging glances now and then. All of them wondering what to do with her, he knew. Wondering at a so-called leader who would allow his people to starve. His own stepdaughter, at that.

Then again, he’d burned innocent people to death that very day.

“I’m very tired,” Caitlin announced of a sudden, stretching for effect. Rodric felt Brice’s eyes on the side of his head but made no move to return the stare. If she saw, she would know they knew.

“Aye. It’s been a long day,” he agreed. “Perhaps you should rest, then. We’ll be quiet.”

She looked around, confusion creasing her brow. “Won’t you be sleeping?”

“Aye, we’ll sleep. In shifts, most likely. After today, there’s no telling who might have decided to follow us.”

“Besides,” Fergus added, “it’s never a wise practice for all members of a party to sleep in an unknown place throughout the night. There’s no telling what might be out there, in the dark.”

“He’s only teasing ye, lass,” Brice muttered, cuffing his brother about the head. “Though ‘tis true, it’s better for one member of a party to keep watch at all times.”

She looked crestfallen at this turn of events. “Oh. I see.”

So she had been counting on the men falling asleep. It was a bit childish of a plan, but she was unaccustomed to such business.

“I should think it would ease your mind,” Rodric pointed out. “Knowing there won’t be a time when you’re unprotected.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh. Naturally, I’m grateful to all of you. Truly.” Her voice broke, but only slightly before she added, “Truly, I am.”

“It was the least we could do,” Brice replied in a gruff voice, looking off into the fire to avoid looking at her. No, what they’d seen and done that day would not soon be forgotten.

“I… suppose I’ll try to go to sleep, then.” She sounded hesitant, even disappointed.

Rodric felt sorry for her, but it was no matter.

He would stay up all night long if need be, only for the sake of ensuring she didn’t leave the camp.





20





What was Caitlin supposed to do?

How was she going to get away if one of them was awake at all times?

Did Rodric know? He seemed mildly amused at her disappointment, as though he were trying to hold back a smile and failing horribly. Did he know?

It would mean his knowing that she knew what he intended to do to her. He intended to take her along with him by any means necessary.

How was she so certain of this? Because she was certain of him. She knew him almost as well as she knew herself. He was far too smug, far too full of his own cleverness, to know how easily she saw through him.

He’d accepted her decision too quickly, for one. He might have put up a bit of a fight, but he’d given in too soon. Rodric was still the boy who’d once fallen asleep at the supper table because he’d refused to finish his meal, though his father had threatened to leave him there until he ate every last bite.

Ross had followed through on his threat. Rodric had sat alone, in the dark, with only his plate before him and everyone else in the house ordered to leave him on his own. He had spent the night sitting up in his chair, sleeping without so much as a blanket to warm him.