An Auctioned Bride (Highland Heartbeats #4)(49)

The relief that surged through her when she saw Hugh surprised her with its strength.

She rose and smiled, reaching for the two dried fish dangling from a string that he handed her, but then she saw the look on his face.

Immediately, she felt a chill. “What is it?”

Before answering, he gestured for her to sit down. He quickly unsaddled Agnarr, tied his reins to a nearby shrub, and then took the fish from Dalla's hand. With his knife, he cut off the heads and the tails, and fins, tossed them into the shrubbery, and then twisted each fish in half, handing two pieces to Dalla while he also kept two pieces for himself.

“My brother is at the next seaport, maybe a day's ride from here.”

Dalla brightened as she gazed down at the fish. “That’s wonderful news—”

He nodded and then continued. “In the tavern, I was asked from whence I came. Nothing unusual about that, a newcomer in many parts. I told them I came from inland. Then a man spoke to me… a man sitting in a dark corner of the tavern.”

The tone of his voice did not bode well.

Dalla swallowed, her appetite suddenly gone. “What did he say?”

“He wanted to know if I had seen a young, blonde-haired woman, a Norwegian lass, traveling with a highlander.”

Dalla glanced down at the fish, not wanting to eat anymore, feeling sick to her stomach. But she knew she had to. She took a bite out of the fish, careful to avoid the fine bones, made herself chew, then swallowed. “He was a Scot?”

Hugh nodded. “It appears there's quite the reward for your capture. To be honest, I'm surprised that sight of you at the other two villages we passed through didn't provoke any trouble. The man gave a good description of you.” He glanced at Dalla, bit into his own fish, chewed for a moment, then spat out some bones. “Word is that you're a spy—”

She gasped. “A spy?”

A sensation of horror swept through her. She had no doubt what would happen to her if she was captured now, no questions asked. No one would believe anything she had to say. She felt the fish she had swallowed roiling uncertainly in her stomach. She gazed down at the rest of it, and then up at Hugh.

“You must eat.”

She said nothing.

“Apparently, from what I was able to discern, of course following some innocent yet interested questions to the man, the reward is sizable, offered by a foreigner, most likely your uncle, although how he has managed to gain the trust of the highland clans in search for you, I have no idea.”

Dalla thought a moment, plucking strips of meat from the now tasteless fish and chewing thoughtfully, despite a nearly overwhelming urge to spit it out. “My uncle has money. Plenty of money. He also knows people in powerful positions. I am not at all surprised that he has managed to bribe his way this far inland, nor his ability to promote the… interest of the highlanders to capture me.”

Neither one of them said anything for several minutes. Hugh finished eating his fish and tossed the rest of the bones into the shrubs. While Dalla did manage to choke down one of hers, she wordlessly handed the other to Hugh. He shrugged, ate the fish and then tossed those bones into the shrubs as well.

“We will camp here for the night. A cold camp I am afraid, but nothing we can do about that now. Tomorrow, we will move quickly, staying in the foothills whenever possible, before we get to the village where my brother has made his home base. From what I learned, he now owns three ships, supplying cargo from France, England, and Spain to Scottish cities and outlying islands, and then back again.”

Dalla couldn't help but worry. What if Hugh's brother was of the same attitude as most Scots? What if he refused to help them? What if he hated her on sight? What then?

It was as if Hugh read her thoughts.

“Try not to worry. If my brother will not help us, or cannot, I will find a way to get you home, away from the clutches of your uncle and those who want you dead. My laird will help us, of that I assure you.”

Home. The word evoked both fear and hope within her. Sadness that she would never return home to her native Norway, nor her beloved fjords. She knew that now. Perhaps she would eventually adapt to life here in Scotland, building a life among the Scots.

Chances were, however, that she would never be accepted, nor truly trusted, as long as her country and theirs remained at war. It boded a discouraging and disappointing future for her.

“Come, let us get some sleep. Tomorrow will be filled with its own dangers and worries. For tonight, we will sleep. Tomorrow, we will worry about tomorrow.”





29





Hugh bedded down and then gestured for Dalla to join him. He wasn't sure if she would, but much to his relief, she lay down next to him. He placed his arm under her head and then held her close. He felt her trembling against him, but she said nothing. Much to his surprise, she reached her left hand over his torso to grasp his right, and held it over his stomach.

A feeling of contentment surged through him. Despite the danger, and in spite of the uncertainty that tomorrow would bring, this was a start. He also knew, deep down in the depths of his being, that he would do whatever he could to keep her safe.

He tried not to display his deep concern over the fact that there was now a bounty on Dalla's head, and most likely, on his as well if he was captured with her.

The animosity between the Scots and the Norwegians was fierce. He would not betray her by claiming he didn't know who she was. Her accent would ultimately give her away. It was imperative that she understood how important it was that she not speak if they were seen together. Up until now, she had done well, but tomorrow would bring new dangers and new threats.