The Viper (Highland Guard #4)(29)

He caught a glimpse of white in the black shadows ahead of him. Eyes honed, he made out two figures.

Ah, hell. Not an attack at all. It was two of the women. His mouth flattened. One of whom was the countess.

The flare of anger replaced the flare of battle. God’s blood, didn’t they know it was dangerous out here at night?

“I couldn’t wait,” he heard the smaller figure murmur. It was Bruce’s young sister Mary, unless he was mistaken. “I had to go.”

The countess had her hands on her hips as if she didn’t believe her. “You should have woken me. It’s dangerous to wander away from the camp at night alone.”

Her tone made him think of his mother. Something he rarely did.

They started to move back from the edge of the loch when they stopped, alerted by a sound coming from the steep hillside above them.

Lachlan’s stomach dropped. He shouted a warning, but it was too late.

Their presence had startled an animal—probably a deer—and when it jumped away, it caused a small rock slide. Unfortunately, one of the rocks was the size of a pig’s bladder and it pitched over the cliffside right toward Mary Bruce.

The girl didn’t realize the danger.

But the countess did. Without hesitating, she lurched toward the girl and pushed Mary out of the way just as the stone crashed to the ground behind her.

Lachlan moved as fast as he ever had, but he couldn’t catch her in time. She flew forward, stumbling, and hit the ground with a blood-chilling thump.

He was at her side a split-second later. Gently, he lifted her shoulders from the ground to turn her around. “Christ, Bella, are you all right?”

He didn’t recognize his voice. It sounded … thick. Gruff. Concerned.

She blinked up at him, temporarily dazed. “I-I think so.”

Relief rushed through him in a hot wave.

Mary knelt on the other side of her, her eyes as big and round as two pieces of silver. “I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t mean for anything to happen.”

Lachlan’s jaw hardened. He was about to give the lass a severe tongue lashing, but Bella stopped him with a soft press on his arm.

How the hell did she do that?

“I’m fine,” the countess said to the girl, trying to calm her. She sat up and started to brush the dirt off her clothes, but then winced. She turned her palms over just enough for him to see the dirt and rocks embedded in the tender skin. Keeping her hands hidden from the girl, she smiled. “Just a few scrapes, that’s all.”

To prove it, she stood up. With his help. He couldn’t seem to let her go. He kept his hands on her upper arms as she steadied herself. Thus, he felt her stiffen and shift her weight back to her left side.

“I’m fine,” she repeated, silently begging him not to say anything.

He frowned. God knows, he didn’t know anything about children, but Mary Bruce seemed old enough to be told that her nighttime escapade had resulted in what he suspected was a twisted ankle, but which could have been a whole hell of a lot worse.

The countess walked over to the loch with what he assumed was considerable pain, smiling the whole time. “I’m going to clean up a little. Could you see that Mary gets back to the tent?”

The girl looked torn, looking back and forth between them. It was clear she wanted to stay, but it was equally clear she wanted to go with him. His eyes narrowed, wondering what the chit was up to.

“I’ll wait,” the girl decided.

Bella shook her head. “You need to get your rest. I won’t be long.”

“The countess is right,” Lachlan said. “We have a long day tomorrow. I’ll see that the countess makes it back all right.”

Bella’s eyes widened. “That’s not—”

“I insist,” he said, cutting her off in a voice that dared her to challenge him. She wasn’t getting rid of him that easily. Not until he took a look at that ankle.

“Thank you, my lady,” the girl said, looking like she was about to cry. “Thank you for what you did.”

The countess had saved her, heedless to the danger to herself. It didn’t surprise him.

“It was no more than anyone would do,” she said, as if she actually believed it. But she was wrong. His wife would never have done something like that. “Get some rest, sweetheart,” she said with a kind of gentleness that made his chest tug strangely. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

If he noticed Mary’s furtive looks at him under her lashes as they walked back, he pretended not to. It didn’t take him long to realize why she wanted to be alone with him. Christ, this was all he needed: to be dodging the attentions of a girl young enough to be his daughter. He’d be three-and-thirty on his next saint’s day.

Why had he signed up for this? He had to keep reminding himself: two more years and his debts would be paid. Two more years and he’d have the independence and solitude he craved.

By the time he’d returned Mary to her tent and roused Gordon to keep watch, Lachlan was reconsidering his eagerness to be rid of the chit. He knew the countess didn’t want the lass to see her injuries, but being alone with Bella MacDuff wasn’t a good idea.

He should have sent Gordon.

But he didn’t want to send Gordon, damn it.

He stomped through the trees, making his way back to the loch, almost hoping someone would leap out and attack him. He could use a good fight.