Forbidden Heart (Hearts of the Highlands #6) - Paula Quinn Page 0,8

and clung to her. Silene was friends with all the novices and nuns, so her farewells took more time. She took the longest with the prioress, hugging her farewell and saying nothing about what Silene had heard about her.

She carried her bag to the small stable, where the men readied their horses. The captain was not there.

With the sisters following behind her, keeping a safe distance away, Silene marched onward into the midst of the four men. She looked around for someone with whom to give her bag. One of the men retrieved a horse that belonged to the nuns and handed it off to her. She secured her saddle as best she could and was almost done when the captain arrived with the prioress. He looked over her saddle from where he was standing and then made Silene freeze when he came steadily toward her. “Have ye ever tied yer saddle?”

She shook her head. “Nay, Captain.”

He moved her aside and began untying all the knots on her saddle. “’Tis verra important that ye know what ye are doin’ on a horse or they will throw ye.”

She watched him untie it, then retie it again, showing her how to do it.

“Now ye try.”

She took the leather straps from him and secured her saddle after the first try. He didn’t let her mount but checked the saddle first to make sure it was safe.

She didn’t ride horses. She’d never needed to. She’d always been content to be where she was. Only five of the sisters rode and, of course, the prioress knew how.

In her long scapular and habit, she could barely separate her legs enough to fit her foot into the high stirrup. She had to lift her skirts up to her knees. Some of the sisters watching gasped and covered their mouths with their hands.

Silene was torn between laughing and weeping. How was she supposed to ride a horse? She didn’t need to wonder long when the captain’s big hands closed around her waist from behind and lifted her off the ground, high in the air. She remembered to close her mouth, but barely, when she landed sideways in the saddle—gently, as if he were returning something fragile to its place.

“Thank you, Captain.” She turned to him, but he was already leaving, returning to his horse. Should she tell him that she had no idea how to ride? And, oh, she was high up! She made the sign of the cross and picked up the reins. What now? She watched the man closest to her pick up his. Before he did anything else, he turned and looked at her. He dipped his dark cinnamon brows over eyes that were the color of the sea. He moved slowly, demonstrating what she should do with her reins next.

She imitated him, flapping her reins.

Her horse took off running, almost leaving her behind. She foolishly held on, bouncing on the hard saddle until her brains felt joggled. With both legs on one side there was nothing to hold on to. She slipped and bounced off the beast and into the dirt on her buns.

She heard someone behind her chuckle. A man’s voice. When she thought of it while her insides settled, she imagined it was quite humorous. She wanted to throw her head back and laugh. But in the presence of men, such behavior was unsightly.

Still, she could barely contain a smile when the captain reached for her. He must have seen the amusement in her eyes and thought her odd, for he quirked his brow at her and almost smiled as well.

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet without any effort. His fingers were broad. His skin was rough and callused from wielding the enormous sword hanging from his belt. He looked as if he might speak but his gaze fixed on her forehead.

She lifted her hand to see what he was staring at and found a few tendrils of her hair had come loose in the fall from her horse. She tucked them back underneath her wimple.

“Come with me.” Although it was a command, his voice remained low and quiet.

Did he mean for her to ride with him? She couldn’t. She looked around, her eyes darting across the horrified faces of the sisters watching—and the prioress—

He went back to his horse and waited. She dared not look at the prioress as she went to him. What other choice was there? She couldn’t ride alone. She’d be a bag of