another attack. Staring at the glow of the fire on the hillside where their enemies burned, her thoughts turned several days south.
“Who was it, Anna?”
She inhaled a deep breath, drawing strength from the love and concern she heard in Duncan’s voice. “The Earl of Northumberland,” she replied. “His son chased me for years. He pursued me to the point where his father offered to buy me, as if I was so much livestock at market.” With an involuntary shudder, she handed Duncan the bag of coins and the letter of safe passage. “I heard Alain yell I was worth double unharmed. This man is reaching across Scotland for me, hurting people I care about. What am I to do?” Despair choked her voice.
Duncan took a shallow breath. “I have known Alain all my life. He was overly prideful and misguided, but he wasnae stupid. He wouldnae have told the earl where ye are. If he did, the earl would have sent agents of his own to do the job. Then Alain would be out a purse, and possibly his life. The earl now knows ye live in Scotland, but not with yer grandda’s people. Any man this determined would have made sure of that by now.”
Anna mulled over his logic, her fingers stroking Trean’s tummy as he slept, paws in the air. She smiled to see the pup so relaxed.
Duncan touched her hand. “The question I need answered is, will he still pursue ye if he knows ye are wed?”
The thought shook her. Would he? She truly did not know.
“Men like the earl take what they want, regardless of the law. I would no longer have my virtue, but if his son still desired me, I doubt it would matter. Who could stand up to him if he did? He rules the northern part of England for the crown. It is not beyond him to seek an annulment from the Church on my behalf.”
Duncan frowned. “Who is this son of his who would take another man’s wife as his own?”
Anna’s lip curled at the thought of him. “Henry is a slimy, despicable man whom I could easily defeat in a fair fight. He has been taught to take what he wants regardless of the consequences. Though he lacks his father’s cunning, he is a vile creature. He is one of the reasons I avoided any interest from men. I would fight to the death rather than submit to him.”
Hauling himself jerkily to one elbow, Duncan stared at her. “Anna ye will be my wife, and I will keep ye safe. I cannae lose ye, too.”
Blinking against tears, she nodded in agreement, though somewhat confused by his words. Lose me, too?
Duncan shook his head, forestalling her question. “Please promise me ye willnae do something so foolish again. Ye charged the cursed lot of them on yer own.”
Anna heard the pleading in his voice, and she couldn’t be angry with him for questioning her abilities. “I only charged when I heard Alain shout I was not to be harmed. I would not have done so otherwise.”
Judging from the scowl on his face, her words didn’t have the placating effect she hoped for, but he did not press further.
She curled next to him, one arm around his good shoulder as she sifted her fingers through his hair. He calmed, settling under her touch, until he slipped into a troubled sleep. She continued to stroke him, watching as he slept, until Malcolm tapped her shoulder, letting her know of her guard shift. Guilt and fear for Duncan filled her as she listened for signs of another attack. Like him, she could not bear the thought of losing him, too.
What if the earl had sent men to follow Alain?
Chapter 19
After waking Iain for his watch, Anna returned to her bedroll. Before she knew it, light broke over the horizon, signaling a new day. Groggy, she rose to check on the wounded. Only Liam was awake, looking much improved. Color returned to his cheeks, and his wound appeared healthy.
“We would ’ave been done without ye, lass. Ye killed more than your share o’ those men yesterday, then patched us all up.”
She shook her head. “Liam, you do not understand. If it was not for me, you would be home this day. Those men were sent to capture me. ’Tis my fault we were attacked, that you are all injured and Donnan lies dead.”
“Wheesht now, lass. Alain was daft. He would be seekin’ his revenge one way