Quest of the Highlander (Crowns & Kilts #5) - Cynthia Wright Page 0,17

am not really thirsty.”

“Do you not wish to feel better? Of course you do.”

His deep voice seemed to purr beside her. Had he just touched her ear with the tip of his tongue? “But…”

“I must insist that you drink. I cannot leave you alone until I know you are feeling better.”

She tried to sip the wine and discovered that she was much thirstier than she had realized. As he tipped the cup higher and higher, Nora drank more. A dark heat spread through her limbs, rendering her unable to move even before her mind had formed the thought.

“Fear not. I will put you in your bed, and then you’ll rest, pet.”

In her bed? Nay, not there. She tried to protest, but could not make a sound. Slater was lifting her up, carrying her through the shadowed room. He peered first into her father’s chamber, then turned to the other door and pushed it open. The gown she had worn earlier that day was spread over a stool, identifying the space as hers.

“Such a sheltered life you lead. Like a nun!” He clucked his tongue, dropped her down on the bed, and straightened to his full height. “But it needn’t be a permanent condition. I have just the remedy. You want that, don’t you?”

Nora stared up at him through a blur of moonbeams. She attempted to shake her head, but could not move even her toes. Suddenly, he was kneeling on the edge of her mattress, and she saw him fumbling with the padded protrusion of his striped codpiece. The scene felt like a nightmare. Aye, perhaps it truly was but a dream! Bile rose in her throat, and tears trickled down the sides of her face. Please, go away, she tried to shout. Perhaps she had spoken but simply couldn’t hear, just as she was unable to move.

Slater tugged at her bodice, but thankfully her breasts were covered by layered undergarments that could only be removed one at a time. The room began to spin as he pushed her skirts up, pried her thighs open, and climbed on top of her.

“Sorry, pet, no time for pleasantries,” he grunted.

Nora managed to turn her face away from him, only dimly sensing what he was doing. She tried not to inhale his musky scent. Her body was numb. After a few moments, she was aware of a searing pain, as if something had given way deep inside her, and then it was over.

When Raymond Slater clambered off the bed and readjusted his clothing, Nora could only stare at him, mute. Her head began to pound and her throat was dry as dust. Every part of her, including her vibrant spirit, was numb.

“That wasn’t much, but you’ll improve with practice. Are you not grateful to me for introducing you to the ways of womanhood?” His tone was smooth as he pulled her skirts down over her bare legs. “And you needn’t worry, pet. This interlude will be our little secret.”

Chapter 5

“Perhaps she has merely gone out for a moment of privacy,” Fiona said.

Lennox, who was staring pensively across the great hall toward the table where Nora Brodie had been sitting a short while ago, drew a harsh breath. “A moment? It has been much longer than that.”

“If she needed to relieve herself, it would take time,” Fi whispered. “Lasses have layers of skirts and petticoats to deal with.”

“I don’t know…” Her absence nagged at him. “I feel that something is amiss.”

“You feel it? My dear brother, you barely know the lass. All your life, you have rescued those in need…but is it your place to intervene with Nora Brodie?” Fiona lifted a delicate brow. “Even if it were up to you, she does not strike me as the type who wishes to be rescued.”

She had a point, he knew, but uneasiness stirred in him all the same. As soon as Christophe returned to the table, Lennox found an excuse to slip away. It was easy enough to weave unnoticed through the crush of guests, for some of the boards were being removed, and dancing had begun.

He passed under the arched, torchlit doorway, into the cool open space of the inner close, a courtyard ringed by magnificent royal buildings. Alone except for guards who blended into the shadows, Lennox paused to scan the indigo sky for familiar starry landmarks. A smile touched his mouth at the sight of Venus and the bright W pattern of Cassiopeia. Even though the stars were at their most dazzling