filled with as much relief as Roderick when his feet touched the soil of Scotland. She knew the motion of the boat had overcome him for most of the journey, though he had never said a word of complaint. She was somewhat impressed by his stoicism, although she would never actually tell him that.
Roderick had stayed away from her for the remainder of the journey after giving into his desires for her in the cabin. Her ploy, she had realized with some chagrin, had not been altogether fabricated. She felt this inexplicable pull to him, and she told herself it was simply a physical attraction — but to give in, well, that would be folly.
“Ah, Glasgow,” he muttered, breaking into her thoughts, “as dirty as ever.”
His sentiments surprised her, and she turned to him with raised eyebrows. “From your talk, I thought you loved Scotland.”
“I do, lass,” he said with a wistful sigh. “But this is not my Scotland.”
His accent seemed even more pronounced now that he had made it home.
“He speaks the truth,” said Doc, his voice nearly cracking as he hung from Roderick’s shoulder. Gwen felt a sense of relief at the fact he had survived the trip thus far, and she could only hope he could make the journey the rest of the way, to the home he had once known.
“Roderick,” she said, with more conviction than she actually felt, not allowing him to see how desperately she needed him to agree. “I have to ask you one more favor.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head before she could get another word out. “I have given you quite a number of favors, lass, and I am finished. Our contact should be welcoming us — you — any moment, and then I will be away from here and back to Aldourie.”
“But that’s just it,” she said, placing a hand on his arm, hoping she could sway him, but he stiffened at her touch, apparently having learned from his previous mistake. “Doc’s home is Tomatin, which he tells me is not far from where you live. If you could just escort us there, then you can continue on your way. You’ve done your job and gotten us to Scotland. The Scottish authorities can do nothing but put us behind bars, if that’s what they so decide and I—” She cursed as she heard the break in her voice. “I just can’t be put away. Let Doc see his home one last time. Please?”
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as he turned away from her to look at the people around him, likely searching out their supposed escort.
“I think you were had, Roderick,” she said, feeling slightly sorry for him at the look of desperation he now wore.
“What are you talking about?” he said to her on nearly a snarl, and she straightened her shoulders.
“No need to be so surly. I just mean, I don’t think anyone is meeting us here. The Glasgow police likely have no use for us, and it’s not as though any of the Highland forces are going to do anything about us. No, I think your Sergeant McLaren has sent you away, with the two of us as an excuse. Why else would he not just hang us?”
Roderick didn’t look at her, but from the slump of his shoulders, Gwen could tell that he had not only heard what she said, but agreed with her. She had correctly assessed McLaren’s relationship with Roderick back in the Northwest Territory. She hid her triumph from him.
“They would not hang you,” he said. “It would look bad to hang a fair woman they couldn’t pin a murder on.”
“Did you just call me fair? Why, Roderick, I’m beginning to think you may like me more than you let on.”
He gave an unexpected bark of laughter before finally turning his gaze upon her, and by the resigned look in his eyes, she knew she had won.
“Fine,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “I’ll take you. As much as I know I’m going to regret this, I’ll do this one last thing for you. But, lass, if you ever — ever — return to the Territories again, I will have you in a jail cell in minutes, do you hear me?”
She smiled at her victory. She knew, even if Roderick himself didn’t, that there was no way he was returning back to the Territories. She could see it in his eyes, in the way his entire being had relaxed and