The Scot's Angel - Keira Montclair Page 0,26
happening.”
“But why now? He asked Papa for my hand. I thought we would get to know each other better.”
Derric came in behind her. “I’ll tell you why. Because once he marries you, he won’t want to take off and leave you to look for his sire. He has to try one last time before he offers for you. Before he stands in front of a priest and vows to protect you for the rest of his life.”
“And I doubt we’ll see him before Yule,” Dyna said softly. “I think he’s also waiting until Mama is healed a bit. He couldn’t bear to see her in pain. He ran out the door as soon as she yelled. He can take care of himself.”
“So you don’t think he ran away from me, do you?” Claray said, putting voice to her worst fear. “You don’t think he changed his mind about me?”
“Nay, not with the way he looks at you,” Derric said.
“How does he look at me?”
“Like a man who has been starved for the past moon, and in a way he has been.” Derric winked at her, then returned to the other section of the cave to get the fire started.
The wink made her realize what he meant, and all she could do was blush.
Chapter Eleven
Thorn strode into the first inn, made his way over to the innkeeper. They were serving dinner to about ten people.
“You need a room, son?” the innkeeper asked.
The man was gray-haired, so he’d been around for a while. “Nay,” Thorn said. “I’m looking for someone. A man named Taylor, long gray beard.”
“Fulk Taylor? I haven’t seen him around in a long time.”
Thorn’s heart nearly burst out of his chest. Fulk was his sire’s name, and it wasn’t a common one. His grandmama had been English. “How long ago? When was the last you saw him?”
The innkeeper stared up at the beams in the ceiling. “Long time. Mayhap fifteen or twenty years.”
His heart thumped painfully in his chest. It was long ago, aye, but it was also long after his father had supposedly died.
“Many thanks to you,” Thorn said, leaving out the door. How he wished he had his sword, but Henry had kept it, likely knowing it was the one way he could guarantee Thorn did not leave. Even if the sword had not possessed personal value, he couldn’t have left Edinburgh without it. It would be much too dangerous to travel without a weapon, and he lacked the coin to buy a replacement.
Outside the inn, he stopped, his back to the wall, and breathed deeply. Twenty years ago, when he was seven and ten, his father had still been alive.
Where was he now?
He had no idea where to look, but it certainly wasn’t Edinburgh. At least he knew he didn’t need Henry’s help any longer. Fulk Taylor was off on his own venture, and who knew if he was still alive?
Thorn couldn’t decide if he was happy with his find or saddened. Gutted was probably a better word. His father had returned, and he hadn’t come for him.
Or had he?
What if his sea voyage had taken longer than expected, and he’d come back after Thorn and Nari had gone off to the Highlands? Perhaps he’d been saddened not to find them.
Was it possible his sire still searched for him?
Nay. Anyone would have given up long ago. Except he hadn’t. Out of nowhere, a sudden urge to look for his father had popped into his mind, and it had brought him here.
He turned around, looking for Henry and Ewan, not surprised to find them coming toward him. Running toward him. How he wished he had a sword to skewer them both.
“We don’t appreciate your methods. Now you’re taking us directly to Lochluin Abbey, or I’ll skewer your innards and spread them all over the path. You ruined a good thieving. Now you’ll pay.”
Thorn’s gaze narrowed at the bastard. “We’re leaving because you’re afraid of the magistrate. You aren’t fooling me.” He was done being intimidated by them, but hellfire, he wanted his sword back.
“The storm’s coming, so we’re moving on. You can find your sire another time.”
“No problem. He’s not here.” Thorn said, following them back to the stables. “We’ll head to the abbey.” He knew his best chance of getting away from them would be on Cameron land. Their guards patrolled the abbey and would find him. He also needed to alert them to Henry’s plans.
They mounted up and headed out, Henry only making one announcement.