Capturing A Highland Knight (5 page)

Chapter 6

Annabelle sank down into the warm water.  It felt good, and she could not hold back a sigh of pleasure.  It seemed like it had been a while since she had bathed.  Maybe it had.  She did not remember.  The servants all scurried out of the room whispering among themselves oblivious to her distress.  Megan was left to tend to her.

“I have ye some fresh gowns from the daughter of one of the women in the village.  She was about yer size.  Her daughter married and left some of her old gowns behind when she moved in with her husband,” Megan said as she laid one out on the bed.

Annabelle frowned.

“Thank ye,” she said to Megan.  “Who are ye?”

“Megan.  I have lived at Dunkirk since Derek’s older brother was a bairn,” she said coming to help Annabelle wash her hair.

Annabelle stood up and Megan helped her dry off and put on a clean shift. 

“Derek says that he found me unconscious in a clearing.”

“Aye, lass.  He brought ye here for me to tend,” Megan replied helping her pull a green gown over her head and doing the lacing in the back. 

              “How long have I been here?” she asked turning to Megan.

“Ye’ve been here only two days.  Yer fever broke during the night, that’s why I came with the bath.”

“Has Derek slept with me every night?” she asked, warily.

“Och!  Nay!  I stayed with ye the first night, but when yer fever broke, I left ye to go to my own bed.  If I had kenned what would happen, I wouldnae have left,” Megan said, clucking her tongue.

“That Derek ruts around here like a wild animal.  I wish he hadnae compromised ye.  If I could take a stick to him, I would, but he has gotten too big fer that,” she continued, shaking her head, her brow furrowed.

Annabelle could not hold back a giggle.

“Aye, he is big,” she smiled.

“Aye, but that Eilidh is going to give ye no end of trouble.  She fancies herself in love with Derek,” she said with disgust.

Annabelle looked at her.

“Is Eilidh his woman?” Annabelle asked.  For some reason the thought bothered her.

“Nay.  He just uses her, but she thinks he has feelings for her.  She has been telling the other women that he will ask for her soon, but that willnae be the case.  Especially now that ye and he will wed.”

“I willnae wed him,” she said quietly.  “I willnae wed him!  I am already betrothed through an alliance of my Da’s with Laird Harold of the McInnis clan.  ‘Tis my duty to marry where my Da directs.”

              Megan just looked at her.

             
“Aye, lass, I commend yer conviction, but ye were compromised.  There is nae getting around it,” Megan said sympathy in her eyes.

             
Annabelle recoiled from that sympathy.  It angered her that through Derek’s actions, she was forced to break the agreement her father had made with Laird Harold.

             
Annabelle could feel her anger rising.  She felt trapped and there really was nothing she could do about it.  Except make Derek’s life miserable.  She suddenly smiled.

             
“Come.  Let’s get ye to the hall so ye can break yer fast.  Ye havenae had anything besides broth these two days,” Megan said. 

Derek had his work cut out for him with this one, Megan thought. She could tell that Annabelle would not be easily won over like the other women who had fallen at Derek’s feet.  She smiled to herself.  Annabelle was just what Derek needed. 

§

             
Derek watched the men train.  He had yet to take his turn.  He removed his claymore and shirt.  He left his dirk in his boot.  He watched as a young warrior, Evan, sparred with another young man.  He had promise.  He would make a great warrior one day.

             
Derek lifted his claymore and tested it in his hands.  It felt familiar, like an extension of his arms.  He and his brothers were taught the art of war and battle at very early ages.  He could not remember a time not having a sword in his hands.  This claymore was given to him by his father after his first battle.  Laird Breac had given each of his sons their own special sword.  It was beautiful.  The hilt was overlaid in gold with rubies and emeralds placed around the outer edges.  The sword itself was honed steel, and engraved on one side was the MacDougal crest and Derek’s name.

             
Derek turned when Colm came up beside him.  Colm did not say anything to him, but he removed his own claymore and shirt and watched the other men.  Derek could feel the tension radiating from Colm’s body.  He knew that he was spoiling for a fight.

             
“Evan looks good,” he said by way of conversation.

             
“Aye,” was all Colm replied.

             
“He will make a great warrior,” he tried again.

             
“Aye.”

             
Derek gave up and waited.  He moved out to the center of the field when the other men were done.  Colm came to stand before him.

             
“Do we fight?” Derek asked swinging his sword in front of him.

             
“Aye, we fight,” Colm said taking up his stance.

§

              Annabelle finished helping Ainsley replace the rushes in the hall.  Ainsley was a slight woman who was a few inches shorter than Annabelle.  She had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes.  She did her chores cheerfully, and that is what convinced Annabelle to help her.

             
“I will help ye with this as long as I am here,” she said as they placed the last of the rushes.

             
“Nay, ye doona have to do that!  It is kenned that ye will be marrying Derek soon, and ye are nae a servant,” Ainsley admonished.

             
Annabelle held back a scowl.  It was not Ainsley’s fault that she was in this situation.  Her anger was directed toward Derek and his carelessness in compromising her.

             
“I will help ye, whether ye want me to or nae,” she replied, a small smile playing around her mouth taking the sting out of her words.

             
Ainsley smiled back.

             
“What else are ye assigned to do, Ainsley?  I canna sit idly.”

             
“Weel, ‘tis almost time for the noon meal.  I usually help the other women,” Ainsley replied heading toward the kitchen.

             
Annabelle followed her.  When they entered the kitchens, all activity stopped as the other women turned to look curiously at Annabelle.  Only one stare held hostility.  Annabelle looked at Eilidh with a mocking smile on her face.

             
“It seems that ye have enough help in the kitchen,” she said to Ainsley.  “I think I will venture outside.  Maybe there is a garden I could tend.”

             
“Aye, there is a garden on the south side of the keep,” Ainsley said brightly. 

             
Annabelle nodded and walked from the kitchen.  She did not glance Eilidh’s way as she passed her, but she felt the other woman’s eyes boring into her.

             
Annabelle found the vegetable garden that Ainsley spoke about.  She saw that it had some weeds that needed to be pulled.  She went down on her knees and began removing the weeds from around the plants.  There were figs, strawberries, rhubarb, potatoes, swedes, peas, beans, calabrese, and carrots.  Whoever this garden belonged to had been taking good care of it.  The plants looked healthy.

             
It took Annabelle about half an hour to completely remove all of the weeds.  When she was done, she found a compost heap and dumped the weeds she had collected onto it.  She decided to have a tour of Dunkirk.

             
Walking back the way she had come, she heard the clash of swords in the distance.  Curious, she decided to go toward the sound.  She walked past the door to the kitchen and headed toward the north side of the keep.  She soon came upon what looked like the training area for the men.  She saw that most of the men were watching the two warriors who were fighting in the center of the circle.  Because she loved to watch the men, and sometimes was able to spar herself, she walked toward the commotion.

             
Because she was tall for a woman, she was able to see between the shoulders of the men that were crowded around the fighters.  Whoever they were, they seemed to be evenly matched.  She pushed her way around the men directly in front of her.  They did not seem to notice her because their gazes were so intent on the center of the ring.  She could hear wagers being placed on who would win.

             
When she reached the front of the circle, she almost gasped when she saw that it was Derek fighting with another warrior.  She watched the play of his muscles on his bare chest and arms.  His body glistened in the sun from the sweat pouring from his body.  She was awed by the concentration on his face.  She knew that he was a fierce warrior.

             
Her eyes shifted to the man he was fighting against.  He was also well muscled.  His dark hair was plastered to his head, and his muscles strained with every thrust of his sword.  He too had determination on his face.  A smile lifted the corners of Annabelle’s lips.  The man reminded her of her friend, Angus, except where this man’s hair was dark, Angus’ was a bright red. 

             
She and Angus had grown up and trained together.  Although she was never able to wield a claymore, she was trained in all other combat tactics.  She could fight with her hands and a dirk.  And what she lacked in strength, she made up for it in intelligence, stealth, and quickness.  She and Angus would fight against each other and Angus would have that same look of determination on his face.

             
A lapse in the fighting gave Derek a moment to scan the crowd.  He knew that the men were taking wagers on who would win between him and Colm.  They were evenly matched, and usually their bouts ended in a draw.  But today, he knew that Colm was fighting through irritation, and the fight may not end with a draw, but would have to be fought until a clear winner was named.

             
Derek caught a flash of green in the crowd and his vision focused on the source.  It was Annabelle.  She looked beautiful in a green gown.  She had a smile on her face as she watched them.  He wondered what she was thinking about, and then he realized that her eyes were on Colm, not the fight.  His brow darkened as it dawned on him that she liked what she saw in Colm.  His temporary distraction cost him, because at that moment Colm struck a blow that he barely avoided.  Colm’s sword sliced across his upper arm.  He felt the warm blood began to run down his arm.  He wrenched his concentration back to the fight.

             
Annabelle gasped as she saw the man’s sword slice through Derek’s arm.  She frowned.  Derek had let his guard down for a moment.  That was a grave error as he learned.   He should know better.  She shook her head and walked back through the men around her.

             
Annabelle headed back around the keep in the direction of the garden.  She passed the garden and compost heap and kept walking toward the woods.  There was a slight breeze sifting through the trees.  Annabelle lifted her face into it, taking a deep breath.

             
According to her father, it would soon be time for her family to travel to Dunwiche keep for her wedding to Laird Harold.  Although she had begged her father not to make her do it, she understood that it was something that needed to be done.  If the highlanders showed a united front, they would appear stronger to the English king and it will be harder for the English to infiltrate their lands.  She had resigned herself to her fate, but now everything was turned upside down.  She could no longer marry Laird Harold because of Derek’s carelessness.  She knew her father would be angry to learn of what happened.  He had negotiated with Laird Harold for a long time for this union.

             
She sighed and continued to walk.  Maybe she could come up with a solution.  Laird Harold did not have to know what happened.  She wondered if she could keep such a thing from him.  Would he know that she was no longer a virgin?  Maybe she could trick him somehow.  But first, she needed to avoid this marriage to Derek.

             
Annabelle’s head snapped up when she heard a splash.  She headed toward the sound and found herself at a loch.  It was surrounded by trees and lush grasses.  If one wanted to swim or bathe privately, this would be the perfect place.  It could not be seen until you came upon it.