Capturing A Highland Knight (6 page)

             
Annabelle walked to the water’s edge.  She saw a frog leap into the water.  That must have been the splash she had heard.  She smiled and took a deep breath.  She looked behind her to make sure no one had followed her, and then she quickly stripped down to her shift and removed her shoes and stockings.  She plodded into the loch, shivering a little at the coolness of the water.  When she got waist deep, she plunged her head under the water.  The cool water felt good against her skin.

             
Plunging under again, she began to swim toward the middle of the loch.  When she thought she was midway, she stopped and trod water.  She looked around her.  It was so peaceful.  It reminded her of a small loch she and Angus used to go to as children.  It was there that he had taught her to swim.  They had found it quite by accident.

             
She and Angus had been about fifteen when they had gone into the woods to hunt.  Annabelle’s father did not like for her to go hunting, but he half-heartedly tried to stop her.  She always wondered if he had wished she was born a boy.  He very rarely curbed her boyish tendencies, but he drew the line at the clothing she wore.  She had once put on an old pair of Angus’ trews to go hunting.  When he saw her, he was enraged and almost forbade her from going if she did not put on proper attire.

             
Annabelle smiled at the memory.  She and Angus left after she changed and was following a deer through the woods when they stumbled upon the hidden loch.

             
“Did ye ken this was here, Angus?” she exclaimed running up to the water.

             
“Nay,” he answered trailing behind her.

             
“’Tis beautiful,” she whispered, the deer forgotten.

             
“Aye, ‘tis.”

             
“Teach me to swim, Angus!”

             
Angus had looked at her as if she had gone insane.

             
“Nay!  Yer Da would have me hide if he kenned it!” he said.

             
“Why would he?  Ye’re just teaching me to swim,” she said as she stripped down to her shift.

             
Angus looked her up and down, but she did not notice his regard.  She had no idea that her shift would become transparent when she went into the water.

             
“Because it would be inappropriate,” he answered.

             
Annabelle looked at him confused.  Then she noticed the look in his eyes and comprehension dawned on her.

             
“Oh,” she whispered.

             
“Aye, oh,” Angus chuckled.

             
She had put her gown back on and they left.  But the next day, she convinced Angus to go back to the loch.  She had layered herself with three shifts so that the material would not be transparent.  And they had continued to go every day after that until she had mastered the art of swimming.

             
She looked around her again and wondered if this had been the loch that they had stumbled upon so long ago.  The thought intrigued her.  Had she been to Dunkirk before and just had not known it?  Had she lived not far from the MacDougals?  That would explain how Derek was able to find her.

             
Annabelle swam back to the shore and pulled herself out.  She looked around to make sure no one had come up unawares, and then she pulled off her wet shift and put on her gown.  The texture of the gown felt unfamiliar against her skin, but she was loathed to go back to the keep in wet clothes.

             
She began to run because she had promised to help with the noon meal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Chapter 7

              Derek watched as Annabelle helped the other women serve the noon meal.  Her hair looked wet, and it hung down to her waist.  He followed the sway of her hips as she walked around each table, placing a tankard in front of the other men.  When she came next to Colm, she gave him a bright smile and introduced herself.  He frowned when Colm returned her smile and he saw more than warm regard in Colm’s expression.

             
Annabelle said something to Colm and he nodded.  She then walked back to the kitchen.  Derek’s gaze went to Colm.  He was conversing with Evan, oblivious to the dark look his friend was sending him.  Annabelle did not once look in his direction and allowed Eilidh to serve him.  He barely paid any attention to the other woman, his concentration was so keen on Annabelle.

             
After a moment, Annabelle returned with her own trencher and tankard and sat down in the place Colm made for her at the table.  Derek held back a growl when he saw how easily they fell into conversation with each other.  They were both laughing, and Annabelle sometimes laid her hand on Colm’s arm.

             
Derek shot to his feet and stormed from the hall.  He went out into the courtyard and stalked to the stables.  He should go release his frustration on Eilidh.  She was willing and he needed something to take his mind off of the jealousy he was feeling.  He really had no right to feel that way.  He did not understand it.  He and Colm had shared many women over the years, but for some reason he did not want to share this one.  He knew that Colm had feelings for the lass, and that bothered him.  Apparently, Annabelle had some feelings for Colm as well.

             
What made her different?

             
“Derek!” he heard from behind him.  He almost ignored it, but he recognized the voice as Megan’s.

             
He stopped and turned toward the old woman.  He did not answer, but waited for her to catch up to him.

             
“The priest is here.  He is ready to perform the ceremony when ye are,” she said, smiling.

             
Derek held back a curse.  He needed to clear his head, but there was no help for it. 

             
“Aye, let’s get it done with,” he said, retracing his steps to the keep.

             
He was shocked by the feeling of triumph he felt.

             
When they returned to the hall, everyone was gone and the tables had been cleared.  There was no sign of Annabelle or Colm.  Derek could feel his anger rising. 

             
“Where is she?” he asked Megan as they walked toward the kitchens.

             
“I doona ken.  She was talking with Colm err I left the hall,” she replied shuffling along behind him.

             
They entered the kitchen, but only Eilidh and another servant were there cleaning.

             
“Derek,” Eilidh shrieked, clearly delighted to see him.  She walked over to him, oblivious to the scowl on his face.

             
“Have ye seen Annabelle?” he demanded.

             
The smile immediately left Eilidh’s face and was replaced by a dark frown of her own.

             
“She left the keep with Colm,” she in a low voice.  She tried to hide her anger.

             
Without another word, Derek stepped past her and went through the door.  Eilidh followed his progression with barely suppressed rage.

             
“Retract yer claws, lass,” Megan hissed.  “Derek is about to be married to the lass.  The priest is here.”

             
Megan almost smiled at Eilidh’s gasp of surprise.  But it was quickly suppressed when she saw the storm clouds gather on Eilidh’s brow.

             
“Ye best get used to the fact that Derek is now off limits,” she said.

             
Eilidh turned toward her.

             
“He was already off limits,” she hissed back.

             
Megan did not reply but shook her head and left the kitchen.  There was going to be some hard times ahead for Derek.  But it was a situation of his own making.

§

              Derek stormed from the keep getting angrier by the second.  He was jealous, and he felt like murdering one of his best friends.  He looked in the stable, but there was no sign of the pair.  He went around to the garden, but they were not there either.

             
Derek stood for a minute trying to decide where to check next, when he heard swords clashing.  Following the sound, he went around to the courtyard.  There he found Annabelle and Colm battling each other.  He saw red.  Why would Colm be fighting a helpless woman?

             
He stalked over to them.

             
“What is going on here?” he demanded as he approached the pair.

             
At first, they did not seem to hear him and continued to spar.  Derek watched as Annabelle avoided a blow by Colm’s sword and then making a swift move by turning and pointing her dirk at Colm’s side.

             
“Aye, verra good, lass!” Colm exclaimed in clear appreciation.

             
“Thank ye!  It took Angus and me a long while to perfect that move,” Annabelle said breathing hard and smiling broadly.

             
“I can see how it can work against an opponent bigger than ye.  I think I may try to learn it myself,” Colm said still smiling and wiping sweat from his brow.

             
Derek walked up to the couple.  He found that his anger was to the boiling point.

             
“What goes on here?” he demanded again.

             
Colm and Annabelle swung around to face him.  Colm’s expression was one of surprise and then irritation.  Annabelle’s was also surprised.

             
“Annabelle was showing me a trick she has learned,” Colm said evenly.  Derek glanced at him, but he kept his eyes on Annabelle.

             
She was beautiful with her cheeks flushed from her recent excursion.  Her eyes were wide and she stared at him without blinking.  Derek found himself falling into the fathoms of her beautiful green eyes.

             
Derek grunted.  The noise angered Annabelle.

             
“What does that noise mean?  Ye doona think a mere woman could defend herself?” she challenged him.

             
Derek watched the expression in her eyes turn to anger.  Her chin was tilted in defiance. 

             
“A woman is too weak to defend against a warrior intent on killing her,” he said smugly, his gaze never leaving her face.

             
Colm stepped toward him to defend her, but Annabelle beat him to it.

             
“Why ye…” she scowled before she lunged at him.

             
Derek was surprised by the attack, but quickly recovered and grabbed her raised arm and twisted it behind her back bringing her body against his.

             
“See,” he chuckled.  “Ye are too weak to defend yerself.  I perceive that Colm was only humoring ye and let ye think ye had bested him.”

             
Annabelle’s gaze went toward Colm as she struggled against Derek’s hold.  Colm only looked on with a hooded gaze.  She growled and brought her foot back against his shin.  Surprised, he loosened his hold on her and she wrenched free.

             
“Ye are despicable, Derek MacDougal!  Doona ever touch me again,” she said as she turned and fled back to the keep.

             
Derek took a step to follow her, but Colm stepped in his way.  Derek looked at him with a raised brow.

             
“I dinna let her beat me, Derek,” he said quietly.

             
Derek looked into his friend’s eyes.  What he saw confirmed what he had already suspected.  Colm was in love with Annabelle, and that irritated him.

             
“Come to the keep, Colm.  The priest is here,” he said walking around Colm and going to find Annabelle.

             
Colm watched Derek go back to the keep vowing that if Derek hurt Annabelle, he would defend her honor, even if it was to the death.