Page 21 of A Highlander Bound by Oath
"All right. I thank you for the offer, but what about your family? They might not be so open to having me around… A sassenach in a Scottish home." Charlotte stared at him with wide eyes, her hands on the sack she had been carrying the day before.
"I assure ye, my family will nae mind having ye around. They are good people and will always help someone in need, especially with me tae vouch for ye. Nae that ye would need vouching for, of course." He went back to his packing. "There ye will nae have tae worry about being safe. My family will take care of ye as if ye are one of ours."
He heard her sigh and faced her again, just in time to see her nod. "All right, I appreciate your help, Owen, really. If you are certain they will not mind my presence, I will go with you."
"Good, let me dispose of this and I will be right back," he picked up all the dishes and placed them in the basket. He quickly opened and closed the door behind him and returned them to the kitchen, thankful that no one tried to speak to him this time. He hurried back to his room and they tried to plan how to get out of the monastery without being noticed.
"Right now, many of the monks will be in the prayer room. But there will be others going about their various tasks or simply taking a stroll. We will need tae be quick and take care tae pay attention tae our surroundings if we are to succeed." Owen paused to make sure Charlotte was listening. "I unfortunately, cannae make any solid plans tae get us out of the monastery. But if we are able tae do that, the rest of the journey should be easier."
"Does that mean I may end up hiding in an alcove again?" she shivered in fear. Owen was amused but mustered all his strength not to show it.
"I will do all that I can to make sure that ye do nae end up in an alcove again," he promised before smirking. "Although I am sure the spiders will miss ye if ye do nae visit one last time. Ye are the only visitor they have had in so long. Ye do nae want them to be sad, do ye?" he asked. He chuckled slightly when she glared at him viciously.
"Why don't you pay them a visit and I will wait for you? Brute!" she asked.
"Aye, I would love tae but it is nae me they want tae see. It is ye who have caught their attention and affection." And with this last jest, he turned serious. They had to leavenow. Owen opened the door, looking left and right to make sure the corridor was clear. He gestured for Charlotte to come closer and then he stepped out, locking the door behind her.
Together the two of them tiptoed down the hallway to the entrance, walking cautiously, careful not to make any noise in their hurry. They reached a bend just as a monk passed by in the distance, smiling as he noticed Owen.
Owen stiffened. They had been caught. His thoughts were all jumbled in panic. He turned around to see that Charlotte had not made the bend. He looked down to see the edge of her outfit moving in the breeze and sighed in relief.
The monk waved and Owen waited a moment longer until he could no longer see him in the distance. Then he reached out and tugged on Charlotte's sleeve so they could continue their way. Soon they were at the entrance of the corridor.
Owen signaled at her to wait and walked a little way off to make sure there was no one at the entrance before he returned to motion for her to follow. With hurried steps, they ducked and ran until they were standing behind the large statue of the woman praying, situated close to the gate that led outside.
Owen appeared confident on the outside because he did not want to scare her but his heart had been lodged in his throat since the moment he found out that his uncle was on his way. The more they moved closer to the gate, the more his heart swelled in his throat until it seemed like he was struggling to breathe. These people had welcomed him with open arms when he needed a place to stay. And while they always tried to be in his business, they had taken care of him and regarded him as one of their own. Owen did not want to disappoint them by being foundin a situation he could not explain away. Nor did he want to leave without explanation.
They waited for a few minutes and then made a run for the gate when they realized there was no one in the front yard. Owen took a deep breath when they were finally in the clear. His heart that had been lodged in his throat finally returned to its proper spot. He took Charlotte's hands in his, ignoring the sparks that shot through his palm and dragged her away from the entrance to a secluded area. He heaved a deep sigh of relief, his heart beating a mile a minute as he laughed.
"See? We managed tae make it out of there without any encounters with yer little friends." He laughed harder when she smacked him lightly on the chest, her lips curling up into a small smile as she watched him.
"Where did yer fear of spiders even come from?" he asked curiously. He looked at her in thought. "Before ye tell me anything, it is nae a bad story, is it?"
"No, it is not a bad story," she said, still sporting her smile. "One night, when I was younger, a spider crawled into my bed and climbed onto my face. I still remember the tickling feeling of his legs," she shivered. "I jerked awake when I felt him moving around and I have been scared since then. I cannae even look at them."
Owen did not know what he had been expecting when he asked her but it certainly had not been that. He stared at her with a mix of shock and confusion, trying to determine if she was beinghonest with him. Seeing the sincerity in her beautiful green eyes, he burst out laughing.
"What?!" he laughed even harder. "Wha- how could ye- oh me- I cannae imagine how that is possible. I am sure ye never slept with yer face uncovered ever again." He laughed even harder as he tried to imagine her reaction when she woke up with a spider on her face. Suddenly, his expression changed from one of laughter to disgust. "Please tell me it didnae fall in yer mouth."
"What?! Of course not. I jerked it off immediately and rinsed my face to get rid of whatever it might have left on my face." She scowled at him, rolling her eyes when he simply grinned at her.
Owen could feel their bond deepening despite his constant chastisement and the reminder that he was celibate and should not allow himself to be attracted to her. But how could he not be when she was so lovely? Her scowl gave way to a beautiful smile that jolted his heart in ways nothing else ever had. Her blonde hair was chopped unevenly, but she was radiant. Her green eyes were currently filled with trust and amusement. Charlotte was a gem. It helped that they had great conversations and she understood his humor.
She was perfect in a way that no other had been to him. His eyes darted to her kissable lips, but he looked elsewhere, not wanting to be tempted more than he already was.
"Come along then, let us be on our way," Owen gestured for her to follow him. As they walked, he regaled her with stories and smiled when she shared some of hers.
She was in the middle of telling a story about her mother when he heard a noise behind them. Owen tuned her out, paying no mind to what she was saying as he tried to hone in on where the noise was coming from. He tried to subtly look around not to alarm her and not to alert the person following them that he was aware of their presence.
From the corner of his eye, Owen saw an arrow heading fast in their direction.
CHAPTER NINE
In a split second, Owen pushed Charlotte to the ground and jumped on her, careful not to crush her. Were they her uncle's people?
"What—?" Charlotte stopped when the arrow whizzed past them. Her eyes widened in fear, but he shook his head at her. Another arrow moved past him, just a few inches from his head. Owen was shocked as it occurred to him that they were shooting at him and not her. He supposed it made sense since her uncle wanted to marry her off and he was the only one stopping them from taking her. They needed her alive—him, not so much.
He turned around just in time to see the men spring from their hiding places in the bushes surrounding the path. There were four men dressed in cloaks, brandishing weapons. Owen immediately noted the one holding the bow as the one who had shot at them first. The rest all held swords. Owen knew he needed to get rid of the one with the bow as soon as possible. That one was dangerous.
