Page 9 of A Highlander Bound by Oath
Charlotte stared defiantly at Owen while holding her tongue. He could tell she was nervous by the way her breasts rose and fell with every breath. She feared something but wanted to show him how bold she was. The look in her eyes tugged at his heart.
"Are ye on the run from someone, lass?’' He noticed how her breathing quickened as her eyes darted over his shoulder.So, she is on the run from somebody else."I tell ye what," he placed his hands on his knees and pushed himself up. "Ye dinnae have to tell me anything else about yerself. I can see that yer nae a criminal." He took pity on her and the desperate look in her eyes.
The wind whipped her short blonde hair about her face as she shivered. She wore a thin white dress with a dark green cloak over her shoulders. She was either poor or left her home in such a hurry that she didn't have time to prepare. But either way, she was hardly dressed or even prepared to spend the night in the forest.
"Where are ye headed? Perhaps I can help ye on yer way?"
"Scotland," she finally ventured after a moment of consideration.
"Are ye saying that 'cause I'm Scottish?" he asked with one eyebrow raised. "If ye fancy me, all ye have tae dae is ask," he winked at her.
"Of course not," she snapped, appalled at his accusation, and taken aback.
"Calm yerself, lass," he straightened his face again. "I was only teasing ye; I dinnae take my satisfaction in life from carnal pleasures. Ye dinnae need to worry about it at all," he examined her face and decided to offer his help. Not only was she a damsel in distress in the middle of the woods, but she knew too much at this point for him to just let her go. "If ye promise tae never say a word tae anyone about what ye heard and saw this evening, I'll give ye a place tae stay for a while. In a few days, I will be going tae family in Scotland. I can take ye with if ye like?"
She seemed to consider her options as she looked around. The wind was picking up, howling through the trees and bringing an icy breeze in its wake.
He could see the bumps forming on her arms as the air grew colder. "Seems like a storm is on the way," he said when she continued to hesitate. "Many spiders come out at night when it rains. It gives them the perfect grounds tae hunt small lasses like ye."
Her head snapped up quickly as she looked at him in panic, her mouth slightly agape.
"I'll be headed tae the monastery now. I dinnae fancy being caught out here in the middle of the night," he jerked his thumb back over his shoulder. "Ye can follow me if ye want the help." Owen turned to leave and started walking in the opposite direction. "Or ye can stay out here taking yer chances with the elements and bugs." He walked a little further away before calling over his shoulder. "By the way, lass, that spider that climbed onto yer hand was just a baby. They get ten times bigger than that!"
Owen smiled to himself when he heard her hurried footsteps following behind. "Ye'll have tae walk faster than that if ye want tae keep up, the monastery is a good few minutes away, and I dinnae want tae get caught in the rain," he said lightheartedly, chuffed with his efforts at winning her over. He wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he knew she was out here alone in the forest. What if it was his sister, Evie?
No, no, leaving her was no option. Owen would have dragged her to safety had Charlotte not come willingly. The wind would blow her over, being the slight little thing that she was.
Charlotte quickened her pace and joined Owen at his side before too long. "Will the other monks be fine with you just bringing me in?" she asked, out of breath.
He shook his head. "The other monks must nae ken yer even there. I'll sneak ye in and keep ye in me chambers until we leave in a few days. Ye will have a warm bed tae sleep in and food tae eat. It's better than being out here in any case," he noticed the panic on her face and quickly added. "I will nae lay a hand on ye,lass. There's plenty of room. Me uncle is away, so naebody will check. I may nae be a proper monk by trade, but I've adopted the celibate way of living, as I already mentioned. I mean it," he looked at her sincerely. He really had been celibate for a long time now. It was the least he could do to redeem the sins scarring his soul.
"Is your uncle also a monk?" she had to jog to keep up with his strides.
"Aye, he brought me here tae live at the monastery."
"So, I was right. You aren't a real monk then, after all?"
He stopped and looked at her. "Let's make one thing clear, lass. Part of the deal is that ye dinnae ask me any questions about me past or how I came tae be here at the monastery," he searched her face before continuing. "And I will nae ask ye any questions about yer past and whom ye are so clearly running from. Deal?"
His heart skipped a beat for a second as she gazed into his eyes. Her beauty was dangerously beguiling to him. He'd have to watch himself around her. He didn't have time for distractions in life.
"Sounds like a fair deal to me," she finally said.
He nodded and continued to walk as a soft drizzle of rain fell through the canopy of trees. They walked in silence for a while before either of them spoke again. Owen wondered who she wasand who she could be on the run from. He just hoped that he wasn't aiding and abetting a crime; he had enough problems of his own to contend with at present.
"May I ask your name at least?" she suddenly asked. "I mean, you do know that my name is Charlotte. What am I to call you if we are to be living together for a while?"
"Owen," he said after a moment's hesitation.
"Is that your real name? It's not Scottish."
He felt slightly offended at the way people kept questioning his honesty. Obviously, his morals were somewhat questionable. Granted, he had met her in the middle of the forest on a dark night while paying a man who was clearly a scout. But where was her trust in humanity and her fellow man? Was there no trust left in the world?
"Aye, it's Owen," he said again.
She nodded as if to say she'd accept his answer, whether it was true or not. "Pleased to meet you, Owen."
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Charlotte…" He took a shot in the dark in the hopes that she'd open up to him a bit more.
