Page 95 of Bound to a Warrior
“Please don’t take long. I have but three days,” Bailey pleaded. “And I fear for my wife’s life.”
When they reached the edge of the woods, Bailey insisted that it was better if no one saw them talking and pleaded that she meet him at the groove tomorrow at dawn.
She shook her head. “No. I do not know if I will have an answer by then and I do not trust that you will not turn me over to the soldiers.”
Upset, Bailey said, “I wouldn’t do that.”
“You told me you would do anything to save your wife and unborn child, and I believe you. I will be in touch when I decide.” With that Mercy left him and walked out of the woods.
Upset herself, Mercy didn’t know what she was going to do, though if she intended for Kate not to suffer because of her, her actions were clear. She would need to return to her father. That would mean losing Duncan, but then if he fought for the true king of Scotland and she was the daughter, bastard or not, of the reigning king, how safe was she with the true king?
The chain wasn’t even off a day and she felt more trapped than ever.
When she rounded Cora’s cottage she could see men and horses loitering in front of the keep’s steps. As her steps took her closer she could see that it was Duncan and his two brothers, their horses prancing in agitation as Mara spoke to her sons.
It wasn’t long before Mara pointed in her direction, and Duncan didn’t waste a moment; he rode straight for her.
When he reached her, she didn’t let him speak first. “I found Rand.”
“So I see,” he said curtly. “But you should not have left the keep.”
“I needed to,” she insisted. “Rand was missing and with soldiers lurking about, his safety was of concern to me.”
“So you defy my orders and leave?”
“I did what I felt was right,” she said.
Rand woke then, lifting his little head in a stretch. As soon as he saw Duncan his eyes flew open and he smiled. “Mercy climb tree. Save me.”
He glared at her. “You climbed a tree?”
“I did,” she admitted proudly and spotting Cora and Alida running toward her, began walking in their direction.
Duncan followed and said nothing until after Cora and her children had taken their leave, though not before they had thanked Mercy profusely.
The agitation in his dark eyes told her that a fight was brewing, though she wished it was a grouchy look she had seen for then the solution would be easy. She wondered if perhaps it would work anyway.
“I think we should settle this in your bedchamber,” she suggested.
That brought him off his horse to stand in front of her. “You think coupling will settle this so easily?”
“No, but it might ease your agitation, which will allow us to discuss this more reasonably.”
“You thinkmeunreasonable?”
“No.You’reagitated. I wantusto discuss it reasonably,” she clarified.
“So we couple and all of a sudden we’re reasonable?”
She placed her hand on his chest, though did not slip it beneath his shirt. She simply let it rest there. “Perhaps not, but I doubt you’ll be agitated anymore.”
Her tender touch had the desired affect she had hoped for. He smiled.
“I suppose you could be right,” he said.
“We won’t know if we don’t try.”
“That is a good point,” he agreed.
