Indeed, it did get easier, but it took weeks. Miles never let up on her for a moment. He refused to let her walk behind the men and when she turned constantly to check the men’s whereabouts, he made her be still. They rode on a hunt and once Elizabeth was separated from Miles. Three MacGregors found her, were quite cordial to her, but by the time she reached Miles, there was terror in her eyes. Instantly, he pulled her onto his horse, held her and soothed her and when that wasn’t enough, he made love to her under a beech tree.
There was one man at the MacGregors who Miles warned her against: Davy MacArran, Bronwyn’s brother. Miles had a fierce dislike for the boy who was actually older than himself. Miles said, with great contempt, that Davy had tried to kill his own sister.
“For all the arrogance of my brothers,” Miles said, “they would give their lives for me as I would for them. I have no use for men who go against their families.”
“As you are asking me to do?” she retorted. “You are asking me to forsake my brothers and give myself body and soul to you.”
There was a flicker of anger in Miles’s eyes before he left her alone in the room they shared.
Elizabeth went to the window to look down at the men in the courtyard below. It was an odd feeling to know that if she wanted she could walk in that courtyard and not be molested. She need have no fear that she would have to fight for her life. There was no urge on her part to test her knowledge but it was pleasant to consider.
The MacGregor walked by and the powerful strut of the big man almost made her smile. His vanity had taken a beating at Bronwyn’s hands and again at Elizabeth’s, and when Miles had practically pushed Elizabeth before him, the MacGregor’d hardly looked at her. This had never happened to her before and before she knew what she was doing, she found herself practically coaxing him to talk to her. It had taken only minutes before she felt him twining about her fingers. He liked pretty women and he was old eno
ugh that he was beginning to wonder whether pretty women liked him. Elizabeth soon dispelled that idea.
Later Miles looked at her in disgust. “You changed quickly from the frightened rabbit to the temptress.”
“Do you think I make a good temptress?” she taunted. “Lachlan MacGregor is a widower. Perhaps—”
She didn’t finish because Miles kissed her so hard he nearly bruised her lips. With her fingertips on her lower lip, she watched his broad back as he moved away from her—and smiled. She was beginning to realize that she had some power over Miles, but as yet she didn’t know the extent of her power.
Now, as she watched the courtyard, men, wearing the MacArran cockade, rode into the area. The MacGregors falsely acted with nonchalance, but Elizabeth saw that all the men’s hands were very close to their sword belts. Miles came from inside the MacGregor’s stone house and talked to the MacArrans.
Elizabeth watched for only a moment before turning back to the room with a sigh, and she began to gather Miles’s belongings. She knew without a doubt that they would be leaving.
Miles opened the door, paused for a moment, saw what she was doing and began to help her. “My brother Gavin has come to Larenston.”
“With Roger?” She paused with her hand on a velvet cape.
“No, your brother has escaped.”
She whirled to face him. “Unharmed? With all his body parts?”
Miles’s eyes widened for a moment. “As far as I know, everything is attached.” He caught her hands. “Elizabeth—”
She pulled away. “Perhaps you should have one of the MacGregor’s beautiful lasses to pack your fine belongings.” With that she fled to the stairs behind the tapestry.
In spite of everything she could do, tears began to fall. She tripped in the black darkness, barely caught herself from falling and ended up sitting down hard on a stone stair as several rats squealed in protest at her disturbance.
Sitting there, crying as if her life were over, she knew she had no reason to cry. Her brother was no longer a prisoner as she was; he was unharmed. And now Gavin Montgomery had come, no doubt to force his younger brother to release her. By this time tomorrow she’d probably be on her way home. No more would she have to shake hands with strange men. No more would she be a captive, but she’d be free to go home to her own family.
A sound on the stairs above her made her turn and although she couldn’t see him, she knew Miles was there. Instinctively, she held her arms out to him.
Miles grabbed her so hard she knew her ribs would crack, and all she did was cling to him all the more tightly. They were like two children hiding from their parents, frightened of tomorrow, making the most of now.
To them there was no dust or filth, no angry little eyes watching them as they fumbled with each other’s clothes, their lips joined, never parting. The violence with which they came together was new to Elizabeth, as Miles had always been gentle with her, but when her nails dug into his back, he reacted. The stairs bit into the back of her as Miles lifted her hips and took her with a blinding, fierce passion, but with no more fierceness than Elizabeth sought him. She braced her feet against the stairs and pushed upward with all the force of her strong young body.
The flash of light that tore through them left them both weak, trembling, holding onto each other as if to let go meant they’d die.
Miles was the first to recover. “We must go,” he whispered tiredly. “They wait below for us.”
“Yes,” she said. “Big brother calls.” Even in the darkness, she could feel Miles’s eyes on her.
“Don’t be afraid of Gavin, Elizabeth.”
“The day a Chatworth is afraid of a Montgomery—” she began but Miles kissed her to silence.
“That’s what I like! Now if you can keep your hands off me long enough, we’ll ride to Larenston.”