“His arguments were quite logical, and it was a perfect way to get rid of me.”
“I don’t know!” she repeated. “I guess that I really didn’t trust him. Here, while we were under the leaves, I heard him say…that he meant to kill both of us.”
“I guessed as much.”
“How could you?”
He touched a curl of her black hair. “Just a guess based upon the number of arrows aimed directly at you. And the way they tried to separate us from the men. It’s upset you, hasn’t it?”
Her head snapped up. “What if you heard one of your brothers say he’d just tried to kill you?”
Even in the darkness she could see Stephen’s face turn white. He looked at her in horror. “It is an impossible idea,” he said flatly, finishing the subject. He looked around. “Where are we?”
“I have no idea.”
“What about the men? Are they around here?”
“I’m only a woman, remember? How would I know about war strategy?”
“Bronwyn!” he warned.
“I don’t know where we are. If the men don’t find us soon, they’ll return to Larenston, where we must go as soon as possible.” She put her head to one side. “Quiet!” she whispered fiercely. “Someone’s coming. We must hide!”
Stephen’s first impulse was to meet whoever it was head on, but he had no weapon besides the little dirk at his side, and he had no idea how many people there were.
Bronwyn took his hand and pulled him forward. She led him to the crest of the steep ridge, then over the side. They quietly snuggled down into the thick bed of leaves and watched the two men who approached. They were obviously hunters, looking for game instead of the missing laird and her husband.
Stephen made a gesture as if he meant to say something to the men, but Bronwyn stopped him. He looked at her in surprise, but he didn’t make a sound.
When the men were out of hearing distance, he turned to her. “They weren’t David’s men.”
“Worse,” she said. “They were MacGregors.”
“Don’t tell me you know each of the MacGregors personally.”
She shook her head at his stupidity. “The cockades on their hats bore the MacGregor colors and insignia.”
He gave her a brief look of admiration for her extraordinary night vision.
“I think I know where we are now.”
He turned over, leaned back against the bank, and sighed. “Don’t tell me,” he said sarcastically. “Let me guess. We’re in the middle of the MacGregor’s land. We’re weaponless, horseless, no food or gold. We’re hunted by your brother, and the MacGregor would just love our heads on a platter.”
Bronwyn turned to look at his profile, and suddenly a little giggle escaped her.
Stephen looked at her in astonishment, then he too smiled. “Hopeless, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she agreed, her eyes dancing.
“Of course, this is no time to laugh.”
“None whatever.”
“But it is almost funny, isn’t it?” he laughed.
She joined his laughter. “We’ll probably be dead tomorrow, one way or another.”
“So what do you want to do on your last night on earth?” he asked, his blue eyes picking up rays of moonlight.