Hiding Katherine by GG Shalton (reading women .txt) 📗

“You are in a good mood.” Her maid smiled teasingly.

“Ian is just so wonderful.” Katherine popped a few of the juicy berries into her mouth. “I don’t understand the men’s aversion to him. I love being around him.”

“Oh! Mistress. I have never seen you blush like that.”

Katherine laughed as they made their way up to the camp again. She saw Deanna rolling up the furs and putting them away. “There you two are. Dorian is tending to some of his men that are wounded. I wanted to make some salve if we can find any herbs. Do you want to take a walk?”

Katherine was about to agree when she saw Ian approach. “Would you like to take a ride?”

The women looked at each other and Katherine nodded taking his hand. She looked back to her sister. “I will see you later.”

Ian took her to his horse and they rode together away from the group. They reached some cliffs and he slowed the horse, so they could walk. He was careful with her as he reached for her waist and helped her off the horse. Ian held her hand as they walked through the tall grass looking for a nice place to sit down. There were some overgrown trees that had large branches and vines close to the ground. Ian sat on one and Katherine sat beside him.

“Everyone says the forest is quiet, but if you listen close enough, it is loud.”

Katherine sat in silence and then slowly smiled. “I see what you mean. I can hear many noises if I listen close enough. I have never sat in a forest before. My father kept me near the castle and within the walls. I did have a garden and my favorite activity was sitting in it for hours.”

Katherine turned towards him and studied his face. “Tell me about your fostering. Was it an adventure to travel at a young age?”

He shrugged. “Fostering was competitive. I was a squire and made rank quickly. I left before my time was up.”

Katherine crinkled her forehead. “Where did you go?”

He lost his smile. “I don’t usually tell anyone. Talking about myself is not my strong point.”

She reached out and touched his arm. “I want to know everything about you.”

Her pleading tugged at his heart. This was the first time he wanted someone to know more about him. Feeling a closeness to her that was a bit foreign to him, he cleared his throat. “Very well, I will tell you my secret. But you have to promise to never tell anyone.”

She nodded. “I won’t tell a soul.”

He winked. “I would hate to have to kill you.”

“I bet.” She said teasingly. “Now stop stalling. Please tell me your secret.”

He chuckled. “I was at a tournament with some knights from the clan I fostered at. I was supposed to be cleaning their equipment but was distracted by a robbery I saw behind our tent. I intervened and saved a man that looked very different than the average Scot. He told me he was from a foreign land and offered to take me to his friends for a reward. I hesitated but followed him dreaming of some coin.”

He took a pause watching the expression play across Katherine’s face. She raised her brow. “Do not keep me in suspense, tell me what happened.”

“Patience, my dear.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “His friends spoke in a language I did not understand. After I stood watching them, the leader of the group told me in a thick accent that they had no coin to give me but would show me their appreciation by training me to fight.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand. You were already trained by seasoned knights.”

He nodded. “True, but their fighting was different and required using your mind and learning to anticipate your opponent’s next move. They called it an art form and they studied it for years.”

He took a breath and shifted on the tree. “I watched them for a few hours training with each other and was mesmerized. They used long sticks instead of swords but were just as deadly. I took them up on their offer and never returned to the tournament. They took me in as a stranger and we lived in the mountains. I was only fifteen and practically a boy. When I returned a year later, I was a man.”

“What happened to the men?” Her inquisitiveness captivated him. He enjoyed her attention.

“Do not fret, my dear. They sailed away from Scotland and traveled to their homeland. They were only here by accident and waited for their ship to be repaired. They asked me to go with them, but I wanted to return to my family. I kept their secret as they were hiding from some adversaries.”

She looked at him with admiration. “You’re a fascinating man, Ian Travis.”

He touched her face. “I find you fascinating.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing. Ian had never felt so comfortable with a woman in his life. Katherine was very special, and he wanted to know her more.

They soon felt hungry and rode back to the camp to eat lunch. Ian joined is men on a hunt for dinner and Katherine spent the rest of the day with Deanna tending to the wounded.

Later that evening, Katherine waited anxiously for Ian to return from the hunt. She thought about him all day. The women had cleaned up the campsite and prepared a fire, so they could cook as soon as the men appeared.

A few hours later, Ian and a few warriors came back with lots of rabbits. His men took them and began to skin them for the dinner.

He came by and smiled at her. ““I missed you. Come sit by me, I need you to keep me warm.”

She smiled and followed him to his furs. He pulled her onto his lap and pulled the furs over them. The