Taken by Angeline Fortin (great books of all time TXT) 📗

Whispering something to Rhys, he rose unobtrusively and disappeared between the tents behind him.

She started forward but Aleizia held her back.  “No, wait here.”

“I ken that there has been some debate o’er my decision to honor the Auld Alliance wi’ France, but as Henry threatens to reassert what he calls his God-given rights as feudal overlord of Scotland, I believe we hae nae choices left in this matter.”

Some of the men sounded their approval but the sound was drowned out by the roaring of her blood in her ears as Laird’s powerful arm slid around her waist.  “Laird,” she sighed, leaning back against his chest as he bent his head to nuzzle her ear.

“I, uh… I’ll just leave you then,” Aleizia said with an awkward smile before she turned and fled.

The King’s voice ricocheted through the camp again.  “I hae sent word to the regent, Catherine, and Henry that we shall meet them on the field of battle.”

The men banged their goblets on the table in approval.

“Where hae ye been?” Laird whispered.  “We were worried for ye.”

“Were you?” she asked.  “You didn’t come looking.”

“Would that I could hae and spared us all the wondering.”

Scarlett sank into his warm embrace, pleased by his open concern.

“Wait,” she said under her breath as the King’s words began to sink in through the clamor of banging cups.  “Your king told the enemy that he’s planning on invading England?”

“Shh, lass,” Laird said.  “Aye.  How else would our enemy know where to meet us for battle if we dinnae arrange a meeting? Scotland is a big country.  England larger still.”

King James droned on, “On the morrow, we shall cross into England.”

“I kind of thought the point of an invasion was that the enemy doesn’t know you’re coming,” Scarlett persisted, pulling away to look up at him.

Laird shook his head.  “Lass, we arenae reivers to sneak aboot like thieves in the dark.”

“I thought that’s exactly what you were,” she reminded him.

“Not in this endeavor,” Laird clarified, his fingers tightening over hers when she started to speak again.  “Scarlett, now isnae the time.”

“But you’re giving them plenty of time to raise an army of their own.”

“Scarlett, ye cannae question what ye dinnae understand.”

“We will take every Sassenach hold along the way!” the King announced and the men at the table shouted their support.

“How can I not question that?” Scarlett asked over the din, drawing the attention of the guards standing nearby.  “How can you not?  I mean, it just stupid to let the enemy know you’re coming.”

One man at the end of the table turned in his seat, narrowing a menacing look on her.

“Pax, Angus.  She’s been ill,” Laird explained quickly, pulling her away from the clearing with a firm hand. “I will see her back to her tent.”

“I have not been sick,” Scarlett hissed. “I wish you would stop saying that.”

“Then offer me another explanation for these mad ramblings and questions,” he said as he dragged her through the encampment.  Holy crap, she didn’t know a man’s stride could cover so much ground in a single step but she was practically running to keep up with him.  “I myself cannae think of another reason that ye would dare to question our practices so insolently if it no’ for an addled head.”

“You think I’m addled?”  Scarlett tripped on her heavy skirts before lifting them high.  Laird was in no mood now to see that she didn’t fall, not that she wanted his help in that moment.  She didn’t like being dragged around like a doll any more than she liked being told what to do or say.  “I’m not the one who thinks the plans to invade another country should be announced ahead of time.  It sounds to be like you’re all pretty nuts.  You’re going to get yourselves killed.”

“’Tis becoming easier to believe that yer no’ from this country at all if ye hae such questions about our ways.  I ken ‘tis no’ for a female mind to understand a gentleman’s code of chivalry but ‘tis how it is done.”

Scarlett just shook her head.  “Chivalry says that?  I don’t remember reading that anywhere.  What else does it say?  Stand across the field from each other and hold still like gentleman so that they can get a better shot at you?  That’s ancient idiocy, that’s what that is.  In modern warfare…”

“Enough!” Laird roared, opening the flap of her tent and shoving her through with enough force to send her stumbling.  He had to be pretty incensed to get so rough but Scarlett was reaching the end of her good sense as well.

“Don’t you get all medieval with me, Laird Hepburn.” she snapped, jabbing a finger into his chest.  “I’m not some wilting flower you can just push around.  And don’t think you can feed me that crap about female minds either.  I’m not feeble or stupid.  I have a right to my own opinions, and in my opinion, this whole thing you’ve got going on here is pure bullshit.”

“I’ve had enough of yer prattle, yer questioning our practices.  I demand that ye cease acting as if ye hae no familiarity wi’ our ways.”

“I don’t have any familiarity with your ‘ways’, Laird,” she said, making air quotes around the word.  “I don’t live with them, I haven’t practiced them and frankly, with the little I’ve seen of them, I am as thankful as all hell that I grew up in a better time.”

“Bah!  What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like.”

“Yer the most maddening woman I hae ever met.”

“Yes and what’s supposed to happen to this maddening woman when you go off and fight this war?” she asked, her heart pounding sickly.  Ah, now she was getting to the crux of the matter wasn’t she?  He was going to war, for Christ’s sake.  And by the sound of it, he was going to get himself killed in the process.  The image of that dripping, bloody sword emblazoned itself in her mind once more,