A Hint of Rapture by Miriam Minger Read Free Book Online

to rise.
    He did not. After another ten minutes, Madeleine
decided the time had come. It was finally quiet in the clearing, and the only
sounds were an occasional snore, the wind whooshing through the Caledonian
pines and tall oaks, and the flames crackling and hissing. She took a deep
breath and raised her arm above her head.
    Her eyes widened as the three guards suddenly
disappeared from their posts without even a struggle, attesting to the strength
and skill of her kinsmen. She only hoped the Fraser brothers had knocked their
opponents unconscious instead of slitting their throats.
    She rose stealthily to her feet. The two men beside her
followed her cue and fanned out among the trees, circling the camp in an effort
to give the impression of far greater numbers.
    When she was sure all pistols were drawn and flashing
dirks were at the ready, she slowly nodded her head. Treading carefully and
silently over clumps of moss, damp leaves, and pine needles, they advanced upon
the camp until they were almost on top of the sleeping soldiers.
    Waving the others on, Madeleine halted beside a stout
oak, hiding in the shadow of its lower branches. She could not afford to be
recognized as a woman.
    Despite her efforts to disguise her sex, her black garb
could not completely hide her feminine curves. Luckily she was tall for a woman
and could be mistaken for a man of slight build. Her blackened face and
low-slung cap hid the softness of her facial features well.
    She leveled her pistols at the prone officer, noting
the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath the blanket. Her expression was
grim as she and her kinsmen cocked their weapons. The staccato clicks echoed
about the clearing.

     
    ***

     
    Barely asleep, Garrett awakened abruptly at the ominous
sound. In one swift movement he rolled onto his side and lunged for his sword,
the hair rising on the back of his neck as he heard orders barked in the King's
English with a thick Highland burr.
    "Stay where ye are lads, or win a bullet between
yer eyes for yer efforts!"
    Garrett froze, gritting his teeth. His hand was barely
on the hilt of his sword. He dared to lift his head a fraction and look wildly
across the clearing. Spying at least four unrecognizable armed men in the dim
light, he quickly laid his head back down and clenched his fists in
frustration.
    Damn! He should have known better than to camp here for
the night, becoming prey to any fugitive Highlanders. Despite the complaints of
his men, they should have marched on to Farraline. He had sensed something in
the air, a palpable tension which had made it difficult for him to sleep, but he
had shrugged it off. Why the devil hadn't he trusted his gut instincts?
    "Now ye'll do us a favor and lie still whilst we
gather yer weapons," the menacing voice continued, cutting into his
thoughts. "Remember, lads, make nary a move or ye'll be dead before ye
draw yer next breath."
    Garrett listened to the footfalls moving swiftly about
the camp and the chink of weapons being thrown into a distant pile. Suddenly
his blanket was wrenched from beneath him, and a pistol was held six inches
from his face as his own weapons were gathered up by a masked Highlander.
    "Good ev'ning to ye, captain," said the gruff
voice of an older man. " 'Twas good of ye to finally lay yerself to
sleep." He picked up Garrett's sword. "I hope ye dinna mind if I take
this. Ye'll not be needing it tonight."
    The Highlander's words confirmed Garrett's earlier
intuition. They must have been in the woods all along, waiting for the right
moment to spring their surprise attack. God, he hated feeling so helpless!
There had to be something he could do.
    "Now don't be issuing any orders ye might
regret," the man added with a low laugh, sensing his discomfort.
"Just stay put along with yer soldiers, and ye'll live to see another
day."
    Garrett made no reply as the man withdrew his pistol
and moved on to the next soldier. He stared up into the inky blackness
overhead, dotted