Highland Promise by Hannah Howell Read Free Book Online

agreed, saying that since I was such a sharp-tongued wench ’twas certain some mon would try to drown me one day.”
    Eric laughed softly yet felt a twinge of sadness as well. Whenever Bethia spoke of her childhood, she spoke of Bowen, Peter, and Wallace. Her father and mother were rarely mentioned unless she spoke of Sorcha. It was good that Bethia had found someone to care for her, yet that should have been her parents. Every tale Bethia told revealed that she had been treated much as her cousin Wallace had for a while, as some bastard child they were forced to take in. Even worse, in his mind, was the growing evidence that the wondrous Sorcha never did anything to change matters. The situation was beyond his comprehension.
    “Weel, ’tis best to get this done.” Eric made sure James’s sling was firmly secured high on the saddle.
    “Would it nay be better if one of us carried the lad?” Bethia asked as she hitched up her skirts to free her legs.
    “We will need all of our limbs free to fight the strength of the water. And Connor is far taller than either of us. Set here as he is gives the lad a better chance of keeping his wee head clear of the water.”
    “And Connor will head straight for the opposite bank?”
    “Aye, and then wait there. He has proven himself a strong swimmer, unafraid of water, time and time again.” He held his hand over the horse’s flank. “Ready?”
    “Aye.”
    Bethia fought back a sudden surge of panic when Eric slapped the horse and the animal plunged into the water. James quickly began screaming as the cold water penetrated his sling and splashed his face. Bethia took a deep breath and dove into the water, Eric swiftly doing the same. The cold made her curse, but she gritted her teeth and began to swim, her gaze fixed upon the horse. The water was rough and littered with debris, the current strong, but the horse never faltered and quickly reached the other side. Connor shook the water from his coat and caused James to scream all the louder. Bethia closed her ears to the child’s distress and concentrated on getting to the other side. By the time she reached the bank, she was shivering from the cold and the strain.
    Sitting down, oblivious to the mud, she looked for Eric. A scream of warning and terror erupted from her throat when she saw a tree branch whirling his way. She leapt to her feet even as it slammed into him. For one heart-stopping moment, he disappeared beneath the water. Even as his head reappeared, Bethia saw his arm curled around the branch. He did not start swimming again, however, and she realized he was now simply fighting to keep from drowning. Unless he regained his strength, that was already a lost battle.
    Grabbing the horse’s reins, Bethia hurried along the bank, keeping Eric constantly in view and frantically trying to think of some way to help him. A few yards down the river the wood he clung to became tangled in a small dam formed by other debris. Eric managed to pull himself a little farther out of the water, but Bethia could see how weak he was. He could even have been hurt when the branch struck him. The small dam shifted and bounced in the current and she knew it would not hold for much longer.
    Bethia stripped off her soaking clothes until she wore only her thin linen shift. The weight of her clothes had wearied her during her first swim and she dared not risk letting them sap the rest of her strength now. She grabbed the rope Eric kept looped on his saddle, tied one end of it to the saddle horn, and then draped the rest of it over her shoulder. As she took a deep breath and prayed for strength, she leapt into the icy water and swam toward Eric.
    “Lass, ye fool, what are ye about? Go back,” Eric demanded when she reached his side, but the hoarse faintness of his voice stole most of the power from his command.
    “I intend to save your bonny hide,” she said as she tied the rope around his waist.
    “I doubt I look verra bonny at the