The Scottish Bride by Catherine Coulter Read Free Book Online Page A

into the forest, deeper and deeper, zigzagging left to right, then into the heaviest undergrowth to where his horse would have to pick his way very slowly. She heard Erickson cursing, felt his anger thicken the very air around her. She paused, breathing hard, a stitch in her side. She was safe. At least until the next time.
    She lowered her head in her hands. She didn’t cry, therewas no purpose to it. Tears did nothing except make her eyes itch and her nose red. She waited, then waited some more. She finally walked due east, knowing that if Erickson MacPhail wanted to wait for her, he would be there, between the forest and Kildrummy Castle. There was a stretch of two hundred yards, ancient barren land cluttered with boulders and strewn with sharp-edged rocks, and farther on, the land had been gouged out by some clawing primeval fingers, leaving gashing crevices in the earth, some of them quite deep. On horseback, he would have to take care. He wouldn’t be able to catch her easily.
    She drew in her breath when she reached the end of the trees, looked toward Kildrummy Castle. She didn’t see Erickson MacPhail. She drew a deep breath, picked up her skirts again, and ran as fast as she could.
    When she heard hoofbeats just off to her right, she turned quickly to see how close he was. She tripped over a clump of black rocks and went flying into one of the narrow crevices that scored the earth.

5

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    T YSEN JUMPED OFF Big Fellow’s back and ran to the girl who was lying half in and half out of a narrow, jagged cut in the hard earth. He saw that she wasn’t unconscious from her wild fall, as he’d feared. She was lying on her stomach, breathing hard, not moving. Finally she pressed herself up on her hands and looked at him.
    â€œYou’re the new baron,” she said, her voice filled with relief. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then said more calmly, “I watched you ride away. Why did you come back? Not that it matters, but I am very grateful that you did, sir.”
    Tysen cocked his head to one side as he came down on his haunches beside her. “I came back because I realized that I wanted my daughter with me. I left her because I wished her to understand that I am still distressed with her, but I am her father and I love her dearly and can no longer hold out. I wanted her to see the village with me, meet the villagers who bought our extra eggs, smell the fish, meet the fishermen.” He appeared surprised that he’d spoken at such length, but then he just shook his head and smiled. “Let me help you. Do you think you are hurt?”
    â€œI don’t know yet. Let me just lie here a few more minutes. What did she do to distress you?”
    â€œShe dressed as a boy and rode behind my carriage as my tiger all the way from southern England to Edinburgh.”
    â€œOh, my, what a grand adventure! I would never have had enough courage to do that. How old is she?”
    â€œOnly ten.”
    â€œShe’s a very brave girl.”
    â€œWhat she is, is too young and foolish, and ignorant as a clod of dirt,” Tysen said. It occurred to him that he was speaking about family matters to an unknown female lying half in a ditch. It both surprised him and appalled him. At the very least, it was very unlike him to spill his innards to a stranger. And here he was, chatting with her, smiling even. It wasn’t like him at all. He said, “I believe I should get you out of that hole in the ground now. Do you know now if you’re hurt anywhere?”
    â€œMaybe, I still don’t know for sure.”
    â€œI will go as easily as I can.” Tysen reached out to clasp her under her arms. To his astonishment, she tried to scoot away from him. She moaned and grabbed her left ankle.
    Tysen found himself again surprised. He cocked his head at her, making absolutely no move to touch her. “Are you trying to hurt yourself more? What is wrong with you? I