Mysty McPartland (2 page)

Utterly appalled at the horrendous suggestion, never had he ever used violence against a woman before. However, when he noted the distress in the old man’s eyes and read the worry for his daughter, the anger drained out of him.

After a curt nod, rea
ched out and accepted the missive. He gave the elderly man another nod, before he turned on his heels and swiftly went down the steps. He mounted his horse, shoving the letter down the front of his shirt.

Once he left the crowd behind,
he shook his head, damn me just what in the hell was he getting for a wife.
First she maligners me, then orders me about, dismisses me and she lovingly cares for an aging servant. Next, she comes outside as regally as you please, disregards the help of others and mounts her own horse astride like a man. Calls a vicious giant of a dog, who is like porridge in her hands and without a by you leave rides away
. He shook his head, damn, he was positive that this woman was going to make trouble in his well-ordered life, he just knew it.

              Chapter Two

Trista’s chest ached with tears that she refused to let
them fall. Seeing everyone come to bid her goodbye, the people she had known and loved all her life was unbearable. She needed to leave as quickly as she could before she broke down and cried buckets and once more started pleading with her father not to make her go. And the very second Zana’s feet were back on the ground, nudged her horse into motion caring little what the Black Warlock or the Scotsmen thought or what they would do.

It had taken every ounce of courage she possessed to ride away. With an effort she pulled herself together, she gulped in several ragged breaths and buried the sadness trying to engulf her. She could not let the Scotsmen and especially the Black Warlock see how upset she was. Just the thought of him bought a frown to her brow and she wondered how he ever acquired such a fearful name, since he was nowhere near dark.

He looked like sunshine, his hair long and bright and his eyes were blue as the sky on a sunny day. So how did he come by the name so sinister and menacing? Her thoughts were swept away when a hand reached out and pulled on her reins; she spun her head and scowled.

Rieph finally caught up with runaway bride and stopped both their horses. He glared down at her in irritation. “Ye are nay ever to take off on ye own again, mistress. Do ye understand? And ye can tell that great hound to go home. Ye willnae be needin him where ye are going.” He watched the resentment flare in her grey eyes like bright flames. When her long thick lashes came down to hide her thoughts from him, he sighed in frustration. Her anger amused him though, but he would never let it show.

The rage burned deep within her, but quickly she managed to hide it, instead she thrust her chin in a tilt of defiance. How dare he think he could order her about?
Damn arrogant beast had no right to demand anything and, he was soon going to learn that he couldn’t tell her what to do
.

“
We are not married yet, Sir, and mayhap will never be. Nevertheless, I will tell you this. If I want go off on my own I will. As for my dog
she
goes where I go. If you do not like it well, that is just too damn bad.” She heard the snickers from the men behind her, as she gazed up into the insufferable beast’s eyes, her insides quake with trepidation at the black rage emanating from them.

Rieph sat on his horse astounded; nobody had ever spoken to him with such absolute disrespect or disregard and lived to boast about it. But here sat this mere slip of a female doing exactly that. He heard the chuckles from his men and his frown grew darker, he made his voice harsh and cold. “Aye, lass, we are all but wed except for the blessing from a priest. I will be ye laird and master from now on. Ye best understand ye have nay choice. As of now ye will do what I say, when I say. And now I command ye send the dog home.” He glared at her with black warning.

Trista quaked, but refused to back down. “No.” 

Stunned at the audacity of the wee lass, he felt the heat creep up and burn his cheeks. “If ye dinnae send the dog home I will see it killed.” No sooner had he finished the sentence when she astounded him a second time.

In disbelief, he watched the lass turn her horse and kick it into a gallop, heading back the way they just came. He was at first too amazed to react, but within a second or two, he roared. “Stop her ye blithering fools.” And he breathed a sigh of relief when one of his men reached out and grabbed the reins of her mare bringing it to a stop. His patience all but gone, he was about to go to her, but held his stallion still when his friend rode up beside him. In irritation, he waited for Gabe to say what he had to and leave.

Gabe shook his head and moved his horse closer to his laird and his friend. “Why nay let the hound come along? It willnae hurt and mayhap the lass will soften towards ye.”

Infuriated at first and glaring at his friend, he sighed heavily in the end. Aye it just might help. Waving a hand, he waited for Jamie to bring the stubborn woman back to him; he glared down at her sternly. “Ye mutt can come, but I warn ye if it makes trouble it will suffer and now I caution ye lass. If ye ever pull a trick like that again ye will ride with me.”

He wanted some reaction from her, but not the one he saw in her eyes. He at least expected some gratitude however, he turned away from the horrified expression at the threat of having to ride with him. He rode away leaving his men and his betrothed to follow, to angry and disappointed to be near any of them.

The wee lass was going to
be nothing but trouble, defiant and disrespectful until she finally accepted her place in his life. She would also be taught that in defying and insulting him, she would be punished. He was going to be her laird and her husband; she would respect him and obey him.

Though she did amuse him at times, he would not relent. 
It was her place as his wife to honor and submit to him in all things. Hell, he knew that having a Sassenach wife would cause him nothing but damn problems. Well, it won’t be for long, he thought to himself, he was determined to quell her disobedience and insolence, be damned if he wouldn’t.

****

Trista rode silently and cursed the Black Warlock for such a fast pace. It had long grown dark and still they rode. One of the younger men came to inquire if she needed a rest, but she turned away refusing to answer him. She muttered curses against all men, if it was not for them she would not be here now and facing a terrifying future.

H
er thoughts were interrupted when a hand reached out and grabbed her reins pulling her mare to a stop, this was becoming truly annoying, she thought irritably. Glancing up, she saw the Black Warlock and held her tongue, but scowled at him just the same.

Curiously gazing down at the wee lassie, Rieph arched a brow when he noticed her blank face and buried his amusement when he saw the anger in her eyes she couldn’t hide. Aye, she was going to be a disruption to his life no doubt about it. “’Tis time to rest, lass nay just us, but our horses as well.”

Not waiting for a reply, s
winging down from his mount, he lifted his arms up to help her from the saddle. He wanted to laugh when he noted the refusal in her eyes. When she did not move, he placed his large hands around her waist and swung her off her horse.

H
e ignored her outrage gasp and a smile twitched his lips. Instead of standing her on her feet, he moved her closer so that their bodies touched and slowly he lowered her down the length of his torso. Once her boots were on the ground, he let his hands fall away and taking a step back, he gazed down into her flushed face and was pleased to see a light blush color her cheeks.

“
Come along ‘tis time eat and to rest.” He held out his hand, it did not surprise him when she refused take it, so he grasped hers and led her over to some trees. “Go and do what you need to lass, but I warn ye do not go too far.” He dropped her hand and pointed to beyond the trees. He saw her click her fingers and her dog came running and quickly they both disappeared into the bushes. He turned away and headed back to their horses.

Now out of sight, Trista sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around her dog. “Oh, Zana, what is to become of me?” The dog licked her cheek and she buried her face against the pet’s neck trying desperately to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.

Rieph wasn’t too concerned when she seemed to be taking a fair amount of time to see to her needs. He knew that she must be trying to come to terms with her future. He leaned his head back against a tree and closed his eyes, wondering why his life had suddenly taken such a turn.

H
is people were not happy with the idea of him taking and Sassenach bride but they knew he didn’t have any other choice. He grimaced, he didn’t even have time to tell his mistress yet, and knew that all hell would break lose when he did.

Even now
, he still did not know if he would keep Devena as his lover. He was quickly tiring of her and her constant hints of marriage. He shuddered at the thought of making a woman like her his wife. He wasn’t her first lover and probably wouldn’t be her last.

Nay, he would never wed a woman who would cuckold him.
Aye, perhaps he should end things between them. He shrugged, time enough to make that decision later, and it would also depend on his bride, he thought.

A sound caught his attention and i
nstantly he came alert. He sat up swiftly, scanned the camp and let a small smile play on his lips when he saw the lass and her dog come back into the clearing. Standing up, he moved over to her side. “Sit down here have something and eat then to sleep it is.” He was a little surprised when she did as he asked so meekly.

Having eaten, Trista wiped her hands on the dew wet grass and slowly turned to the man at her side. “How long before we reach your home?”

Slowly swinging his head at the sound of her soft husky voice, he felt his blood stir through him. He gazed down on her upturned face and once again found himself taken with her beauty. “’Tis another three days of hard riding, lass. And I must warn ye there is sure to be trouble along the way. So ye must listen and do exactly as I say. For ‘tis nay only for ye own safety, but as well as my men. Do ye understand what I am trying to tell ye?”

While she listened and when he finished speaking and sighed, she was about to nod her head that she understood however, when she gazed at him, knew that he wanted a verbal answer. “Yes, my Lord, I understand and I promise to do as you say.”

Pleased, he reached out and took her hand and held it in his. “My name is Rieph lass, can ye nay say it?” He intended to woo her slowly he decided and hopefully when he had she would show him nothing but respect and obey him. Once she acknowledged that he was her lord and master, she would be contented with her life.

Surprised by his request, frowning thoughtfully she turned away. “I am sorry but it is not right that we be so informal with each other, Sir, for we hardly know each other.”

Though he wanted to laugh, but dared not hurt her tender feelings. “I dinnae see why not, lass, since we are to wed in a few days.” He saw her shoulders stiffen and watched her reach out in agitation to stroke the big dog lying at her side.

“
I do not want to wed you or anyone. Why can’t anyone understand that?” her words were softly said, but spoken with firm conviction.

“
Och, lassie ‘tis nay what I wanted either, but ye and I have nay other choice in this matter.” He squeezed her fingers lightly and that turned her face back to his and he smiled gently down at her. “’Tis somethin neither of us can change so ‘tis up to us to make the best of our joining and bring peace to both of our countrymen with our marriage.”

She swallowed, for some unknown reason a fire started to smolder through her when the Black Warlock clasped her hand a little tighter. She tried to pull her it out of his grasp, but found herself unable to. “Please, you must let go of my hand it is not proper.”

“
Aye ‘tis a harmless gesture. Now come and lean ye head against my shoulder and close ye eyes. Ye will need some sleep.” Lord, she was such an innocent and he knew that it would be quite a task and hard work wooing her.

With a light jerk of her hand she tumbled against him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his wide chest. He smiled at her ineffectual struggles and held her firmly.

Shocked at finding herself trapped against a solid wide chest, she wriggled to get away. “I insist you let me go at once.” Her words came out harshly, but still he held close to his body and the side of her face pressed against his shoulder.

“
Now, lass, cease ye struggles and go to sleep. ‘Tis another hard day of riding we have tomorrow.” He moved a hand up, cupped her head and once he felt the softness of her hair beneath his fingers clenched his jaw as a river of lust shot straight to his groin. Without conscious thought, he began to stroke the silken strands. He leaned his head back against the tree, closed his eyes and let his body enjoy the womanly softness pressed against him.