THE MAGNIFICENT ROGUE by The Magnificent Rogue

Author:The Magnificent Rogue [Rogue, The Magnificent]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-12-28T18:22:42+00:00

8

She had no opportunity to ask Gavin anything for the rest of the day. Instead of staying by her side as he usually did when on the trail, he led the pace. It was not until they were making camp that evening that she was able to speak to him.

She knelt beside him as he was laying wood for the fire. “May I help?”

“To lay the fire? Or,” he added ruefully as he glanced at Robert, who was watering the horses several yards away, “to save me from Robert’s wrath?”

“Either.” She began to encircle the wood with the stones he had gathered. In the past weeks she had become closer to Gavin than anyone in her life except Robert, and yet it was still difficult for her to intrude on his privacy in an intimate manner. It was an indication of how much she had changed that she could do it at all. She kept her gaze on her work as she said awkwardly, “I’ve never had any friends but Carolyn, but I have a true fondness for you, Gavin. It makes me… I do not like to see you unhappy.”

“I don’t like being unhappy. It’s not my nature. It shouldn’t be anyone’s nature,” he said wistfully. “Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if we just let everyone find their own happiness, without interference or censure?”

“A fine world,” she agreed gently.

“But it doesn’t happen that way.” He struck flint to the kindling. “So we must attempt to find our way around the obstacles.”

“What obstacles?” She added quickly, “If you wish to tell me. This isn’t curiosity, Gavin. I truly wish to help.”

“I know.” The kindling caught, and he fanned it to life. “It’s Jean, Alec’s daughter. I’m going to wed her.”

She tried to remember Malcolm’s reference to his daughter. “And Malcolm does not know this?”

He made a face. “Alec would string me on the rack in his dungeon and break every bone in my body if he even suspected I was going to take Jeanie. He has plans for her that don’t include a landless henchman who serves his enemy.”

She was beginning to understand Robert’s frustration and concern. If Malcolm was as ruthless as she had been told, this involvement could be deadly for Gavin. “You’ve been away. You could not have seen her for a long time,” she said gently. “Perhaps your feelings have changed.”

“Some things don’t change. I knew the first time I saw her at the gathering at Kilfirth. I was only a lad of fifteen and she was four years younger, but it made no difference. We belonged.” He added more wood to the fire. “We still belong.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Take her from Malcolm. Wed her. Love her.” He smiled. “It’s very simple, really.”

“If you aren’t killed while doing it.”

“Oh, yes, there’s always that problem. That was one of the reasons I went to sea with Robert. I’m not a great warrior, you see. I thought there were things I should learn to protect my Jeanie.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.