IntoEternity (14 page)

Marshaling his self-control to keep from shouting at the
invaders, Duncan kept his head and waited until the trio moved farther down the
wall before he quietly trailed behind them. They reached the hidden gate in the
northeastern part of the outer wall and stopped near a small clump of
rosebushes Duncan’s mother had planted in an attempt to bring a little beauty
to the deserted flower garden. Only a handful of people even knew about the
gate behind the old shed. Duncan wasn’t certain what these men were up to but
he knew Alexander would be pleased with him at his quick thinking. His cousin
would even be thanking him later, when he returned with information that would
save his lady from her abductors.

Duncan waited only until the trio moved through the small
door and then he ran for the stable to get his pony, Edgar. He did not waste
time saddling the beast but merely put a halter over its head before pulling
him from his stall and out of the stable to the hidden door. For a moment, he
wished Caesar was still in the stable but the large stallion would never have
fit through the small opening.

As soon as he was safely away from the keep, he urged Edgar
into a fast trot. He had named the small dun pony in honor of the king, who’d
gifted the pony to Duncan on Edgar’s last visit to Sutherland Keep. Duncan
remembered Alexander had groaned when Duncan had made his proclamation but the king
had merely laughed and tousled Duncan’s hair—a gesture he hated but which he
tolerated from men such as his cousin and his liege.

Through the cold, moonlit night they rode. At first they
angled south, riding parallel to the shoreline, and then they suddenly turned
and made their way straight to the rocky beach. A stiff breeze met them as they
left the shelter of the forest and by the time they reached the ocean the
temperature had dropped quite a bit.

Duncan stayed far enough behind the villains that they would
not notice they were being followed. He estimated a full hour had passed when
they finally stopped. Nearby, a small dinghy sat on the beach. Duncan tied his
horse to a bush and then kept going on foot until he found a large boulder
farther up the coastline, where he hid and watched to see what the men would do
next.

He used one of his cousin’s favorite and most vile curses as
he watched the villains drag Gusty to the small boat and dump her inside. Then
before his horrified eyes they pushed the boat into the outgoing tide,
launching her out into the swells of the cold North Sea. He crouched behind the
rocks, powerless to do anything but watch as the current swept her away. Lady
Gusty would be lost to them. If a storm didn’t cause the boat to capsize,
drowning her in the murky depths of the wild and savage sea, she’d eventually
die of thirst or exposure to the elements. Driven by those horrendous thoughts
Duncan carefully made his way back to the bush where he had tied Edgar and
pulled the pony back up the path. He must go for help. He would find his
cousin. Yes, Alexander would know exactly what to do.

Insistent pounding jarred Gusty’s aching head and she
shivered in the abominable cold, coming fully awake. She frowned and lay there
a moment, looking up at the sky as her foggy brain struggled to analyze her
situation. She was, apparently, in a small boat of some kind, and judging by
the rolling motion, she was somewhere on the water. Needing to fully ascertain
her whereabouts, she tried to ease herself into a sitting position, groaning in
pain. Her feet and hands were numb from the cold, her head throbbed as if it
would split open and she felt bruised all over. When she finally sat up the
wind caught her hair, flinging it about her, and she brushed it out of her face
so she could see.

The eastern horizon was beginning to lighten with the coming
of dawn and as she’d feared, she’d been set adrift—naked, no less—on the open
sea. Someone had kidnapped her from her bed and left her to freeze to death in
the middle of the ocean. Who would do such a thing? She was so cold, her skin
had turned a pasty white and her toes and fingers were fast becoming an
alarming shade of blue. The sight of her discolored digits scared her. Without
proper covering and shelter from the wind she would freeze to death. She would
die of exposure if she didn’t figure a way out of this mess and soon.

The small boat suddenly rocked crazily and crashed against
something behind her. She turned to see she’d run aground on a rocky outcropping
connected to a tiny island. The waves were causing the vessel to bump up
against the rocks repeatedly. She grasped the side of the boat to steady
herself and tried to catch her breath but even breathing was a major chore to
her in her present state. She sat for several minutes while she struggled to
understand what had happened but she was so cold her mind wasn’t functioning
very well. She rubbed her hands up and down her thighs as she fought to collect
her thoughts.

She remembered being taken by surprise as she lay in bed
waiting for Alexander to return. She remembered the surprise attack and putting
up a struggle. But she had no memory after she lost consciousness. How had she ended
up in her present predicament? She could only presume that whoever had
kidnapped her wanted her dead. That thought brought on a sense of fear unlike
any she’d ever known.

As the rising sun brightened the sky she could see in the
distance the shoreline of the mainland—or perhaps just another rocky island.
She made a guess that it was perhaps a mile or two away.

Swimming that far would require strength she lacked at the
moment, and besides, hypothermia would kill her before she made it a few hundred
yards. She could use the boat but without oars she couldn’t steer. At the mercy
of the tide she would most likely end up farther out to sea.

Only one reasonable option seemed available to her. A large
rock sat in the middle of the tiny island. If she climbed to the top, hopefully
she’d have a better view and could come up with a plan. After several failed
attempts she managed to clamber over the side of the boat. She waded ashore and
then stood there a moment, naked, cold and so stiff she could barely move.
But
you
have
to
, she told herself.
Get
your
blood
circulating
or
you’re
going
to
freeze
to
death
out
here.

Gusty forced herself to keep going, half staggering, half
walking, until she reached the highest point on the rocky little island. She
leaned over, hands on her knees, until she caught her breath and the dizziness
subsided a bit, and then she straightened and looked around. Under any other
circumstances she would have taken a moment to admire such a stunning view.
From where she stood she could see for miles in any direction. Before her and
out to each side were several other small islands, while behind her the sea
stretched out along the horizon, unbroken by any sign of land. If the boat had
missed this one last small island, she would have drifted on, out into the open
ocean. She shivered at the realization of how close she had come to disaster.
As she stood watching, the sun rose slowly out of the sea, filling the eastern
horizon with its pale golden glory. She stood in the cold morning air, her hair
whipping around her, entranced by the majesty of the scene as the sun’s rays
spread their warmth across the sparkling water.

Arph!
Arph!

Gusty jerked in surprise at the sound of sharp barking
behind her. Her knees wobbled and she staggered a few feet, struggling to keep
her balance and not fall down the side of the rock. Slowly she turned, fearing
what she would find sharing her refuge. The sight that met her eyes had her
heart leaping into her throat.

A large, sable-colored seal lounged upon the rocks below
her, staring up at her curiously. The animal studied her with dark, human-like
eyes, just as she studied it. If she remembered correctly, such beautiful
creatures were very prominent along these rocky shores. Slowly Gusty sat down
on a jutting slab of rock, not taking her eyes off the seal. Something about
having him there for company comforted her, and her sense of panic and fear
eased as she stared into his eyes. In that moment she felt as if there was an
affinity between them. Had Alexander not called her his own little selkie? Perhaps
this was one of those supposedly mythical sea creatures that shed its seal-like
skin and walked about on land in human form? Gusty grinned at the fantastical
thought.

“Well it looks as if it’s just you and me, my friend. I hope
you don’t mind my crashing at your place for a while.”

The seal barked once as if to answer.

“I have no idea what to do at this point. The swim to the
mainland would probably kill me before I made it even a few yards. But if I
just stay here, I’ll eventually freeze to death anyway, not to mention the
possibility of dying from dehydration or starvation. Trying to get to the
mainland in the dinghy without any oars would be futile and I would probably
end up drifting farther out to sea. My choices are grim. If you have any
suggestions, I would love to hear them.”

“Well my little selkie, if I were you, I would ask your
husband for assistance. Perhaps he would be willing to take you to back to the
mainland in his vessel.”

Gusty’s heart did a flip-flop at the sound of his voice and
she did something she had never done in her entire life. She fainted.

As Gusty collapsed, Alexander jumped forward to catch her
before she landed on the jagged rocks and injured herself further. Her body was
like ice and as he eased her to the ground he cursed whoever had left her to
die in this manner. He freed his plaid and draped it over her then lifted her a
bit and wrapped her limp body as best as he could. Once he’d gotten her covered
he picked her up, cradling her as if she were a newborn babe. He carried her
back to the boat and gently lowered her down into Davin’s waiting arms. The
expression on Alexander’s old friend’s face was one he had never seen. In
amazement he watched as tears flowed down the large man’s wind-burned cheeks.

“The bloody bastards! Their lives are forfeit from this day
forward.”

Davin cradled Gusty in his arms as Alexander pushed the
vessel off the rocks and jumped aboard. He then took his sweet wife from his
giant friend and held her close, willing the heat from his body to warm hers.

“Let’s get her home,” Davin declared.

They made for the mainland and the beacon on the shore, a
fire Duncan had built and now tended as he awaited their return.

Gusty opened her eyes to a blurry view of the world around
her. Her head throbbed, every muscle in her body ached and the pressure in her
bladder was intolerable. She had to pee. The door opened and Violet entered.
She met Gusty’s gaze. With a shake of her head, Violet rushed across the room.
Suisan straightened and she too hurried to Gusty’s aid.

“No, my lady. You mustn’t get up. Here let us help you.”

“I need—” she croaked and swallowed painfully. “I need to
use the garderobe.”

“Laird Sutherland left Violet in charge, my lady.” Suisan
nattered on as she helped Violet lift Gusty’s head to give her a sip of water.
“He is beyond worried about you. Even now two guards stand outside your chamber
door by his command while he and his best warriors hunt down the villains who
did this to you.”

As Gusty settled back on the pillows a long sigh escaped
her. The harrowing experience had left her tired and weak. She lay quietly,
listening to Suisan as she related everything that had happened during Gusty’s
rescue, and her eyes grew heavy.

* * * * *

Gusty awoke, shivering uncontrollably.

The rustle of skirts drew her attention and she opened her
eyes to find Violet sitting on the edge of the bed. With Suisan’s help, Violet
lifted Gusty, bracing her back so she could painfully swallow a few sips of
something nasty tasting. Violet placed her palm on Gusty’s forehead and she
sighed at the coolness of her maid’s touch.

“She has a fever doesn’t she?”

Suisan’s voice seemed to fade in and out and Gusty missed
some of the one-sided conversation between the two women.

* * * * *

Gusty must have fallen back asleep but when she next awoke
she felt no better than she had before. The coverings on her bed were not
enough to keep her warm. Her throat felt raw and she needed a drink of water. She
lifted her throbbing head to glance around the chamber. The room twirled around
her and she gasped and fell back against the pillows. She closed her eyes and
waited for the world to settle, afraid to move again. At the sound of footsteps
she opened her eyes and found Violet at the foot of the bed.

“Could I please have some water?” The words came out in a
ragged whisper.

Gusty heard the clink of metal against metal. A moment later
gentle hands helped her to raise her head and a cup of water was place to her
lips. Gusty took several quick swallows and began to cough. Violet patted
Gusty’s back until she caught her breath and then pressed her back down on the
pillow and pulled the covers up to her chin. Violet shook her head.

“Where is Alexander?”

Gusty watched as Violet tried to explain with her hands.
After a few moments of trying to make herself understood, Violet moved to the
door and opened it. She pulled a young man into the room, pointed to Gusty and
nodded.

“Where is the laird?” Gusty asked the man.

“Laird Sutherland left three days back. He went hunting, my
lady.”

Gusty nodded slowly. “Thank you. You may return to your
duties.”

She did not have to ask what prey Alexander sought. She had
already learned that to a Highlander, the term “hunting” meant raiding. But she
was certain that raiding the neighboring clan’s holdings was not what Alexander
had in mind this time. Out for vengeance, he’d no doubt gone looking for the
men who had kidnapped her. The knowledge worried her. If he were careless in
his pursuit, he might be injured or even killed.

Why hadn’t he waited until she had awakened? That worry lay heavy
on her mind as she determinedly made an effort to rise from her bed. She told
herself she was not that ill. As a teenager she had survived a bout of the flu,
the chicken pox and the mumps―all in a period of six weeks. She remembered
missing school as her grandmother had dosed her with antibiotics and pain medication.
If she could survive all those illnesses, she wasn’t about to let a little cold
keep her in bed now.

With a little luck, a lot of stubbornness and a bit of help
from Violet, she managed to get her feet over the side of the bed. She sat
there with her eyes closed and waited for the dizziness to ease. Finally she
stood up on wobbly legs, determined to get to the large chair in front of the
fireplace. Her head felt woozy and she took several deep breaths to keep back
the nausea that threatened her. She kept her eyes closed for several moments,
praying the dizziness would pass. When she opened them she found Violet
standing nearby, shaking her head and frowning ferociously as she pointed at the
bed.

“I assure you, Violet, this little fever isn’t going to
bring me down. I want to be up and moving when Alexander returns. I don’t want
him to see me like this,” she stated firmly.

Violet raised her hands as if she intended to signal some
argument but a knock sounded, interrupting their conversation. With a shake of
her head Violet crossed the room to answer the door and returned a moment later
bearing a supper tray. She set it on the table in front of the hearth and
walked resolutely to the bed where she threw back the covers and pointed from
Gusty to the bed.

“No, Violet. I am perfectly fine now. My fever is nearly
gone and I will be back to my old self in no time at all. I seldom get sick but
when I do, I heal very quickly. I have a great immune system.” She stopped.
Violet probably didn’t understand half of what Gusty’d just said.

Violet stared and Gusty shook her head.

“Never mind. Suffice to say I’m well on my way toward making
a full recovery.”

“Is that why you’re about to fall flat on your face?”

Gusty turned to see Alexander lounging against the door frame.
His lips twitched as if he was fighting a smile. She gave him an exasperated
look and his expression turned serious.

He approached her purposefully and she backed up a step
until her knees hit the side of the bed and she abruptly sat down. Pain jolted
through her head and she gasped and closed her eyes, fighting the sick feeling
that threatened to lay her out flat on her back. After a moment she opened her
eyes to find Alexander looming over her, his hands on either side of her hips.
He leaned closer until his lips were just a breath away from hers.

“Stay in bed,” he whispered and kissed the tip of her nose.

He turned away but not before she caught sight of the wink
he sent in Violet’s direction.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Violet. Keep her in bed. If
she doesn’t stay there, tie her down.”

Insulted that they would treat her as if she was a child,
Gusty snorted but immediately regretted her action as her head began pounding
anew. In spite of her attempt at rebellion she was actually glad she had been
forced back to bed. Her little jaunt across the room had sapped what little strength
she’d had and exhaustion claimed her. Despite her insistence to the contrary,
fever still ran rampant through her body. In total submission to Alexander’s
command she turned onto her side, closed her eyes and nestled her throbbing
head into the pillow. With a small sigh of resignation she fell into a fitful
sleep.

Alexander took a quick meal in the hall and bathed. He did not
bother replacing his tunic, merely wrapped his plaid about his dripping, naked
body as he made his way back upstairs. With a quick nod to the two guards he
entered his bedchamber and motioned for Violet to leave. He bolted the door
after her and moved to stand beside the bed.

He found Gusty already asleep. Her breathing was deep and
even and he hoped they had seen the worst of the illness but he still feared
for her wellbeing. He had seen many a man come down with a fever after being
injured in battle and once it took hold, such sickness tended to linger for
days and turn life-threatening in an instant.

Alexander had wanted to get back to Gusty as fast as
possible to spend the rest of the night watching over her. She looked so small
and helpless in his huge bed.

She lay curled up on the far side of the mattress, facing
away from him. He lifted the edge of the covering and eased in beside her,
careful not to disturb her. But even in her sleep his sweet selkie seemed to
sense his presence. She turned and moved to snuggle against him, shivering
violently.

He pulled her up against the length of his body and wrapped
her in his arms with her head cuddled on his shoulder. He covered her slender
legs with his thigh and held her close. After a time the shivering ceased. Exhausted
from the long hours he had spent in the saddle hunting down her abductors and
lulled by the wonderful feeling of her warm, lush body in his arms, Alexander soon
drifted off to sleep.

Awaking to an incredible heat, Alexander opened his eyes to a
dark room. The fire had gone out, which told him the warmth he felt came from
Gusty. With her face buried in the crook of his neck she had him sweating
profusely. He eased her from his shoulder and she moaned. He hated to move her
but he had to do something quickly to bring down her fever. She mumbled
something against his skin but her words where too unintelligible to decipher.

“Gusty?”

He caressed her shoulder in an attempt to wake her but her
only response was a low whimper. He eased her back onto the pillow and rose
from the bed to replenish the fire in the hearth. When he had a good blaze going
he went and opened the door.

“Find a servant to bring up fresh, cold water and some cloths,”
he told one of the guards.

The man nodded and hastened down the corridor toward the
stairs, and Alexander returned to the bed. He poured a cup of water from the
pitcher on the bedside table then carefully lifted Gusty’s head and offered her
a sip. She latched on to the cup and gulped greedily.

“Easy, my love. A little at a time.”

She drained the cup, sighed and went limp against his arm.
Her condition was beginning to alarm him.

Moments later Violet arrived with the water and the towels.
Alexander met her at the door.

“Thank you,” he said, relieving her of the items he’d sent
for. “I’ll take care of her. But please come back at dawn.”

He closed the door and carried the water to the table by the
bed. He filled the washbowl, set it on the floor next to him then maneuvered
Gusty to the side of the bed and eased her onto her back. She began to mumble
and he paused to listen but could make out only part of what she was saying.
Shaking his head at her delirious state, he dipped the cloth into the cool
water and wiped the wet rag over her burning face. She moaned and turned her head
toward his touch, obviously seeking relief.

He dipped the cloth into the bowl again and wrung it out
then wiped it over the side of her neck and down over her chest. A gasp of
outrage followed the action and she came up off the bed as if prepared to do
battle. She apparently did not appreciate the coldness of the cloth against her
hot skin. No doubt the extreme difference in temperature shocked and hurt her.

“Easy, Augusta! Easy, love! I have to get your fever down.
And this is the only way.”

He pressed her back onto the bed and held her down with his
upper body as she fought him. One fist hit him in the neck with such force if she’d
connected with his eye, she would have blackened it. Her tormented cries as she
lay beneath him had him cringing in remorse but she fought him as if she were a
little wildcat and he could not let her go.

“Hush, Gusty! Hush, now!” He whispered against her brow.

Then as fast as she’d started she quit fighting him and he
raised himself cautiously. Gusty lay quiet, looking up at him with an
expression of recognition in her beautiful golden eyes.

“Everything is fine, my little selkie. I am here to take
care of you. You have nothing to fear ever again.” He smiled at her and continued
to wipe the cool, wet cloth down over her arms.

After a moment she muttered something under her breath that
sounded like a nasty insult to his manhood but he smiled and ignored her. He
dipped the cloth into the basin and twisted it before applying it to her chest,
wiping down over her beautiful, full breasts. Her nipples pebbled at his touch
and he felt an answering arousal between his thighs. Just the sight of her
nakedness was enough to have him hard and ready. Alexander reminded himself she
would not be recovered enough to satisfy his lustful needs for some time.

“No, Michael. I don’t want you to cut my hair,” Gusty said,
her voice loud and clear. “Granny will be angry… I know it takes forever to
comb… Maybe just a little bit… Be careful… I know it’s just a small knife but
it is Granny’s favorite. She doesn’t want us handling it.”

Alexander stared at her face for a full minute before he
realized Gusty was delirious from her fever. He listened intently to what she
had to say. As he wiped her down she continued to entertain him with her
one-sided conversation.

“I am sorry, Granny. It was his idea. I tried to stop him
but he promised to teach me to ride my bike if I let him. Michael, you brat,
look what you did. My hair is so short and it is all crooked. Yes, Granny,
spank him—he made me cry.”

As far as Alexander could make out, the lad had proceeded to
chop off her hair until it was extremely short.

Alexander could not imagine what she would have looked like
with shorn locks. He loved her dark mane of curling hair. It was long and silky
and when he thrust his fingers into the thick mass he had visions of burying
himself in it. It was long enough that he could have easily wrapped it around
his body and held her captive as he buried his cock between her slender white
thighs. God he needed to keep his mind on his task! He had more important
things to worry about than lustful fantasies.

“Michael, look what you did to my hair!”

Alexander grinned despite Gusty’s obvious anger. This
Michael of hers—whoever he was—reminded Alexander of Duncan. A mischievous imp.
But not even Duncan would dare to do something as egregious as chopping off
Gusty’s glorious locks with a blade.