Authors: Donna Fletcher
He leaned over and stole a quick kiss. “I’m glad to hear that, but it’s no effort. I simply speak the truth.”
He stunned her silent.
He kissed her again, only this time his kiss was filled with passion. It consumed her much too quickly and just as quickly heightened her desire for him. It had to stop, but she didn’t want it to; Lord, she didn’t want it to.
“I’ll leave you now,” he said after releasing her lips. “Reluctantly.”
She watched the darkness swallow him and raised her fingers to faintly touch her pulsating lips. She hadn’t really wanted their kiss to end and hadn’t wanted him to leave.
If she chose to have an interlude with him, would she be able to release him easily or would her heart ache?
She seriously needed to consider the question, or perhaps it was the answer that disturbed her.
T
he skinny little fellow reminded Burke of a weasel. He didn’t trust him from when first he laid eyes on him. He had dark, beady eyes and barely any hair, and he acted as if he expected someone to pounce on the scene at any moment.
“What are you afraid of?” Burke asked after being in his company for only a few minutes.
“Nothing, nothing,” the man said quickly, and kept turning his head from Burke to Philip.
“You have a name?”
“Names aren’t necessary,” the man said.
“But the coins are,” Burke confirmed.
“No coins, no information,” the man said with quivering bravery.
Burke withdrew several gold coins from his pocket and held them out in his palm.
The man went to grab them with thin, grimy fingers; Burke was faster and closed his fist.
“First the information and then you get paid. The prisoner’s name.”
“Cullen, a big fool of a man.”
“Why do you say that?” Burke asked.
The man gave a gruff laugh. “He was stupid to think that Lady Alaina could love him. He’s nothing but a peasant, not fit to be in her presence.”
“Lady Alaina didn’t return his love?” Burke asked, curious, since the tears that had welled in Lady Alaina’s eyes had told Burke a different story.
“Of course not. The earl has special plans for his daughter and it don’t involve the likes of a peasant.”
“So the reason this Cullen has been imprisoned is because he fell in love with the earl’s daughter?”
“And pay he will for his foolishness,” the man said with a sharp nod.
“And what price will that be?” Burke asked, intending full well that his brother would not suffer simply because he had fallen in love.
The man turned his head, his beady eyes searching the area, then whispered, “He’s being sent to Weighton.”
“That’s a harsh punishment for simply falling in love,” Philip said. “Why not just send him away or sell him into slavery in a far-off port?”
The man shrugged. “Don’t know. Only know that the earl is furious and intends for the man to pay for what he’s done.”
“Make him pay for falling in love?” Philip said with a shake of his head. “Makes no sense.”
The man shoved his hand out, palm open. “Don’t care if it does or it doesn’t. I told you what I know and now I want my money.”
“Is Cullen in Weighton now?” Burke asked.
“Arrived yesterday,” the man confirmed.
“How did you learn all this information?” Burke asked.
The man turned defensive. “What difference does that make?”
“Curious.” Burke shrugged.
“Curious can get you killed,” the man snapped.
“Not answering my question could get you penniless,” Burke said sternly.
The man kicked at the ground and answered reluctantly. “Me sister works at the earl’s manor house and accidentally overheard the earl talking with a man.”
“What man?” Burke asked.
He shook his head. “She don’t know, never saw him before, but soon after, the fellow Cullen was thrown in the earl’s prison. That’s it, that’s all I know. Now me coins.”
Burke held his closed hand over the man’s open palm. “One more thing. What does this Cullen look like?”
The man stared at him for a minute. “Like you, a lot like you.”
Burke dumped the coins into the man’s hand, and he greedily swallowed them up with a taut fist.
Burke watched the skinny man sprint off into the woods. He had a feeling the fellow wouldn’t stop running until he reached his destination.
“This isn’t good,” Philip said, shaking his head. “Come on, we need to meet up with Storm and William as planned.
Burke followed Philip and silently agreed it wasn’t good. Not if what he had been told about Weighton was true. If it was impregnable, then what chance did he have of getting his brother out of there?
He’d be damned if he had come this far to see his brother rot in a prison for the rest of his life. There had to be something he could do, and he had a feeling that buying his brother’s freedom was the only option left to him.
It didn’t take long for them to meet up with Storm and William.
“We need to keep moving,” Storm advised. “We don’t want to take any chances. We’ll talk when we stop for the night.”
All agreed with a nod and set a good pace through the woods. Burke was growing familiar with the area and knew that by tomorrow midday they’d reach the camp.
He would do anything to free Cullen. He had made a promise to his father, and he intended to keep it no matter what it took. He often wondered if his father had amassed his wealth just in case he would need it someday to help Cullen. And if that was necessary, he’d spend his last coin to see his brother free.
They found shelter for the night behind a large rock formation, and Storm deemed it safe for a small fire. William and Philip went to see if they could catch a fish or two from the nearby creek while dusk
still provided a trace of light, and Burke and Storm got the fire going.
The dry, broken twigs had the fire burning fast enough, and it wasn’t long before Burke and Storm sat beside it warming their hands.
“The air holds an extra crispness tonight,” Storm said.
Burke nodded and rubbed his hands. “Don’t avoid it, Storm, tell me about Weighton.”
“It’s not penetrable,” she said.
He didn’t like the sound of defeat in her voice and he wasn’t ready to accept defeat. “There must be another way.”
“Possibly, but we’ll have to give it thought.”
“I’ve given it thought and look where it’s gotten my brother,” he argued and released a gruff sigh. “I want Cullen safe and in front of me. I want to claim him as my brother and tell him all about our father and how hard he had searched for him all these years. I want him to know he has a home in America and money enough to ease his life. I want—” He shook his head. “I want this all to be done with.”
Storm reached out and covered his hand with hers. “I know how you feel.”
He was about to snap that she didn’t, how could she? Then he remembered her husband and knew that she understood exactly how he felt. Suddenly he was grateful she sat beside him.
“What do I do?” he asked, not only needing her help but
wanting
her help as well.
“I don’t know, but we’ll find a way to get Cullen out. I promise.”
“You can’t mean that,” Philip said, he and William joining them.
They held two fish cleaned and speared with sticks for roasting, which they set to the flames, and sat on the opposite side of the fire from Burke and Storm.
“Aye, you can’t,” William agreed. “It’s foolishness to think we can rescue anyone from Weighton.”
“You yourself insisted that if you were ever captured and taken to Weighton, no one was to attempt a rescue,” Philip said. “The American should know the truth. There is no escape from Weighton. His brother’s fate has been sealed.”
“I can’t accept that,” Burke said adamantly. “There must be something that can be done, even if I have to go to the Earl of Balford and buy my brother’s freedom.”
“That might work,” William said, turning the fish over the flames. “Maybe if you can convince the earl that your brother has some fancy title back in America, he might consider letting his daughter marry him.”
“That’s a good point, William,” Burke said. It just might prove to be the solution to his problem.
“You can’t be serious,” Storm said. “And besides, you told me there were no titled people in America.”
“I am a land baron,” Burke said with a grin.
“Baron Longton.” William smiled. “Sounds like a title to me.”
“I don’t know,” Philip said, shaking his head. “That fellow mentioned something about the earl having plans for his daughter.”
“Plans change all the time,” William said. “Just
think of all the times Storm changed rescue plans.”
“Necessary changes,” Storm argued.
“I’d say these were necessary changes,” Burke said. “And there’s only one way to find out if it will work. I need to talk with the Earl of Balford.”
He had expected a resounding no from Storm, so her silence surprised him.
“It might be worth a try,” Philip said.
Still Storm said nothing, and he wondered what she thought. “What’s your opinion, Storm?”
“The Earl of Balford is not a man to be trusted,” she said. “I would feel better knowing what plans he intends for his daughter before rushing into this. But I can understand your reluctance to wait any longer in securing your brother’s release. Weighton is not known for its hospitality.”
Burke respected her opinion. She had proven time and again to be right in her approach to difficult situations, and given enough time, he wouldn’t be surprised if she devised a rescue plan for his brother. Time, however, was limited, and so was his patience.
“If that weasel of a fellow whose sister works at the Balford manor house didn’t know the earl’s plans for his daughter, how will we find out?” Burke asked.
Silence answered him.
“That’s what I thought,” Burke confirmed with a nod. “I have no other choice.”
“Perhaps you do,” Storm said, and all eyes stared at her.
“I’m listening,” Burke said, focusing on her deep blue eyes. He could tell much from the shifting blue
colors of her eyes, and right now the deep color told him she was concerned for his plight.
“You have the advantage of having already met Lady Alaina. If there was some way you could speak with her privately and tell her that you’re Cullen’s brother, perhaps she would then confide in you. She could also possibly tell you whether her father would be agreeable to your offer.”
“That is an excellent suggestion,” Burke said, suddenly feeling that Cullen’s rescue could be closer at hand than he had thought.
“Storm’s a wise leader,” William boasted, and Philip agreed with an affirmative nod.
Later that evening, with William and Philip retired, Burke sat with Storm on her watch.
“You’re not upset with me?” Storm asked, leaning against him.
He slipped his arm around her, knowing she had to be chilled from the cold night air and pleased that she sought warmth from him without hesitation. He had intended to wrap his arms around her anyway. He had grown accustomed to holding her and missed her when she was gone too long from his arms.
“Why would I be upset with you?”
“I thought perhaps you felt that you wasted time by not speaking further with Lady Alaina when you had the opportunity.”
“No, it’s better this way. I’m now armed with more information that will probably prove helpful when I meet with her. I would have never known to ask of her father’s plans. I would have focused entirely on
my brother and possibly ruined my chances of securing his release.”
“I do hope this proves successful for you and especially for your brother.”
“You don’t sound hopeful,” Burke said.
She gave a sad laugh. “Don’t mind me. My encounter with the Earl of Balford has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Perhaps it will be different for you.”
He snuggled her closer to him, wanting to protect her from her own painful memories. “You know what I wish?”
“That all goes well and you free your brother,” she said with a smile.
He shook his head before faintly brushing his lips across hers. “No, I wish you and I were on my ship in my cabin making love.”
He felt her reaction; her body startled in his arms.
“I want to make love to you, Storm. Actually, I ache to make love to you. The choice of course is yours, but I had hoped you would not delay your decision or deny your desire.”
“I won’t deny that I want you,” she admitted softly.
“Then there is no reason to delay.” He kissed her quick and sharp, stinging both their senses.
She shivered. “That you excite me is undeniable. It is the consequences I give thought to.”
“What consequences?”
She hesitated for more than a moment. “What if I fall in love with you?”
Her words were a direct hit to his gut and if he
wasn’t sitting, he’d have fallen over from the sharp impact.
“You told me you would never love again.”
“You said that I might not love the same way but love was still possible,” she reminded him.
“I also said that fate would have the deciding hand in it.”
“My fate has been sealed,” she said sadly.
“If you are so certain, then why worry about falling in love with me?”
Her blue eyes glazed over with tears he was certain she would not shed. Her slight cough to clear her throat confirmed for him her battle to contain them.
“Because…” She hesitated and looked away from Burke. “Because if I did fall in love with you, I fear the pain of bidding you farewell when all of this is over.”
S
torm pushed away from Burke and fought back the tears that threatened to ravish her. She would not cry in front of this man. Tears only served to demonstrate weakness, and she didn’t intend to have Burke see her as weak.
Burke leaned forward and took hold of her shoulders, turning her to face him. “If we should, by chance, by fate, fall in love, why do you think I would ever bid farewell to you?”
“What choice would you have?” she asked bravely and maybe with an ounce of hope. Would he possibly consider remaining in Scotland and making his home there with her?
“I want to take you home to America with me where you’d be safe.”
Hope vanished in a flash and she made herself clear once again. “I will never leave Scotland.”
“You are an outlaw here with no hope of a normal life.”
“Exactly,” she said, his words confirming her future.
“In America you wouldn’t be an outlaw. You’d be a free woman with no fear of being hunted, imprisoned, and executed.”
“You forgot torture,” she reminded caustically.
“No, I didn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to even consider such a heinous fate for you. However, it would be all the more reason for you to leave Scotland and make a new home in America.”
“My home is and always will be Scotland.” She didn’t bother to suggest he remain in Scotland with her. He would just continue to argue that America offered her freedom. If she chose to have an interlude with him, she would have no choice but to keep her heart out of it. Could she do that? Of late, it was a question that haunted her.
He cupped her face in his hands. “When you love, home is where that love resides.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“It is. America is a safer place for you, and therefore the wisest choice.”
Reluctantly she pulled away from him, his hands falling away from her face. “The wisest choice would be for me not to fall in love with you.”
“Love, my dear stubborn Storm, is not left to us mere mortals.”
“We shall see about that,” she challenged.
Burke grinned. “I wouldn’t tempt fate if I were you. It’s my experience that fate is always the victor.”
Storm didn’t respond. She simply resumed her position against the rock, Burke joining her. Without preamble he took her in his arms once again. She didn’t object. She settled against him as before, comfortable in his embrace.
Only this time she silently warned herself repeatedly that their time together would be brief and he soon would be out of her life forever. She intended to prepare herself for the inevitable, burn it into her heart and soul so that she wouldn’t feel the pain of his farewell.
They arrived at camp the next day with storm clouds close on their tails. Everyone dispersed to his respective home, reuniting with family and friends for a short time.
Not one to waste valuable time, Storm issued orders to her men that they would meet in two hours at Angus’s place. With rain likely, she didn’t want their meeting interrupted, and Angus’s quarters, though one room, was sufficient to hold them.
Storm made her rounds of the camp, making certain they all had what they needed and assuring them that winter would not pose a problem. The look of relief on their faces reinforced Storm’s stubbornness about remaining in Scotland. There was no way she could leave these people to fend for themselves. They had become a family, relying on one another, and you didn’t walk away from family.
Peter was doing much better, as was Henry, who, Janelle informed Storm, had been a great help to her.
She also told Storm that Henry was worried that he would have to leave the camp. Janelle had tried to alleviate his fears and assure him that he was welcome to reside with the group, but the lad seemed not to believe her.
Storm found Henry huddled against a tree, staring up at the racing storm clouds. The chilled wind had picked up, and soon raindrops would fall. In a few weeks, snow could fall, and there was much to do before then.
“Feeling better, Henry?” she asked on approach.
Henry stood upright, away from the support of the tree. “Much better.”
“Janelle says that you have been of help to her.”
“Whatever help I can be to anyone. I will pull my weight while here.”
His last words were barely audible but Storm caught them. “While here? Are you leaving us?”
“There are many mouths to feed here and I am not a good hunter.” He lowered his head, his chin near to his chest. “I have no skills.”
“Of course you do.”
He raised his head, shaking it. “No, really I don’t. I have drifted around trying to survive and I have learned little along the way.”
Storm placed her hand on his shoulder. “You learned to survive or else we would not be having this conversation. You would be dead.”
He focused startled eyes on her.
“There is much you can offer us and much we can teach you. This is your home now. You have a family to look after you and for you to look after,
so worry not. You will reside with Angus and he will teach you the skills you need to know.”
“Or,” interrupted Burke, who walked out from behind Storm to stand beside Henry, “you could go to America with me and start a new life with much promise and possibility.”
“Truly?” Henry asked like a child who was just presented with a gift. “I heard there are riches for all in America.”
“Riches aren’t handed to you. It takes hard work and determination, which I have no doubt you possess.”
Henry stuck out his chest. “I’m not afraid of hard work.”
“Then there’s a place for you on my ranch in America and the chance of owning your own land someday.”
The lad’s eyes blazed like round full moons. “Own my own land? Are you certain?”
“Do not fill the lad’s head with nonsense,” Storm snapped.
“It’s not nonsense,” Burke said. “Anyone can own land in America. Of course it’s wilderness and requires much work, but many are doing it and successfully. My father was one of them. He amassed a small empire for himself with the sweat of his own hands and a lot of backbreaking labor.”
Henry stepped forward. “I’d work hard to have a chance to own my own land.” He looked to Storm. “I don’t have a chance of owning land here. There’s no future in Scotland for me.”
Storm shot Burke a heated glare, but spoke softly to
Henry. “The choice is yours, Henry. You are welcome to stay here with us or go with Burke to America.”
He gave a huge smile, then suddenly threw his arms around Storm and hugged her tight before stepping away. “You have not only saved my life, you’ve now given me a chance at a future.” He walked over to Burke. “I gratefully accept your offer.”
Burke shook his hand, and Henry hurried off to share his news.
“Do you know what you’ve done?” she asked accusingly.
“Given the lad a shot at a decent future?”
“And put the same thoughts in others’ heads.”
Burke shook his head. “What’s wrong with people wanting a good future?”
“Dreams, you offer nothing but dreams.”
“My father started with a dream. He wanted a better life for his wife and young son so he sailed far away and worked night and day until finally he owned a plot of land and started to build a home. He wanted more for his family than just working hard only to have someone else reap the benefits. He wasn’t afraid; he took a chance. Henry’s not afraid; he’s willing to take a chance.”
“Are you accusing me of being afraid?”
“You have courage and you have taken endless risks for others. When do you finally take a risk for yourself? When do you finally stop punishing yourself for not rescuing your husband soon enough?”
Storm fisted her hands at her sides so as not to reach up and slap his face.
Burke stepped closer to her, and Storm couldn’t determine if he was brave or just plain foolish.
He kept his voice to a whisper. “You tell me you will never love again. You tell me you refuse to leave a land that deems you an outlaw. You tell me you will not take a chance on making love with me for fear it could lead to love. You tell me your fate has already been decided. What you truly tell me, Storm, is that you’re afraid to live.”
Burke turned and Storm watched him walk away—rather, stomp away, for his strides demonstrated irritation.
His accusation swirled in her head, and while it had sparked her anger, it had also sparked awareness. Could he be right? Had life been too difficult to bear after she had lost her husband? Had she been rescuing others all this time in the slim hope of rescuing herself?
There were days she wished for a normal life. She wanted to wake up beside a man she loved, tend a garden, cook a good meal, and see to her children.
Then she would think of all the ones she had rescued and their tears of joy over being free. So hadn’t fate decided things for her? Had she a choice?
Did she have a choice now?
Tanin waved to her from Angus’s open door. They were all there waiting for her, waiting for her to lead, to help, to provide, to follow what fate had dealt her.
She threw her shoulders back and her head up and marched forward because there certainly was no going back.
Angus offered his chair to her by the fire when she entered. She took it knowing he was paying her respect by offering her the best seat in his home, one he had made with his own hands. Tanin sat at the small table with Philip, while William, Malcolm, and Burke stood near the door. Angus sat on a sturdy bench opposite Storm.
“I’ve given this idea some thought,” she said, sitting forward in the chair. “We need to find a way to get Burke alone with Lady Alaina, and the only way to accomplish that is to find out her routine. Does she take a daily ride, a daily walk? Is she planning a trip? A carriage ride?”
“I will provide coins so that it will be worthwhile for anyone to divulge the information,” Burke offered.
“I also think it’s imperative that we do this with haste,” Storm said. “We are all well aware of how deadly Weighton is, and the longer Cullen spends there, the greater risk of death.”
“Perhaps that weasel of a man could help us again,” Burke suggested. “He did mention that his sister worked at the manor house.”
“We could find out who his sister is and go straight to her,” Philip said.
They talked for the next hour, formulating a plan that would be implemented with haste. If all went accordingly, Burke would find himself speaking with Lady Alaina very soon.
Angus offered supper to the lot of them, a hearty rabbit stew bubbling in the pot over the hearth’s
flames. Tanin declined, eager to spend time with his wife. Malcolm had promised a pretty lass he’d sup with her, while Philip had plans he refused to share. William and Burke accepted the invitation while Storm declined, though made no excuse for it.
She hurried along the rain-soaked ground, her feet splashing through the puddles formed by the heavy, pelting rain. She was relieved when she closed the door of her small quarters behind her, shutting out everyone, or rather, shutting herself in.
She yearned for this time alone, this solitude where she could think and make sense of her suddenly senseless world.
Everything had been clear to her before Burke arrived. Now nothing seemed as it was or had ever been. He made her question her own motives for the rescues she made and for the life fate dealt her.
She slipped out of her wet clothes and into the lone linen nightgown she possessed. She gave a brief thought to the silk one she had worn while on Burke’s ship. It had been so soft and comfortable, as had been his bed and his arms.
She shook her head. Why was she even considering having an interlude with Burke? Was she crazy?
Lonely.
That was her problem. She was lonely and she found Burke attractive. She simply thought of sharing a few moments of intimacy with the stranger and then he’d be gone. How had that thought escalated to fear of falling in love with him?
It was nonsense, pure nonsense.
She would never love again so why worry about it?
Burke could be persuasive, or was it that she just plain enjoyed his company? She hadn’t found that in a man since Daniel. And she enjoyed his quick wit, which often made her smile. He had courage and strength and he was honest, which she respected above all else. He was a man a woman could easily love.
She shook her wet clothes and draped them over the chair near the fireplace.
She had no time for love and it would be dangerous if she did allow herself to love. In the end she would suffer, for she would have to let him go, return to America.
Besides, who was to say that he would love her?
She released an exasperated sigh.
Why was she questioning herself so much? Why didn’t she just go and share a night of intimacy and be done with it? Forget love, forget Burke leaving, forget everything for one single, solitary night and love as if nothing else mattered in the world.
She was who she was—an outlaw. She was not going to change, and she was not running off to America, whether she fell in love or not. Her life was here in Scotland, and here was where she would stay.
For one night, she could simply be a woman.
For one night, she could simply love.
She stood before the fire staring at the flames, feeling her heartbeat, feeling her body ache for intimacy, feeling the need to love.
Finally she heard Burke’s footsteps along the walkway and his door close.
She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothed her nightgown with nervous hands, and walked out the door.