Was it wrong to steal just another look at the man before she left? She hesitated, but before she could turn back, he smiled at her. Without understanding why, the very breath in her lungs seemed to catch.
Men didn’t smile at her. Not ever. More often they rolled their eyes at her or let out an exasperated sigh while her brother made excuses.
Lianna glanced behind her, in case there was someone else approaching. But no, she was alone.
He was easily the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And he was smiling at her, wasn’t he? That was something indeed. But only because he did not realise that she was the bride.
Lianna knew she should leave, but it bothered her to abandon her plans. Every day at this time, she took her meal at the dolmen. It gave her an hour to sit by the sea and dream. Her life formed a pattern with each day ordered into precise pieces. She knew when she would awaken, when she would work, when she would eat, and when she would sleep.
But it felt as if someone had shaken her life into pieces just now, shattering it with the impending presence of the Norman she was meant to wed. And now with this man.
His very presence had interrupted her noon meal. This was her place, not his. He ought to be the one to leave. And perhaps if she could convince him to go, she could return to her moments of peace.
‘If you have come in search of the MacKinnon chief, he is back at Eiloch.’ She pointed towards the road by which she had travelled. ‘Follow the path, and you will find our house. My father will grant you hospitality.’
She expected him to nod and obey her command. Instead, he appeared to have little interest in departing. She noticed then that he had no horse. Had he stabled it elsewhere?
‘You seem eager to be rid of me,’ he remarked.
Lianna stopped herself before she nodded in agreement. Instead, she asked, ‘What is your name?’
The Highlander leaned against the dolmen, staring out at the clear sky and the blue sea. A thin mist of clouds rimmed the horizon in the distance, and the sun lit the ripples of water in a pool of fire. ‘You may call me Gavin MacAllister.’
A MacAllister? That didn’t seem right at all. ‘Then why are you wearing the MacKinloch colours?’
His mouth twisted. ‘I had to borrow clothing when my daft horse tossed me into the mud.’ His gaze fixed upon her face. ‘I suppose you must be Lianna MacKinnon, the bride.’
‘I am. Unfortunately.’ She made no effort to hide her reluctance and patted her horse’s back. Likely he had guessed her identity after she’d revealed that her father was the chief.
‘Then you do not look forward to your wedding?’
She made a face. ‘Not at all. How would you like to be forced into marriage with a stranger? He could be cruel. Nay, I’ve no wish to be married.’
‘And what if he is a good man?’ Gavin prompted.
‘He is a Norman. And he will want me to change everything—my home, my clothing...everything about myself.’ She shuddered at the thought. ‘I want to stay here with my family. And...they need me here.’
She didn’t know why she was confiding all of this to a stranger and changed the subject. ‘What of you? You said you came to Eiloch for the wedding?’ Lianna unfastened her bundle of food and spread it upon the stone dolmen between them. Though she had only a little to share, she would not eat without offering him what she had. She broke off a piece of the bread and held it out to him. He reached for it and caught her palm in his.
Lianna froze when his thumb grazed her skin. Heat swelled up inside her, and she could not understand how this man could have such an effect upon her.
‘I came because my family wanted to build an alliance with your clan.’
Her mind began reeling through the names of all the MacAllisters she knew. There was a clan to the south, and it might be that he was kin to Rourke MacAllister. She was about to ask him when he interrupted.
‘I am sorry you are being forced into this marriage,’ he said, still holding her palm. ‘I ken what it is to live a life where others make decisions and there is naught you can do.’
‘But there is something I can do,’ she said, pulling her hand back. With effort, she steadied her breathing and forced herself to eat a bite of bread. ‘I have been saving coins for years. I will offer Rhys de Laurent all that I have in return for my freedom. We can go on as we did before.’
He gave her a sidelong look. ‘Is he not wealthy, this Norman suitor of yours?’
She didn’t like to think of that. ‘I suppose. But surely, he would rather have the silver than an unwilling bride. And I doubt he would want me, either.’
‘You are a beautiful woman,’ he countered. ‘Of course he would want you.’
Though his words were kind, she did not believe them. ‘The Norman will see what everyone else sees. A plain woman who would make a terrible wife to any man.’
He surprised her when he laughed. ‘Why would you say that, Lianna?’
The use of her name felt intimate, and she suddenly grew more aware of this man. Why did he tangle her emotions into such knots? Was it because she had never held a conversation with such a handsome Highlander? Or was it because he actually seemed to listen to her?
‘I ken the sort of woman I am,’ she said. To distract him from the question, she shared half her cheese with him. Then when they had finished, she folded up the cloth into perfect lines.
‘If you’re wanting to go and see my father, follow the road as it leads west.’ She pointed out the direction in which she had come. ‘He will find a place for you to stay.’
* * *
Rhys had no intention of leaving Lianna MacKinnon behind. She was a complicated woman, and he was beginning to see what her father had meant. Everything about her spoke of an ordered life. Even the way she folded the linen cloth was precise.
It was clear that she despised change in any form, and the urge came over him to ruffle her calm exterior and find out if more lay beneath the surface.
A light rain began to fall, and she raised her green and brown brat to cover her hair, clearly waiting for him to go. The rain did not appear to bother her at all.
‘It’s raining,’ he pointed out. ‘Do you not wish to take shelter?’
‘I am used to it.’ Nodding towards the road, she prompted him again, ‘Take the path, and you will see our home. It isn’t far.’
There was no denying that she wanted him to depart. But he answered, ‘Where I am from, we do not leave women unprotected.’
Lianna revealed the dagger tucked into her waist. ‘I am not unprotected. And if you had threatened me in any way, I would have gutted you.’ She spoke the words quietly and was startled to see him smile.
‘Good.’ He stared at her a moment and then said, ‘I suppose if you do not wish to go, then I will stand guard over you.’
‘There’s no one here,’ she pointed out. ‘What would you guard me from? If there were any danger, I could scream, and half my clan would come running.’
He ignored her claim and pointed to the dolmen. ‘You could take shelter beneath the stone. It will keep you dry for a little while.’
She laughed at his claim. ‘I would not fit inside such a small space.’ The humour in her brown eyes warmed him, and he liked her. She kept a tight control over her life, and it might be interesting to loosen those bonds. Rhys could not deny that this woman intrigued him.