‘Particularly well-sliced onions, my lady,’ the Captain remarked drily, tipping his mug of ale at her in a salute.
Despite herself Aline smiled back, and returned the gesture with her own mug.
That night, when the Captain took her hand and affixed the manacle to her wrist, Aline stared into his eyes, refusing to look away.
‘You know I have to do this,’ he told her.
Was that a hint of apology in his voice? Aline wasn’t sure. She nodded silently as she held out her second arm. The Captain ignored her hand and instead fixed the other manacle round the wheel of the cart. The act left her with double the freedom she had had the previous night. Aline looked at him quizzically.
‘It’s colder tonight, Lady Aline. You should sleep closer to the fire,’ the Captain explained. He held his hands out to help her stand.
‘I can manage without your help,’ Aline said stiffly, pulling herself to her feet.
The Captain rolled his eyes and dropped his arms, though he picked up her bedroll and moved it closer to the fire.
‘Sleep well, my lady,’ he murmured softly, before walking to the far side of the fire.
Aline drew her blanket around her shoulders. She stared into the flames until her eyes began to sag and slept peacefully for the first time in two days, the voices of the three men lulling her to sleep.
* * *
It came as a surprise to Aline that the fear and anger she had been feeling was gradually being replaced by boredom. For much of the next day Aline dozed on the straw pallet. It was late afternoon when the cart drew again to a halt and she woke to the sounds of an argument.
‘...wasn’t here before.’
‘That was nine days ago. Things change, Jack. So, it appears, must our plans!’
Aline listened for more but the voices moved further away.
Duncan pushed his head through the curtains and beckoned Aline out. About half a mile ahead was a fair, with stalls and tents covering the route through a small hamlet. The Captain was standing by his horse, adjusting the saddle. In brief terms he explained to Aline that Duncan and Jack would be stopping to replenish supplies. He walked the horse closer to Aline.
‘You and I will be taking a detour, my lady. I can’t run the risk of you drawing attention to us. Mount up.’
He offered his hand for Aline’s foot. She pointedly ignored it, instead gathering her skirts in one hand and reaching her foot into the stirrup. She swung her leg over the horse with ease and settled herself into the saddle. With one hand she patted the animal’s neck to calm him.
‘You may lead on,’ she instructed.
The Captain let out a bark of a laugh. ‘This fellow is far too good to waste on a walk. We ride together.’
Before Aline could protest the man swung up behind her, reaching around her waist to take the reins. He wheeled the horse around and set off at a trot across the marsh.
Aline sat stiffly, holding on to the front of the saddle. She was acutely aware of where the Captain’s arms brushed against her body, and the way his breath touched like feathers on the back of her neck. Trying to avoid more than the minimum contact with him, she found herself unable to catch the rhythm of the animal and once or twice slipped sideways in the saddle. The third time it happened the Captain caught her with one hand round her waist before she fell.
‘Relax—he’ll pick up on your fear,’ he instructed her.
Aline bristled at the implication. ‘I’m not scared of the horse,’ she snapped, glancing over her shoulder. ‘I could ride him perfectly if I was in command of him and not sharing a saddle with you.’
‘So what are you scared of?’ the Captain asked, smiling.
Aline twisted around in the saddle to face him. Could he really not know?
‘I was drugged and nearly violated by someone I thought I could trust. You pinned me bodily to the ground and drew a dagger on me. You left me bound and gagged for hours, then chained me to a cartwheel like an animal.’ Her voice began to crack and all her frustration, fear and anger threatened to overwhelm her. ‘I am here against my will. I have no idea what awaits me at the end of the journey and you feign puzzlement that I am uneasy with such...such...closeness!’ she said angrily.
The Captain pulled the horse to a stop and dropped the reins. Slowly and with care he drew his arms away from Aline and let them fall to his sides. He looked at her, his eyes narrowing as though he suspected trickery.
‘What that brute tried to do to you was deplorable. I meant what I told you before. You are under no threat from me, or my men.’
Aline raised her eyebrows.
He tilted his face down and then he shook his head. ‘Lady Aline, any man would freely admit you are a very attractive woman, but I’m no defiler. You have my word that all we are doing now is riding.’
Aline looked up into the Captain’s eyes. Her throat tightened as she stared into the icy blue depths. A fluttering in the pit of her stomach whispered that it was not fear that sent her stomach tumbling at his touch, but rather some new sensation she was reluctant to name.
‘Thank you,’ she said hesitantly.
The horse tossed its mane, impatient at the delay, and the riders both looked away. The moment had ended almost as soon as it had begun, but something had taken place that Aline did not quite understand.
The Captain reached round Aline once more to take the reins. He was careful to avoid touching her more than he needed to, and Aline smiled to herself at the small gesture. She buried her hands in the horse’s mane to hold on and adjusted her seat. She had been on horseback since an early age, and riding was one of her greatest pleasures. She soon found herself rising and falling to the rhythm, responding to the movements of the man and the creature.
As they reached open ground the Captain gave a jab with his heels. The horse surged forwards and broke into a gallop. Aline held tighter, and in her admiration for the animal almost forgot where she was and with whom she was riding.
Once they had bypassed the village Aline supposed that the Captain would head back to the road as quickly as possible. However, he seemed in no rush as he headed further away, spurring the horse on even faster than before. Twice they jumped a stream, and Aline laughed unconsciously with exhilaration. She was genuinely sorry when they finally joined up with the road. They slowed to a trot and continued until they reached a small clearing. The Captain brought the horse to a standstill and dismounted. He held out a hand to Aline. She hesitated momentarily then took it and climbed down.
‘We’ll camp here tonight. Jack and Duncan should be along soon with supplies,’ he told her.
Aline found a flat rock and sat down, her legs outstretched. The Captain reclined on his elbows, his long legs crossed at the ankles, watching Aline as she rewound her dishevelled hair. He opened his mouth to speak, then looked away. Aline felt no compulsion to speak, though her earlier anger had subsided. If he wanted to make idle conversation then let him be the one to start it.
Finally he spoke. ‘His name is Bayliss. The horse, I mean. In case you were wondering.’
‘Oh,’ Aline replied, nodding. Impulsively she added, ‘Thank you for telling me. Next time you take me for an unwished-for expedition I’ll know what to call him.’
‘Oh, now, Lady Aline!’ the Captain exclaimed, sitting up. ‘Don’t try to deny you enjoyed this afternoon! You might dislike my company, but I’m a good enough judge of horsemanship to see that you were having a wonderful time!’
He caught sight of the smile playing on her lips and his eyes lit up as he realised she was teasing.