Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

W hen they finally reached Castle Ruthven, Evan could have cried with relief. At least now, he thought, he could focus on his plan instead of being confined on a small boat or in a narrow road with Bonnie and allowing himself to be driven crazy by the mere sight of her. He didn't know what it was that affected him so much, as it could not only be her looks. He had seen plenty of pretty women in his lifetime, and though Bonnie was one of the most beautiful, it didn't explain why every time he saw her, he felt like all the air rushed right out of his lungs, leaving him gasping for it. It didn't explain why every time she was near another man, especially Alaric—to whom she seemed to have taken a liking—it soured his mood for the rest of the day.

It certainly didn't explain the irritation, the constant distraction, and the way his thoughts kept circling back to her no matter how much he tried to think about something else.

The entire situation was becoming alarming and Evan would do anything to put an end to it. He hoped that now that they had reached the castle, it would be easier for him to ignore her, to pretend that they were nothing but reluctant allies.

An' that is all we are. We hardly ken anythin' about each other.

His traitorous heart didn't seem to understand that, though, and it began to beat erratically whenever she was near.

It was late at night when they reached Ruthven Castle, the stars and the moon illuminating their way as they rode down the path. He and Alaric had decided that it wasn't worth it to camp for the night, as they were so close, but by the time they reached the gates, they were all exhausted. Much to his surprise, Ruthven didn't come outside to greet them nor did he invite them to meet him in his study or the great hall. Instead, three servants came to fetch them and took each of them to their chambers—three rooms that stood at the top floor of the castle in a row, one next to the other. Alaric took the far right, Evan the one in the middle, and Bonnie the far left as they were instructed, and once they were all settled in, the servants all disappeared with promises of bringing them dinner to their rooms.

Evan had to admit that he was glad about it. The last thing he wanted was to sit through a formal welcoming dinner after such a long trip, when all he needed was a few good hours of sleep. He was certain Alaric and Bonnie wanted the same. None of them was in the mood for any socializing.

Still, he found it odd that Ruthven didn't welcome them at all. Could it be that he was busy with John Balliol? Or was it simply a way for him to show them that he didn't truly care about their presence in his castle?

Evan supposed they would find out soon enough. Until then, he was going to enjoy the warmth of the fire that burned in his room and the food the servants would bring him.

The chambers he was given were spacious and richly decorated with tapestries in green and golden hues, depicting scenes from a hunt. The bed was more comfortable than anything he had slept on ever since leaving his home and the rest of the place was furnished with ornate pieces made of rich, dark wood.

A lavish display, he thought. The rooms Ruthven had given them were undoubtedly some of the most ostentatious in the castle and Evan was certain it was a purposeful choice.

After the servants brought him dinner and Evan cleaned up for the night, he checked in with Alaric, the two of them going over their plan. Once they were both satisfied with the details, he made his way to Bonnie's room and opened the door without knocking. It was a habit by then, as he and Alaric always entered each other's rooms unannounced, but it didn't take long for him to realize he had made a mistake entering so nonchalantly in Bonnie's room.

She was in the middle of pulling her nightgown on, the thin fabric clinging to her breasts and her hips, highlighting all her curves. Evan could do nothing but stare in silence and he could only imagine Bonnie felt the same shock as she stood there, mouth hanging open, staring right back.

The shock didn't last long. Before he knew it, she stomped towards him and kicked him right in the groin, so hard that Evan instantly collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain as he curled onto his side.

I deserved that.

Even so, he wished it had been a slap instead. His breath was knocked out of him and he struggled to draw air into his lungs, the pain radiating from his groin down his legs and up his stomach, and he closed his eyes firmly as he tried to get himself under control again.

Somewhere above him, Bonnie was yelling, but he couldn't pay any attention to what she was saying. Surely, she was angry that he had barged into her room, and that was enough for him to know.

The pain slowly subsided and Evan rolled onto his back, looking up at her. She stood over him, hands on her hips as she glared down at him, looking at him expectantly as if he was meant to say something.

"What?" he asked.

"I said why are ye here?" Bonnie said, and Evan thought she must have asked him the same question before, when he couldn't hear her. "An' why dae ye nae knock? Have ye lost yer mind?"

"I came tae talk tae ye about the plan," he said, as if it was obvious. "Why else would I be here?"

His question gave Bonnie pause and she snapped her mouth shut, once again glaring at him. Just then, the door opened once more and Evan saw Alaric there, wide-eyed with concern.

"What happened?" he asked, before taking in the scene in front of him and frowning in confusion. "Why are ye on the floor?"

"Bonnie attacked me," Evan said.

"Ye deserved it," Bonnie countered.

"I certainly didnae."

"He came intae the room without even knockin'!"

Alaric's face contorted strangely as he tried to hold in his laughter, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. Still, Evan could see his laughter clearly in the way his shoulders shook uncontrollably. Without another word to either of them, he slid out of the room just as quickly as he had come, shaking his head.

"Dinnae fight," he called over his shoulder. "I'm goin' tae sleep."

Evan lay back on the floor with a sigh, before finally pushing himself up, groaning as he stood. Instinctively, he took a step back, putting some distance between himself and Bonnie.

"Ye shouldnae act like this," he warned. "We're supposed tae be family, cousin ."

"Bein' family doesnae give ye the right tae barge intae me chambers," Bonnie pointed out. "It certainly doesnae give ye the right that we're pretendin' tae be family."

"Nae one will believe we're family if ye keep attackin' me," Evan said. "Sit. I came tae talk tae ye about the plan."

"The plan?" Bonnie asked, making no move to sit. "I thought I kent the plan."

"The details o' the plan," Evan corrected. "Alaric an' I need ye tae distract Ruthven while we are trying' tae find information an' look around the castle. Keep him company. Make sure he stays away from us while we look around the castle."

"So, I'll have tae spend time with him?" Bonnie asked, sounding less than thrilled by the prospect.

"Naturally," said Evan. "But if we dae this right, then ye will never have tae see him again."

It was clearly the right thing to say. Bonnie brightened at that, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I will remember ye promised me that."

"As ye should," said Evan. "We will keep ye safe, as much as we can. Still, ye need tae be careful. Ye need tae be very careful with Ruthven. He is more dangerous than ye ken. Dae ye ken how tae fight?"

Bonnie hesitated for a moment, before she shook her head, just as Evan had expected. What noble girl knew how to fight? Their fathers and mothers thought it better to teach them skills that would make them good wives rather than showing them how to protect themselves, which, in his opinion at least, was far more important. One could never be too careful.

"Alright. I'll show ye how tae defend yerself, at least," he said. "It's alright if ye dinnae dae everythin' right from the beginnin'. We will work on it."

Bonnie nodded, staying still as Evan approached her and came to a halt a few inches from her. He would have to be especially careful with her, he thought, what with how much smaller than him she was. He was used to fighting men close to his size and compared to them, Bonnie had to be fragile.

"I will try tae grab ye," he warned her, slowly showing her how he would do so, reaching for her with his hand. "I want ye tae hit me as hard as ye can here," he said, pointing at the weak spot on his arm, "and then go behind me."

"Is that all?" Bonnie asked. "It sounds too simple."

"Fer now," Evan said. "I dinnae want tae make it too difficult fer ye."

Bonnie had an odd look on her face, one that Evan couldn't decipher. He didn't try too hard, though, as it didn't really matter. He mainly wanted to gauge her strength and her natural talent for a fight first, and so he did as he warned her, swiftly attacking her.

And then he was on the floor, the breath knocked out of him once more as his back hit the stone, his eyes staring at the ceiling. For a moment, he didn't know what had happened, but then pain spread over his arm and his leg—right at the weak points.

She kicked me on the knee!

Once again, Bonnie stood over him, staring down at him with a satisfied smile. Not only was she extremely accurate with her attack, but she was also incredibly fast, her size giving her the advantage of speed.

With his guard down, Evan had never had a chance to defend himself, but he didn't think it counted at all. Bonnie had claimed to know nothing about fighting and yet there she was, fighting like someone who was raised with the expectation that one day, she may have to join a scuffle.

"Ye shouldnae underestimate me," she said smugly, grinning down at him. "It is a mistake that may cost you sometime."

Evan couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, no matter how much he tried. Bonnie was full of surprises and just when he thought he was getting to know her, she revealed a side of herself he had no idea was there. Who was this woman, he wondered? Where had she been all his life?

As he stared at her in the soft light of the fire and the candles, he couldn't help but be entranced. Slowly, he stood and leaned close, only realizing that his intention was to kiss her when he tilted his head to the side, his desire getting the better of him.

There was no resisting her anymore. There was no denying how he felt for her, and so he needed to have her.