Chapter 9

The sun was too bright. The world was too loud. Bakers were yelling for people to buy their bread and pastries. Irritating children were giggling with gleeful laughter. Doors were being flung open, rugs were flapped clean, wheels of wagons creaked, and horses brayed. Merchants were at their stalls, garish colors displayed like a peacock vying for attention. The village was alive and awake, the slumber of the night having been shrugged off. They were all well-rested and eager to make something of the day, but it was all too vivid for Ian. Other blacksmiths were hammering loudly. The tone of their hammers against anvils was offbeat and wrong. It made something twitch in his mind. What were all these people doing being so loud? Ian wanted to yell at them, but he knew they wouldn't listen to him. There was a thrum in his mind, and he lamented Rory's absence because if the lad had still been around, then Ian could have sent him to market to get supplies. But no, Rory had gone off, leaving Ian with Lucy. And he couldn't have sent her off to the market, since she might have been seen by the guards. He hadn't even spoken to her, as he didn't know what to say.

The night was fuzzy, but one moment stood out in stark clarity. The kiss. When he had awoken he thought he might have dreamed it, but it had been so real, her lips so soft, her eyes so bright. By the gods… what had he done? It wasn't that he regretted it as such; the kiss in itself was a lovely kiss, a perfect kiss, a kiss that had reached deep down into the depths of him and tore him asunder, breathing life into feelings that he had choked a long time ago. But what was she going to think of him? Some drunken lout who returned home, plied her with whiskey, took advantage of her except… except the way he remembered it, it was Lucy who had kissed him. But that couldn't be right, could it?

He shook his head, trying to dispel the noise that blared in his mind, wishing for a moment's peace so that he could just think. He had even mentioned Fiona's name to Lucy as well, broken an oath that he had spent years keeping. Still, he wouldn't have blamed Lucy for leaving after his display last night. She could probably make it away from the clan if she was swift and stealthy. He wouldn't have been surprised if she was gone by the time he returned, although he would have been disappointed. He was just getting used to her company, and the kiss, oh that interminable kiss that would not leave his mind at all. How he wished it was a dream, because if it had been a dream, then he could have kept it to himself. He could have held it close to his heart and never breathed a word of it to anyone, certainly not to her. She was trouble, she was mischief, she was a fugitive from the law and if she was found in his shop then he would be punished for harboring her.

But she was also beautiful, soft, and sweet. Her words lashed him, but they were not mean-spirited, never mean-spirited. She had a wild streak about her, an untamed flair that made her unpredictable and riotous, and to his dismay, this stirred something deep within him. He gnawed at his lip and grit his teeth, even dug his nails into his palm to try and distract himself with pain. It didn't work, though. She loomed large in his mind, and the kiss became one of the defining moments of his life.

Perhaps it was better that Rory wasn't there to witness Ian like this. Rory would have crowed over him, teasing him for falling victim to Lucy's tempting allure.

Ian muttered to himself, grabbing things off market stalls hurriedly in the hope of returning home before the sun blinded him. He got caught up speaking to one of his merchant friends, although Ian's half of the conversation mostly consisted of muttered grunts and sharp nods.

Then the merchant sighed. "I am a law-abiding man, but something about their presence just makes me feel like I hae done something wrong," he glanced towards the guards. They were the same ones Ian had spoken to a few days ago, the first night when Lucy had escaped.

"Aye, well, better tae stay out of their way I suppose," Ian said. The merchant agreed, but Ian found himself unable to take his own advice. He thought that if he could find out what the guards knew, then he would have a better idea of his own safety. It was a risk, but he thought it was one worth taking.

The guards were currently speaking with a group of people, who were all shaking their heads. When they moved away, Ian approached them, forcing his most charming smile on his face, and making a sincere effort to ignore the dull pain that pressed against his skull.

"Hae ye nae caught the scoundrel yet?" Ian asked.

The guards scowled. "Unfortunately they are difficult tae find. I dinnae suppose ye hae seen anything suspicious?"

Ian rolled his shoulders. "I dinnae see much from my forge, but then again a thief is hardly gaeing tae announce himself, is he? It might help if I knew who I was looking for. If they are as good at hiding as they seem then I'm gaeing tae need more details. Dae ye know what area they headed taewards? I could look out for them when I'm one one of my deliveries," Ian said. His heart thumped in his chest and he hoped they weren't going to reveal that the thief was found near Ian's shop.

The guards glanced at each other. One of them stroked his jaw and leaned towards his companion, whispering something into the man's ear. After a moment, the other guard nodded.

"I suppose we are gaeing tae need the assistance of reputable businessmen like yerself, but dinnae gae spreading this about. If I find that people are wagging their tongues about this then I'll come and find ye, and the conversation we hae will nae be pleasant," the guard pointed a stern finger at Ian, jabbing it in the air like he would a spear. Ian nodded, gulping as he hoped to hide his deceit. He was hardly as reputable as these men suggested.

The guard lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Ye should be on the lookout for a lass, and nae just any lass. She's the daughter of Hamish Glennrock. Ye can understand why we are trying tae keep this a secret. Tae think that a noble daughter could dae this…" the guard trailed away and shook his head. The other guard had a disappointed look on his face as well.

"It's unthinkable," Ian gasped, although his shock was for an entirely different reason. His eyes went wide as he realized why Lucy had shown such a lack of ability when it came to maidly duties. She wasn't a maid at all. She was a girl of nobility, but that meant there was no sick aunt either. Ian clenched his jaw and trembled with rage. His face turned crimson and he began to tremble. Not only had she lied to him, but she was also the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the clan. If he should discover that Ian has been hiding her, there was no doubt that his life would be in danger.

"If ye see her, bring her straight tae the keep, and be quiet about it," the guards said as they moved away. Ian barely heard them, though. The memories of the kiss began to turn sour as he realized that he hadn't known the woman he was kissing.

* * *

Lucy was in the basement,keeping out of sight when Ian returned. She could hear him stomping around upstairs. It sounded like a wild horse had entered the building and was cantering about, slamming its hooves into every wall. Lucy sighed and glanced at Ginger. The cat had been restless all morning, and Lucy assumed she missed Rory.

Lucy had no idea how to greet Ian. She had been thinking all morning how she should handle the situation, and she decided that it was probably best to just ignore the whole thing and pretend like it never happened. Ian had been very drunk, and the last thing she wanted was to make the situation complicated. She became sure of her conviction when she heard him crash around upstairs. His mood was dark, and she wondered if it had anything to do with their kiss. Was he angry at her for not going to bed with him, or did he regret the kiss itself? She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

Eventually, he came downstairs, an intense look in his eyes. Ginger sensed that something was wrong and darted into a shadowed part of the basement. For a moment, Ian stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands on his hips, glaring at her.

"Are ye well?" Lucy managed to squeak out in an uneven voice.

"Aye… but I was thinking about yer sick aunt. There's a herbalist in the market. What sickness does yer aunt hae, exactly? I could always gae and buy the herbs she needs for ye."

"Oh, well, it's a rare thing, which is why the herbs are sae expensive. There's only one healer in the area who supplies them, and it's nae easy tae get them."

"I see," Ian nodded. "Ye must be worried then, haeing tae spend yer time here instead of gaeing after that medicine. Are ye nae worried that yer aunt is nae gaeing tae survive?"

Lucy looked away. "Of course I am, but if I'm captured, then I hae nae way of helping her. I just hae tae hope that she will remain in a stable condition until I can help her."

Ian pursed his lips. "And ye thought ye hae nae recourse other than stealing jewelry? Did ye even ask Lady Boyd for help?"

"I dinnae want tae trouble her."

"Nae, I suppose ye would nae, being new tae the keep and all. Since ye hae only been here a short while, I was thinking that ye might be able tae get away with escaping after all. I mean, it's unlikely many people are gaeing tae recognize yer face. Ye are only a maid, and people dinnae tend tae notice servants. Perhaps ye should take a chance. I would hate for yer aunt tae suffer because ye could nae be free."

"I… well, I would nae like tae take the risk."

"Oh aye, but ye took the risk of escaping. And about that, how exactly did ye escape the guards? And how dae ye expect tae get back intae the keep when ye hae the supplies? Ye seem tae care for yer aunt sae much that I cannae imagine ye would just run away and leave her tae her fate."

"I would find a way tae sneak back in," Lucy said with a false sense of confidence. Ian was hammering away at her with these questions, and she didn't like it one bit. It was clear that he was trying to catch her out in her lie. She turned away from him, hoping to end the conversation. "I hae duties tae be getting on with. I dinnae want tae talk about this any longer. It makes me upset tae think of her."

"Oh, I bet it does, lass, I bet it does indeed," Ian rasped. His gaze was fixed on her, unmoving. She tried to move, but as soon as she did so, Ian moved as well. He took three long strides, and then he was standing right in front of her, as close as they had been the previous night. This time, however, there was no intimacy in his eyes, only a blazing anger. His breath was hot, his lips parted into a snarl.

"I know who ye are, lass," he roared, the anger getting the better of him as it rushed out of his throat like a torrent of flames. "Tell me the truth, now, or I'll drag ye out and take ye back tae the keep myself. I'll take my chances with the Laird."

"Nae!" Lucy cried, terrified that he might mean it. She shrank before him, cowering and placing her hands in front of her face. "I'm just Lucy, that's all. I'm naebody special."

Ian narrowed his eyes and the tone of his voice dropped. "But that's nae true, is it, lass? Ye are Lucy Glennrock, daughter of Hamish Glennrock, noble and sweet, the pride of the Highlands. Ye are nae ordinary lass at all."

Lucy's eyes widened. "How dae ye know?"

"It dinnae matter how I know, only that I know. Ye lied tae me!" he roared, sweeping an arm in the air. The walls around Lucy's heart crumbled. Now that the lie had been discovered, there was no use trying to hide it, no sense in pretending. Instead, she had to rely on honesty.

"I hae a good reason!" she began, but as she tried to battle through his furious words, she found herself unable to speak reason to him. He was already convinced of the truth.

"Ye hae put my livelihood in danger, all because ye got bored of yer comfortable life. Oh aye, I'm sure it was sae terrible being waited upon hand and foot every day of yer life, of living in that keep, never haeing tae worry where the next meal was coming from, never being short of a bit of coin. And as for yer sick aunt," he looked disgusted, as though she was nothing more than a worm. "People in the keep dinnae get sick. They hae the best healers, all the medicine they could want. Ye are nae like us. All of this trouble just because ye are a spoiled lass who wants tae rebel against her father. Well, I suggest ye crawl back tae him and beg him for forgiveness because ye dinnae hae a place out here with the rest of us."

His words dripped with venom. She hated the look in his eyes, for he knew he saw her as exactly what he said, and it reminded her of the way her father saw her. Anger boiled and churned inside, and then came lashing out like a whip as she finally made herself heard.

"Ye hae nae idea who I am!" she shrieked, eyes blazing with rage, body bristling with tension. "Ye hae nae right tae judge me. Ye are afraid of lying tae me? Well, look at yerself," she swung her hand around, gesturing to the hidden distillery. "Ye are nae an honest man, and what's worse is that ye hae dragged Rory intae yer mess. All he wants is tae be a blacksmith, but instead ye are making a criminal of him. Dae ye really hate yerself sae much that ye hae tae mold him intae the same image to feel better? It's nae fair tae him, sae dinnae stand there and lecture me about honesty when ye hae nae idea what my life is like."

Fueled by her words, she pushed past him and ran up the stairs. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she just wanted to be anywhere away from him. Ian chased after her.

"Aye, lass, get on yer way. Better that ye take yer troubles away from me. I'm just trying tae make a living in a hard world."

"Tell yerself what ye like," Lucy spat, flinging the words at him as her final greeting. She could hardly believe that she had kissed this man. She turned to leave the shop, but as she did so, Ian's long arms stretched towards her and pulled her back. He clamped a wide hand around her mouth and her breath was stolen from her as he dragged her back. She bit down with her teeth, but he didn't react at all. Fear lined her heart, and she looked at him with utter terror, but then she saw the path of his gaze. There was a guard standing just outside of the shop, and suddenly she saw the bars being closed before her, the rope slipping around her neck, and as rough as Ian was being, she knew that he was protecting her.