Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

T heir father was already in the family dining room when Evelyn and Yvaine arrived. The rectangular table, laden with bread, meat and fruits, was far smaller than the huge table in the great hall, but it gave the room an intimate feel.

"Good morning, Faither," Yvaine said, sitting down beside him.

Evelyn sat opposite her sister on the other side of the table, and offered the same greeting.

Laird Sinclair returned their greeting, and began asking how they slept when the dining room door opened, and Audor and Killian walked in.

"Me laird," Killian was saying to Audor, "please remember ye have a meeting with one o' the villagers tomorrow."

Audor and Killian shared a look, before Audor nodded, and settled himself at the head of the table. Evelyn could not help but think their interaction unusual. Apart from the fact that such a thing ought not to be discussed in front of them, Audor had given Killian the strangest look, as though there was some hidden meaning behind it.

"Good morning," Audor said to all at the table.

He then cast his eyes to Evelyn. There was something in his gaze that irked her. Had Benedict told him what had happened? Had he broken his promise? And where was Benedict, anyway?

"Good morning, me laird," her father said, acknowledging Audor's greeting. "I hope ye dinnae mind, but I rose early this morning and wandered around yer castle. I must admit, ye have the most comprehensive library I have ever seen."

"Thank ye, Donald. Aye," Audor smirked a little and flashed a glance at Evelyn. "I enjoy the most wonderful adventures in the library."

Evelyn tried not to gasp, for in that very second, a shocking realization came to her. He isnae Audor . The smirk, the flash of delight in those piercing green eyes, coupled with his comment, gave her no doubt at all that it was Benedict sitting at the head of the table, and not the laird at all.

"Did ye all rest well?" Benedict asked.

"We did, Audor," her father replied. "Yer hospitality kens nae bounds. I have been waited on hand and foot since we have arrived."

"I am glad tae hear it," Benedict said. He began buttering a slice of bread, and then looked at Evelyn. "I have arranged a horse ride fer us. It will give us some time tae get tae ken each other. Dae ye ride?"

"I dae, me laird ," Evelyn said, emphasizing his title. But Benedict neither flinched nor appeared perturbed by her tone. The same could not be said of Yvaine, who frowned and gave her sister a reprimanding look across the table.

"I must apologize fer the absence o' me brother," he continued. "Benedict had tae leave us on some clan business."

"Where is he away tae?" Evelyn asked pointedly.

But before Benedict had a chance to answer, Killian, who sat beside her, said, "Clearly, yer sister thinks that is a very inappropriate question as she is kicking me under the table as we speak."

Evelyn looked at Yvaine with wide eyes of surprise. Her sister was now a deep shade of scarlet, but her embarrassment did not stop her scowling at Killian.

"That is quite enough," Donald growled, clearly displeased at both of his daughters. "Ye are guests. Act as such." He then turned his attention to the man he thought was the laird. "I wonder if I can have a missive sent back tae me clan, me laird. They will be eager tae ken we arrived safely."

"O' course. I will arrange that fer ye after breakfast."

Evelyn arrived at the stables sometime later. Benedict was already there, waiting upon her and standing beside two horses.

"Lady Sinclair," he said, as way of a greeting.

"I thought we agreed last night that we were going to use our Christian names," Evelyn said.

She watched Benedict falter for a second, and then he smiled. "O' course, we did. Please forgive me oversight."

Oversight, indeed. He cannae remember the conversation because it wasnae him who had it. Is he really going tae pretend he's Audor fer the whole time we're together?

"Evelyn," Benedict said, clearly wanting to start again, "let me help ye ontae yer horse."

When they were both mounted, Benedict led the horses out of the castle gates, and onto the track beyond. As they continued, Evelyn had an idea. Turning to him, she said, "We should make a wager. We will race until we reach the edge of the woods," she nodded to a dense group of trees a small distance away, "and whoever wins gets tae ask a question the other has tae answer."

By his smug smile, it was obvious that Benedict felt this was no contest. But Evelyn had always been a great rider. From a child, she had been besotted by horses, and had learned to ride nearly before she could walk. As she had gained confidence, the guards had challenged her to races, and by her teens, she was outrunning them every time.

"All right," he said confidently. "Are ye ready?"

"I am," Evelyn replied.

"Then, on three."

Benedict counted down, and then, they were off. Evelyn had learned a technique that had worked for her many times before, and pushing her feet into the stirrups, she lifted herself off the saddle and leaned forward and down, bringing herself close to the horse's mane.

With her hair streaming behind her, and the wind tugging at her frock, she pushed the beast as hard as she dared, feeling her legs burning with the effort. Too busy concentrating on pushing on ahead, Evelyn did not look back. She knew Benedict was behind her, but she did not know how far. Panting with the exertion, the tree line loomed ever closer, and with a final push, she pressed the horse as fast as she could.

The trees now towered above her, and for fear of not being able to stop, she slowed the beast down, and came to a halt just before them. Breathless from the effort, she turned to see Benedict arriving swiftly behind her. He was grinning from ear to ear, his expression a mixture of delight and amazement.

"My God, woman, ye can ride," he chuckled, when he brought his horse to a standstill beside her own.

"Ye're nae mad that I won," Evelyn said.

"Nae at all," he panted, still grinning. "It's always a pleasure tae be positively surprised. I tell ye this, Evelyn, ye might look delicate and elegant, but ye ride like a mad soldier."

Benedict jumped from his horse with ease, and approaching Evelyn, took her by the waist and gently lifted her down to the ground. Both of them were still out of breath, and for a moment, only stood there, gazing at each other. Benedict took a step toward her, and lifting his hand, he took something from her hair.

"Even nature is attracted tae ye," he said softly, handing her the leaf he had plucked from her wild strands. "Is yer faither nae displeased that ye always wear yer hair down?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Me maither always wore her hair down. Me faither preferred it that way."

A strange sadness washed over her at the mention of her mother. She had thought of her often on the journey to Gunn castle, but now she was there, it finally hit her that her mother would not be there to see her marry. It didn't matter that it was an arranged marriage, or that she felt nothing for the man she was going to marry. She would still have liked her mother to be there to see it.

Shaking her head to rid the thoughts from her mind, Evelyn said, "Ye owe me an answer."

Benedict shrugged and nodded. "That I dae. What is yer question?"

Without hesitation, Evelyn said, "Where is Benedict?"

Benedict's eyes flew wide, and he took a step back, as though he had been struck. Clearly, he was surprised at her question, but Evelyn deduced he was not answering immediately because he was trying to form an answer. Eventually, he said, "Ye want tae ken where my braither is?"

He was deflecting, but she was determined that he was not going to ignore the answer she was making him give. "Yes, I'm curious, I hope that is nae rude?" she repeated.

"Well," he said, clearly struggling, "Benedict is in a place he never imagined tae be. But he was needed, so he had tae obey his laird's request."

Evelyn tilted her head and looked at him, waiting for more.

"I cannae tell ye any more than that, Evelyn."

Evelyn played with the necklace at her throat. He hadn't lied to her, and she admired that fact. It was a rather convoluted answer, but, it was still the truth. It did make her wonder where Audor was, and why he had not simply told her and her father that he had to go away. Surely, that would have been the better option. But she did not know the man, and thus, could not understand his reasoning in having his brother stand in for him.

"That necklace must be important tae ye," Benedict said. "Ye fiddle with it all the time. Who?—"

A scream echoed through the dense woods, making both of them jerk their heads and look toward where the sound had come from.

"Someone is in trouble," Evelyn said.

Without hesitation, she rushed into the woods and headed toward the scream, jumping over small bushes, and avoiding trailing branches. By his panting and the noise he made breaking through the trees, Evelyn knew Benedict was right behind her.

The scream got louder, and she changed direction, her eyes searching ahead, trying to discover who it was that was in trouble. Less than a minute later, the scream came again, and Evelyn's eyes flew wide at the sight before her.

"Och, my God. It is a child."

Benedict and Evelyn came to a sudden halt beneath a tree. Above them, a small child of no more than five, hung precariously at a great height. Clearly terrified, the child was crying uncontrollably, which, to Evelyn, made the situation worse, given the only thing stopping him from falling was his tunic that had caught on a small branch above him.

"We have tae help him."