Paperback
-
PICK UP IN STORECheck Availability at Nearby Stores
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780983875963 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Pamela Clare |
| Publication date: | 02/07/2013 |
| Series: | Blakewell-Kenleigh Family Series , #2 |
| Pages: | 372 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.83(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Carnal Gift
By Pamela Clare
Dorchester Publishing
Copyright © 2004
Pamela Clare
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0-8439-5206-7
Chapter One
Brighid held tightly to Aidan's chilly hand and hurried down
the rutted road behind Ruaidhri. She couldn't wait until they
were safely home again and sitting in front of a warm fire
with Fionn.
Ruaidhri was in a rage, but all she could feel was
overwhelming relief. She knew she'd come horribly close to
losing her brother. It was almost too good to be true, given
the young earl's liking for cruelty. He was worse than his
father.
She was so relieved Ruaidhri was safe she didn't know whether
to hug the life out of him or slap him soundly. He'd let his
tongue get the best of him again and had almost paid the
price. The Sasanach earl would surely have had him
beaten-perhaps even hanged-had the other Sasanach not
intervened. She had watched as the strange, fair-haired
Englishman had argued with the earl, though she hadn't been
able to hear their words. Both men had been angry.
She didn't want to think about the other Sasanach lord, the
one with the fine gray horse. She'd been taken aback when
she'd looked up to find him staring at her with his sea-green
eyes. Her breath had stopped. His gaze had seemed to pierce
her, to slide beneath her skin. No man had ever looked at her
that way before. He sat tall and proud on a beautiful gray
stallion, dressed in his fine, warm clothes.But he was
different from the other lords she'd seen. He wore no hat, no
silly wig, his fair curls ruffled from his riding. And his
face was bronzed like that of a man who worked the fields or
spent his life at sea. She'd found herself staring back at
him, and she'd been furious with herself.
Why had he stayed the earl's hand?
"Ruaidhri, slow down!" She glanced down at Aidan, who was fair
running beside her. "We can't keep up."
"Ruaidhri stopped, glanced back, then froze, his eyes wide.
"Run! Into the trees!"
Brighid whirled about, saw riders in the distance. They were
the earl's men, and they were riding hard up the ribbon of
road. A thin stand of trees ran along the north side of the
road, but it was a good fifty paces away up a steep hill.
Ruaidhri scooped Aidan up and dashed uphill toward the dark
line of forest.
Brighid lifted her skirts and ran after them as fast as she
could. She could hear the approaching thunder of hooves.
Had the riders seen them? And if they had been seen, would it
matter? Just because these men worked for the earl didn't mean
they were after Ruaidhri. The earl had set him free. But
Brighid knew better than to trust English promises.
Her heart hammered in her breast. Harder she ran until trees
surrounded her.
Ruaidhri had hidden behind a low hedge of gorse, Aidan in his
arms.
Brighid fell flat on the cold earth beside them, tucked her
red skirts in.
Aidan's eyes were round with terror. Brighid stroked his
cheek. The boy laid his head trustingly on Ruaidhri's
shoulder. Their heavy breathing mingled, slowed.
The hooves drew near.
She watched as Ruaidhri held a finger to his lips, his signal
to Aidan not to make a sound. Her brother's gaze met hers, and
she saw the fury that boiled inside him-and the fear he tried
valiantly to hide. She wrapped her fingers around his and
squeezed, feigning a calm she did not feel. He might be on the
verge of manhood, but he was still her little brother.
A group of four Sasanach rode into view on the road below.
They slowed their mounts until they rode at a walk. The man in
the lead reined his horse to a stop.
"They've disappeared," he shouted back to the other men. "I
swear I saw them walking along this stretch."
"I saw them, too."
Brighid watched, her heart in her throat, as the men scanned
the horizon, then turned their eyes toward the trees.
One of the men laughed, a low hissing sound. "I think it's
time for another hunt. We'll flush them out like bloody
pheasants."
The four riders turned their horses off the road and started
slowly up the hill. The man in the lead drew his pistol,
cocked it.
Panic pulsed in her veins. There was no way they could avoid
being discovered. The gorse grew low to the ground and
sheltered them only on one side. As soon as the riders reached
the trees, the three of them would be sitting targets.
Her gaze darted to Ruaidhri's, and her fear grew stronger. She
could tell he was plotting something. His hand slipped to the
waistline of his breeches and grasped the hilt of a dagger.
She swallowed hard. She knew what she must do.
Ruaidhri had just closed his fingers around the hilt of the
dagger, when, to his horror, Brighid spoke-in English.
"Please. Don't shoot." Her voice quavered. Slowly, she stood.
Ruaidhri cursed under his breath, released the dagger. What
was she doing?
The Sasanach were startled, but only for a moment.
"Oh, we would never shoot a lady," said one.
"Not one as pretty as you," said another.
The men laughed.
Ruaidhri heard the lust in the men's voices, slowly stood. It
was him they wanted. If they got him, they'd leave his sister
alone.
Aidan leapt up, wrapped his arms around Brighid's waist.
"What did I say? Flushed out like pheasants."
Cruel laughter filled the air.
"Why are you followin' us? The earl showed mercy and released
my brother."
The man who seemed to be the leader of the group rode over to
Brighid and began to dismount. "He didn't send us to fetch
your brother, poppet."
The realization hit Ruaidhri like a blow to the stomach. They
were here for Brighid.
In a flash, the dagger was in his hand. He pulled Brighid
behind him, barked at Aidan to lie flat on the ground. "You'll
not be takin' her."
For a moment there was silence. Then he heard the metallic
clicks of three more pistols being cocked. He looked about.
All were aimed at him.
"The rapparee thinks he's a cat with nine lives." The leader
smiled, revealing a row of rotted teeth. "You've already used
up one today, boy. Are you sure you want to use another?"
Rage. Desperation. Helplessness. Raw emotion surged through
Ruaidhri until he thought he would explode. He was
outnumbered. They had pistols.
But Brighid was his sister. He loved her. It was his job to
protect her. "You can't be takin' her!"
The nearest man lifted his pistol, aimed it at Ruaidhri's
chest.
"No!" Brighid broke free from Ruaidhri's protective grasp,
shielded him with her body. She turned to face Ruaidhri,
cupped his cheek in her palm. Her gaze met his, her eyes a
mirror for the turmoil within him. Her face was pale. She
peeled the knife from his fingers, dropped it on the ground,
turned to face the Sasanach.
The Sasanach leader wasted no time. He reached out, pulled her
to him.
"Brighid!" Aidan cried out, ran forward, would have been
kicked by the Sasanach's cruel boot had Ruaidhri not pulled
him back.
The child's desperate tears tore at Ruaidhri's gut. They
reminded him of another time years ago, another act of English
cruelty. "Tell the whoreson you call a lord he's dead if he
touches her! May God curse all English!"
"No one's going to harm a hair on her pretty head." The
Sasanach who had Brighid mounted on his horse, pulled her
roughly into the saddle in front of him. "The lord simply
wishes to have a word with her."
Ruaidhri didn't believe that for a minute.
Brighid's gaze met his once more before the Sasanach spurred
his horse down the hill, taking her with him.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Carnal Gift
by Pamela Clare
Copyright © 2004 by Pamela Clare.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.