Duchess of Mine Read Online Free PDF Page A

narrowed his eyes as he looked away. “I think she’s
been hit on the head.”
    “Poor little creature.”
    Duncan nodded. “My mother lives close. I’ll
have her see to the lady, have her stay with my ma for a night or
two, until we can find Lady Anpoa’s things.”
    Rory took a step back, incensed. “I assume
she’s some sort of an Indian princess from the Americas, and you
want her to stay with your mother ?” Rory shook his head.
“Nay, I can’t have that. She’ll stay with my brother and his family
and me at Tongue, at Caisteal Bharraich, where an ambassador should
stay.”
    Duncan moved his jaw around as if he’d bitten
his tongue. For a long time, he didn’t say anything. Finally, he
nodded. “But I’ll have my mother look at her. She’s nearby.”
    Knowing Duncan’s mother to be a healer, Rory
nodded. But he loathed having the huge man tell him how things were
to happen. He was the damned captain of this army, was he not?
Duncan was just a lieutenant of sorts, although he clearly knew a
hell of a lot more about the army than Rory, which, yet again, Rory
had a hard time admitting.
    Duncan pointed, tilting his head east. Some
of the fastest of the troops were finally catching up. “Have the
men rest for a few minutes, but we need to spread out and search
for the mosstroopers. They might be close by. And we need to catch
them while we can. Have Ronald in charge of twenty men and head
them west. Ewan in charge of another twenty and head east. Then
Michael’s to have the rest of the men to the south. Hopefully we’ll
find the thieves.”
    Rory huffed, but the advice was sage. He
nodded.
    “I’ll take the lady to my mother.” It wasn’t
a request and was spoken with far too much authority.
    Rory frowned but nodded.
    “May I have yer horse, so the lady might ride
upon it?” It was a question, but sounded like another command.
    Rory had had enough of being ordered about.
“Why don’t ye take my family jewels too?” He cupped his bullocks
through his dark plaid. But then he realized the lady could catch
sight of him and immediately let go, glancing at the dark woman as
she flung a small flat rock out into the bay. The stone skipped
several times before sinking into the greenish gray water.
    Sighing in relief that she hadn’t seen his
vulgar act, he looked up at Duncan who hadn’t responded, but there
was a purple vein standing out on his forehead.
    “Fine. Take my horse.” He slapped the reins
into Duncan’s outstretched hand.
    “Ye ken where my mother lives?”
    Rory nodded. It was one of the grandest
houses in all of the MacKay lands. Everyone knew her house. “Aye,”
Rory said, hating to admit as much, again, but he’d be an idiot if
he didn’t. “After I spread the troops to the winds for the thieves,
I’ll find both of ye and take the princess back to Tongue. She is a
princess, isn’t she?” He realized he sounded a wee bit too
enthusiastic and cleared his throat.
    Duncan looked back at the lady. His eyes were
still narrowed, but he watched her find another small flat stone
and threw it sideways so it skipped at least twenty times before it
sank. She looked over her shoulder at that, smiling. Duncan’s face
cracked. His smile was fast and wide. That grated on Rory. Seeing
the gigantic man have any kind of response to the lady annoyed him.
For Rory knew he was fond of the lady already. Quite fond. Lord,
those legs of hers were enough to make him stutter.
    Slowly, Duncan nodded. “Aye, she’s a princess
all right.”
    Rory gritted his teeth as he watched Duncan’s
gaze drink in the lady. Damnation.
    Well, this was to be his challenge, wasn’t
it? As much as Rory needed Duncan to train the lads into some
semblance of an army, he also needed to wrest the authority from
him. Granted, Rory fancied Lady Fleur, and what better way to prove
himself than by taking the bonny lady for his own?
     

 
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
    F leur turned from the gray-green
geodha into a horse’s