Highland Lover Read Online Free PDF Page B

told herself that the fact that Gregor seemed completely unaffected by that embrace should not feel like such an insult.
    “Now, lass,” said Gregor, “I ken it willnae be easy to do what ye must in the dark. Ye must be verra
    careful whilst ye move about up there.”
    “I ken it. ’Twould be far too easy to get turned about and fall back down here.”
    “Aye, and since I cannae see, I cannae be sure I could catch ye.”
    “Catch me, is it? Aye, I think that does sound a wee bit better than let ye fall on me.”
    Gregor laughed softly and reached out, groping around a little until he touched her on the arm. “Up
    ye go, then.”
    As carefully as she could, Alana climbed up him until she stood upon his shoulders again. The faint
    knot of fear she felt over being in such a high and precarious position was a lot easier to ignore this time. The promise of freedom proved a very good cure for that uneasiness.
    Cautiously raising her arms, she moved them around until she felt the edge of the opening. Alana
    started to pull herself up. Just as she decided she would need to ask Gregor to lift her up higher, he slowly did so. It took but a moment to pull herself up and out of the pit. She sprawled facedown on
    the cool stone floor, struggling to calm herself, excitement and jubilation making her almost light-
    headed. Alana was tempted to do a little dance, but suspected she would probably dance right over
    the opening to the oubliette and fall down on a waiting Gregor.
    Her delight faded as she became all too aware of the darkness surrounding her. Somehow she was
    going to have to grope her way around until she found something to tie the blankets to. Then she
    would have to cautiously find her way back to the hole and lower the rope of blankets down to
    Gregor without falling in. This was not going to be easy, she thought as she began to slowly inch
    her way along the floor.
    Gregor paced, stopped and stared up toward the opening of their prison, and then paced some more.
    He could hear just a few soft sounds indicating Alana’s careful movements. There was no outcry,
    no hint that some Gowan had stumbled upon her, and that was good. What was not good was the
    waiting. He was all too aware of how difficult Alana found it to move about in the dark.
    Recalling her ineptitude, he quickly placed himself beneath the opening and forced himself to stay
    there. It was indeed very possible that Alana could get confused in the dark and end up stumbling
    back into the hole. There could be a few more bruises to collect before they got free.
    He cursed. Freedom was still a long way away. Once out of their prison, they would have to get out
    of the keep. Gregor had not been able to study the keep and its grounds as he was brought in, and
    Alana had seen only a little. That meant they were going to have to depend far too much on luck in
    getting out. At the moment, standing in an oubliette he had been held captive in for over a week and
    nearly betrothed to a woman he no longer wished to marry, Gregor was not sure he ought to put
    much trust in his luck.
    And just why he was suddenly so reluctant to wed Mavis he did not know. He would like to believe
    his reluctance was due to too much time to think and a bachelor’s natural hesitation to marry, but he knew it was more than that. What he truly wanted was what his brother and cousin had—a true
    mating of heart, mind, and soul. Gregor had thought he had accepted the fact that he was not
    destined to find that, but it was clear he had not. Mavis was a good woman who would bring him
    land and coin, but she was not his true mate.
    Scowling up at the opening to his prison, Gregor had the feeling that his true mate was up there
    crawling around in the dark and softly cursing. Every instinct he had told him she was not the very
    young girl she pretended to be. She was too mature in her thoughts and speech. Although careful to
    shield all clues to exactly who they were, they had exchanged stories