His voice was whisper soft. It felt like a caress to her. That reaction confused her and she had to take her gaze away from the handsome devil so she could sort out this bizarre reaction.
He noticed her hesitation. 'This question of yours must not be very important.'
'Oh, it is important,' she countered. She paused another minute while she tried to remember what the question was. She stared at his chin so she could concentrate. 'Now I remember,' she announced with a smile. 'Is Patrick kind to Frances Catherine? Does he treat her well?'
'I imagine he's kind to her,' he answered with a shrug. Almost as an afterthought he added, 'He would never beat her.'
She looked up into his eyes so he could see her amusement over that comment. 'I already knew he wouldn't beat her.'
'How would you know?'
'If he ever raised a hand against her, she'd run away from him.'
It was such an outrageous thing to say, Iain didn't know how to respond. He quickly regained his wits. 'And where would she run?'
'To me.'
Since she'd sounded so sincere, he knew she believed what she'd just told him. Iain had never heard of anything so preposterous. A wife simply did not leave her husband, no matter what the reason.
'None of the Maitlands would ever touch a woman in anger.'
'Iain, what do you make of this?'
Alex shouted that question, interrupting their discussion. Judith turned just in time to see the warrior motion to the grave she'd destroyed the evening before. She immediately turned her gaze to the line of trees at the top of the ridge. Iain felt her tense in his arms. 'Do you know who did this?'
'Yes,' she answered, her voice whisper soft.
'Who does the grave-'
She didn't let him finish. 'It was my father's grave.'
They'd reached Alex's side when she made that remark. The green-eyed warrior glanced over at Iain, then back to Judith. 'Would you like us to put the headstone back before we go, lass?'
She shook her head. 'I'd only have to knock it down again if you did, but I do thank you for offering.'
Alex couldn't hide his astonishment. 'Are you telling us you did this?'
There wasn't a hint of embarrassment on her face when she answered him. 'Yes, I did this. It took me a good hour. The ground was as hard as rock.'
The Scot looked appalled. Then Iain drew her attention. He nudged her face up to his with the back of his thumb. 'Why would you do such a thing?'
She lifted her shoulders in a dainty shrug. 'It seemed appropriate at the time.'
He shook his head. The atrocity she'd just admitted to seemed completely out of character with what he'd already surmised about her. He'd guessed she was a sweet-tempered, innocent woman. Stubborn, too. The way she'd argued over riding her own mount indicated that flaw. Still, she didn't seem the type of woman who would desecrate holy ground.
'This is your father's grave?' he asked again, determined to get to the bottom of this intriguing puzzle.
'Yes,' she answered. She let out a little sigh. 'You needn't be concerned about this. The grave's empty.'
'Empty.'
'Yes.'
She wasn't going to explain further. He decided not to prod. She'd gone completely rigid in his arms. It was obvious the topic was distressing to her.
Iain motioned for Alex to take the lead again, then nudged his mount into line behind him. Once the cemetery was well behind them, Judith visibly relaxed.
They didn't speak again until the sun was setting and it was time to make camp for the night. They'd ridden long hours. The men were in a much more jovial mood now that they'd crossed the border and were once again back in Scotland.
Judith was exhausted by the time they finally stopped. Iain noticed when he helped her dismount. She could barely stand up on her own. His hands spanned her waist to hold her steady until she regained the strength in her legs.
He could feel her trembling. He stared at the top of her head while she stared at the ground. Since she didn't mention her obvious problem, he didn't, either. She was holding on to his arms, but as soon as she let go, he released his grip on her waist.
He immediately turned to his stallion. She slowly made her way around his horse and continued on toward the stream she'd glimpsed halfway hidden behind the line of trees adjacent to the small clearing. Iain watched her walk away and was again struck by her regal bearing. She moved like a princess, he thought to himself.
Lord, she really was a beauty. Damn innocent, too. The way she blushed over every little thing was telling. She was enchanting, too.
This one could get to his heart. Iain was so stunned by that sudden realization, he almost blanched. He continued to stare at the trees where Judith had disappeared, but he was frowning now.
'What's got you so riled?' Alex asked from behind.
Iain rested his arm on the saddle of his mount. 'Foolish thoughts,' he replied.
His friend glanced over to the trees where Judith had gone, then turned back to Iain. 'Foolish thoughts about a beautiful Englishwoman, perchance?' Iain shrugged. 'Perhaps,' he allowed. Alex knew better than to pursue the topic. His laird didn't look at all happy over his confession. 'It's going to be a long journey home,' he predicted with a sigh before turning back to take care of his own steed.
Judith had been able to maintain her dignified walk until she was safely hidden by the trees. Then she all but doubled over and grabbed hold of her lower back. Lord, she ached. Her backside and thighs felt as though someone had taken a whip to her.
She walked around in circles until she'd worked the stiffness out of her legs. Then she washed her face and hands in the cold water. She felt better, hungry too. She hurried back to the clearing. She could hear the men talking, but as soon as she came into their view, they all closed their mouths.
Iain, she quickly noticed, wasn't there. She felt a moment of pure panic. It made her stomach lurch, so quickly did the feeling come upon her. Then she spotted his stallion. The fear immediately eased. The Scottish warrior might very well leave her, but he'd never leave his faithful steed, would he?
She was alone in the forest with four men who were virtual strangers to her. If word of this circumstance ever reached anyone in England, her reputation would be tattered. Her mother would probably want to kill her, too. Odd, but that last thought didn't bother Judith much at all. She couldn't seem to feel anything toward her mother now. Uncle Tekel had excused his sister's cold attitude toward her only daughter with the lie that Judith was a constant reminder of the man she'd loved and lost.
Lies, so many lies.
'You'd best get some rest, lass.'
Judith jumped a foot when Alex's deep voice sounded behind her, and her hand flew to her breast. She took several deep breaths before she answered him. 'We must have our supper before we rest. What have you done with the baggage?'
Alex motioned to the opposite side of the clearing. Judith immediately hurried across the area to set out the food. Jane had packed a pretty white cloth at the top of the satchel. She spread that on the hard ground first, then covered it with her offerings. There was thick, crusty black bread, triangles of red and yellowed cheeses, fat strips of salted pork, and fresh, tart green apples.
When everything was ready, she invited the men to join her. Then she waited. After a long moment she realized they didn't have any intention of eating with her. She could feel herself turning red with embarrassment. She sat on the ground, her legs tucked under the hem of her skirts, her hands folded together in her lap. She kept her head bowed so none of them would see her humiliation.
It had been a stupid mistake, offering to share her food with them. She was English, after all, and they probably couldn't stomach the thought of eating a meal with her.
She told herself she had nothing to feel embarrassed about. She wasn't acting like a rude barbarian. They
