“He said aye, ye can teach me,” Hugh said. Cleopatra nodded as she pushed aside her loneliness.
“When we get back to your father’s castle, I will begin your lessons,” Cleopatra said as she took Hugh by the hand. “For now, though, we must do as your father has requested and pack up.”
Hugh tagged alongside Cleopatra, helping her put out the fire as the men around them kept a keen eye on them. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the horses begin being rounded up. Once the fire was extinguished, Cleopatra heard Jude call for her. She felt her muscles tighten as he moved to her.
“Ye’re with me,” he said.
There was a part of her that was thrilled with the idea of riding with Jude again, but it warred with the fact that he was the one stealing her away. As she struggled with her conflicting emotions, she walked with Jude to the horse.
“Up ye go,” he said. Her heart fluttered as Jude curled his fingers around her small waist and helped her into the saddle. Glancing over her shoulder, she stole one last glimpse of the unfamiliar terrain. It was a lovely place with its greenery and twisted trees, but her heart sank to her stomach knowing she was well beyond her father’s lands.
Will I ever see the cottage again? Will fate ever bring me back home?
Jude slipped behind her and kept his arms around her as he dug his heels into the side of the horse. With a jolt, the horse began trotting as the other men followed closely. Cleopatra’s body tensed as she felt Jude’s body consuming her.
As they began the trek through the desolate and barren land, the mountain grew closer with each passing hour. With each mile they took, she knew she was one step further away from her home.
“Why are you doing this?” Cleopatra asked as the day drew on. “You don’t need me. And whatever ransom you think you’ll get from my father, you won’t.”
“Ye really think yer faither is that cruel?” Jude asked. His voice was deep, and it sent shockwaves through her as his breath tickled her neck when he spoke.
“I know he is,” Cleopatra said. “He won’t give in to your demands. Besides, you have your son. Isn’t that enough? What are you proving by stealing me away?”
The only thing Cleopatra heard was Jude’s heaving breathing in her ear. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. In the back of her mind, she knew her life was in his hands now.
“Are you going to kill me? Is that what you’re planning to do with me?”
“Ye think I’m that heartless?” Jude asked.
Cleopatra found it odd how Jude’s tone seemed to cut through her. She did not know him or what he was capable of, but she wasn’t pleased knowing her fate was not in her hands.
“We rest here,” Jude said in a booming voice that startled her as his voice bounced off the canyon walls. Jude pulled back on the reins and slipped off the saddle. Instantly Cleopatra felt the chill in the air on her back and shivered. “Off,” Jude said reaching up for her. “The horses need to rest too.”
Carefully, Cleopatra slipped down slowly, testing the ground before releasing her grip on the saddle. The last thing she wanted was to stumble into Jude once again.
Exhausted and with her backside aching, Cleopatra hobbled to the nearest boulder and leaned against it. She had been sitting for so long, her legs and back had lost all feeling.
“Are ye all right?” Jude asked as he walked over to her. She nodded without saying a word, knowing her voice would give away the pain she was feeling. Regaining her strength, she glanced up to Jude.
“How much further?” she asked, trying not to let her voice crack or sound as if she was complaining.
“We have at least two more days.”
“Through the mountains?” Cleopatra glanced to the narrow path before them. Her heart sank into her stomach as she noticed the boulders that she would have to climb over. Pity filled her as she glanced to the horses, knowing they would have a more difficult time squeezing through the narrow passage than she would.
Jude laughed as he shook his head. “Nay, we’ll be through the worse of this in an hour. Keep up. I will nae be carryin’ ye.”
Feeling her heart sink even further, Jude extended his hand out to her. Begrudgingly she took it and rose to her feet. Although she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make the journey, she wasn’t about to give up. After all, she was determined to make it home on her own, at least for the time being.
“Keep movin’,” Jude said as the men rose from their resting places alongside the trail and began making the trek over the boulders. Jude stayed behind with her and flashed a smile as if to encourage her to go just one more step and then another. “I’ll go first,” Jude said as he maneuvered through the two boulders blocking the path.
Cleopatra watched and tried to remember where he placed his foot so she could do the same. As she sucked in her belly to squeeze between the rocks, she felt Jude’s warm hand on hers for support. He guided her through the worst parts and with each treacherous area they passed, the more Cleopatra found the ice melting around her heart.
Perhaps he is not the brute I suspected him to be. After all, he’s shown me nothing but kindness these past few days. He could have left me to the wild dogs. And Jude certainly didn’t have to help me through the passes.
Cleopatra glanced at Jude. In the depths of his gaze, she noticed something about the way he cared for her. It was a gentle touch, a guiding hand, a lingering gaze in her direction that sent her
