“Ye will find out later,” he replied grimly. He had no intention of telling her just yet. It was not time.
* * *
From the moment they had left their last resting place, Greta had been planning her escape. She had mulled over the idea of waiting until Finn jumped down from the horse and riding away with it, but that would not be practical if she had to navigate her way through a wood because of all the low-hanging branches. Of course, she could wait until she went to wash or relieve herself and then run, but Finn would be with her, and even though he would have his back to her, he had excellent hearing. As well as that, he could run like a stag.
No, there was only one way: to use the element of surprise. She would dismount, hit the ground running, and sprint as fast as she could into the woods. With her small size, the dull brown color of her clothing, and the deep shadows of the trees, she thought she could become so invisible in the forest that none of the bandits would be able to find her.
10
“Come on, Greta,” Finn said, stretching his arms out to her to help her out of the saddle, grinning. “It is time we fed ye again, an’ this time I will nae take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Greta took a deep breath and launched herself into his arms, and her weight and the suddenness of her descent knocked him over. He toppled backward like a felled tree, hitting his head on the ground. Greta broke into a run, then disappeared into the trees as fast as she was able. She had always been a swift runner, and her work had toughened her.
If Greta had expected the bandits to follow her, she was mistaken. No one wanted her there, so no one came after her except Finn, for which she was immensely grateful.
Finn’s head was spinning as he tried to sit up, then he shook his head to clear it, ignoring the pain. He was infuriated and astounded at the same time, but a part of him admired her for her sheer cheek. She must have been planning this since their last stop, he reasoned. However, it was dark and she had no lantern, so it was unlikely that she could stay ahead of him for long. He had called the rest of the gang to assist him, but Liam immediately called them back. He had no wish to see her again.
“Good riddance!” he shouted. “Let her go, Finn! She is useless!”
However, Finn, although he was furious with Liam, kept on going, determined to bring her back. She would not reach the edge of the thick woods in the gathering darkness anyway, he thought.
“Greta!” he called loudly. “Give yerself up! You will nae get away!”
Aye, I will,Greta thought, as she crouched in the middle of a bush.It must be holly,she thought,since its leaves are stickin’ intae my flesh everywhere.It was prickly and painful, but she was determined to stay there and wait Finn out, although she knew she had to move before daylight, when she would be visible again. In the meantime, she would have to suffer for her freedom.
She waited tensely for what seemed like hours while listening to the growl of a frustrated Finn calling her name, along with many other words she dared not repeat. The noise of crashing and rustling as he beat the bushes all around her accompanied it, and soon Greta began to fear that he would catch and punish her. However, she waited silently, scarcely breathing and willing herself not to move.
Gradually the noise around her faded then stopped altogether.
“Greta,” Finn said resignedly. “Give yerself up. Ye cannae get away in the dark.”
His voice was very close, only a few yards away from her, and she held her breath and knelt, immobile, for what seemed like hours. Eventually, she heard Finn sigh and then the faint sound of his footsteps as he walked away.
At last,she thought. She waited for a short while in case he came back, then cautiously stood up and began to creep away.
At first, Greta put her feet down carefully, wincing at every crackle of leaves and twigs under them. Any sudden rustling of the bushes, the sounds of night birds calling, or little creatures scurrying around the undergrowth made her heart race. However, after a while, she started to relax a little as she picked her way through branch and bush until finally she was breathing normally and making a little progress.
She could see the clouds, slightly lighter than the darkness of the trees, marking the edge of the wood. She was almost there. Now she had to somehow find her way to the village of Carronish and warn the inhabitants. She had no idea where to go, but she was sure she could find the way somehow. She had to try, at least, otherwise her conscience would trouble her forever.
Then she felt the same hand that had imprisoned her so many times before land on her shoulder, and it spun her around to face Finn.
“Nae so fast, Greta,” he growled. “Ye an’ I have some talkin’ tae do.”
Greta reacted instinctively and pushed him away, but not before driving a knee into his groin. He cursed and bent over, growling in pain. She tried to run, but this time she did not manage to go more than a few yards before she felt his iron grip on her upper arm again. She spun around to confront him, but then she stumbled and fell backward, and this time he fell too, right on top of her.
Greta felt the wind whoosh out of her. She had never felt anything like the crushing weight that had suddenly landed on her, driving all the air out of her lungs and making it impossible for her to take a breath or speak. Most of the mass of Finn’s large, muscular body was resting on her chest, and this time she could not push him away. He was too heavy, and she was too weak. She felt as though her eyes were about to pop out, and her vision began to blur. But just before she passed out, he rolled away from her.
“Greta! Greta! Speak tae me!” he begged, panic-stricken as he slapped her cheek lightly to bring her to her senses.
Greta swallowed down several great gulps of life-giving air, feeling her body gradually return to normal, then she coughed, a whooping, gasping noise that seemed to last for hours. Her eyes were streaming with tears, but at last, they focused on Finn, and he breathed a long sigh of relief.
“Thank God! I thought I had killed ye!” he said, closing his eyes as he drew her into his arms. At once, Finn felt his body respond to her and felt a stab of guilt. He should not be feeling this way at a time like this, when Greta was helpless, but she was one of the most desirable women he had ever met, and Finn could barely remember the last time he had lain with a woman. Yes, that was all it was, and any man would feel the same under the same circumstances.
“Are ye all right?” he asked tenderly.
Greta nodded. “I am a bit sore,” she answered. “But I will be fine in a wee minute.” In truth, she did not want to move since she was nestled securely in the cocoon of Finn’s arms and body, and she did not want to leave it. Nevertheless, he was a bandit, and he had kidnapped her and had kissed her against her will.
And yet, against her own volition, Greta was listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart and breathing in the earthy scent of his body, wondering why she found the smell so intoxicating. It had bypassed her mind and gone straight to her core, and she felt herself moisten. If he had kissed her again that very moment, she would have welcomed it joyously and perhaps allowed him to do what she had offered before.