What was wrong with her?
She forced herself to look at Rolfe Munro. There was nothing so horrible about the man. He wasn’t twice her age or swimming in the fat of excess. More than one bride would be content to discover him waiting for her when she completed the journey from her father’s home.
Not her, though.
And to be fair, there was only a mild expression of interest on Rolfe’s face. He was performing according to the same guidelines she was. Minding his manners. Thinking of the way his actions would be picked apart by both their kin. He didn’t find her any more interesting than she did him, and he was lecturing himself as to just why she wasn’t at all a poor choice for a bride.
Rolfe Munro didn’t want her, but he’d settle for her. Odds were, Cormac hadn’t contacted her because he felt the same way she did about their impending union.
Oh…so ye want to be craved?…
Was that at the core of her restlessness? A desire to fall in love? If so, she was setting her feet on a perilous path, for love was so very often not returned.
No, that wasn’t it. Rolfe’s lack of passion wasn’t needling her. She’d been discontent before leaving the Mackenzie stronghold.
Later, as she should have been sleeping, Cora gazed up at the ceiling. The walls around her were thick and sturdy. She should have taken solace in them. Instead, she was eager for sunrise and the opportunity to depart. There was something pounding through her that demanded she climb back in the saddle.
Dissatisfied when she realized she had no reason to feel as though life had left her wanting, for she had much more than many, she went back to sleep with frustration gnawing at her. Shame was there as well, for she was no longer a child who might convince themselves that they were justified in their battle against what simply was.
Perhaps it was time to meet Cormac Grant. See how the man affected her. Give the union her father had arranged a chance. After all, the man hadn’t arrived the moment she turned eighteen and demanded she be given to him. More than one man would have, for the sake of the alliance between their clans.
Cormac was as stuck as she was.
Perhaps he had someone he cared for. Was that the reason he’d not even sent one letter of introduction? Was he dreading the moment when her brother reminded him of his duty to honor the arrangements their fathers had made?
Cora rolled over and screamed into the pillow.
*
Her horse was skittish.
The animal fought against the bridle as Cora pulled him to a stop. “Easy now,” she cooed to him as she rubbed his thick neck. The animal’s ears were far from relaxed. They moved as though searching for confirmation of a threat.
Cora contemplated the sky.
The Highlands were always a place of changing weather. A wise person kept one eye on the horizon when they were out of the safety of the stronghold. Munro land was more than half a day’s ride behind them now.
“Mistress?” Rory inquired behind her.
The Mackenzie Retainer was hardened by life, his shirt collar weathered by the elements. His doublet was open a few buttons at the neck because the chill in the air was nothing compared to the bite of winter.
The wind gusted. Like the snap of a whip, it blew through the stillness of the day. Rory looked up, his expression serious.
“Best we hurry,” Rory informed her. “I’ve a feeling the weather will nae hold.”
Cora patted her horse one final time before she used her heels against its sides to urge it forward. The animal started with a jump. Cora tightened her thighs and maintained her seat as they continued on. Their pace was brisk, the horses all seeming eager to make it home.
But Fate wasn’t planning to be so kind.
The storm blew in from the north with all the viciousness of a winter gale. It was an angry one as well. Like it had been held at bay by summer and was finally free to rage. The wind ripped at the trees, tearing the leaves from the branches and leaving them bare.
But that wasn’t enough.
Thick, black clouds flooded the sky, colliding with one another and producing huge booms of thunder. The sound echoed up and down the rocky Highlands, while Cora and the other Mackenzies struggled to maintain their grip on their bridles. It was a fight for survival now. The horses would run into the open, possibly over a cliff in panic, if they got free. Cora struggled to find the strength to grip the reins. Rain began to whip them. To say it was falling would be incorrect. The water was riding on the vicious wind, hitting them from the side like hard pellets. The onslaught was brutal, and it left her chilled to the bone.
But the only option was to press onward.
The storm wasn’t willing to let them succeed. It unleashed a crackle of lightning that split the sky open in brilliant white bolts of fire. The thunder boomed again, and suddenly, the very ground beneath them gave way.
The long summer months had seen the land drying up. But now, water was coming down too fast for the earth to absorb. The excess ran off in tiny rivers, which joined others and grew and grew until there was a torrent of water. Cora looked around in horror to see they were near the low point in the land. She squeezed her thighs tight around the saddle and tried to guide the horse toward the high ground.
But the horses began to panic. The neat column of Mackenzie riders fought for control, but they were no match for the horses. The animals turned and reared, seeking escape in all directions. Cora maintained her seat as her mount came crashing back down to earth. She felt the powerful animal leaping forward. She leaned down, hugging his neck. It jumped and bolted into the swirling storm, its only thought to escape the madness by outrunning it.
Cora sucked in a breath. She strove to maintain her composure, fighting back the urge to join the horse in mindless panic. At any moment, the land might give way to a cliff or another river, and she had to gain control of the horse before they both ended up dead.
“Easy…” She tried to settle the animal.
She pulled back on the bridle, not too hard, just enough to get the horse’s attention. She felt him hesitate, dropping into a canter.
“That’s the way,” she encouraged. “Let’s look for some shelter.”
Her eyes couldn’t adjust to the blinding lightning, and the horse refused to be soothed.
The thunder came again. Cora would have sworn she felt the sound as much as heard it. The next crack of lightning was directly above her head. The horse rose up, pawing at the air in an attempt to slay the storm. Up, up, and up. Too far for the slippery conditions. Cora felt the moment when the animal’s rear legs began to slip. She released the reins but was helpless to do anything else.
They both crashed to the ground. Cora rolled away, trying to escape the heavy body of the horse. The animal screamed as Cora grunted with the impact of several rocks. But by some miracle, she escaped being crushed. Relief flooded her. She gulped at the air, trying to calm the hard thumping of her heart.
But she suddenly realized it wasn’t her blood roaring.
It was a river. Swollen from rain, it was churning and gushing. She was still rolling away from her horse when she realized she was heading into the water. There was no escape. It grabbed her skirts and yanked her into its grip. She was torn off the bank and tossed like a broken branch into the water. It sucked her down, filling her nose and mouth. Her lungs burned as she fought to break the surface.
A flash of lightning gave her direction. Cora fought hard and broke the surface. She drew in a breath as she was slammed hard against a huge rock. She clawed at it, but the surface was slimy with moss, and the power of the current carried her right around it and beneath the surface once again.