Hiding Katherine

rich widow soon after your marriage. Have his heir quickly so you don’t end up like me.”
“That is horrible! How do you know this? I think he will be young and handsome!”
“Probably not. You live in a fantasy. Maybe twenty years ago he would have been considered handsome, but most likely now, he is ugly and fat. He will touch you in a way that will make your skin crawl.”
Katherine’s mood changed swiftly, and she whispered, “Perhaps we should not speak of it anymore.”
They rode in silence until they saw the sparks of fire and a group of large men lounging around it. One of the warriors approached Deanna and whispered a few words to her as he assisted her off the horse. He turned to Katherine and helped her off her horse along with her maid. They gathered a few saddlebags and held Deanna’s hand as she led them to the clearing in the woods.
A short round man approached them with food in his beard. Deanna greeted him and turned to Katherine. “Mr. McKenzie, this is my sister Miss Tolland and her maid Claudia.” Deanna held onto her sister’s hand tightly.
The man eyed the women without any expression and grunted, “We leave at dawn. I suggest you lassies share that tent under the tree.”
Deanna guided them toward the tent. “We will need to get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.”

Chapter 2
The next morning, Katherine gathered her veil and a few of her garments. She tightened her cloak around her shoulders against the chill in the air. After following Deanna down to the stream, she washed up in the freezing water before eating some bread to break her fast. The men were waiting for them when they returned, and Mr. McKenzie helped her onto her horse. Deanna adjusted her saddle and accidentally dropped her saddlebag. Mr. McKenzie had to dismount again to assist her.
Katherine heard annoyed grumbling beside her, “Stupid English.” A young warrior sat on his horse and rolled his eyes watching Mr. McKenzie hand Deanna her saddlebag. Katherine bit her tongue wanting to give the young man a lashing. English, they may be, but stupid they were not.
A blush formed on her sister’s cheeks. “I apologize to you, Mr. McKenzie. My fingers are like butter this morning. I am nervous that my father’s men may follow us.”
Mr. McKenzie sighed wiping the grime from his forehead. “Aye. You and your wee sister must try to keep up. It’s not safe for us to be on this side of the border. We offer our protection, but we must travel hard and long. If the weather holds up, we should be there within the week. Your grandmother was persistent with our laird.”
He kicked the horse into a gallop. The men split up as the women rode behind them. Katherine leaned over and whispered, “He will bring us back after our visit with Grandmother, right?” Deanna seemed to hesitate before nodding without making eye contact.
Over the next few days, the riding was relentless. A strange silence hung in the air as they rode through the dense forest. They did not speak to each other while on horseback saving their discussions until they were alone in the tent. The men took deserted roads and they saw no civilization for miles. Katherine admitted to herself that she enjoyed the tedious riding at times, taking opportunities to look at the landscape and enjoying the raw beauty of the countryside. Always hidden behind castle walls, she had never experienced such freedom to gaze upon the wilderness. Ignoring the pain of the saddle, she put her thoughts on the ride ahead and seeing her grandmother. The men seemed to be unaffected by the strain of travel. She could tell they were seasoned and the elements of the outdoors did not phase them.
The group stopped, and she was grateful to be off her horse, Katherine rubbed her backside not wanting to walk anywhere as her legs were not steady yet. After stretching, she followed Deanna to the tent. “Try to get some sleep tonight. We need to be alert tomorrow.”
Katherine removed her veil after they were securely inside. She whispered to her sister, “Why are the men so angry?”
Deanna shrugged her shoulders, “I am not sure. I only speak to Mr. McKenzie—he seems to be the one in charge. Apparently, the group is to protect us and not carry on any conversations with us. I made that mistake earlier. Only Mr. McKenzie seems to be nice.”
After a couple of more days, the riding began to take a toll on the women. Mr. McKenzie made them ride hard during the daylight hours and the woman kept to their tent in the evenings. Most of the men spoke in their native Gaelic language excluding the women from their conversations.
Katherine pulled her veil off once inside the small tent. “Deanna, my legs are chaffed, and I have leg muscles that I never knew existed before. I can’t go on like this.”
Deanna rolled her eyes at her little sister while stretching her back. “It shan’t be long now. Mr. McKenzie said only a week and it’s been nearly five days.”
The maid helped Katherine remove her boots and hose. “I will go fetch some water and bring it back to the tent for you.” Katherine thanked her and leaned back on her elbows.
“Mrs. Williams?” A Scottish voice came from outside of the tent.
Deanna sat up and walked outside. “Yes, Mr. McKenzie?”
He crossed his arms, “We should reach our lands tomorrow. Hopefully, we will be at our keep by supper.”
A smile crept across Deanna’s face, “That is the best news I’ve heard in days. We are anxious to see my grandmother.”
Katherine watched the exchange from a hole in the tent, relieved that this torture was almost over. Suddenly, a yellow bee landed on her arm, and she ran out of the tent, swiping and jerking her hands and arms until she finally landed