Her frown instantly gave way to a smile. “Really?”
“Ach, lass! I suppose I thought it was understood. Why would I kidnap ye, then? How else might I keep ye from harm? Aye, aye, we’ll marry, mo ghraidh, my love. In Gretna Green.”
“Gretna Green!” she gasped.
“Aye,” he said, cringing a little. “I know ye must be disappointed, but we canna arrive on the steps of Talla Dileas without having married, aye? And I canna promise ye a big fancy formal wedding such as they have in Mayfair—”
“Gretna Green is wonderful!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him almost to death. “I can’t wait to write home and tell them that I was married at Gretna Green!”
Grif seemed a little confused by that, but he smiled broadly all the same, a smile that warmed her to her toes, wrapped around her heart and held it. She kissed him passionately on a surge of raw emotion, and Grif responded, his fingers in her hair, his tongue stroking deep into her mouth.
God help her, but Anna was on fire. She had never ached like this, had never hungered for another living soul as she did at that moment. She loved him desperately and he loved her. He wanted to marry her. She would, by some miracle, marry for love.
Grif’s hands eagerly swept her body, traveling down her arms, her legs, and up again, to her breasts, and around, fumbling with the tiny buttons of her gown. The rain drummed against the coach, matching the tempo of their beating hearts. Anna sought the strength of his body, thrusting her hands deep inside his waistcoat, feeling his spine, his rib cage, and the corded muscles in his neck and shoulders, the hard plate of his breast, the hardened nipples.
But suddenly Grif caught her hands and pulled them free of his body. “No, Anna, no,” he said breathlessly, shaking his head. “Diah, I want ye, lass,” he said, caressing her hair. “I want ye… but ye deserve far better than this,” he said, looking around at the old coach. “I’ll no’ make love to ye until I’ve married ye, for ye deserve to have a name, and a castle, and a warm, soft bed…” he said as he slowly leaned back against the squabs, holding her to him.
She didn’t argue, but pressed her face against his chest. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Anna said dreamily. “I’m so very happy.”
“Ye willna regret it. I’ll spend every moment of every day making certain ye donna ever regret it, leannan.”
“How could I regret something so beautiful?” she asked, smiling. “Life has been so exciting since you came into it, Grif. I would rather have an exciting life than an intolerably dull one in London.”
Grif kissed her forehead. “I canna lie—I am relieved and happy to hear it.”
They lay together a while longer, listening to the rain and enjoying the freedom the truth had at last given them, until Anna’s body made a groan. She put a hand on her belly and asked, “What of food?”
He sighed wearily and stroked her hair. “I didna exactly think of food.”
She moaned and pressed her face to his shoulder, whimpering. “You really are a deplorable kidnapper, Grif.”
“Aye, and I suppose ye’d do better?” he asked with a grin.
“Of course I would,” she said in all sincerity.
Grif quietly smiled into her hair as she began to enumerate the many ways his kidnapping skills might be improved.
Twenty-nine
O ver the course of the next several days, Grif and Anna made it to within miles of the Scots border, to Carlisle, without serious incident, managing to dodge two Englishmen who appeared woefully out of place in Nottingham’s market stalls as they walked through, peering closely at all the women. They were certain the men were looking for Anna.
Grif determined that they must travel faster and off main roads, and deeper in the countryside to avoid being spotted. He bought a pair of boy’s trousers for Anna and left the old family coach behind so that they might continue on horseback. Anna became quite an equestrian in those few days, and arrived in Carlisle with her face a bonny shade of brown, what with all the sun.
It was remarkable to Grif how quickly she adapted to any surroundings. One day she was a debutante from one of the finest families in London’s Mayfair. Today she was little more than a peasant, riding across England on horseback eating apples and cheese and the occasional trout, all without complaint. And she enjoyed pointing out various flora and fauna she had obviously studied under the tutelage of some very expensive tutor. She loved the adventure of their flight, loved the freedom.