April Holthaus - The MacKinnon Clan 01 Read Online Free Page A

she teased and burst into laughter causing Rory to laugh as well.
    For Annella it felt so good to laugh. It had felt like years since she had a good hearty laugh. With tears in her eyes she smiled at Rory. When he smiled back, a sensation of warmth flushed over her body and her smile died quickly.
    “Where did ye learn to shoot like that?”
    “My mother, Mairi was her name. She died from fever when I was young.”
    “I am sorry to hear about yer mother. She must have been quite skilled for ye to inherit her talent.”
    “Aye she was. When I was young I used to watch her participate in target shooting with others in the clan. She would let me go out and practice wit her. After she passed, my father argued against it. He believed a lass should no’ compete in a mon’s sport. He is no’ a verra understanding mon. He is a hard mon. But I ken if only he would give me a chance I would win. After all, it is in my blood.”
    Rory smiled down at her. This new insight into Annella’s past made him all the more interested in wanting to learn more about her.
    “Will ye be leaving now? That was our agreement.”
    Feeling disappointed for not coming up with another excuse to stay he replied, “As ye wish, my lady; I will have to practice the next time we meet. As soon as I find someone as good as ye to teach me.”
    “Maybe there is a solution for the both of us. I can teach ye how to shoot an arrow if ye teach me how to sword play,” she proposed before she realized that she just invited him to stay.
    “Sword play? That is quite dangerous, my lady, but yer suggestion has merit. It is sometimes good for a lass to ken how to protect herself and as ye so directly pointed out, I am no’ as skilled with a bow. I shall give ye yer first lesson.”
    “Really?” Annella was unsure if he was serious or not but she had always wanted to learn how to wield a sword.
    “Sure.” He pulled out a long jeweled-studded dagger out of its sheath that hung onto his belt. “Here take my dirk. Hold it in yer hand like this,” he said demonstrating how to properly hold onto the hilt.
    She listened attentively to him and mimicked his every move as she swung the dirk from side to side. With his sword he tried to block her advances. While going over each rule of combat, they taunted and teased each other like children at play.
    “Verra good. Ye are a quick learner, my lady. Ye have already mastered the foot work.”
    She smiled up at him feeling good about her accomplishment and by his appraisal.
    “I want ye to keep this. You can use it to help ye practice.”
    “Nay, it is yer dagger.”
    “Aye, I want ye to have it.”
    Gazing into his fiery eyes, she could feel his intensity and emotion as he looked down at her. Feeling his unwarranted attention, she looked down at the dagger in her hands.
    “Thank ye.”
    “My lady, I owe ye an apology for my behavior this morning by the loch and last eve."
    Continuing to look down she softly asked, “Why did ye want me to think that ye slept wit Myra?"
    “I dinna say I slept wit her. Ye assumed I did.”
    Knowing he was right, that she did assume made her feel foolish. She looked up and curiously asked, “Why dinna ye?”
    “To be honest wit ye lass, I am no’ interested...in her.” He moved towards her so close he could smell the rose scent of her hair. She withdrew away from him in hesitation.
    Not wanting to scare her off he asked, “Shall we continue our lesson?”
    “Aye, my laird” she said feeling nervous by his behavior. 
    “Please, call me Rory.”
    She nodded her head and he continued his lesson. They spent a good hour together going over the moves. Once he was confident that she understood the basic movements and tricks if an opponent attacked from the front, he wanted to show her a different tactic.
    “Now if an opponent comes up from behind ye like this, ye will want to block his arm so that he dinna have an opportunity to take advantage of ye in this position,” he said as