Page 35 of Highland Treasure (Highland Brides 9)

“How are we going to ride blindfolded?” Conn asked suddenly.

“You will all just have to sit on your horses and let Tom, Simon and I take the reins of a horse apiece to lead you out,” Elysande said, her jaw a little tight as she fought the pain.

“Are ye all right, lass?” Rory asked. “Yer back’s paining ye, is it no’?”

Elysande glanced at him with surprise that he’d picked up on that, but then sighed and admitted, “You are both showing a distressing tendency to weave about like a pair of drunken fools without your sight, and ’tis a bit of a strain on my back and arms.”

“Oh.” Rory hesitated, and then asked, “Would it help if we held yer hand instead of ye trying to steer us by our arms? That way, ye could just squeeze our fingers and move our hands in the direction ye wanted us to go. It may be less o’ a strain fer ye.”

“That’s what I thought the plan was to begin with,” Conn commented, obviously having heard Rory’s suggestion.

“Aye, it was, and it may help,” Elysande agreed, and released first Rory’s arm to clasp his hand instead, and then did the same with Conn. Both men had huge hands, she noted as her fingers stretched almost painfully wide to slide between theirs. But it actually was a little easier that way, it certainly hurt her back and arms less, she acknowledged as Robbie turned left and led them along the front of the church.

“Better?” Rory asked after several minutes.

“Aye. Thank you,” she murmured, and then smiled with amusement and said, “Although I fancy it looks odd to anyone watching to see a woman walking down the street holding hands with two men.”

“And the blindfolds do no’ look odd?” he asked dryly, and then still in that dry tone added, “But then most people ken why we’re blindfolded.”

Elysande grimaced at the comment. She’d known he’d be irritated by Elizabeth’s words about most people knowing what was happening. But she was just glad there were so many people willing to help. She only hoped everyone who knew was on their side and there wasn’t a Judas among them who might approach the English soldiers to exchange the knowledge for coin. Elysande wasn’t a fool and knew that was a possibility with so many holding the knowledge. But she also knew there was nothing she could do about it if it happened, so tried not to think about it. Her life was in God’s hands at the moment.

“Is anyone following us?” Rory asked suddenly.

“Nay, I am sure— Oh,” Elysande said with surprise when she looked over her shoulder. Actually, there were several people following them, and several more joining every moment. Mildrede had mentioned to her that Carlisle had a population of two thousand people. It looked to her like half of them were now following them to the gate. They seemed to be coming from everywhere and filling the road behind them, trailing them past the church. The street was full of children and adults both . . . and every single one smiled and nodded reassuringly when they saw her looking.

“What is it?” Rory asked tensely, his hand jerking in hers as if he would pull off his blindfold.

“Nothing.” Elysande tightened her hold on his hand and flashed the crowd a smile before facing forward again. She was quite sure he wouldn’t be happy knowing they had what looked to be almost half the city following them this last stretch to the gate. She wasn’t sure she was either actually. Who was distracting the soldiers searching for her if half the city was following them to the gate? The other half of the city, she hoped.

Robbie turned right next, leading them down a slightly angled street with perhaps ten dwellings on the left and eleven on the right. Much to her relief she could see the city wall now at the other end, running at a slight angle to the street they were on. She thought the gate couldn’t be far now.

“I ken ye only told Mildrede and Elizabeth about de Buci here and that they then spread the news far and wide, but once we’re in Scotland, I suggest ye no’ be so free with the tale o’ de Buci, lass.”

“Oh, nay, I will not be,” she assured him firmly, glancing over her shoulder to see the crowd still following. When they all smiled and nodded, some waving, she smiled again before facing forward once more and adding, “I will not be telling anyone in Scotland. Not a single person.”

“Good,” he said, sounding relieved. “Then I’ll say no more about it.”

Elysande murmured agreeably to that, but her wide eyes were taking note of the people now coming out of the dwellings they were passing to watch them parade by.

“Why are ye no’ going to tell anyone in Scotland?” Conn asked suddenly, curiosity filling his voice.

“Well, they are Scots, and I suspect most Scots would be pleased to see the English king die, or at least would not care if he lived, so would not be likely to help,” she pointed out, and then added under her breath, “Besides, it appears information spreads like seeds on the wind.”

“Oh, aye, it does,” Rory assured her. “Just look at how many here know about de Buci already.”

“Oh, I am,” she muttered, glancing over her shoulder again.

Elysande breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the end of the street and she saw Robbie walking toward the wall. She was near enough now to see the gate. It was much smaller than the main gate, but big enough to walk the horses through without problem. They could even ride them through two apace.

“What is that noise behind us?” Rory asked, his voice tense, and Elysande glanced back to see the crowd had drawn closer to watch them leave.

“Just children playing,” she said. She wasn’t really lying—some of the children were playing as they followed. “We are approaching the gate now. Robbie is opening it.” She didn’t mention that another man was helping him.

“Thank God,” Rory said, relief heavy in his voice. “I canno’ wait to take this bloody blindfold off.”

“Aye,” Conn growled in agreement, and she almost felt guilty that they’d had to wear the blindfolds. Elysande did feel responsible. It had been at her suggestion, after all. But she hadn’t wanted Mildrede and the others fretting over their secret gate being common knowledge to men whose countrymen they considered their enemy.

“Why are we stopping?” Rory asked a moment later as she drew them to a halt behind Inan’s horse.

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