Page 71 of Highland Treasure (Highland Brides 9)

The king looked so relieved Rory again had a hard time not laughing. Elysande had just taken away the worry of a Scot becoming lord of one of his wealthiest and most powerful holdings. And saved him from having to force an annulment that would make him look like an ungrateful arse.

“Of course, Your Majesty, my husband and his men along with Tom are not the only people we owe a debt of gratitude to for saving your life,” Elysande said now.

“Are they not?” King Edward asked warily.

“Nay,” she assured him. “There are also the people of Carlisle.”

“Carlisle?” he echoed uncertainly.

“Oh, my, yes,” she assured him. “I must tell you, Your Majesty, that the people of Carlisle love you dearly, and risked themselves greatly to aid us. You would have been proud to see them work together on your behalf, and would have blushed to hear their love and praise for you. An alewife named Mildrede and her husband, Albert, at the Cock and Bull, as well as the draper’s wife, Elizabeth, and a blacksmith named Robbie, went to great lengths to ensure we escaped to get the warning to you when de Buci’s men tracked us to their fine city.”

Rory felt his lips twitch at Elysande’s words. He couldn’t wait to tell Mildrede about it when they stopped in Carlisle on the way home. The woman would be pleased as could be to hear she’d been lauded to the king.

“Then we must surely send some special boon to Carlisle, and a personal letter and gift to this alewife, the draper’s wife and the blacksmith,” the king said solemnly.

“I am sure they would appreciate it, Your Majesty,” Elysande assured him.

“And I shall honor your marriage with a gift,” the king added.

“That is not necessary, Your Majesty. It is enough that you approve it,” Elysande said at once. “You will give us your blessing, Your Majesty, will you not?”

“How could I not bless your marriage to the man who saved my life,” King Edward said wryly, and Rory relaxed after that, only half listening to the remainder of the conversation. He caught something about rewards, and then an invitation for her to attend the executions of de Buci and the others, which she refused. But finally, the king stood and helped Elysande to her feet himself, then clasped her shoulders and kissed her cheek, thanking her once again for helping to save him from his enemies.

Much to Rory’s surprise, the man, himself, then escorted Elysande to his side.

“He’s coming over here,” Fearghas murmured behind him.

“Aye,” Donnghail rumbled.

“He will probably thank us for our part in saving him,” Tom said out of the side of his mouth.

“Huh,” Fearghas muttered. “He will no’ kiss us too, will he?”

Rory choked on a laugh, tried to hide it with a cough, and then the English king was there, shaking his hand and the hands of the others as he thanked them for their assistance.

Once he had finished, the king turned his attention back to Rory and said, “You have a very beautiful, and intelligent, wife, Buchanan. Take care of her.”

Rory’s eyebrows rose at the way the man emphasized intelligent. It had been a message. The king had not been taken in completely by Elysande’s tale. But he had accepted it because it solved his problems. It seemed the young king was smart at least. Not perhaps a good thing for Scotland if he ever settled his disputes with France and turned his attention on them again, he thought, but Rory merely said, “I will.”

Much to his relief, moments later they were back out in the hall, heading for the exit.

“There, I did tell you it would be fine, husband,” Elysande said, sounding pleased as they made their way through the crowds of people in the castle.

“Aye, you did,” Rory admitted mildly. “I shall surely never doubt you again, wife.”

“I notice you did not thank the king for your reward. Were you not pleased by it?”

“Reward?” Rory asked, glancing at her with confusion.

“Well, part wedding gift and part reward for saving his life,” Elysande said. “I thought it was most generous.”

“Is it?” Rory asked, nodding at the guard who opened the doors for them to leave the castle. “What is it?”

“You truly did not hear?” Elysande asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Nay. I may have been distracted,” he admitted, but didn’t tell her he’d been fretting over how crowded they would soon be at the hunting lodge. “What is this reward?”

Elysande hesitated and then shook her head. “Do you know, I think I might let it be a surprise.”

---