Page 30 of Highland Treasure (Highland Brides 9)

“Can ye come up?” he asked in a low rumble. “Her back is painin’ her this morn.”

“Oh, aye, of course. The liniment will have worn off,” their landlady said at once in a hushed voice, and Elysande heard the ladder shake a bit as she started up.

By the time Mildrede reached the loft, every man was awake and on his feet at the opposite end of the loft from Elysande, as if to offer them the chance to talk in private. And despite her waking them, the men all greeted the alewife with quiet good morns and curious expressions that only became worried when they noted her pallor and distress.

“What is it, Mildrede?” Elysande asked with concern, catching the older woman’s elbow and drawing her to sit on the bale next to her when she rushed to her side. The woman was still wearing her nightclothes under the blanket she’d pulled around her shoulders, her hair was standing up every which way and she was clutching a bag to her chest. She’d obviously been roused from her own sleep by something, and it had been distressing enough that she hadn’t even dressed before hurrying out to them.

“English soldiers,” Mildrede gasped anxiously, a little breathless from her rush to reach them.

“Where?” Rory asked sharply, giving up any pretense of allowing them privacy and moving to stand in front of them. The rest of the men were right behind him, faces grim.

“In the taproom,” Mildrede moaned, and then shook her head. “Elizabeth came ahead to warn us, but we were up so late, and didn’t hear her pounding at the door. She had the devil of a time waking us, and finally just barged in and ran up to our room. Scared the life right out of me to wake to her shaking me arm.”

“Oh, dear,” Elysande murmured sympathetically.

Rory was more concerned with the soldiers. “What are the soldiers doing in the taproom?”

“Drinking ale by now, I should think. Albert was fetching it for them when I slipped out to warn you.”

All the men blinked at this news, and then Rory said slowly, “So a bunch of English soldiers are drinking ale in yer taproom?”

“Aye.”

When he looked a bit bewildered as to what to make of that, Mildrede shifted impatiently. “They’re looking for you lot. Well, for Lady Elysande, really. But—”

“How do ye ken that?” Rory interrupted with alarm.

“Because the first thing they did when my Albert answered to their banging was ask if he’d seen an English lady traveling with two English soldiers, and possibly some Scottish warriors as well,” Mildrede explained with exasperation. “It must be you lot.”

“What did Albert say?” Rory asked at once.

“He said nay,” Mildrede assured him with a frown for even asking. “Said ’twas a shame though because we could use the coin and would have overcharged ye horribly if ye’d come to us.”

Rory didn’t comment on the fact that they’d done just that. After all, Mildrede and Albert had more than made up for it by feeding them and allowing them to stay a second night free of charge. “Right. So he said nay . . . and then invited them in fer ale?” His voice rose a bit at the end with his upset.

“I told him to,” Mildrede informed him with some dignity. “I figured it was better we know where they are if we’re to get you all out without encountering them. So I said to him, ‘Albert, you say nay if they ask do we have Lady Elysande or any Scots here, and then say as how they must be fair cold and thirsty if they just rode in, and offer them ale on the house they can drink by the fire to warm up, and then keep ’em here as long as ye can so I can get Lady Elysande and those men away.’ Then I slipped into the kitchen, grabbed some things and hurried out here to wake and warn ye.”

“Oh, Mildrede, that was brilliant,” Elysande praised when Rory just gaped at her.

Shoulders slumping, Mildrede managed a worried smile. “I thought so, but now I’m worrying that if they stay too long, they’ll want to put their horses in the stables rather than leave them out front as they are now. The man standing out there with them will surely want some ale and to warm up too.”

That suggestion had a galvanizing effect. The men were suddenly moving for the ladder and hurrying down it one behind the other, even as Rory caught Elysande’s elbow and urged her to her feet. “Time to go, lass.”

“Aye, I—” Her words ended on a gasp of surprise as they reached the ladder and, rather than urging her to climb down, Rory suddenly picked her up and dangled her over the side by her upper arms. Before she could squawk in alarm, she felt hands at her hips, clasping her and taking her weight when Rory released her.

“Thank you,” Elysande whispered as Conn set her down on the stable floor, and then turned at a startled sound from Mildrede to see Rory handing her down the same way and Inan there to take the alewife.

“Oh, my,” Mildrede breathed, looking a little stunned as Inan set her down next to Elysande.

“English soldiers,” Alick growled as he worked to saddle the horse in the stall next to where Elysande and Mildrede were standing. “They must have arrived at Carlisle ere we did and been staying at the inn the whole time. Somehow they must have got word that an English lady was spotted walking about with two English soldiers and a bunch of Scots yesterday, and decided to start the search early this morn and catch us abed.”

“Nay,” Mildrede said, appearing surprised at the suggestion. “They only arrived this morning with the dawn. Did I not mention that?”

“Nay,” Elysande assured her. “You left that bit out.”

“Oh. Well, Elizabeth said she’d only been awake for minutes and was emptying her chamber pot out the window when she saw the portcullis was being opened to let someone in. The minute she saw it was English soldiers and that they’d stopped to ask questions of the men at the gate, she worried this would be trouble for ye. So, she sent her young Jimmy down to see what he could hear. He came back saying they was asking after an English lady and two English soldiers what might be traveling with Scots. She knew then it must be de Buci’s men here about you and came to warn ye. She said she would have rushed straight to the stables, but she was afraid the Scots might be quick with their swords and kill her ere she could explain the problem.”

Elysande bit her lip as she noticed the way Rory’s men all stiffened at that suggestion.

---