Page 33 of Highland Treasure (Highland Brides 9)

Robbie nodded as he glanced at them and then shifted his gaze over the Scots, before saying, “The others can ride with us for the first couple of lanes, but when we turn toward the castle, they should head the opposite way toward the gates. The three men coming with us don’t have to put on blindfolds until we reach the church.”

“All right,” Elysande murmured.

Grunting, the blacksmith started back the way he’d come.

Elysande stared after him blankly, and then glanced to Mildrede uncertainly, unsure if she was to follow or not.

“Robbie’s a man of few words,” Mildrede said with a reassuring smile. “But he’ll get ye safely out of Carlisle, m’lady.”

“I am sure he will,” she said, managing what she hoped was a convincing smile in return.

“Ye’d best go,” Mildrede added gently when she still stood there. “I’ll be praying for ye.”

“Thank you.” Swallowing a sudden thickness in her throat, Elysande gave her another quick hug, and then grabbed her mare’s reins and started reluctantly away. She was actually unhappy to leave Mildrede behind. The alewife had reminded her of her mother in some ways, and Elysande had enjoyed working and talking with her. She’d even found herself smiling on occasion since arriving in Carlisle and now felt as if she was leaving that behind.

“Are ye all right, lass?” Rory asked as he fell into step beside her, leading his own mount.

“Aye,” she said sadly, and then cleared her throat and told him, “Robbie said Alick and the others should go with us until we turn toward the castle.”

“I heard. So did Alick and the others,” Rory assured her, and then they both fell silent and kept their attention on Robbie, watching for any signal that there might be trouble ahead, or that they should hurry. But after a moment, he said, “I truly am sorry fer snapping at ye, lass. I was just a bit overset by waking to the news that the English were here. I ken ye’ve been worried this verra thing might happen, but I was sure we’d avoided them by using this route. And the knowledge that I put ye at risk with me arrogance upset me.”

“You have not put me at risk, my lord,” Elysande said quietly. “If anything, I have put you at risk by requesting your escort.” She briefly fell silent, and then because she didn’t want him to ever feel guilty should they fail at their escape, she added, “And I want you to know that, should the worst happen, and de Buci does catch or kill me, I do not hold you responsible. This game was weighted in his favor from the start and just grows more so by the day.”

“Elysande, I’ll no’ have ye talking like that. Ye sound like ye’re already resigned to being captured, but I’ll no’ fail ye. I’ll— Wait,” he interrupted himself suddenly, and caught her arm to stop her. “What mean ye the game grows more weighted in his favor by the day?”

Elysande shrugged. “I just mean that by now de Buci has no doubt sent messages to the other lords involved in his murderous plot, and they too will be desperate to kill me. There are probably now several armies presently scouring England and Scotland in search of me.”

“Good Christ,” he breathed with realization.

“Robbie’s wanting your attention, m’lady,” Tom said suddenly from behind her, distracting them both.

Elysande glanced toward the blacksmith, and then started walking again, moving more quickly as Robbie waved them forward.

“This way. Try to keep up,” the man added, leading them down another street.

They followed, making sure to stay close behind him this time until he stopped at the corner and gestured for them to wait as he walked forward and surveyed the next area. They all tensed a little when a man rushed up and held a brief conversation with Robbie, glancing repeatedly toward them as he did.

“Is that no’ the potter who made the handleless cup fer us?” Rory asked with a slight frown.

“Aye,” Elysande said as she returned the nod the potter sent their way before he hurried off. “He must be one of the shop owners Mildrede talked to who are helping to keep the English busy. Mayhap he had news to aid Robbie.”

“Hmm,” Rory murmured, and then took her elbow to urge her to move again when Robbie waved them forward once more, but took them down a different road.

“Damn, I can hardly believe it,” Rory said with wonder after the fourth such incident where someone rushed up to talk to Robbie and their path was changed.

“What?” Elysande asked with a faint smile. “That so many English would work together to help us?”

“They’re helping you, lass. And yer men, perhaps. They’re only suffering us as a necessary evil,” Rory assured her, and then said, “But what is hard to believe is that Mildrede could put together a small army o’ shopkeepers and others to work as a unit to get us out o’ here. She should have been a man.”

“Aye, she’d have made a fine warrior,” Conn agreed from behind them.

Elysande smiled at the words, and told herself to remember them so that she could tell Mildrede if she survived this. She was sure the woman would get a hearty laugh from it.

Shortly after that, Robbie announced it was time for the group to split up. Rory nodded and asked Elysande to hold his mount’s reins as he had a brief word with his brother. She waited patiently as the four men grouped together briefly, and then they broke apart and Rory watched Alick, Fearghas and Donnghail ride off before returning to Elysande’s side and taking back the reins to his horse.

“They’ll be fine,” he assured her, but she knew he was the one who was worried.

“They will be fine,” she responded. “They are three men alone. De Buci’s men will not bother them.”

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