Page 37 of Highland Treasure (Highland Brides 9)

“Aye,” she assured him, and then offered, “A few more minutes and you should be able to remove your blindfold.”

He didn’t comment at first and then asked, “Do ye see anyone on this side o’ the wall?”

Elysande glanced around, realizing only then that it should have been the first thing she’d done. They had no idea if the English soldiers who had arrived in the city were all of them, or if some of de Buci’s men had waited outside the wall as they had done at Kynardersley. She was relieved to note that there was nothing but snow-covered ground as far as the eye could see. There was no sign of a camp, or soldiers. But they were leaving a trail of hoofprints from the gate, she saw, and hoped that wouldn’t prove to be a problem.

“Nay. ’Tis only us,” she told him.

Rory nodded, and then cleared his throat. “There sounded to be a lot o’ people at the gate when we left.”

“Aye. A few,” she said with a grimace.

“More than a few, I’d say,” he responded, his tone dry.

Elysande sighed with resignation, sure she was about to receive another lecture on telling people about de Buci, but he surprised her.

“’Twas obvious they were all eager to help,” was all he said, and she relaxed a little.

They rode in silence after that until they reached the trees. Tom started to slow then but didn’t stop for a few minutes. Until they couldn’t see the wall anymore for the trees, she realized when he brought the party to a halt and she glanced back.

“Can I take off the blindfold now?”

Rory’s question brought her head back around to see that Tom and Simon were looking at her, waiting for her answer. “Aye. Remove your blindfolds,” she said loudly enough for Conn and Inan to hear as well.

The men couldn’t get them off quickly enough, and only after doing so and looking around did the three Scots relax.

“I wonder where Alick and the others got to?” Simon commented.

“They’ll be farther along the path,” Rory answered. “I told him no’ to stop until he was a good distance into the wood.” When Elysande glanced at him in question, he shrugged. “That way they could no’ see where we came out o’ the wall. There’s little sense in our being blindfolded if they could tell where the gate was, and I did no’ want to put any o’ them in the position to have to choose between keeping their word to the English, or serving their country with such valuable information if there is another war.”

Elysande felt her mouth slide into a smile and murmured, “You are a good man, Rory Buchanan.”

He smiled, but looked a little embarrassed by the compliment and then shifted his attention to the men. “Conn and Simon take the lead. Tom and Inan, follow behind Elysande and me. Let’s find the others.”

Her smile widened at the words as she noted he was pairing her men off with his own. She felt it was a good sign, though she couldn’t have said why exactly.

“We’ll stop as soon as we meet up with Alick, Donnghail and Fearghas so ye can apply more liniment,” Rory said as they fell into line behind Conn and Tom.

Elysande appreciated the thought, but shook her head. “I would rather wait until we cross into Scotland.”

“Are ye sure?” Rory asked with a small frown.

“Aye,” she assured him on a regretful sigh, for truly the idea of applying the numbing cream was an attractive one, but . . . “I would rather not stop with de Buci’s men so close. They might finish their search and follow us at any time. Or . . .” She hesitated, and then admitted, “A good many people knew about our being there and our leaving. If even one of them is tempted by coin to talk . . .” She shrugged. “I would rather not tempt fate and hang about. Let us just get to Scotland and then worry about it.”

To give him credit, Rory didn’t say I told you so, or point out that was what he’d been worried about when it came to her telling Mildrede and Elizabeth about de Buci. He merely nodded and let the subject drop.

They sped up to a gallop after that, and Elysande ground her teeth and resigned herself to at least a couple of hours of constant pain before they would stop for a break and she could apply the liniment.

Alick and the other two men had done as Rory had asked and it was a good quarter hour later when they met up with them. They stopped just long enough for greetings and for Elysande to pass out the pear-filled pasties Mildrede had packed in the bag she’d given her. They then set off again, breaking their fast in the saddle as they rode.

“Remind me to tell Mildrede she is a fine cook when we visit her after this is all over,” Rory said as he finished off his pasty.

Elysande smiled and nodded at the suggestion, but in her heart she didn’t think that visit would ever come about. At least not with Rory taking her. If she survived all of this, she would no doubt return to England and Kynardersley, or what was left of it. And she would try to make sure whoever escorted her back allowed her to stop in Carlisle to see Mildrede and the others. But once he got her to Sinclair, Rory wasn’t likely to stick around for the weeks and possibly months it would take to resolve this situation. Rory had a family and a life, and people who required his healing skills. Nay. She suspected that, despite his promise to Mildrede, he would be long gone by the time she made her way back into England again.

Chapter 10

“Will she be able to apply the liniment on her own?”

Rory tore his gaze away from where Elysande was disappearing into the woods with the container of liniment and glanced at Tom. It had been what he’d been worrying about just now too.

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