Highland Conqueror by Hannah Howell Read Free Book Online Page B

She grimaced. “He considers the Scots all ignorant barbarians.”
    “Aye, he made that opinion verra clear as he tossed us into his dungeon,” said Sigimor.
    “Howbeit, he is not a complete fool. He will soon realize he is being made mock of and change his tactics.”
    Sigimor considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Aye, he will. He might possibly go to ground.”
    “Do ye think he can?” asked Liam.
    “Enough so that we may nay find it so easy to ken exactly where he is. If he has brought some coin with him, he may e’en buy himself a mon or two to aid him, e’en to do his talking for him. Some men will do anything for a full purse, e’en help an Englishmon. How many men ride with him?”
    “I dinnae ken exactly, but my guess, from all I have heard, is about a dozen.”
    “Enough to be a threat, but nay enough to rouse concern about a dangerous raid or an English attack. Since he must ken where we ride to by now, he doesnae need to keep close to our heels, either.”
    Jolene frowned as she tried to think of when or how Harold would have learned exactly where Sigimor was from. “Are you certain he will know where we journey to? I do not believe Peter would have told Harold for, by the time he sent for you, Peter was already deeply suspicious of the man.”
    “E’en if Harold doesnae ken exactly where we are from or where Dubheidland is, it willnae take him long to find out,” replied Sigimor. “We may nay be rich or powerful, but most all ken who we are and where we are from.”
    Sigimor had turned his attention to Nanty before Jolene could ask exactly how or why they could be so well known if they were neither very rich nor very powerful. She could not believe it was for anything particularly shocking or evil. Men who lent aid to a woman and child, especially ones from a country most Scots probably cursed daily, could not be evil. Since she had been with them not one of the men had treated her with anything less than the greatest courtesy, aside from that one kiss Sigimor had stolen. Surely scandalous men did not treat a woman in such a gentlemanly way. Yet, Sigimor had sounded absolutely confident that the Camerons of Dubheidland were well and widely known. Glancing at her six guardians, she idly wondered if the unrelenting handsomeness of the men of Dubheidland was the cause of their fame. Her idle musings were abruptly ended by what Sigimor was saying to Nanty.
    “I think we need to spread the word that Harold is ahunting us and that we would prefer it if he didnae catch us unawares,” Sigimor told Nanty. “How far from here are the Armstrongs of Aigballa?”
    “Ah, I see.” Nanty smiled briefly and handed a sleepy Reynard to Jolene. “Nay far. Nay far at all.”
    “Good. Ride and tell them of our troubles, of how we need a close watch kept on that bastard.”
    “Ye dinnae want him routed?”
    “I would like naught better, but ’tis best if no one else stains their swords with the blood of an English laird. If Harold is fool enough to stay on our trail, to push this to a confrontation, we will meet him and bury him. We at least have the right to do so, if only because he threatens us. We dinnae want this fight to spread too widely.”
    Nanty nodded in agreement. “If I take the right path I can spread the word to others. Mayhap the Murrays, and certainly to my brothers. Where shall I rejoin you?”
    “I mean to stop a night or two at Scarglas with my cousins, then ride on to Dubheidland.”
    “If I dinnae catch up with ye at Scarglas, I will join ye at Dubheidland.”
    Jolene had barely joined everyone in wishing Nanty a safe journey when Reynard began to fuss. The child whimpered Nanty’s name and kept his gaze fixed upon the departing man. She felt a brief pang of jealousy, then told herself not to be such a fool. Reynard liked all the men and, after all the poor child had been through since Harold’s arrival at Drumwich, it was not surprising that he would be distressed to have any