Wee William's Woman, Book Three of the Clan MacDougall Series by Suzan Tisdale Read Free Book Online

more beautiful land than ours, lass,” David offered.
    “Aye, no greener, lusher land and no better people,” Daniel said as further enticement.
    Of course they would think such a thing. What good man doesn’t have a fondness and great love for his own country?
    “What if I do not like it there?” she asked. “Would I have your promise that you’d bring us back to England?”
    Wee William wasn’t about to make such a promise, not if he could help it. “That’ll never happen.”
    “What won’t happen?” Nora asked, worried she might not like his answer.
    “The chances of ye no’ likin’ Scotland are as far fetched as Daniel here sproutin’ wings and flyin’ amongst the birds!” Wee William said, adding a nod for emphasis. Besides, he thought to himself, I do no’ plan on lettin’ ye go.
     

     
    They made plans for the retrieval of young John and Elise. Much to Wee William’s consternation, he had to admit their options were few. Option one would be to allow Nora and David to slip into the castle, find John and Elise, and extricate them as quickly as possible.
    Option two, which was far more to his own liking than the first, involved three hundred Scots hell-bent on revenge against the English, a catapult and flaming oil. Since they had none of the latter at their immediate disposal, and only because they could not wait to get off English lands and back to their motherland, they went with option one.
    The decision made, they left their horses tied to a stout tree not too far from the wall of the castle. Nora was insistent that she knew exactly which of the solars the children would be sleeping in and just how to get in to the castle. Wee William prayed the plan would be easily implemented for the thought of spending the rest of his life in an English dungeon was not one that he enjoyed.
     

     
    “Och!” Wee William whispered harshly. “I’d like to keep both me eyes, David!”
    “Sorry, Wee William!” David whispered back. “Can ye stand a bit taller?” he asked as quietly as he could. “I can almost reach.” David’s foot had slipped again, the toe of his boot poking into Wee William’s eye as he tried to find purchase on the top of Wee William’s head.
    “Ssshh!” Nora whispered hoarsely at the two of them. “Do ye wish to be caught and thrown in the gallows?”
    “Would ye like David to stand on yer head, lass?” Wee William shot back. ’Twasn’t easy having someone use you for a ladder.
    Wee William took a deep breath and tried to stand a bit straighter. He had his hands wrapped tightly around David’s calves to keep him from falling and breaking his neck. Wee William stood on his tiptoes to gain the extra inch or two David needed to reach the window ledge.
    A moment later, David grabbed the ledge of the window with his fingertips, grunted and pulled himself up. Quickly, he hoisted himself up and onto the wide window ledge. He crossed himself and thanked the good Lord for Wee William’s height and strength.
    “Ee-God woman!” Wee William groused again as Nora began to scurry up his back so anxious she was to get into the castle and to her brother and sister.
    With her snow-encrusted, fur covered feet, ’twas quite difficult to gain any traction. She had started to slip and grabbed Wee William’s hair to keep from falling back into the snow.
    She shushed him again and began her ascent.
    David tested the window and was relieved to find it unbarred. He stretched out on the window ledge, one hand holding the windowsill while the other reached down to grab Nora’s arm. After a few futile attempts, Nora growled and thrust herself up to David’s open hand. She began to recite the Lord’s Prayer as she dangled rather precariously in the air.
    “Thy will be done,” was as far as she got before David swung her sideways and hoisted her up onto the ledge with him. She landed with a gasp and continued to pray.
    “Lass, can ye let go me beard?” David asked. His voice sounded