responsibility with pride. His sisters needed his protection and his love. And Elizabeth… She deserved so much more than he had given her so far.
Lucius mounted his horse. Lachlan started off on foot, following the trail left in the melting snow by the wagon wheels. At Lucius's signal, his kin headed for the tree-lined area near the loch.
He would find Elizabeth and his sisters. He would bring them home, because if he failed he didn't think he could survive such a loss once again.
Chapter Ten
Faint from cold, without the protection of cloaks or wraps, the girls huddled together in the wagon. Their hands were tied together before them, then tied with a lead from one set of hands to another in a chain: Iris, Camellia, Rose, Lily, Heather, then Elizabeth. Only Iris and Elizabeth were not bound on both sides.
A dark stranger drove the wagon while the girls' Uncle Horatio twisted toward them, his sword drawn and poised to strike. Elizabeth positioned herself closest to the man so that if he decided to use the weapon, it would be she, not the girls, who took the man's violence.
With every step, Elizabeth's heartbeat thudded in her ears. Her mind raced with ways they could escape once the wagon stopped. They were tied together so closely that it made walking difficult and running next to impossible.
Back at the manor they'd been wrestled to the ground and bound by Horatio and his accomplice before the men shoved them into the wagon. The vehicle rolled alongside the western tree-lined edge of the loch, heading south toward the border with England.
Their direction sent a ripple of fear across the nape of Elizabeth's neck, as did the large cask Horatio and the driver had lifted into the back of the wagon. An odd scent came from the cask—a scent Elizabeth couldn't quite place.
Elizabeth returned her gaze to the madman who'd abducted them. He planned to use them as bait either to force Lucius back to the Templars or to lure him to his death.
The second option would never come to pass, not while she still drew breath. But for now, she had to find a way to protect the girls. Elizabeth shifted back against the side of the wagon. If only she could stop the wagon by forcing the wheel to come off, or break. Two men trying to maneuver six women over the English border would have a difficult time.
"Once we clear the loch, which way do we go?" the driver asked Horatio.
When Horatio turned his gaze from her to talk to the man, the sword in his hands dipped.
Elizabeth quickly glanced at Heather, hoping the girl would understand and follow her lead. Elizabeth brought her bound hands up and gripped the flat of the blade between her palms and twisted her arms. The sword jerked out of Horatio's grasp and flew over the side of the wagon.
"God's blood!" Horatio thundered. He lurched forward in his seat, grabbing Elizabeth by the throat.
Elizabeth gasped and clawed at the man's hands. The wagon picked up speed as the driver turned to see what the ruckus was about.
With a terrified shriek, the horse lurched forward, picking up speed as it darted ever closer to the trees at the water's edge.
"Stop that," Horatio bit out.
"Yer upsettin' the horse," the driver yelled.
"Let go of her!" Heather struck her uncle in the head with her bound hands.
Horatio yelped. His grip on Elizabeth relaxed.
Heather struck him again, this time harder, setting him off balance. The wagon lurched again, and Horatio tumbled over the side, followed immediately by a thump and a buck of the wagon as the rear wheel hit his body.
An agonized cry pierced the air.
A creak sounded.
"Hold on to each other," Elizabeth snapped to the girls. Before the words were out, the wheel buckled and the conveyance pitched downward. It hit the ground hard, sending wood splintering as it dug into the earth. At the impact, the cask flew out the back. Camellia grabbed Iris to keep her from being crushed as the girls tumbled over the edge.
The rope burned
Lucius mounted his horse. Lachlan started off on foot, following the trail left in the melting snow by the wagon wheels. At Lucius's signal, his kin headed for the tree-lined area near the loch.
He would find Elizabeth and his sisters. He would bring them home, because if he failed he didn't think he could survive such a loss once again.
Chapter Ten
Faint from cold, without the protection of cloaks or wraps, the girls huddled together in the wagon. Their hands were tied together before them, then tied with a lead from one set of hands to another in a chain: Iris, Camellia, Rose, Lily, Heather, then Elizabeth. Only Iris and Elizabeth were not bound on both sides.
A dark stranger drove the wagon while the girls' Uncle Horatio twisted toward them, his sword drawn and poised to strike. Elizabeth positioned herself closest to the man so that if he decided to use the weapon, it would be she, not the girls, who took the man's violence.
With every step, Elizabeth's heartbeat thudded in her ears. Her mind raced with ways they could escape once the wagon stopped. They were tied together so closely that it made walking difficult and running next to impossible.
Back at the manor they'd been wrestled to the ground and bound by Horatio and his accomplice before the men shoved them into the wagon. The vehicle rolled alongside the western tree-lined edge of the loch, heading south toward the border with England.
Their direction sent a ripple of fear across the nape of Elizabeth's neck, as did the large cask Horatio and the driver had lifted into the back of the wagon. An odd scent came from the cask—a scent Elizabeth couldn't quite place.
Elizabeth returned her gaze to the madman who'd abducted them. He planned to use them as bait either to force Lucius back to the Templars or to lure him to his death.
The second option would never come to pass, not while she still drew breath. But for now, she had to find a way to protect the girls. Elizabeth shifted back against the side of the wagon. If only she could stop the wagon by forcing the wheel to come off, or break. Two men trying to maneuver six women over the English border would have a difficult time.
"Once we clear the loch, which way do we go?" the driver asked Horatio.
When Horatio turned his gaze from her to talk to the man, the sword in his hands dipped.
Elizabeth quickly glanced at Heather, hoping the girl would understand and follow her lead. Elizabeth brought her bound hands up and gripped the flat of the blade between her palms and twisted her arms. The sword jerked out of Horatio's grasp and flew over the side of the wagon.
"God's blood!" Horatio thundered. He lurched forward in his seat, grabbing Elizabeth by the throat.
Elizabeth gasped and clawed at the man's hands. The wagon picked up speed as the driver turned to see what the ruckus was about.
With a terrified shriek, the horse lurched forward, picking up speed as it darted ever closer to the trees at the water's edge.
"Stop that," Horatio bit out.
"Yer upsettin' the horse," the driver yelled.
"Let go of her!" Heather struck her uncle in the head with her bound hands.
Horatio yelped. His grip on Elizabeth relaxed.
Heather struck him again, this time harder, setting him off balance. The wagon lurched again, and Horatio tumbled over the side, followed immediately by a thump and a buck of the wagon as the rear wheel hit his body.
An agonized cry pierced the air.
A creak sounded.
"Hold on to each other," Elizabeth snapped to the girls. Before the words were out, the wheel buckled and the conveyance pitched downward. It hit the ground hard, sending wood splintering as it dug into the earth. At the impact, the cask flew out the back. Camellia grabbed Iris to keep her from being crushed as the girls tumbled over the edge.
The rope burned
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