of the pirate ship pulled up on their shore.
The Dragon of Darien, Scourge of the Seven Seas, now in a Scottish Loch.
" Good afternoon, my lord."
" Out fishin', were ye, yer lordship?"
Delight bobbed up between the weeds. Douglas sat in the boat, not having a clue how to explain her. Perhaps if he said nothing, the gentle people of Dunmoral wou ld continue pretending not to notice.
They knew he ' d been a pirate. Gemma, of the loose tongue that flapped like a topsail in a gale, had let the secret out their first night in the castle. They asked little of him—only that he protect them from the predators who took advantage of their vulnerability.
Protect t hem—a pirate who had preyed on vulnerability.
Then one of the children, fearless and observant, darted forward. " 'Tis a pirate ship!" she exclaimed. " Can we ride it? "
Her m other stumbled down the incline to pull the child away.
A bearded man in a blacksmith's leather jerkin approached the boat. He grinned in amusement as he looked Douglas in the eye.
"Caught yerself a right prize there, my lord. My name is Henry. That ' s my smithy at the end of the lane."
Douglas met the man ' s shrewd gaze. He couldn ' t think up a lie to explain Delight to save his life. He was forced resort to the truth.
"I need help," he said bluntly. "I want to hide this vessel. For sentimental reasons, my men cannot bring themselves to bum or dismantle the damned harlot. "
Henr y scratched the side of his jaw. " Hide her from the princess?"
" You know about her too? " Douglas said in disbelief.
" Oh, aye. Ye can hardly keep such a secret in these parts. "
Douglas sighed. " Well, we have to keep this ship a secret. "
Henry took a long draw on his briarwood pipe. " There ' s an empty ba rn in the village where we can keep an eye on her. "
"I appreciate this." Douglas jumped from the rowboat to clap the man on the back. " I ' m going to help you too. I ' m sending men here to stand guard. "
The sparkle faded from Henr y ' s eyes. " Neacail's younger brother was found at the crossroads this morning with a single swordthrust through his chest. He was the raider who raped wee Aggie and the one who beat that boy Davie within an inch of his life."
Douglas's expression did not change. Aidan had left the body in open view as a signal to Neacail ' s men that Douglas would let no injustice go unavenged.
" Perhaps this will warn Neacail that the people of Dunmoral are not to be attacked with impuni ty, " Douglas said.
Henry lowered his voice. " That family and their followers are a vicious lot, fugitives from the army, put to the horn by our clan. They willna let the loss of a brother go unavenged."
" I am prepared for that," Douglas said.
Henry shook his head in concern. " I've known Neacail since he was a wee bastard who took pleasure drownin' small animals in the loch. He ' ll take on the Devil himself to get what he wants."
Douglas ' s voice was soft with a steel core of confidence. "Then let him. The Devil is always ready for a challenge."
12
A few miles away from Loch D unmoral, A fishing boat bumped between the ridge of rocks that carved a jagged passageway into the shore where the river met the sea. Gemma leaned over the side and scanned the dark green waters for Dainty ' s bald head.
It was a chilly gray gloaming with mist in the air.
"He ' s been down there a long time," she said. " Perhaps Baldwin ought to go in after him."
"Me?" Baldwin said in horror.
" Don ' t look at me either, " Frances said, burying her hands in her skirts. " I owe Douglas my life, but nobody is getting me in a Scottish sea in November."
Suddenly Dainty burst from between the rocks like Poseidon, his lips blue and trembling, his eyes bright with triumph. "The princess will sup in style, " he announced.
Gemma grinned. "You found them? "
" That I did. " He clambered into the boat, a fishing net slung over his naked shoulders. "You ' d never believe where—I near drowned in
The Dragon of Darien, Scourge of the Seven Seas, now in a Scottish Loch.
" Good afternoon, my lord."
" Out fishin', were ye, yer lordship?"
Delight bobbed up between the weeds. Douglas sat in the boat, not having a clue how to explain her. Perhaps if he said nothing, the gentle people of Dunmoral wou ld continue pretending not to notice.
They knew he ' d been a pirate. Gemma, of the loose tongue that flapped like a topsail in a gale, had let the secret out their first night in the castle. They asked little of him—only that he protect them from the predators who took advantage of their vulnerability.
Protect t hem—a pirate who had preyed on vulnerability.
Then one of the children, fearless and observant, darted forward. " 'Tis a pirate ship!" she exclaimed. " Can we ride it? "
Her m other stumbled down the incline to pull the child away.
A bearded man in a blacksmith's leather jerkin approached the boat. He grinned in amusement as he looked Douglas in the eye.
"Caught yerself a right prize there, my lord. My name is Henry. That ' s my smithy at the end of the lane."
Douglas met the man ' s shrewd gaze. He couldn ' t think up a lie to explain Delight to save his life. He was forced resort to the truth.
"I need help," he said bluntly. "I want to hide this vessel. For sentimental reasons, my men cannot bring themselves to bum or dismantle the damned harlot. "
Henr y scratched the side of his jaw. " Hide her from the princess?"
" You know about her too? " Douglas said in disbelief.
" Oh, aye. Ye can hardly keep such a secret in these parts. "
Douglas sighed. " Well, we have to keep this ship a secret. "
Henry took a long draw on his briarwood pipe. " There ' s an empty ba rn in the village where we can keep an eye on her. "
"I appreciate this." Douglas jumped from the rowboat to clap the man on the back. " I ' m going to help you too. I ' m sending men here to stand guard. "
The sparkle faded from Henr y ' s eyes. " Neacail's younger brother was found at the crossroads this morning with a single swordthrust through his chest. He was the raider who raped wee Aggie and the one who beat that boy Davie within an inch of his life."
Douglas's expression did not change. Aidan had left the body in open view as a signal to Neacail ' s men that Douglas would let no injustice go unavenged.
" Perhaps this will warn Neacail that the people of Dunmoral are not to be attacked with impuni ty, " Douglas said.
Henry lowered his voice. " That family and their followers are a vicious lot, fugitives from the army, put to the horn by our clan. They willna let the loss of a brother go unavenged."
" I am prepared for that," Douglas said.
Henry shook his head in concern. " I've known Neacail since he was a wee bastard who took pleasure drownin' small animals in the loch. He ' ll take on the Devil himself to get what he wants."
Douglas ' s voice was soft with a steel core of confidence. "Then let him. The Devil is always ready for a challenge."
12
A few miles away from Loch D unmoral, A fishing boat bumped between the ridge of rocks that carved a jagged passageway into the shore where the river met the sea. Gemma leaned over the side and scanned the dark green waters for Dainty ' s bald head.
It was a chilly gray gloaming with mist in the air.
"He ' s been down there a long time," she said. " Perhaps Baldwin ought to go in after him."
"Me?" Baldwin said in horror.
" Don ' t look at me either, " Frances said, burying her hands in her skirts. " I owe Douglas my life, but nobody is getting me in a Scottish sea in November."
Suddenly Dainty burst from between the rocks like Poseidon, his lips blue and trembling, his eyes bright with triumph. "The princess will sup in style, " he announced.
Gemma grinned. "You found them? "
" That I did. " He clambered into the boat, a fishing net slung over his naked shoulders. "You ' d never believe where—I near drowned in
Similar Books
