can plan a way to get round Harold and regain some of our lead ere the fool realizes we have left the safety of Scarglas.”
“Ye still willnae ask help of our cousins?” asked Liam. “They could easily help us put an end to that threat.”
“Nay doubt. Old Fingal would like naught more than having a chance to put the fear of God and several inches of his sword into a few Englishmen,” Sigimor said. “Howbeit, as I have said before, I would as lief nay draw anyone else into this conflict. Aye, a helping hand, but nay more. We have a right to cut the mon down, a right I mean to make e’en more clear by forcing him to come after us at Dubheidland. If the death of an English laird causes trouble, let it come to only our gates for we can show that ’twas just and fair.”
“Surely ’twould be just and fair if ’twas a kinsmon who dealt the blow for us?”
“Mayhap, but the English dinnae always see things as we do. Aye, the Sassenachs are quarreling amongst themselves now and may not e’en care that one of their own has gone missing. So, too, has the bastard crossed the border, armed and ready to fight. Yet, we dinnae ken how high his allies sit at the king’s table or how strong those alliances are. There is e’er the chance Harold’s death could bring a loud outcry and I dinnae want any others caught up in that trouble.”
Liam sighed, then nodded. “Fair enough. We also have proof that Lord Peter requested your aid.”
“We do. And, we have the Lady of Drumwich who begged our aid.”
“Begged?” Jolene muttered.
Sigimor ignored that interruption. “She has allies of her own.” He looked at her and cocked one brow. “Aye?”
“Aye,” Jolene replied. “I have allies. Unfortunately, Harold knew who they were and had planned well to halt all and any attempts to reach them. You were the only onehe did not know about. Saving the life of a Highland lord was not a tale Peter was inclined to relate to many people, and the few times he did tell it, he did so in a vague way, naming no names. He only told me about you after he had already sent for you. Harold was not the only one taken by surprise when you arrived. I tried to send word out that Peter was dead, but Harold worked swiftly to keep that news from spreading.”
“And we didnae speak to many once we entered England. In truth, we did all we could to be little seen and little heard, thus aiding Harold in his secrecy.”
Accepting the wineskin Sigimor held out to her, Jolene took a drink from it, then passed it along to Tait who sat on her left. “That was wise. We may not be at war, precisely, but memories of past raids by the Scots are still fresh. I suspect many between Drumwich and the border have suffered some loss in some wild raid.” She sighed. “As many of your people have suffered at the hands of mine. Sadly, Harold appears to be eluding those who might hunger for a little English blood.”
“Aye, it does seem as if my countrymen are suffering a plague of restraint, curse them. E’en those border rogues let him be. If I had kenned that, I would ne’er have sent Nanty off as I did. Harold is moving more swiftly and with greater ease than I had anticipated. So, we must plan ways to thwart him, ways to deny him what he seeks e’en if he manages to get his filthy hands on ye and the boy.”
Jolene waited for him to say more, to begin to put forth a plan or two, but he remained silent, watching her closely. She glanced at the other men only to see that they, too, watched her closely. It was as if they all knew something she did not and that annoyed her. The men had obviously discussed other plans at some point in their journey and neglected to share them with her. Since this trouble intimately involved her, that seemed grossly unfair. In their great manly wisdom, they probably decided such secrecy was necessary to protect her delicate female sensibilities, she thought crossly.
“Well? Do you intend to share this plan, or plans,
“Ye still willnae ask help of our cousins?” asked Liam. “They could easily help us put an end to that threat.”
“Nay doubt. Old Fingal would like naught more than having a chance to put the fear of God and several inches of his sword into a few Englishmen,” Sigimor said. “Howbeit, as I have said before, I would as lief nay draw anyone else into this conflict. Aye, a helping hand, but nay more. We have a right to cut the mon down, a right I mean to make e’en more clear by forcing him to come after us at Dubheidland. If the death of an English laird causes trouble, let it come to only our gates for we can show that ’twas just and fair.”
“Surely ’twould be just and fair if ’twas a kinsmon who dealt the blow for us?”
“Mayhap, but the English dinnae always see things as we do. Aye, the Sassenachs are quarreling amongst themselves now and may not e’en care that one of their own has gone missing. So, too, has the bastard crossed the border, armed and ready to fight. Yet, we dinnae ken how high his allies sit at the king’s table or how strong those alliances are. There is e’er the chance Harold’s death could bring a loud outcry and I dinnae want any others caught up in that trouble.”
Liam sighed, then nodded. “Fair enough. We also have proof that Lord Peter requested your aid.”
“We do. And, we have the Lady of Drumwich who begged our aid.”
“Begged?” Jolene muttered.
Sigimor ignored that interruption. “She has allies of her own.” He looked at her and cocked one brow. “Aye?”
“Aye,” Jolene replied. “I have allies. Unfortunately, Harold knew who they were and had planned well to halt all and any attempts to reach them. You were the only onehe did not know about. Saving the life of a Highland lord was not a tale Peter was inclined to relate to many people, and the few times he did tell it, he did so in a vague way, naming no names. He only told me about you after he had already sent for you. Harold was not the only one taken by surprise when you arrived. I tried to send word out that Peter was dead, but Harold worked swiftly to keep that news from spreading.”
“And we didnae speak to many once we entered England. In truth, we did all we could to be little seen and little heard, thus aiding Harold in his secrecy.”
Accepting the wineskin Sigimor held out to her, Jolene took a drink from it, then passed it along to Tait who sat on her left. “That was wise. We may not be at war, precisely, but memories of past raids by the Scots are still fresh. I suspect many between Drumwich and the border have suffered some loss in some wild raid.” She sighed. “As many of your people have suffered at the hands of mine. Sadly, Harold appears to be eluding those who might hunger for a little English blood.”
“Aye, it does seem as if my countrymen are suffering a plague of restraint, curse them. E’en those border rogues let him be. If I had kenned that, I would ne’er have sent Nanty off as I did. Harold is moving more swiftly and with greater ease than I had anticipated. So, we must plan ways to thwart him, ways to deny him what he seeks e’en if he manages to get his filthy hands on ye and the boy.”
Jolene waited for him to say more, to begin to put forth a plan or two, but he remained silent, watching her closely. She glanced at the other men only to see that they, too, watched her closely. It was as if they all knew something she did not and that annoyed her. The men had obviously discussed other plans at some point in their journey and neglected to share them with her. Since this trouble intimately involved her, that seemed grossly unfair. In their great manly wisdom, they probably decided such secrecy was necessary to protect her delicate female sensibilities, she thought crossly.
“Well? Do you intend to share this plan, or plans,
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