good.”
Beautiful? Did he say beautiful?
“She’s English, did ye say?” asked Finn.
“Aye.”
“Green gown, black hair, good healer?” asked Gill.
“Aye, dinna stand there, get moving. We need to… Wait, how did ye know she was a healer?”
Dain, Gill, Finn, and Hamish turned to look at her, then stood aside, revealing her to Campbell.
“Isabelle!” Campbell’s jaw dropped.
Gill and Finn began to laugh, making it difficult for Isabelle to take the situation seriously. How could she possibly end up back with David Campbell? Served her right for attempting prayer as a course of action. Clearly she was not on the favored list. No doubt even the angels took amusement in her predicament.
“Good morn to you,” she said, smiling in spite of herself. Perhaps it was fate. She was destined to be Campbell’s lover. But no. It could never be. Now she had to tell Campbell she was leaving to his face. The smile faded from her face.
“How did ye find my brothers?” asked Campbell.
“Brothers?” It was in keeping with her perpetually rotten luck. “I did not know they were your brothers. Master Hamish was injured so I stopped to help.”
“I see.” Campbell was silent, his face growing grave. Campbell’s brothers also said nothing, looking back and forth between Isabelle and Campbell. “Ye left,” Campbell finally said.
“I must return to England. I have no other choice.”
“Ye had a choice.” Campbell looked out over the river, his face a frozen mask.
“Please let me explain.”
Campbell raised a hand to stop her and shook his head. “No explanation is necessary. We need to be on our way for we have a long day of travel ahead of us. If I can no longer be o’ service to ye, I will bid ye farewell.”
Isabelle opened her mouth to try to say something, but what could she say? Perhaps it was best to simply leave. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
Campbell nodded and continued to look away.
“I thank you very much for all your help.”
Campbell nodded again.
“Farewell, Sir Campbell.”
“Good day to ye. Ready the boat, men. We leave immediately.”
Dain helped her back to the shore. “Good luck, mistress,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” Isabelle answered in a small voice.
“Be wary o’ Captain Erskine. He cares to make a profit and naught else.”
Isabelle nodded an acknowledgment. Back on the river walk she looked up for Campbell, but he was fast preparing to sail and was much too busy to look back at her. If she did not know better, she would say she had hurt him.
Captain Erskine was waiting for her, accompanied by another man. The stranger was tall and thin with a slight slump to his shoulders. He looked her up and down in a manner she could not like. He spoke something to Erskine and handed him a bag that jingled like coins.
Isabelle flushed, though she did not know why. She stood tall; she would not allow their rudeness to intimidate her, yet she could not help but glance back at Campbell’s boat. Good to his word, the brothers were pushing off from the dock. He was leaving her. She told herself it was for the best. It was a lie not even she could believe.
“I can pay for safe passage, Captain Erskine,” said Isabelle, getting back to the task at hand. “The coin I showed you and two more once I am safely to Bewcastle.”
“Bewcastle is a long way from here, but this man can take you where you need to go.”
Something was not right about this. Prickling warnings slithered up her spine. “I do not understand you, Captain. Will you be able to take me to England or shall I find another captain?”
Captain Erskine merely smiled and gave her a mock salute before returning to his boat.
“Come along wi’ ye,” said the skinny man. He smiled, revealing several rotting teeth, and grabbed her hand like a vice.
“No! Let go of me!” demanded Isabelle, but found the man was surprisingly strong. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere ye can work for
Beautiful? Did he say beautiful?
“She’s English, did ye say?” asked Finn.
“Aye.”
“Green gown, black hair, good healer?” asked Gill.
“Aye, dinna stand there, get moving. We need to… Wait, how did ye know she was a healer?”
Dain, Gill, Finn, and Hamish turned to look at her, then stood aside, revealing her to Campbell.
“Isabelle!” Campbell’s jaw dropped.
Gill and Finn began to laugh, making it difficult for Isabelle to take the situation seriously. How could she possibly end up back with David Campbell? Served her right for attempting prayer as a course of action. Clearly she was not on the favored list. No doubt even the angels took amusement in her predicament.
“Good morn to you,” she said, smiling in spite of herself. Perhaps it was fate. She was destined to be Campbell’s lover. But no. It could never be. Now she had to tell Campbell she was leaving to his face. The smile faded from her face.
“How did ye find my brothers?” asked Campbell.
“Brothers?” It was in keeping with her perpetually rotten luck. “I did not know they were your brothers. Master Hamish was injured so I stopped to help.”
“I see.” Campbell was silent, his face growing grave. Campbell’s brothers also said nothing, looking back and forth between Isabelle and Campbell. “Ye left,” Campbell finally said.
“I must return to England. I have no other choice.”
“Ye had a choice.” Campbell looked out over the river, his face a frozen mask.
“Please let me explain.”
Campbell raised a hand to stop her and shook his head. “No explanation is necessary. We need to be on our way for we have a long day of travel ahead of us. If I can no longer be o’ service to ye, I will bid ye farewell.”
Isabelle opened her mouth to try to say something, but what could she say? Perhaps it was best to simply leave. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
Campbell nodded and continued to look away.
“I thank you very much for all your help.”
Campbell nodded again.
“Farewell, Sir Campbell.”
“Good day to ye. Ready the boat, men. We leave immediately.”
Dain helped her back to the shore. “Good luck, mistress,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” Isabelle answered in a small voice.
“Be wary o’ Captain Erskine. He cares to make a profit and naught else.”
Isabelle nodded an acknowledgment. Back on the river walk she looked up for Campbell, but he was fast preparing to sail and was much too busy to look back at her. If she did not know better, she would say she had hurt him.
Captain Erskine was waiting for her, accompanied by another man. The stranger was tall and thin with a slight slump to his shoulders. He looked her up and down in a manner she could not like. He spoke something to Erskine and handed him a bag that jingled like coins.
Isabelle flushed, though she did not know why. She stood tall; she would not allow their rudeness to intimidate her, yet she could not help but glance back at Campbell’s boat. Good to his word, the brothers were pushing off from the dock. He was leaving her. She told herself it was for the best. It was a lie not even she could believe.
“I can pay for safe passage, Captain Erskine,” said Isabelle, getting back to the task at hand. “The coin I showed you and two more once I am safely to Bewcastle.”
“Bewcastle is a long way from here, but this man can take you where you need to go.”
Something was not right about this. Prickling warnings slithered up her spine. “I do not understand you, Captain. Will you be able to take me to England or shall I find another captain?”
Captain Erskine merely smiled and gave her a mock salute before returning to his boat.
“Come along wi’ ye,” said the skinny man. He smiled, revealing several rotting teeth, and grabbed her hand like a vice.
“No! Let go of me!” demanded Isabelle, but found the man was surprisingly strong. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere ye can work for
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