Luke felt his loins stir as he thought about the previous night on the bluff. He wasn’t sure that he could be much closer to her than that. It was a thought that aroused some mirth in him, but he had to take care to keep it stuffed down and off his face. The last thing he wanted to admit to was that he had lain with her.
He also had no desire to betray her confidences. But he knew the baron had set this task to him, and he had no choice but to offer what he could without betraying Aileas outright. If he had any hope of joining the Wolves, angering the baron was not the way to start. But if he hoped to keep Aileas in his life, stabbing her in the back was not something he wanted to do either.
Luke realized he was walking a very fine line, and a misstep, one way or the other, could cost him something he wanted with every fiber of his being. Until recently, that list had only consisted of joining the Wolves, but Aileas had awoken something within him he hadn’t been aware was there before her. And now that it was awake, and he found himself falling for her, he was loath to give her up.
He wanted her every bit as much as he wanted to join the Wolves. But he was starting to realize that it might not be possible to have both.
“Aye, Baron,” he said. “I’ve seen her a few times now.”
“And what’s happened? Have ye found out her purpose for bein’ here?” the baron pressed. “And again, call me Fin.”
“She says she’s nae here tae raid or reave,” Luke offered.
“About what I’d expect a bleedin’ pirate tae say,” Headen grumbled. “Right before they start rapin’ and reavin.”
“Fairly certain ye willnae need tae worry about Alice doin’ any rapin’,” Luke said with a chuckle.
“Thae lad’s got ye there,” the baron said, laughing along with him.
“And bein’ a woman, I daenae see her allowin’ any rapin’,” Luke pressed.
Headen inclined his head to him, a tacit acknowledgment that he might be right… though the expression on the Captain’s face was still dubious and skeptical.
“If she’s nae here tae plunder, what’s her purpose,” the baron asked.
“She keeps her own counsel on that,” Luke said. “All I ken is that it has somethin’ tae dae with an old blood feud with her family. Settlin’ somethin’ up.”
“And who’s her family?” Headen said.
This was the point where Luke needed to decide whether to cross that line or not. By giving Baron Begbie - and perhaps, more so Captain Headen - the name of her kin, he was risking exposing her to potential conflict. He didn’t know what the feud was about or who her kin were, but he worried about giving up that piece of information
On the other hand, he knew if he didn’t give the baron anything, his spot among the Wolves - whether it was even real or not at that point - would be gone forever. Like a puff of smoke on a breeze, it would vanish. And he would forever be destined to be one of Baron Begbie’s men at arms and nothing more.
At that point, Luke started to wonder how he would fare as a farmer Or perhaps on a fishing boat like his da. There was nothing wrong with it. Both were noble professions… though he had no desire to do either.
Luke hesitated for a long moment, torn between doing his duty to his baron, or keeping his word to the woman he was coming to care for a very great deal. He caught Headen’s eye and saw the grin curling a corner of his mouth upward.
“Thae lad’s gone bleedin’ sweet on her,” Headen said.
The baron turned his eyes to him. “Is this true, lad?”
Luke stood there for a moment, not sure what to say. But then he realized, at least in this, he could be honest. His eyes falling upon the baron, Luke lifted his chin in a slight show of defiance. He did not blink, nor did his gaze falter as he stood there.
“Aye,” he finally said. “She’s a remarkable woman, and I’m comin’ tae care for her very much.”
A small grin touched the baron’s lips, and he nodded. “Aye. I ken what that’s like. Tae be hit out of thae bleedin’ blue like that. Tis how Ivy and I found each other. Like it was fate or somethin’.”
Luke smiled softly and nodded. “Does seem like fate’s playin’ a hand in it.”
“I understand that feelin’ well,” the baron said. “And I’d never ask ye tae betray her confidence-”
“I would,” Headen chirped.
“Could be why ye’ve nae woman in yer life, ye bleedin’ bampot,” the baron laughed.
Headen chuckled, but Luke’s stomach continued to writhe with a thick, greasy feel. The baron turned his eyes to Luke, an expression of compassion on his face… though something harder lurked just beneath the surface.
“I hate tae press ye, but tis up tae me tae keep peace in me lands,” the baron said. “And thae best way I can dae that is by knowin’ what’s happenin’ around me lands. I need tae see if I can head off thae violence before it happens.”
Luke sighed. “I gave her me word, Baron Begbie.”
The baron raised an eyebrow, and Luke smirked to himself.
“Apologies. I gave her me word, Fin.”
“And I appreciate that. But if there’s goin’ tae be a blood feud gettin’ sorted out, I hope I daenae need tae tell ye that innocents may get hurt in the process. And I cannae have that. Ye understand that, eh?”
Luke nodded. “Aye. I understand that.”
“So? Her name, lad? The name of her kin.”
“What if I find out what’s happening, Baron- Fin?” Luke pressed. “What if I look intae it and at least get some of thae basics. Could be that tis nothin’. A squabble about a cow or somethin’.”
“Doesnae seem likely to be a dispute over a cow for La Renarde de la Mer herself tae sail all thae way in from France for,” Headen said, and the baron nodded in agreement.
“Just give me a wee bit of time. I’ll find out, and if it’s more serious than a fight about a cow, I’ll come right back tae ye,” Luke urged. “Ye have me word.”
“She means this much tae ye, eh? That ye’d defy yer baron tae protect her?” the baron asked.
Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I daenae mean tae defy ye,” he said. “But aye. I care about her that much.”
The baron pursed his lips and looked off for a moment before turning to Headen. Luke couldn’t help but think some bit of silent communication had passed between them.
The baron turned to him. “In yer place, I’m sure I’d be doin’ thae same thing,” he said. “God kens I did some foolish things in me pursuit of Ivy.”
“Some women are worth riskin’ it all for.”
He nodded. “Aye. I suppose yer right. All right then, I’ll give ye a week tae figure out what’s goin’ on and report back tae me,” he said. “If ye cannae do it in a week, I’ll have tae use other methods.”
Luke nodded eagerly. “Aye. Thank ye Baron- thank ye, Fin. I willnae disappoint ye.”
“I certainly hope nae.”
Chapter Twelve
Robert closed up his tent at the market a little early that day. He needed a little time to prepare for the work he’d been tasked with that night. He smiled to himself as he got dressed - black breeches, soft doeskin black boots, a black tunic, and a black cloak with a wide hood to cover his face. He wanted to blend in with the night and the shadows as best as he could.
Knowing he might not have much chance to eat, Robert wolfed down some hard cheese and brown bread, washing it down with some watered wine. He wanted to be sober and alert, after all. He knew that his cleverness would pay off for him. And he laughed at those who thought the only way to win the favor of a man like Pringle was through skill with a blade. His wits were paying off in spades, as far as he was concerned. And with no actual threat of bodily harm.
“Who’s thae bleedin’ fool now, eh?” he asked his empty room.
Robert hefted the small bag of coin he’d received from Master Pringle for his information about the lass. It was more coin than he’d seen at one time before, with promises of more to come so long as he
kept relaying reliable information. And Robert intended to do just that. To become indispensable to a man like Pringle, who clearly had designs on a larger prize, was to be set for the rest of his life.
Nay more bangin’ away in me forge. Nay more makin’ blades day in and day out. I aim tae be a man who can use me mind to make a name for meself.
That was Robert’s grand plan. To become Sowkirk’s - and more specifically, Master Pringle’s - personal master of spies. To walk that path though, and achieve what he wanted, he first needed to perform well for Master Pringle. He knew little about being a master of spies - he had simply been very good at discreetly eavesdropping on conversations. He had gleaned some of the most personal information about Sowkirk’s residents without them being any the wiser.
Up until now, it had always been for fun. Most often, he would hold onto the information he gathered, fancying that he’d be able to use it to his own benefit at some point later in time. But sometimes, when he was feeling particularly dark or vindictive, he would garner some particularly juicy bit of information and discreetly pass it along to somebody whom he knew wouldn’t be able to contain themselves.
Once that fuse was lit, Robert would then sit back and watch the small world of those people explode. He would watch with amusement the rumors and innuendo spread like wildfire, and watch those relationships crumble into dust. Sometimes, it resulted in a fight, other times in a bloody death, but it never failed to amuse him no matter the outcome.
He looked out the window and saw that full darkness reigned. It was time. He knelt down near the hearth in his one-room home and lifted a loose floorboard. He’d dug a hole into the earth below the floorboard and fashioned a box where he kept his valuables. Crime in Sowkirk was virtually non-existent, but the prudent man never left things to chance.
He slipped his bag of coin into the box and closed the lid on it. That done, he replaced the floorboard, then stacked a few logs he kept as fuel for the hearth on top of that, completing the camouflage. Robert then slipped out of his house and closed the door tightly behind him before turning and venturing out into the street. He wound his way through the labyrinth of small roads and alleys of Sowkirk, heading for the house where Dand Kerr lived. He knew that’s where Aileas had been staying, though over the last few days, she’d been slipping out at night.
He’d lost her the first couple of nights he’d been shadowing her. Robert blamed himself for being overly cautious. He’d allowed her to get too far ahead of him and then lost her in the thick crowds that filled the tavern district of the town. He thought he’d glimpsed her a couple of times on those occasions when he’d been scrambling to catch up with her, only to have her slip through his fingers. Tonight, Robert silently vowed to himself. He was going to stick with her closer than her own shadow.
He laughed softly to himself, thinking he’d made a clever joke, as he nestled into the darkness within a small copse of trees. Dim light flickered at the windows of Dand’s house, which stood at the edge of Sowkirk, near the soaring craggy peaks of the mountains that encircled the town in its stony embrace. It was larger than Robert’s, though hardly a palace. Still, Robert couldn’t help but envy the man’s home for its size. Perhaps when he’d pleased Master Pringle, the man would see fit to gift him one of Sowkirk’s many large manses.
He wasn’t sure how long he had waited, but shortly after the dim lights went out, a dark, fleeting figure emerged from the house. Aileas. Her dark cloak wrapped tightly about her, she kept her head low and walked briskly away from the home, her stride even and purposeful.
Robert had the benefit of knowing where she was headed, and so he slipped from the trees and kept to the thick pockets of shadow, sprinting until he made it into Sowkirk proper, well ahead of his mark. Once there, he flitted along the roads and alleyways in the direction of the tavern district and found the road he knew she’d be coming down. He found a nice pool of darkness and sat down on some stone steps that led to the doorway of a bakery that was shuttered for the night.
He leaned against the door, producing a bottle of liquor from within the folds of his cloak, and held it loosely in his hand, waiting. Just another man too deep in his cups, to the untrained - or just casually indifferent - eye. And it wasn’t long before he spotted her coming down the street. He felt her eyes pass over him as she looked and then dismissed him. Just like he’d planned. Perfect.
Once she had disappeared behind the building, continuing on her way, Robert stood and darted after her. As close as he was, she wasn’t hard to keep track of this time, not even when the crowd in the tavern district grew thicker. He watched her closely though, bound and determined that he was not going to lose her. Not this time.
When she turned a corner into one of the town’s squares, Robert ducked into a doorway, keeping his bottle handy in case he needed the ruse once more. He leaned out and saw her stop in the middle of the square, near a large tree. She started to turn, and he ducked back into the shadows, confident Aileas could not see him from where she stood.
When he heard voices, he leaned out again and saw a tall man, thick through the chest and shoulders, sweep her up into a tight embrace. He spun her around, and together, they laughed, their voices echoing around the empty square. Robert did not know who the man was, though he tickled some of the strings of familiarity in the back of his mind.
The large man set her down but held onto her hands. They looked into each other eyes as they spoke, and that was all Robert needed to see to know they were a couple very much in love. Or at least, hurtling toward that inevitability. Robert himself had no use for love. To him, women were good for one thing and one thing only. And when he paid good coin for their company, it was as much for the rutting as it was to simply leave when he was done.
He strained his ears to listen, trying to catch at least a snippet of their conversation, and thought he caught the man’s name - Luke. He was going to have to remember that and do some asking around. There was something about him that was familiar, but for the life of him, Robert couldn’t remember what it was.
Hand in hand, they walked out of the square. But rather than heading into the tavern district, they headed the other way, out toward the rolling hills beyond the town.
“So a private tryst then, eh?” he muttered to himself.
Knowing it would be more likely he was spotted on open land, Robert moved slowly, following at a distance. Just beyond the shops that lined the square, he knew there was a patch of open land that ended in a thick forest. And through that forest was a path that led to the bluffs that overlooked Sowkirk. Robert would have bet every last coin in the bag Pringle was going to give him for this information that they were headed there. A private tryst indeed.
He waited until they had disappeared into the trees before starting across the open plain himself. Robert had grown up around here and knew every path - made by man or not - that led up into the stony mountains around the town. He settled on a deer path that would take him up to the bluffs and began to ascend, moving quietly and as quickly as he dared.
The top of the path leveled out as he reached the bluff. Still wrapped up by the darkness granted by the close press of trees all around him, Robert moved slowly. Carefully, keeping his eyes on the clearing atop the bluff just past the trees. He heard their giggling and murmured voices, honing in on them, his soft doeskin boots making his footsteps whisper quiet.
He felt the small piece of wood beneath his feet a moment too late, and before he could pull his foot back, it snapped, the report of it as loud as a black powder gun going off. He hunkered down, wrapping his cloak even tighter about him even though he knew he couldn’t be seen.
His heart thundered, and his insides churned. He knew if it all went sideways, he would be able to dash back down the deer path before they found him. It wasn’t long, though, before their giggling and murmuring resumed, and Robert knew he was safe. They were more interested in their carnal longings than their personal safety, which worked to his benefit.
Chapter Thirteen
“What was that?” Aileas asked.
Luke sat up at the sound of the wood snapping and peered into the darkness around them. The trees of the forest were pressed close together, and the darkness within them absolute. There could have been an entire English army standing among the trunks, and he wouldn’t be able to see them. But he knew it was not an army and that the woods around them were filled with animals.
“Twas probably just a deer,” he said.
“Are ye sure?”
He shrugged. “Perhaps it was the Brownies lurkin’ in thae dark out there,” Luke teased. “Or maybe… maybe twas thae Bodach.”
Every Highland Sin: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Page 11
