She shook her head.
"Are ye courting anyone?"
Una frowned.What manner of questions were these?She shook her head regardless.
"Did those men harm ye?Take ye against yer will?"
She paused, because the look on his face was pure fury.
"No."She shook her head, and he closed his eyes briefly, as though relieved, before opening them and studying her.
"What is yer name?"
Una was about to tell him the truth, then stopped as a thought struck her.She had been kept alive because everyone believed she was a nobleman's daughter worthy of ransom.As a seamstress named Una Murray, she was worthless to these men.Disposable.They could be rid of her and no one would come looking.
"My name is Lady Fenella Lockhart," she replied, hating the lie as it left her tongue.
"Thane Ruadhán of Dunreith is yer father?"
"Aye."
"I see," was his only reply.
After a moment's pause Una asked, "And your name?"
"Shadow."
"Well, Mr.Shadow, perhaps ye could allow me to return home."
"'Tis just Shadow.I have no other title."He paused."Did ye ken what those men had planned for ye?"
"They were to take me to a gang and exchange me for coin, but thought better of it."
"What happened?"Cormac asked.
"They decided it would be more profitable to keep me and approach the thane, I mean my da, directly."
"Damned fools," Cormac said.
"Do ye ken the men they were supposed to hand me over to?"she asked.
Cormac nodded and continued attending to her wounds.Then a thought struck him.
This was it.This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
A way to join the gang without suspicion.He could deliver the lass to them and take it from there.
He caught Seumas's eye and saw his second-in-command nodding slowly, as if he had arrived at the same conclusion.Cormac grappled with it.It would mean drawing the lass into another dangerous situation.But he had no choice if he wanted to gain these men's trust and uncover which nobleman was funding them.The king's mission had to come first.
He stared at the lass for a long moment.The bruises, the welts, the exhaustion she was fighting to hide behind a brave face.He had never felt protective over a woman he did not know, but he felt it now.He caught her bottom lip tremble slightly, as though she were holding back tears, and something in him stilled.He could not use her as bait.He would have to find another way.
He was about to offer to take her home when one of his men materialized from the trees, spoke quietly to Seumas, and vanished again.
Cormac went on immediate alert."What is it?"
Seumas glanced at Una, then drew Cormac a few paces aside before speaking."The mercenaries are heading this way.A quarter of a mile out.They're searching for a Lady Fenella.Seems they didn't trust the men with the cart to deliver her after all."
"Damn it!"Whether Cormac liked it or not, she was involved now.He had to think quickly.
