Douglas brandished her riding crop and they hesitated. “Strange as well that you have an arrest warrant for Jock Elliot. My brother Jock happens to be with King James. He’ll have your head for this!”
The lieutenant snorted. “I was born at night, but notlast bloody night.”He turned to the servant. “Where is Jock Elliot?”
“Laird Jock is in Edinburgh.”
“With the king, no doubt,” the lieutenant sneered. “Which of you is Gavin Elliot?”
“I am.”
“And I’m Rob Elliot,” the youngest said with bravado.
“Arrest all three.” Greystoke’s lieutenant watched stony-eyed as the troopers bound their prisoners wrists with leather thongs. Then he directed some of Cumberland’s troopers to make a cursory search of the castle to see if they could turn up Jock Elliot.
After half-an-hour he called off the search, and they took their prisoners down to the bailey. “The light is fading fast. It’ll be dark before we get back.”
“Let my sister go. She has nothing to do with this.” Gavin tried to shame him. “It’s cowardly to arrest a woman.”
The lieutenant struck Gavin across the face, and Douglas spat, “It’s also cowardly to strike a bound man. But I don’t expect much from an Englishman, and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.”
The lieutenant ignored the insult. He told two of his men to take up the Elliot brothers to ride pillion. “I’ll take the girl.”
Douglas glared daggers at him. “I’d rather ride my own mount.”
“Not likely. You’d be off like the wind, given half a chance.” He mounted his horse and took her up behind him.
Douglas wished she still had the knife in her boot.I swear I’d use the bloody thing!
She knew she had never been as angry in her life. But anger was a good thing; it kept her fear at bay as the troopers rode relentlessly toward Carlisle Castle. By the time they crossed the Border into England, it was dark, and a bone-chilling terror crept over her. But Douglas swore she would rather die than let these men know she was afraid.
When the lieutenant drew rein outside the vast castle stables, Douglas jumped to the flagstones before he could dismount. There was no way she would allow him the satisfaction of lifting her down.
The troopers surrounded their three prisoners and escorted them into the castle. The Great Hall, ablaze with torches, was crowded with men. At the far end, trestle tables were filled with liveried moss-troopers eating the evening meal.
Though Douglas hadn’t eaten, the smell of food, mingled with tallow, smoke, and male sweat killed her appetite and made her pinch her nostrils. Dressed as she was in leather doublet and breeches, she was relieved that few men in the hall realized she was a female.
“Wait here,” the lieutenant told his companions.
Douglas watched him as he made his way down the hall to report to his commander. She had assumed he was one of Cumberland’s men, but now as she stared at the tall male he approached, she realized how wrong she had been.
Sir Lancelot Greystoke turned his head and gazed across the hall. Their eyes met and held in a long moment of shocked recognition. Then they both quickly looked away.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Why did you arrest a woman?” Greystoke demanded.
“She insists that she is Douglas Elliot, my lord. We arrested Gavin and Rob Elliot, but Jock was nowhere to be found.” He handed the warrants to Greystoke.
“Lock the men up with Sim Armstrong. The girl presents a bit of a problem.” Greystoke rapidly searched his mind. “Lock her in one of the storerooms next to the kitchens, and bring me the key.”
He decided not to interrogate the Elliot brothers for the time being. A few days of being totally ignored often proved fruitful. He collected the storeroom key from his lieutenant and told the men to eat while the Carlisle servants were still serving dinner.
Greystoke had been stunned when he saw the beautiful red-haired female across the Great Hall. Then he felt shock to realize she had been taken prisoner. She had insinuated herself into his thoughts more often than he cared to admit.
Douglas Elliot! The name suits the proud firebrand.Not for a minute did he think she had taken part in the raid, but she was certainly guilty of telling her brothers about his prize thoroughbreds.My instinct told me she was a Scot, and yet I never once connected her with the theft of my horses.
~~~
Douglas heard the key turn in the lock on the heavy door.I should have known the moss-troopers had been sent by Greystoke when the charge was stealing English horses. How strange that I never made the connection.She examined her surroundings and saw by the rush light in the wall bracket that she was in a storeroom. She was greatly relieved that she hadn’t been imprisoned with rough men, but her fear had not vanished. As well as apprehension for herself, she was racked with worry about the fate of her brothers. Her stomach seemed to be in knots and she feared she might vomit. She found a small wooden bucket, just in case, and realized she might need it for other bodily functions.
