Page 19
She sighed. “Man, you’re wise. It’s true. My family is the best, and I love them. But I also have amazing friends that are like family. Still, they can’t make up for having my own child that I can hold and love and take care of.”
“I suppose ye may take it the way ye take it. But ’tis also possible to find nae just friends but children, too. There are many bairns with nae parents who need a family.”
As the guard left the dungeon, she kept staring into empty space. If she didn’t make it to her appointment and she had to accept the reality of never having her own children, she’d grieve her fertility like the loss of a limb. Did she want a baby so much that she’d try to adopt one?
She didn’t want to think about that. She just wanted to hope for the best.
Was Tom right after all?
Perhaps she couldn’t have it all.
CHAPTER 7
Bright daylight hurt Jenny’s eyes as the same guard took her to Aulay on his summons. She’d spent two nights in the dungeon, as he’d explained to her, and so she had twelve days left till her appointment.
The day was grim, and the clouds were gray, and rain gathered somewhere on the farther side of the sky. After so many hours of smelling wet stone, damp wool, and her own sweat, she sucked in a lungful of fresh air. It was full of the scent of woodsmoke and horse dung and something baking in at least one of those thatched-roof houses scattered around the courtyard. Aulay stood with Colum and another man around a barrel studying something that looked like paper, vellum perhaps. Aulay leaned over it and drew something with a reed pen.
As she walked, part of their conversation reached her. “So, we looked at Achleith, and at the Isle of Fraoch, and here, at the Isle of Creag Uaine. Nae sign of the shipwreck.”
“I think we should go to Clachgheur,” said Colum. “’Tis notoriously difficult to dock there, and if the ship got wrecked and stuck, it could be on those cliffs.”
“Aye,” said Aulay as he wrote something. “’Tis a good suggestion. We must hurry. I expected to find the ship by now. With more time passing, the English might find it before us. The treasure and the weapons on that ship will give Scotland more power to use against the bastarts. Colum and Seoras, ye also need to double up training sessions for the warriors and prepare our defenses. Any repairs and maintenance to our ships must happen now.”
“Aye, Uncle. And we will need to be at Bannockburn by June next year,” said Colum. “’Tis when the English will come for Stirling. We need to be ready for an English attack here and keep our warriors strong to aid Bruce.”
“If the English destroy us before the battle,” said Seoras, “it will be a great blow to our king’s forces.”
Jenny’s mind raced. That was why they were so afraid she was English and that she might know something they didn’t. Was it about the ship they were searching for? Treasure and weapons, he’d said.
They were at war with England. She had heard about the Battle of Bannockburn, one of the most important victories in Scottish history. She didn’t remember what year it had been exactly. But now she realized that it was even more important to make sure Aulay didn’t think of her as an enemy. She needed him to let her go and help her get back to that island—and there was no way he’d do that if he thought she was in league with the English.
When she came near, Aulay’s gaze felt heavy on her skin. He dismissed Colum and Seoras, who left and went to the castle gate. As he rolled up what she now saw was a large piece of vellum, which looked like a map, he turned to her.
Her guard raised his eyebrows at Aulay. “Do ye still need me to guard her, Laird?”
Aulay clasped his shoulder. There was a familiarity between the two, like between two old friends or brothers even. “Nae, Beathan. Go and start training the men. Thank ye for watching over her, I ken ’tis nae yer duty, but I appreciate it. Ye ken how much I trust ye, friend.”
Beathan gave a crooked smile. “Aye, Laird. Go easy on her. I dinna think she’s the enemy.”
He winked at Jenny and walked away. Well, at least she had one person in this castle who didn’t think she was the worst person in the world.
Then Jenny was left alone under the dark gaze that made her skin flush red hot.
“So, Jennifer Foster,” he said. “After two days in the dungeon, are ye ready to tell the truth?”
“I was telling the truth this whole time,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. But she was ready to lie her ass off now to convince him she was no threat. “Is there a specific question?”
“Aye. I must ken more about that ship. Was there anything precious on it?”
She frowned. “Like what?”
“Armor. Swords. Shields. Gold.”
She was thinking fast. Surely he wouldn’t think a poor widow could be plotting with the English. “I don’t know. I’m just a widow. If there was anything precious, I’d tell you.”
“A widow?” Aulay asked as he clasped the sheath onto his belt. His movements made his tunic hug his chest and his broad shoulders and his flat stomach and his thin waist and hips… “Who was yer husband?”
Her mouth was dry. He looked insanely sexy in his medieval warrior outfit. She tried to get her horny brain to think of a reasonable explanation to go along with the widow story. “Um…he was a physician. So…I also learned about medicine, and how to run his business.”
