Highland Defender by Julie Johnstone

Author:Julie Johnstone [Johnstone, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical Romance
Publisher: Darbyshire Publishing, LLC
Published: 2018-12-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Richard Og de Burgh glanced at the Scot before him, a traitor to his own kind. Though Richard hated the Scots with a venom that left a bitter taste in his mouth, he was happy to use them when they came calling. And Hector Fraser, cousin to Simon Fraser—who was also a traitor but one who had gained Richard’s trust—had recently arrived at Westminster and requested to see Richard. It seemed the Scot wanted to be laird of the Fraser clan, and he had traveled here to make a bargain. He’d secure information for Richard if Richard would ensure neither Simon nor his brother Grant, who were both ahead of Hector in the line to be laird, ever returned to the clan. Richard raised his wine goblet to his lips and studied the man, deciding what to reveal and what to truly do.

It wasn’t that he liked Simon necessarily, but the man had proven useful. But in order for Richard to get his clutches on Lillianna, he’d sell each and every offspring he had to the devil himself. The king needed his niece to tell him whether to go forth with the attack on Edinburgh or not, and if he didn’t find her, he feared he’d become engaged in a battle with Edward.

What to do, what to do…

Richard took a long drink of his wine, enjoying watching Hector start to fidget. A fidgeting man was a desperate man, and desperate men would do whatever was asked of them. Donovan had not returned with Lillianna, and he should have by now, so what Richard needed most was someone who could find her and bring her to him.

His mind made up, he set his wine goblet on the dais, where he sat alone, and leaned his elbows on the table. “This is what I require from you,” he said, his voice echoing in the empty great hall. “My niece has disappeared with a Scot named Angus MacLorh. I wish you to find her and bring her to me. I am sure you know him,” Richard said. He had been informed just recently by another one of his spies that a wench at the King’s Head Inn had made mention of a sick English lass with a Scot, and the lass and Scot fit Lillianna and MacLorh’s description.

“Aye, my lord,” Hector said. He tugged at his red beard, which annoyed Richard. Unkempt people disturbed him. “Do ye ken where MacLorh was headed with her?”

“Ettrick Forest,” Richard replied easily. “It seems MacLorh took her with him to warn Bruce’s men that King Edward was coming for them.”

Hector’s eyes widened at the news, but the man wisely held his tongue. Richard would not say more. He did not need to relate that MacLorh had been used by them and was riding, hopefully, to his death.

“I imagine the man would send her to safety,” Richard went on. “Perhaps to the MacLeod hold or to his own home. Find her and bring her to me, and

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