Highland Hero by Amanda Scott

Author:Amanda Scott [SCOTT, AMANDA]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780446574303
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2011-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

As Sir Ivor drew in beside her, Marsi said, “I hope you were not too harsh with Jamie, sir. He is unaccustomed to people scolding him. Come to that, he rarely does anything to deserve a scolding.”

“As beset with protectors as he usually is, I don’t doubt you, lass. But he deserved one then. He should not have drawn attention to himself as he did.”

“What did you say to that man to make him go away?”

With a guilty smile, he said, “I used your own tale, or my interpretation of it. I told him that I’d left the lad too long with servants, and they’d spoilt him.”

“You lied, in fact.”

“Aye, that is exactly what I did.”

She shook her head at him, adding, “I doubt that Jamie is spoiled, sir, but there was some truth in your words. Not only have we both had the benefit of Hetty’s care but we have also both spent our lives almost solely with adults, rarely having contact with persons of our own age. I think that is one reason that we have become such friends. Although there is a great difference in our ages, we often understand each other better than others understand either one of us.”

“Have you ever seen him leap to another child’s defense as he did today?”

“I cannot think of a time when he might have had the opportunity. Was it really so bad a thing for him to do?”

“Nay, it is good that he reacted so to mistreatment of a common lad. I fear, though, that his behavior will stir that merchant to speak of it wherever he goes.”

“I see,” she said. “Aye, a laddie confronting a grown man like that…”

“Just so,” he said. “I think we need to alter our appearance somewhat.”

“We must do something,” Hetty agreed. “Many of the duke’s men have seen James before. And riding right through town as we will…” She grimaced.

“We cannot avoid Doune,” Ivor said. “But we’ll ride straight on to Dunblane. And if my men and I change into Highland gear, we will look like a different party. We’ll change in that thicket yonder and wait until any folks we pass will be new to us and we to them. I’ve noted that when we don our plaids, folks gape at the garments rather than at those wearing them.”

“You’ll fly another banner, too, will you not?” Marsi asked.

“We will, aye,” he said. “Our Mackintosh banner.”

“Not Clan Chattan?”

“Nay, my lads are all Mackintoshes, so Mackintosh will do.”

“But won’t that help people identify you? We will be the same sort of party, too, with two women and a boy. Many have seen us traveling so.”

“No one has paid us much heed,” Ivor said. “And no one kens my name.”

“With respect, sir, I think you underestimate Albany. He travels swiftly and his men are legion, so he must be back in Stirling by now and will have men on every road. He does that in any event. We have seen them daily since we made landfall.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.