My Lady Captor by Hannah Howell

Author:Hannah Howell
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Hostages, General, Knights and Knighthood, Scotland - Social Life and Customs - to 1603, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Highlands (Scotland) - History, Love Stories
ISBN: 9780821774304
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 2009-05-01T07:00:00+00:00

Neil cursed and raced back through town toward the inn where she had last seen Dougal. She was furious that she had failed to help Sorcha, but even more furious that Dougal had been too busy swilling ale and ogling barmaids to notice that his sister was being kidnapped. When she reached the inn, she saw him seated on a bench, a buxom maid settled on his lap. Cursing her nephew as the greatest fool in all of Scotland, she strode over to him and yanked the woman off his lap.

“Aunt, what ails you?” protested Dougal, his complaint ending abruptly as he noticed the disheveled state she was in. “Is something wrong?”

“So, the lad finally sees something besides the ample breasts of a whore.” When Dougal’s men started to laugh and the tavern maid began to protest, Neil glared them all into silence.

“There is no need to start hurling insults.”

“Nay? Tell me, when did ye last see your sister or Margaret?” The way he looked around almost frantically then paled only softened Neil’s fury a little.

“What has happened to them?”

“Ruari Kerr has them and is right now riding hard and fast for the safety of Gartmhor.”

Dougal ordered his men to saddle their horses then asked Neil, “How far ahead of us are they?”

“I would wager my sword that they are too far ahead for ye to catch them.”

He cursed and slammed his fist down on the filthy table, sending his tankard of ale skittering to the floor. “Has the mon no honor? An unspoken truce exists at these fairs.”

“Aye, but this isnae the first time it has been broken nor will it be the last.”

“He means to demand a ransom, doesnae he?”

Neil nodded and sighed. “He will probably ask the return of the ransom we got for him.”

“I cannae gather that sort of money.”

“I dinnae believe he will be inclined to negotiate, lad.”

“Then we shall have to do our best to snatch the lasses back,” he said as the men returned with the horses and he swung up into his saddle. “Take a room at the inn, and I shall return as soon as I can.”

Neil sighed as she watched her nephew and his men ride away. Dougal would be back and, sadly, without Sorcha and Margaret. The Hays could no longer afford the fine, swift mounts the Kerrs rode. Pursuit was fruitless, but it would ease whatever guilt Dougal felt.

She resheathed her sword and smoothed down her skirts before setting out in search of her sisters whom she had abruptly deserted when she had caught sight of Beatham. Although she was confident that no physical harm would come to her nieces, she was concerned. Margaret would now fall even more in love with Beatham, if such a thing were possible, and would be devastated anew when they would be forced to part. Sorcha would now have to spend time in close proximity to a man she loved who did not love her. It was an abysmal situation, and Neil cursed men and their pride.

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