Pretender at the Gate by SJ Garland

Author:SJ Garland
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: pretender at the gate, jacobite, sj garland, historical fiction, scottish
Published: 2015-01-14T22:07:23.572681+00:00

Clyde-Dalton,

I have recalled you to Edinburgh. There are leads you need to follow regarding the smuggling ring you uncovered. I have sent Sir Robert to arrest Magnus Clunes and his daughter Philomena Clunes on charges of treason. The Pretender is coming.

C.M.

The blood drained from my face and I looked up at Sir Robert who was studying my reaction intently.

“Do you carry the warrants?” My voice was hoarse with emotion. He nodded and my heart sunk into my stomach. Phil may have rejected me, but I did not want to see her in chains. “Is there proof?”

“Enough for Manners to send the prison cart,” he motioned to the carriage I had seen earlier trundling up the road. The metal bars extended from the ceiling to the floor, there were no proper walls, no respite from the elements. “And not the one which might have hidden their identities.”

I never had any doubt of Phil or Magnus’s innocence in Beathan’s crimes. When I informed them of the extent of the smuggling operation, Phil and Magnus’s shock had been genuine.

“They are innocent.” I stated, needing to get my opinion out into the world.

Sir Robert shrugged and looked towards the front door of the castle where two soldiers escorted Phil and her father Magnus. My heat skipped as I watched Phil come to the aid of her father, helping him down the stairs. Even from this distance I could easily discern the quiet panic on Phil’s face. She looked up at the bottom of the stairs and our eyes locked for an instant.

My heart urged me to walk across the crowded courtyard and comfort the woman I could not stop loving. Instead I broke eye contact with her and spoke with Sir Robert. “Where are you taking them?”

“To Edinburgh, they will be questioned by a senior member of the army for any further intelligence.” Sir Robert looked at me straight in the eye. “I know you believe you have formed a friendship with these people Captain Clyde-Dalton, however the evidence is undeniable.”

The tone in his voice made me believe his words. He looked as if he had seen as many days in battle as myself, and yet I knew he was wrong.

“If you are going to accompany us back to Edinburgh I suggest you find a mount.” Sir Robert stated as he watched the two soldiers guide their prisoners to the open carriage.

“Manners told you of the contents of his letter?” I narrowed my eyes at Sir Robert. What else did he know? Manners usually operated his men in cells, the better to keep his secrets.

Shrugging his shoulders, “I was told you would also be making the journey.”

Again, there was something in the way he worded his sentences, which made me wonder what he might be hiding.

Phil shook from the crown of her head down to her delicate ankles. She lifted her head high and looked over the crowd, mustering her pride, before gathering up her skirts and ascending the small ladder. She reached down to aid Magnus as the soldiers looked on.

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.