The Guardian Duke: A Forgotten Castles Novel by Carie Jamie

Author:Carie, Jamie [Carie, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2013-11-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The road from Belfast to Killyleagh was in good condition, making for a comfortable carriage ride. Well, for Montague and her, Alex revised, looking over at Baylor hunched in the middle of the seat across from them. He had to slouch down to keep his head from touching the roof and upon occasion he would grow tired of the cramped space and demand to walk alongside the carriage in the open air for a while. Poor giant. But he took it as a natural occurrence so he must be used to it.

Montague, as usual, hadn't said much, just pulled his hat low over his eyes and promptly fell asleep, softly snoring beside her. How she had ended up with two such champions she still couldn't quite figure out, but she was excited to be following their first real clue. Someone at the castle must have spoken with her parents.

A little while later, they rolled into Killyleagh. It was a pretty little town situated on the blue waters of Strangford Lough, a sea lough dotted with islands and rocky outcroppings. The thatched cottages that lined the main road were painted green and yellow and a soft blue. Alex leaned her nose against the window, a smile spreading across her face as the silhouette of the castle came into view. It looked like it had come straight from a fairy tale with tall towers and round turrets. It was built from gray and tan stone that gleamed with a bluish purple color in the afternoon light. The facade brought to mind medieval knights and ladies with brightly colored conical hats.

"Oh, Baylor, isn't it grand?"

Baylor leaned down toward the window and peered out. "That it is, lass. That it is."

As they neared it, Alex saw the rock wall surrounding it and the gatehouse with an iron gate. "We have to visit the castle to look for clues. Do you think they'll let us inside?" She hadn't thought about the gatehouse and soldiers who might be guarding the place.

"Once you flash your bonny smile at them, they're sure to let us by." Baylor grinned. Montague sat up and joined them looking out the window. "We should stop at the inn first and find out about the owners."

"And get some supper." Baylor patted his round stomach. "I could eat a sheep with the wool still on, I'm so hungry."

Alex laughed. "It's a good plan. Let's find out the situation before we approach the gate. And my parents must have stayed in the town. I can question the innkeeper."

The carriage continued up a long hill and then stopped in front of the Dufferin Coaching Inn.

It was a pretty building, painted a pale blue with stone on the bottom half. They entered to find a neat sitting room and off to one side a long dining room where groups of tables and chairs sat mostly empty this time of day. A woman with a wide apron and a friendly smile came from the dining room, a platter in her hands.

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