one looked like he was going to break down and cry at any moment. He was certainly having difficulty accepting Nicholas's announcement.
'An English baron wed to my daughter? I'll die first, I will.'
Johanna quit rubbing Clare's shoulder and stepped forward. 'A very rich baron,' she blurted out.
The laird frowned at Johanna with what she thought was indignation. 'Wealth is not an issue here,' he muttered. 'How rich?'
They were married an hour later.
There wasn't time for a celebration. Father MacKechnie had only just blessed the union when Michael came running into the great hall. He was looking for Keith or Nicholas to give his news.
He spotted the baron first. 'One of our soldiers doing border patrol has just arrived with the news,' he said. 'English soldiers were spotted coming onto our land. It's an army, Baron, and only an hour away from the keep.'
'How many were sighted?' Keith demanded.
'Too many to ever count,' Michael told him.
Nicholas let out a roar so forceful and so filled with fury, the sound surely reached the Lowlands.
He had been betrayed by his king. The bond between vassal and overlord was destroyed. John had lied to his baron, for he hadn't sent a messenger and escort. He'd sent an army.
The keep would be under siege in less than an hour's time. Keith immediately took charge of readying the area for attack by posting guards all along the walls, and Nicholas took on the responsibility of leading a contingent of men down the ridge to meet the English soldiers in a flanking attack.
Laird MacKay was told to go home before the fight began. He refused the order and mounted his horse to ride by his son-in-law's side. He told one of his men to ride like lightning back to his own holding and gather his considerable troops. Nicholas was damned thankful for the old man's interference. He knew they were going to need every fighting man available.
Clare couldn't seem to make up her mind if she wanted to get hysterical because she was now married to an Englishman or if she wanted to be helpful in the battle against the intruders. Then Nicholas turned to leave, and Clare picked up her skirts and ran after him.
'Don't you dare make me a widow, Baron,' she demanded. 'I'm wanting an annulment, not a funeral.'
Nicholas reached his stallion, grabbed the reins in one hand, and then turned to his bride. 'You won't be getting either,' he announced.
She didn't know what to say to him next. Nicholas stared at her for a long minute, then decided he'd wasted enough time on his new bride. He started to turn away.
'Wait.'
'Yes?'
Words still eluded her. And so she simply threw herself into his arms. Nicholas knew what to do next. He let go of the reins, wrapped his arms around his trembling bride, and gave her a kiss filled with promise, commitment, and a fair amount of lust.
'You look like a boy with your hair cut so short, but you sure as hell kiss like a woman, Clare MacKay.'
She forgot how to breathe. She couldn't seem to gather her wits about her until her husband was riding away.
'Take care of him, Papa!' she shouted.
'I will, lass. Get yourself inside and stay there.'
Clare turned to do just that when she spotted Johanna running across the yard. 'Johanna, where are you going? It isn't safe for you to stay out here.'
Johanna wasn't listening. She ran all the way to Auggie's cottage. She was crying by the time she got there.
Alex took one look at his mother and started wailing. She picked the child up and hugged him tight.
'Auggie, take Alex up to my chamber. I'm making you responsible for him. Don't let any harm come to him. Promise me.'
'I promise you,' he said. 'And where will you be while I'm looking out for the boy?'
'There isn't time for me to explain,' she answered. 'King John has sent an army four times the size of our own.'
'We've survived before, lass. We'll survive again.'
The price was too dear to pay for Johanna to be reasonable. She didn't want a single man to die because of her fight with England's king. She believed she was the only one who could avert a massacre.
'The king betrayed my brother,' she said. 'He used trickery, Auggie, and so I will use the truth to stop this before it's too late.'
Johanna kissed Alex and handed him to Auggie. 'Go,' she whispered. 'I must know both of you will be safe.'
'If it gets too threatening, I'll take the boy and hide. I'll bring him back when it's finished.'
'How will you get outside the walls?'
'I have my ways,' Auggie boasted. 'Quit your crying, boy. We're on an adventure now. Let's fetch your wooden sword and have our own battle.'
Johanna stayed inside Auggie's cottage for several minutes. She knelt down and said a prayer for courage.
She finished her petitions, made the sign of the cross, and then stood up. Clare and Keith were both standing in the doorway, watching her.
'They're swarming up the hill's m'lady.' Keith announced. 'We're going to have to find a way to get you out of here. We can't defend ourselves against such numbers.'
Clare was trying not to cry. 'Papa and Nicholas are both going to get killed. I've never seen so many soldiers, Johanna. I don't know what we will do.'
'I have a plan,' Johanna announced. 'They're here to fetch me, aren't they? Keith, you will simply give me to them.'
He shook his head. 'I cannot, m'lady.'
'You don't have a choice in the matter,' she countered. 'Listen carefully. We were taken by surprise, isn't that so?'
She waited for his nod before continuing. 'If we'd had time to prepare, what would you have done?'
'Called up our allies,' Keith replied. 'And when they arrived, we would outnumber the enemy. Even now the word is being passed through the Highlands, for the sight of such a vast army would be spread like wildfire. Most of our allies are to the north, however, and they are probably only just now hearing the news. They'll come.'
'But it will be too late, won't it?'
'There is always hope, m'lady.'
'There is also a better plan,' she replied. 'If I willingly go to the English soldiers, they will retreat.'
'They'll take you back to England!' Clare cried out.
'They will if Keith cannot mount an attack in time. How long before you can gather enough men?'
'A single full day,' he answered.
'Gabriel hasn't reached England yet. He will have heard. Add him to your numbers.'
Johanna continued to try to make the commander listen to reason. Keith wouldn't agree with her plan, however, and kept insisting he would give up his life to keep her safe.
And so she resorted to trickery to get her way. She pretended to give in. Keith asked her to go back to the great hall and wait there with Clare until he sent men to sneak the two of them out of the keep.
Johanna nodded agreement. She started up the hill with Clare at her side, but just as soon as Keith had regained his mount and ridden away, she turned to her friend.
'You've going to have to help me,' she announced. 'You know it's the only way, Clare. I won't be harmed.'
'You can't know that, Johanna,' Clare whispered with fear. 'What about your baby?'
'We'll be all right. Raulf doesn't know I'm carrying, and the pleats in my plaid hide my condition.' She nodded again. 'We'll be all right.'
'And if Baron Raulf is leading the army? How will you keep him from hurting you?'
