Ransom

'If even one of the MacDonalds touches her, they will all die.' Robert voiced what the others were thinking. 'Is that not true?'

'Aye, it is,' Liam agreed.

'I do not think you understand,' Henley said. 'If my clansmen see her, they will not care about your laird's wrath. They will become too besotted to think clearly.'

Aaron shoved the messenger. 'As you were besotted?' he asked.

''Tis the truth I was.'

'But you didn't touch her?' Dylan asked.

'I have just told your laird that I did not touch her, and I value my life too much to lie to any of you. Besides, even if she were not your laird's bride, I wouldn't have dishonored her by trying to touch her. She is the most gentle of ladies.'

'Balcher won't care about honor,' Robert muttered.

Dylan was annoyed. Robert and Aaron and Liam had suddenly turned into the lady's champions. 'Not five minutes ago you were outraged by this message,' he reminded them. 'What has caused this change in attitude?'

'The MacDonalds,' Robert answered.

'Specifically Balcher,' Aaron interjected.

'The lady belongs to Brodick and no other shall have her,' Robert decreed.

So ludicrous had the conversation become, Brodick couldn't hold back his smile. 'I have not claimed her,' he reminded the warriors.

'But she has claimed you, Laird,' Liam argued.

'And that makes it so?' Dylan asked.

Before anyone could answer, Brodick held up his hand for silence. 'I would ask one last question of this messenger, and I would like to be able to hear his answer.'

'Yes, Laird?' Henley asked, shivering anew.

'You have told me that she called you to the window to speak to you, but you haven't told me what she said.'

'She sent an additional message to you.'

'A request?' Aaron asked.

Henley found his first smile. 'Nay,'twas not a request but an order.'

'She gives me an order?' Brodick was astounded by the woman's temerity.

Henley took a deep breath, hoping it wasn't going to be his last, and then blurted out, 'She commands you to hurry.'

Chapter Five

Gillian was having second thoughts about her rash plan. She and Alec had waited in the abandoned church for almost twenty-four hours now, and that was surely long enough for the laird to reach her, if he had been so inclined.

She felt ill and knew that if she sat down she probably wouldn't have enough strength to get back up again, and so she paced up and down the main aisle while she thought about their circumstances.

'We're going to have to leave soon,' she told the little boy. 'We simply cannot continue to wait.'

Alec sat on a chair with his legs folded under him watching her.

'You don't look so good, Gillian. Are you sick?'

'No,' she lied. 'I'm just weary.'

'I'm hungry.'

'You just ate.'

'But then I threw up.'

'Yes, because you ate too fast,' she replied.

She went to the back of the church, where she'd placed her cloth satchel and the basket of food her dear friends the Hathaway brothers had stolen for her. She glanced out the window and saw Henry pacing about the clearing.

'What are you staring at?' Alec asked.

'The Hathaways,' she answered. 'I don't know what we would have done without them. Years ago they helped me get to my uncle's home. They were very courageous. Neither one of them thought twice about helping me again. I must find a way to repay them,' she added.

She handed Alec a wedge of cheese and a thick square of bread. 'Please eat slowly this time.'

He took a bite of the cheese and then asked, 'Uncle Brodick will be here soon, won't he?'

'Remember your manners, Alec. It isn't polite to talk with a mouth full of food.'

'You know what?' he asked, ignoring her criticism.

'No, what?'

'We can't leave 'cause then Uncle Brodick will be mad when he gets here and can't find us. We got to wait for him.'

She sat down next to him on the chair. 'We'll give him one more hour, but that's all. All right?'

He nodded. 'I hate waiting.'

'I do too,' she admitted.

'Gillian? What are you gonna do if you can't find your sister?'

'I will find her,' she countered. 'I must.'

'You got to find that box too,' he said. 'I heard the baron tell you so.'

'I don't know. The box disappeared years ago.'

'But you told the baron you knew where it was.'

'I lied,' she said. 'It was all I could think of at the time to get him to leave you alone. My father gave the box to my sister to take with her. There was an accident…'

'But how come the baron wants the old box, anyway?'

'It's extremely valuable, and it's also the key to a mystery that happened a long time ago. Would you like to hear the story?'

'Is it scary?'

'A little. Do you still want to hear it?'

He eagerly nodded. 'I like scary stories.'

She smiled. 'All right then, I'll tell you. It seems that before John was King-'

'He was a prince.'

'Yes, he was, and he was madly in love with a young lady named Arianna. She was said to be very beautiful-'

'As beautiful as you?'

The question took her aback. 'You think me beautiful?'

He nodded.

'Thank you, but Arianna was far more beautiful than any other lady in the kingdom. She had golden hair that shimmered in the sunlight-'

'Did she get sick and die?'

'No, she didn't get sick, but she did die.'

'Did she just up and keel over the way Angus did?'

'No, she-'

'Then what happened to her?'

She laughed. 'I'll get this story told much quicker if you stop interrupting me. Now then, where was I? Oh, yes, as I was saying, Prince John was smitten with the beautiful woman-'

'What does'smitten' mean?'

'It means he was taken with her. He liked her.' She rushed on when she saw he was about to interrupt her