smugglers. " Douglas scowled as a bitter gust of wind whipped his black cape from his broad shoulders. The ponies balked.
"Well, I didna sign on for this sort of thing, Captain."
"You didn ' t sign on at all," Douglas said without sympathy. " You're free to go whenever you want. In fact, I wish you would."
" Your arguing is disturbing the lad, " Dainty said from the bed of the cart. He was cradling the bundled boy in his enormous lap. "I don ' t want him to fret until he's safe in his own home. "
By sheer determination, Douglas drove the cart down into the glen, wheels crunching on the gravel- strewn lochside path. Crisp whitecaps churned on the loch ' s surface. He stared at the small tidal island in the middle of the water.
"A good place for a few men to hide out, " Dainty said quietly from the cart. " They could sneak out to attack from there without being seen."
Douglas studied the island with a scowl. " Possibly. Well check tomorrow. For now let us get this lad back to his family. He ' s been asking for his mother since he awakened. "
The castle loomed over them, its dark contours stark against the blue-black sky.
" I hope the princess isna watching us from her window, " Baldwin said. " She ' ll think we ' re up to no good."
Douglas grinned. "The princess is a woman, and there ' s no telling what a woman thinks. Now step to it. I want the boy carried up to his hut with as little fanfare as possible."
M ary MacVittie laughed in delight from her window. Her spyglass was focused on the loch below the stone cottage which sat at a snug angle in the hillside.
" The pirates are smuggling something," she said to her brother, seated on the oak settle behind her. "I wonder how the welcome with the princess went. I should have been there to help."
" You were helping me, " he said. "I daresay that tending the sick is more important than teaching a scoundrel how to impress a princess."
" Not if the scoundrel convinces the princess to help Dunmoral. "
" Ha. Is that what he told you?"
"Yes." She returned to the settle, lifting a well- worn book into her lap. " I ' ve been reading up on local superstitions. I've found out just what we need to save the village. "
He got up to take her place at the window. " This village is beyond saving. Bad enough it must tolerate me, a drunken physician who was banished from court for allowing one of His Majesty ' s mistresses to die. But to boast a pirate, a pirate, for its laird. "
" A reformed pirate, Norman, " she murmured.
" Not that the former laird was any better, " he said, " carrying on conversations with his marigolds while a war was being waged right outside. his own castle. "
" ' Tis called Needfire, in case you ' re interested, " Mary said.
He adjusted the spyglass. "Dear God. The pirates are carrying something wrapped in plaid up to the huts. "
" Did you hear me, Norman? I said that the only j way to save Dunmoral is with a touch of Needfire. " j
" I just lit a fire, " he said. "I wonder if the rogues are burying treasure in the hills. Or a body. You don ' t suppose they've killed someone already? Pirates are famous for drunken brawls. "
Mary's mouth tightened. "I wasn ' t talking about our fire. Needfire is an ancient Celtic fire ritual that is still done secretly in this part of the Highlands. The Druids used it when they wanted a blessing. The practice is very powerful. "
He lowered the spyglass. "Not that pagan nonsense again. Fairies and mermaids and Druids. The intelligent mind cannot bear it. "
Mary tapped her book. "The ritual requires two sticks twirled against each other until a spark catches. I gather that it helps to use virgin wood. All the other fires in the village must be put out first and then relit from the sacred flame. " She hesitated. " I shall help the pirate become a gentleman if ' tis the last thing I do."
" A gentleman pirate? " He gave her a scornful look. "Then perhaps you had better ask the old gods for help after all. ' Tisn '
"Well, I didna sign on for this sort of thing, Captain."
"You didn ' t sign on at all," Douglas said without sympathy. " You're free to go whenever you want. In fact, I wish you would."
" Your arguing is disturbing the lad, " Dainty said from the bed of the cart. He was cradling the bundled boy in his enormous lap. "I don ' t want him to fret until he's safe in his own home. "
By sheer determination, Douglas drove the cart down into the glen, wheels crunching on the gravel- strewn lochside path. Crisp whitecaps churned on the loch ' s surface. He stared at the small tidal island in the middle of the water.
"A good place for a few men to hide out, " Dainty said quietly from the cart. " They could sneak out to attack from there without being seen."
Douglas studied the island with a scowl. " Possibly. Well check tomorrow. For now let us get this lad back to his family. He ' s been asking for his mother since he awakened. "
The castle loomed over them, its dark contours stark against the blue-black sky.
" I hope the princess isna watching us from her window, " Baldwin said. " She ' ll think we ' re up to no good."
Douglas grinned. "The princess is a woman, and there ' s no telling what a woman thinks. Now step to it. I want the boy carried up to his hut with as little fanfare as possible."
M ary MacVittie laughed in delight from her window. Her spyglass was focused on the loch below the stone cottage which sat at a snug angle in the hillside.
" The pirates are smuggling something," she said to her brother, seated on the oak settle behind her. "I wonder how the welcome with the princess went. I should have been there to help."
" You were helping me, " he said. "I daresay that tending the sick is more important than teaching a scoundrel how to impress a princess."
" Not if the scoundrel convinces the princess to help Dunmoral. "
" Ha. Is that what he told you?"
"Yes." She returned to the settle, lifting a well- worn book into her lap. " I ' ve been reading up on local superstitions. I've found out just what we need to save the village. "
He got up to take her place at the window. " This village is beyond saving. Bad enough it must tolerate me, a drunken physician who was banished from court for allowing one of His Majesty ' s mistresses to die. But to boast a pirate, a pirate, for its laird. "
" A reformed pirate, Norman, " she murmured.
" Not that the former laird was any better, " he said, " carrying on conversations with his marigolds while a war was being waged right outside. his own castle. "
" ' Tis called Needfire, in case you ' re interested, " Mary said.
He adjusted the spyglass. "Dear God. The pirates are carrying something wrapped in plaid up to the huts. "
" Did you hear me, Norman? I said that the only j way to save Dunmoral is with a touch of Needfire. " j
" I just lit a fire, " he said. "I wonder if the rogues are burying treasure in the hills. Or a body. You don ' t suppose they've killed someone already? Pirates are famous for drunken brawls. "
Mary's mouth tightened. "I wasn ' t talking about our fire. Needfire is an ancient Celtic fire ritual that is still done secretly in this part of the Highlands. The Druids used it when they wanted a blessing. The practice is very powerful. "
He lowered the spyglass. "Not that pagan nonsense again. Fairies and mermaids and Druids. The intelligent mind cannot bear it. "
Mary tapped her book. "The ritual requires two sticks twirled against each other until a spark catches. I gather that it helps to use virgin wood. All the other fires in the village must be put out first and then relit from the sacred flame. " She hesitated. " I shall help the pirate become a gentleman if ' tis the last thing I do."
" A gentleman pirate? " He gave her a scornful look. "Then perhaps you had better ask the old gods for help after all. ' Tisn '
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