meat pies but serving only eight, slipping the other two aside for us. E’en that small but valuable service puts them at risk.”
Lucas nodded in agreement. “There may come a time, however,” he began.
“When the risk is worth it,” she finished for him. “I ken it and so do they.”
The sound of a foot sliding over stone drew Lucas’s attention. Again he pushed Katerina behind him as they both crouched behind the stacked barrels. Afraid the sound of him drawing his sword would echo too loudly in the room, he slowly drew his dagger. The glow of candlelight came first followed by a plump, gray-haired woman who paused in the entrance to the room and nervously looked around.
“’Tis Hilda the cook,” Katerina whispered even as she wriggled out from behind Lucas and stood up. “O’er here, Hilda.”
“Oh, bless ye, child,” Hilda said as she hurried over and gave Katerina a brief, one-armed hug. “I have been slipping down here whene’er possible just hoping to catch ye. I was getting ready to try and hunt ye down.” Hilda’s eyes widened as Lucas stood up and stepped closer to Katerina. “Oh, have mercy, he is alive!”
Quickly putting an arm around Hilda’s shoulders to steady the woman when she swayed, Katerina said, “Aye, and he means to make Ranald pay for what he did to him.”
Katerina knew Lucas intended to make her pay, too, but she did not say so. She needed full cooperation amongst her allies. Telling Hilda, who had been like a mother to her, about Lucas’s suspicions would set the woman firmly against him. That was a trouble she did not want to deal with at the moment.
“Weel, how wondrous, and it ne’er hurts to have another strong sword arm when ye are in such a hard fight.” Hilda eyed the monk’s robes Lucas wore. “Unless—have ye joined the church?”
“Nay,” replied Lucas. “I thought it a good disguise.” He could tell by the woman’s expression that she most certainly did not agree with him.
“Weel, ’tis God’s blessing that ye survived those bastards.”
“Verra true,” Katerina agreed. “What did ye need to see me for, Hilda?”
“Ranald is suspicious about young Thomas, I fear. The lad disappears a lot and does it when ye ride. Ranald has finally taken notice of that. He feels he ought to bring the laddie here and beat some truth out of him.”
Already planning on how to bring young Thomas to safety, Katerina asked, “But Ranald hasnae decided on doing that just yet?”
“ He has, but Agnes hasnae. She isnae sure Ranald is right and she frets o’er how acting against the lad could rouse people’s anger against her. Fool woman doesnae seem to see that almost every mon, woman, and bairn at Dunlochan already loathes and mistrusts her. I but needed to warn ye for I think Ranald will soon convince her of the need to grab Thomas. Especially if, weel,” she looked at Lucas, “if she learns that this mon is still alive.”
“She will learn that as soon as Ranald returns this night, for he tried to kill Lucas again and we snatched away his prize.” Katerina kissed Hilda on the cheek. Thank ye, Hilda. I must go quickly now and see to Thomas’s safety.”
“Godspeed, child.”
Grabbing up all they could carry, Lucas and Katerina hurried back to the hall. Lucas could almost feel Katerina’s fear as she nearly ran through the passages. He wasnot sure what could be done to help the boy but he knew she would try something. Lucas also knew that he would not let her go alone. That need to keep her safe made no sense to him, but he was beginning to think a lot of what he felt and thought concerning Katerina Haldane made no sense.
“What has happened?” William demanded, alarmed by the way Katerina and Lucas rushed into the hall.
“Ranald has become suspicious of Thomas,” Katerina replied as she set aside the sacks of supplies.
William and Patrick cursed. “Then we have to try to get to the boy before he does,” William said.
“There are only
Lucas nodded in agreement. “There may come a time, however,” he began.
“When the risk is worth it,” she finished for him. “I ken it and so do they.”
The sound of a foot sliding over stone drew Lucas’s attention. Again he pushed Katerina behind him as they both crouched behind the stacked barrels. Afraid the sound of him drawing his sword would echo too loudly in the room, he slowly drew his dagger. The glow of candlelight came first followed by a plump, gray-haired woman who paused in the entrance to the room and nervously looked around.
“’Tis Hilda the cook,” Katerina whispered even as she wriggled out from behind Lucas and stood up. “O’er here, Hilda.”
“Oh, bless ye, child,” Hilda said as she hurried over and gave Katerina a brief, one-armed hug. “I have been slipping down here whene’er possible just hoping to catch ye. I was getting ready to try and hunt ye down.” Hilda’s eyes widened as Lucas stood up and stepped closer to Katerina. “Oh, have mercy, he is alive!”
Quickly putting an arm around Hilda’s shoulders to steady the woman when she swayed, Katerina said, “Aye, and he means to make Ranald pay for what he did to him.”
Katerina knew Lucas intended to make her pay, too, but she did not say so. She needed full cooperation amongst her allies. Telling Hilda, who had been like a mother to her, about Lucas’s suspicions would set the woman firmly against him. That was a trouble she did not want to deal with at the moment.
“Weel, how wondrous, and it ne’er hurts to have another strong sword arm when ye are in such a hard fight.” Hilda eyed the monk’s robes Lucas wore. “Unless—have ye joined the church?”
“Nay,” replied Lucas. “I thought it a good disguise.” He could tell by the woman’s expression that she most certainly did not agree with him.
“Weel, ’tis God’s blessing that ye survived those bastards.”
“Verra true,” Katerina agreed. “What did ye need to see me for, Hilda?”
“Ranald is suspicious about young Thomas, I fear. The lad disappears a lot and does it when ye ride. Ranald has finally taken notice of that. He feels he ought to bring the laddie here and beat some truth out of him.”
Already planning on how to bring young Thomas to safety, Katerina asked, “But Ranald hasnae decided on doing that just yet?”
“ He has, but Agnes hasnae. She isnae sure Ranald is right and she frets o’er how acting against the lad could rouse people’s anger against her. Fool woman doesnae seem to see that almost every mon, woman, and bairn at Dunlochan already loathes and mistrusts her. I but needed to warn ye for I think Ranald will soon convince her of the need to grab Thomas. Especially if, weel,” she looked at Lucas, “if she learns that this mon is still alive.”
“She will learn that as soon as Ranald returns this night, for he tried to kill Lucas again and we snatched away his prize.” Katerina kissed Hilda on the cheek. Thank ye, Hilda. I must go quickly now and see to Thomas’s safety.”
“Godspeed, child.”
Grabbing up all they could carry, Lucas and Katerina hurried back to the hall. Lucas could almost feel Katerina’s fear as she nearly ran through the passages. He wasnot sure what could be done to help the boy but he knew she would try something. Lucas also knew that he would not let her go alone. That need to keep her safe made no sense to him, but he was beginning to think a lot of what he felt and thought concerning Katerina Haldane made no sense.
“What has happened?” William demanded, alarmed by the way Katerina and Lucas rushed into the hall.
“Ranald has become suspicious of Thomas,” Katerina replied as she set aside the sacks of supplies.
William and Patrick cursed. “Then we have to try to get to the boy before he does,” William said.
“There are only
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