caught out at it in an officer’s tent. D’you think so, sir?”
Alec heard the sly question and did not comment. “How has she been treated otherwise, since her capture? Do not mistake the question, Sergeant.” Alec did not take his eyes from the girl.
“Well enough, and I take your meaning.”
“See that it stays that way. Kate,” he said, “talk to me.” He touched her shoulder.
She tried to pull away from his touch but sagged at the knees, so that her arms were pulled up sharply by the shortened chains embedded in the wall. Alec grabbed her and held her up, and she leaned against him, her cheek resting on his jacket. His heart ached for her, and he felt a furious need to take her out of the cell, and quickly.
“For love of God, girl, tell them something,” he pleaded in a whisper as he held her.
“Hey, Captain sir, excuse me, but no one should be helping the wench!”
Alec looked up. “Sergeant, you can see the punishment is useless. She cannot tell us anything in this condition.” While he spoke, she found enough strength to push at him. “Be still, blast it, I’m trying to help you,” he muttered.
“Colonel said to beware, she’ll put on an act to fool us into pitying her. She’s a Jezebel, sir. Though I will say, I feel sorry for her m’self. But the colonel ordered—”
“I’m changing those orders,” Alec snapped. “This treatment is ended, Sergeant, as of this moment.” He had seen enough, heard enough, and suddenly could not tolerate it any longer.
“But—the colonel outranks you,” the man blustered.
Without reply, Alec slid an arm around Kate’s shoulders and with the other caught her under the hips to lift her easily. Crossing the cell, he knelt and set her down on the straw. She was limp as a doll. He removed hisred jacket and swept it over her to cover her, and saw then that her feet, through damp cotton stockings, were swollen and purpling.
The sergeant rushed in, protesting, and Alec looked up. “The blood has pooled in her feet and legs,” he said tersely. “She must lie prone and rest, or she could die of an apoplexy.”
“But she’s a healthy young thing, sir. Pretty as they come, and strong, too. She’d best get back on her feet, or it’s my head to an onion, sir.”
“I’ll take the blame. Send for water, blankets, and something hot, broth or tea if it’s available.” Alec stood. “And find a woman to tend her. There must be some local woman, an herbwife, a cook, anyone you can find in a hurry.”
“There’s a housekeeper here at the castle.”
“Good. See it done.” Alec reached into his sporran and pulled out a few coins, handing them to the soldier, who nodded.
“But sir, what should I tell Colonel Grant?”
“Tell him she’s no damn good to anyone if she dies.” Alec strode out of the cell, footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Chapter 5
“G ood Jamaican rum, by God, smuggled in along the Solway Coast.” General Wade sloshed the liquid into a pewter cup, which he handed to Alec. “We apprehended this lot before it disappeared inland. Reserved some, and sent the rest south for taxation.” A tall man with a regal bearing, Wade clinked his cup against Alec’s. “Here’s to finishing these damnable Highland roads. May we see better weather and fewer damned Highlanders.”
“Sir, you are talking to a Highlander,” Alec murmured, then sipped, the cloying burn sliding down his throat.
Wade swallowed, then grimaced in apology. “If your uncle were not the chief of the Lovat Frasers, I wonderif you would be here at all, making any sort of toast.” He tipped a brow.
“At the time, when Lovat offered me an officer’s commission in this independent Highland company a few years back, I had the choice between the dull life of a merchant and the dull life of a lawyer,” Alec said. “I was young and thought an officer’s rank would be more interesting than sitting at a desk.”
“And now you sit at desks, acting the lawyer in a
Alec heard the sly question and did not comment. “How has she been treated otherwise, since her capture? Do not mistake the question, Sergeant.” Alec did not take his eyes from the girl.
“Well enough, and I take your meaning.”
“See that it stays that way. Kate,” he said, “talk to me.” He touched her shoulder.
She tried to pull away from his touch but sagged at the knees, so that her arms were pulled up sharply by the shortened chains embedded in the wall. Alec grabbed her and held her up, and she leaned against him, her cheek resting on his jacket. His heart ached for her, and he felt a furious need to take her out of the cell, and quickly.
“For love of God, girl, tell them something,” he pleaded in a whisper as he held her.
“Hey, Captain sir, excuse me, but no one should be helping the wench!”
Alec looked up. “Sergeant, you can see the punishment is useless. She cannot tell us anything in this condition.” While he spoke, she found enough strength to push at him. “Be still, blast it, I’m trying to help you,” he muttered.
“Colonel said to beware, she’ll put on an act to fool us into pitying her. She’s a Jezebel, sir. Though I will say, I feel sorry for her m’self. But the colonel ordered—”
“I’m changing those orders,” Alec snapped. “This treatment is ended, Sergeant, as of this moment.” He had seen enough, heard enough, and suddenly could not tolerate it any longer.
“But—the colonel outranks you,” the man blustered.
Without reply, Alec slid an arm around Kate’s shoulders and with the other caught her under the hips to lift her easily. Crossing the cell, he knelt and set her down on the straw. She was limp as a doll. He removed hisred jacket and swept it over her to cover her, and saw then that her feet, through damp cotton stockings, were swollen and purpling.
The sergeant rushed in, protesting, and Alec looked up. “The blood has pooled in her feet and legs,” he said tersely. “She must lie prone and rest, or she could die of an apoplexy.”
“But she’s a healthy young thing, sir. Pretty as they come, and strong, too. She’d best get back on her feet, or it’s my head to an onion, sir.”
“I’ll take the blame. Send for water, blankets, and something hot, broth or tea if it’s available.” Alec stood. “And find a woman to tend her. There must be some local woman, an herbwife, a cook, anyone you can find in a hurry.”
“There’s a housekeeper here at the castle.”
“Good. See it done.” Alec reached into his sporran and pulled out a few coins, handing them to the soldier, who nodded.
“But sir, what should I tell Colonel Grant?”
“Tell him she’s no damn good to anyone if she dies.” Alec strode out of the cell, footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Chapter 5
“G ood Jamaican rum, by God, smuggled in along the Solway Coast.” General Wade sloshed the liquid into a pewter cup, which he handed to Alec. “We apprehended this lot before it disappeared inland. Reserved some, and sent the rest south for taxation.” A tall man with a regal bearing, Wade clinked his cup against Alec’s. “Here’s to finishing these damnable Highland roads. May we see better weather and fewer damned Highlanders.”
“Sir, you are talking to a Highlander,” Alec murmured, then sipped, the cloying burn sliding down his throat.
Wade swallowed, then grimaced in apology. “If your uncle were not the chief of the Lovat Frasers, I wonderif you would be here at all, making any sort of toast.” He tipped a brow.
“At the time, when Lovat offered me an officer’s commission in this independent Highland company a few years back, I had the choice between the dull life of a merchant and the dull life of a lawyer,” Alec said. “I was young and thought an officer’s rank would be more interesting than sitting at a desk.”
“And now you sit at desks, acting the lawyer in a
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