Page 415 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“If you were any sort of man you would not involve her in this,” Liam said to Edwin.

“My lord,” she said, “they must believe I have chosen to return to England with Edwin.” When Liam didn’t answer, Victoria saw no other alternative. “You have no choice in the matter.” Though that hadn’t been wholly true; he could have chosen to fight. He might still.

“All seems a might easy,” Liam said.

“Aye,” Thomas said. “A might easy, indeed.

Would you not agree, my lady?”

“Have you another plan that will lead us to my lord?” she asked coldly. Other than a low snort from

Liam, silence followed. “Then I am going.” “Aye,” Thomas said again.

“And you shall return,” Liam added.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas reach toward her. With Liam to her right, she had nowhere to go when Thomas’s fingers closed around the bridle of her horse. The slow canter was broken when he pulled back on the bridle. The horse whinnied.

Thomas leaned forward and whispered, “With or without Iain.”

He released his hold on the horse and, before Edwin glanced over his shoulder, urged his horse forward. Victoria didn’t miss the final look Liam shot her as he followed Thomas. She prayed to God that Iain was freed, as much for his life as for the fact that Thomas and Liam would surely chase after her if he wasn’t. An unexpected thought arose. What would she do if Iain came for her?

* * *

Hooves approached in the night. Despite knowing the watch would allow no one save Edwin to get near their camp, Victoria tensed. Edwin broke from the trees and she glanced across the fire at Liam and Thomas when he came to a halt a few feet from them. She stood as Edwin dismounted.

“They agreed to ask Robertson for a meeting,” he said.

One of his men approached, but Edwin waved him off, flipping up the stirrup on his saddle to begin unbuckling the cinch himself.

“What of my lord?” Victoria asked.

“They would reveal nothing of where

MacPherson is.”

Edwin pulled the saddle from his horse. He handed the saddle to the man who still stood nearby, then ran the palm of his hand along his horse’s neck and down its back.

Victoria exhaled. “We are no closer than we were this morning.”

“Calm yourself.” Edwin gave a final caress to his horse and tossed the reins to another man awaiting his command. “We expected no less.”

“He is right,” Thomas said. “They are not about to trust anyone so easily, especially an Englishman.”

Thomas looked to Edwin. “You understand.” Edwin angled his head in acknowledgment.

“And,” Thomas added, “it is not important they trust him, only that they think he is fool enough to meet them with naught but his own forces. The messengers will already have reported that the

English lord rides with only fifty men.”

“You are sure they are so confident?” Victoria said.

“If they were not,” Liam interjected, “they would not have taken Iain to begin with.”

“What do they require of us now?” she asked.

“I was instructed to come to the same place tomorrow. If Robertson is agreeable, he will be there.

If not…” Edwin shrugged.