Highland Lover: Book 3 Scottish Knights Trilogy Read Free Page A

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to her destination. And accidents happened, even to men who had lived their lives aboard ships. If aught happened to him, Coll should understand the exact nature of their mission.
    Knowing that the wind would blow his words away before they reached ears other than Coll’s, and that the men were heeding their oars, Jake leaned nearer and said, “Wardlaw said nowt to me in St. Andrews about any second lad, Coll. But one of those two lads will inherit the Scottish Crown.”
    In the uncertain moonlight, he saw Coll’s eyes widen. “Jamie Stewart?”
    “Aye, sure, for since Davy Stewart’s death—”
    “Sakes, sir, that were a year ago!”
    “It was, aye. But whilst Davy’s death was still new, James was safe at St. Andrews Castle under Bishop Wardlaw’s guardianship. Forbye, after Parliament proclaimed Davy’s death an accident instead of the murder we all know it was, his grace began to fear for Jamie’s life, too.”
    “That explains why the lad has been missing these two months and more,” Coll said. “But how could they have survived so long atop that rock?”
    “There is an ancient castle built into it about halfway up.”
    “Ye be jesting, sir. Nae one could build a castle there.”
    “Believe it,” Jake said. “Sithee, Coll, when his grace recognized the threat to Jamie, he decided to send him to our ally, the King of France, for safety.”
    “Aye, well, ye need not tell me who his grace fears might harm the lad,” Coll said with a grunt. “Only one man can be sure to benefit from such, and that be his murderous uncle, the Duke of Albany. But if aught happened to the laddie, would not the country rise in fury against Albany afore he could seize the throne?”
    “Likely they would have, had Jamie died last year soon after Davy,” Jake agreed. “But he did not. Recall, too, that folks expected Parliament to declare Albany responsible for Davy’s death. Instead, the early winter prevented many of the Highland lords from reaching Perth, allowing Albany’s allies in Parliament to declare Davy’s death an accident. They could not, however, vote to make Albany Governor again, because the King was too distraught to agree.”
    Coll nodded. “But Parliament will meet again afore Easter, and Albany has had time to persuade his grace. What be our place in this business, sir?”
    “We are merely to report back to Wardlaw when Jamie gets safely to France,” Jake said. “And perhaps to do what we can to aid that ship if aught goes amiss.”

    After watching men rush to help the first child aboard and wrap him in blankets, Alyson went back down to her tiny cabin. Since the country had been speculating for months about the fate of their eight-year-old prince, she immediately suspected who one of the two children might be.
    The business that Mungo and her husband, and doubtless the Earl of Orkney himself, had in France was likewisemore understandable. Was Henry not head of the wealthy and powerful Sinclair family, which had long supported kings of Scots even when many Sinclairs had disagreed with them?
    Indeed, from the outset, she had wondered why, when they were on Henry’s business, they were sailing on a storm-battered merchantman. Henry owned dozens if not hundreds of finer ships. She also knew that if she was right and James Stewart
was
their primary passenger, she dared not linger to see who else was with him.
    She would be wiser to proceed with caution until she learned more.
    When they raised anchor and headed south with the wind behind them, it was less thunderous, and she slept well on Ciara’s swaying hammock until morning.
    Alyson wasted no time after waking before going on deck, where with overcast skies and rain threatening, one of the first things she saw was Henry’s tall figure emerging from the master’s cabin. He showed neither surprise nor delight at seeing her but greeted her cordially.
    “Good morrow, my lord,” Alyson replied.
    “In troth, ’tis a dismal