His Bonnie Bride by Hannah Howell (the beginning after the end read novel .TXT) 📕

The MacLagans were now down to their final line of defense. The people she had come to like and—she looked at Tavis—love were one step closer to slaughter. She desperately fought a strong urge to weep. The last thing the exhausted men needed was a hysterical woman on their hands.

"Get down with the other women, little one," Tavis ordered, and felt a shaft of pain go through him as he wondered if this was to be the last time that he would ever see her.

"Sweet Jesu," moaned one of the men at the window, "the English dog has fresh troops coming."

"Nay, it cannae be," cried Tavis as he raced to the window, refusing to believe that fate could be so cruel. "Could it be our men returning from Athdara?"

"Frae the south? Nay, 'tis mair Sassanachs. Aye, fresh and hot for battle. Listen tae them."

Having hesitated in obeying Tavis's order to leave, Storm made her way to the window. "Let me have a look. I might know who they are."

Even though he let her through to look out of the window, carefully shielding her body with his own, Tavis said, "I cannae see that ye would ken one I didnae."

"Nay, I suspect ye know most all of the families in the Marches, but there is e'er that chance. Whoe'er it is, he has caused great confusion in Hugh's troops. I can think of none who wear strips of blue, like some lady's favor, upon their arm either." She suddenly paled and clutched Tavis's arm. "The man to the fore. Oh dear sweet God, Lady Mary lied. Look to him, Tavis. 'Tis Papa."

"Sweet Jesu, 'tis Eldon. But does that mean we are to be saved?"

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Do we have to wear these things?" Andrew grumbled as he tied the strip of blue cloth onto his arm. "I feel like some fool of a lovestruck knight parading m'lady's silly favor."

" 'Twould be more foolish for us to ride in there with naught to mark us as not of Hugh's forces." Eldon glared at the light blue cloth upon his arm and then glared at Lord Foster. "Why carry this cloth to battle? Do you mean to have such a pretty shroud?"

"I had no time to unpack the supply cart and it was in there. 'Twas for little Matilda, for a gown."

Looking at all the men wearing the strips of blue, Eldon drawled, "One gown? 'Tis enough for a score of them."

"Well, Matilda is very hard on gowns and she loves blue. Here comes Hadden." He frowned. "He does not come alone, yet does not appear to be a prisoner."

"Hallo, Uncle. I brought some added troops." Hadden grinned as he indicated the dozen men with him.

"Matthew, you old dog." Eldon clapped his old man-at-arms on the back. "A battle wound?"

"Nay." Matthew touched the bandage round his head and explained how he came by the wound. " 'Tis naught. I bandaged it to make it look worse."

"She rescued the heir?"

"Aye, m'lord. I felt 'twas right to aid her. The man didn't deserve the fate Sir Hugh planned for him. He has taken good care of Mistress Storm," he added softly. "Hugh meant to geld the lad. As a fellow man, I could nay stomach it. I also knew the wee lass was safer with them Scots."

Eldon nodded. "It pains me to agree but, aye, she is. I will owe them for this no matter what else has happened. They have kept her alive. How goes the battle?"

"Well," replied Hadden, "if ye wait much longer, Sir Hugh will have rid you of the troublesome MacLagans. They were within one blow of breaking through the gates into the bailey. I think the MacLagans were falling back to the keep."

"That would make it easier for us. With the MacLagans in the keep, we need not fear that one of them could strike one of us down, either by error or out of habit."

"If ye wait, there is no chance that any MacLagan will do aught."

"What do you mean, Matthew?"

"Sir Hugh has cried havoc, m'lord. No mercy. Not e'en for the wee babes. He means to slay every man, woman and child in Caraidland, strip it of all worth and raze it to the ground. If his men break into that keep there will be a bloodfest. He means for only Mistress Storm to walk out of there alive. I have the feeling the MacLagans know it."

"Did he not offer them a chance to yield?"

"Aye, but he only thought to make it easier to kill them all and they know it, I be thinking."

"Tie a piece of blue about your arm," Eldon ordered. "We want no confusion as to what English force we are. Take an extra strip or two for those who may wish to come to our side. Haig, you take some men and be sure that none of Sir Hugh's or Mary's people get away. Drive them toward the MacLagan keep. There is too much to be answered for to allow any of them to escape."

"So we really are to save the MacLagans," Andrew mused as Haig rode with ten men toward Sir Hugh's and Lady Mary's encampment.

"Aye. I will not have murder done in the name of Eldon or Hagaleah. I have ne'er held with the murder or abuse of the innocent. The bastard plots a merciless slaughter and I will stop it, be it MacLagans or nay." He looked around and saw that all the men were ready. "To Caraidland, men. And remember that we fight Sir Hugh and my cursed wife this day, not the Scots. You are not to cut down a MacLagan unless he tries to kill you. For this one time, they are our allies. Now, ride!"

By the time they reached Caraidland, Hugh and his men were inside the bailey. The arrival of Eldon and his men caused a brief hesitation in the battle. An instant later it became clear to Hugh's men that this force of Englishmen was not