“Then I’ll pretend to be Alice Brewer.”
“No,” he said immediately, shaking his head. “It’s too dangerous. I canna vouch for yer safety.”
Her eyes flashed dangerously. “I don’t remember ever asking you to! If you can pretend to be Alfred, why can’t I pretend to be Alice?”
Kai opened his mouth to argue, but there was a resolute set to Caitlin’s jaw that told him she wouldn’t be dissuaded. Yet the thought of putting her in danger made his stomach twist with dread.
“Caitlin, listen to me,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “This isnae a game. There are dangerous men in there who willnae hesitate to hurt ye if they think ye are a threat. I canna let ye put yerself in that kind of danger.”
She stood her ground, her eyes locked on his. “Then what’s the alternative?”
The problem was, he didn’t have one. This was the only lead they’d been able to dig up in weeks of searching for Snarlsson. If he let this opportunity slip through his fingers, Lord alone knew when he would get another one.
“All right,” he said reluctantly. “But ye do exactly as I say. No improvising. No talking. I’ll do the bargaining. Stick to the plan and if the Lord is smiling on us, we’ll get in and out without anyone being the wiser.”
Caitlin nodded, her eyes gleaming with determination. “I understand.”
Kai turned to his men. “Here’s the plan. Caitlin and I will pretend to be Alice and Alfred Brewer and make the delivery. After that, we will keep a close watch on the courier. Hopefully, he will lead us to Snarlsson himself. Magnus, Oskar, ye will pose as buyers and loiter nearby as back up in case anything goes wrong. Conall, Emeric, keep watch on the perimeter and make sure we’re not being followed. Remember, our priority is to find out what Snarlsson plans to do with that gunpowder and where he’s hiding so the Order can arrest him and foil his plan.”
They all nodded, their expressions grim.
Kai turned to Caitlin. “Remember, ye are Alice Brewer now, a fifteenth century woman. Dinna do anything to draw attention to yerself. Just play along with whatever I say and we’ll get out as soon as we can.”
Caitlin nodded again, and swallowed thickly. Kai placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. “It’ll be all right,” he said softly. “I willnae let anything happen to ye.”
She gave him a small smile. “I know you won’t.”
He felt his heart swell at the words. She trusted him. He only hoped he was worthy of that trust.
“All right,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get moving.”
They took their places. Conall rode off ahead whilst Kai took the wagon’s reins once more. He gave a quick flick of his wrist, urging the horses forward, the wagon creaking as it rolled down the dusty road. They rode in silence. That stillness had fallen over his men, that focus that came before a battle. Caitlin sat beside Kai, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
For one fleeting, crazy, instant he wondered what it would be like if this was real. If he really was just a brewer and Caitlin was his wife. What would his life have been like with such a woman at his side? What would it have been like to come home to her and their bairns each evening after a hard day’s work?
He pushed that thought aside. This was not the time or place for such fantasies.
Far enough out from the fair that nobody would spot them, Emeric, Magnus and Oskar jumped down from the wagon and made their way on foot, melting into the flow of people. In moments they were lost in the crowd but Kai knew they wouldn’t be far away if he should need them. He gave them a few minutes head start then got the wagon moving again, soon passing into the hotch-potch of milling crowds and stalls.
It was so busy that their progress slowed to a crawl. People pressed close on every side and Kai didn’t like it at all. All these people... If anything should go wrong...
He set his jaw. Nothing would go wrong. He wouldn’t let it.
He knew from Conall’s earlier reconnaissance where the merchant they were looking for had set up his stall and as they approached the delivery site, Kai’s pulse ratcheted up a notch. He could see several men gathered around a large wooden crate outside the stall, their faces hidden beneath dark hoods. They looked up as the wagon approached, but made no move to stop it. Kai pulled the horses to a halt.
One of the men stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Who are ye?” he demanded, his voice low and menacing.
Kai climbed down, his hand held out in greeting. “I’m Alfred Brewer,” he said, his voice friendly. “And this is my wife, Alice. We are here to make a delivery.”
The man narrowed his eyes, taking in Kai, Caitlin, and the wagon. Kai smiled affably but all the while he was assessing the danger. He couldn’t help but notice how the other men had spread out around the cart and even though they appeared relaxed, nonchalant even, he knew the look of trained warriors when he saw them. These men were more than the usual merchant’s guards, hired to protect from bandits on the road.
At last, the man seemed satisfied. “Gaffer!” he yelled over his shoulder. “Someone to see ye!”
A short, stocky man emerged from the tent behind the stall, his face was rugged and scarred, his eyes a sharp, piercing blue.
“Alfred and Alice Brewer for ye,” the guard said.
The merchant glanced around nervously then hurried over. “Welcome,” he said. “I’m Henry MacGuinness. I trust yer journey was... uneventful?”
