“Aye, he is gettin’ better. He has surprisingly good aim already, though he is still too slow when loadin’,” he placed the pistol in his belt.
“Well, ye will need one of yer own weapons then,” Camden reached into his belt and pulled out one of the two pistols he kept, holding it out to Laura. She stood up in amazement, looking between Camden and the pistol.
“You are giving me your pistol?”
“Aye, I daenae need two, and it’s about time ye had one,” Camden smiled and pushed the flintlock pistol into Laura’s hands before she could say anything else. “Come on, let’s get goin’.” Camden walked past her and clapped her on the shoulder. It was a move she had often seen them make, a sort of manly action of friendship.
He had stepped out of earshot, turning to prepare his horse before she could thank him.
“Well,” Erskine walked toward her, his eyes still turned to Camden. “Now, there is a surprise.”
“I did not think Camden liked me very much,” she whispered just to Erskine as Tam walked away too. “He’s always at Dearg’s side…” she trailed off, uncertain how to refer to Dearg’s constant teasing without upsetting Erskine again.
“I ken,” Erskine whispered back. “Clearly, we were wrong.” He smiled as he lowered his gaze down to the pistol in Laura’s hands. “Well, we will have to get ye a weapon’s belt.”
“A weapon’s belt?” Laura could not stop the smile that spread across her cheeks at the idea.
What would my father say to see me now?
“We will make a stop in Berwick today for some provisions. Ye can buy one there,” Erskine took the pistol from her hands. She tried to ignore the brush of his hand against hers, but it made her jump all the same. “In the meantime, I’ll look after it for ye.” He placed it in his belt and walked toward the horse.
Laura hurried on after him, delighted with how much her life seemed to have changed.
* * *
Erskine laughed again as Billie hurried back to their horse. The lad was still adjusting the belt on his hips, clearly thrilled with the new purchase.
“Ye would think ye had nae bought anythin’ before!” he laughed as he followed him. “It makes ye so happy.”
“On the contrary, I have purchased plenty of things in my life, but nothing that is so…” Billie paused, searching for the right word as he walked in a little circle, looking down at the belt with the pistol now snugly fitted in its holder. “Self-reliant, I suppose.”
Erskine could not quite figure out the expression on Billie’s face, but he could tell there was more to this choice of words than met the eye.
“What do ye mean by that?” Erskine asked as they reached the horse. The steed had been tied to a pole in the center of town, where it was currently drinking from a trough of water.
“It does not matter,” Billie shook his head but became distracted, his eyes slipping past Erskine to something else. Erskine turned to see just who had taken Billie’s attention.
It was a small group of English soldiers. They appeared to be searching for something, wandering up and down the streets and talking to everyone they had passed. One of the soldiers saw Erskine looking and made a beeline toward him.
“What do ye think they want?” Erskine looked back to Billie and was surprised to find the boy was already on the horse, now with his head turned down, his face hidden beneath his cap, and his attention on fixing their bags of provisions to the saddle.
“Excuse me?” The English soldier called, prompting Erskine to turn back.
“Aye?”
“Have you travelled far?” The soldier pointed to the horses.
“From London,” Erskine folded his arms, wary of why the soldier was asking.
“On your travels, have you seen a fine lady anywhere?”
“What kind of fine lady?” Erskine quirked his eyebrows in confusion. It was not the kind of company they found on the roads in common coaching inns.
“We are looking for a woman most likely travelling alone,” the soldier cast a gaze about him. It urged Erskine to raise his eyes and look to the other soldiers too. They were all asking other passersby in the town if they had seen the woman in question.
“How old?” Erskine asked.
“Twenty-two,” the soldier turned his attention back to Erskine. “Her name is Miss Laura Hamilton, daughter to Sir Hamilton. She went missing from her home in London last week after it was announced she was betrothed to Lord Ian Moore.”
