“Very well, ye best get inside, Billie, ye’re shakin’,” he pointed down at her hands. She balled them into fists as she tried to stop the trembling. “I’ll buy ye a drink. Ale should put a stop to that shakin’.”
Laura found herself nodding and following him inside, more than happy to follow the handsome Scot.
Chapter Three
Erskine was not sure what to make of Billie. As they arranged rooms for the night and ordered tankards of ale, the boy paid for his own room and sat at a table with them. Even though young, it was clear the lad was unusually small, slight in figure too, and with rather feminine features. Erskine tried to brush off his notice of this fact. After all, he had seen many men in his life that were feminine, but none so much as this boy.
After Billie had thanked them all for their help for what had to be the third time, Erskine pushed a second tankard into the lad’s hands.
“Enough gratitude now,” he waved the idea away. “Drink that and think of somethin’ else.”
“Very well, care to introduce me to you all then?” The boy looked over the rim of the tankard.
“This is Dearg, me brother,” Erskine gestured to his brother at his side, who smiled in greeting, “and this is Camden, Aiden, and Tam.” He gestured to Tam last, who had just returned to the table carrying more tankards, flicking his fair hair out of his eyes as he sat on Billie’s other side.
“Why are you in London?” Billie persisted with questions, returning his eyes to Erskine.
“Business of our father —” Erskine began to explain but was quickly cut off by his brother.
“The lad doesnae need to ken all our business,” Dearg laughed with a shake of his head. Erskine knew it was his brother’s manner to always find the lightness in a moment and to be laughing, but he could tell Dearg was doing it now to mask his true feelings.
Dearg doesnae trust the lad.
It prompted Erskine to reappraise Billie, but with his very slight figure, delicate features, and hands that were only just beginning to stop shaking, Erskine saw no reason to be suspicious.
“Well, if we cannae talk of ourselves, how about ye tell us of yerself,” Tam jumped into the conversation, casting a dark glance at Dearg before returning his focus to Billie.
The boy looked surprised and opened his mouth for a moment, apparently struggling for a reply.
“Ye have come to the coachin’ inn, ye must be headin’ somewhere?” Erskine prompted, for some reason keen to make the lad talk.
“Inverness,” the word fell from Billie’s lips, and he quickly picked up the tankard off the table.
“Ah, our neck of the woods,” Tam remarked, pointing to Erskine.
“So it is,” Erskine nodded. “Why do ye wish to travel so far, laddie?”
“My aunt is there,” the boy’s voice was deep and husky, much deeper than Erskine had expected for a boy so thin. “My mother has just passed away. My only family left in the world is my aunt, so I wish to find her.”
“Will take a long time for a stagecoach to go so far,” Erskine sat back in his chair, watching the lad carefully. He did not like the idea of Billie travelling so far alone. In one evening in London, he had already been a target. Being so small, people would always try to take advantage.
“Aiden, eyes forward,” Dearg’s humored tone made them all look to see Aiden had grown distracted from the conversation. His gaze was lingering on a table behind them where there were two young ladies with a gentleman.
“What?” Aiden turned back, bringing an innocent expression to his face. “I dinnae do anythin’.”
“Perhaps nae yet. If ye wish to heat yer blood, the streets of Covent Garden are only a short distance down the road,” Dearg pointed out of the door.
“How true that is,” Aiden rubbed his hands together, clearly delighted by the idea.
“I think we have had enough meetings with the low-life of these streets for one night, Aiden,” Erskine warned, adopting a darker tone than usual.
“Come on, Erskine, what harm would it do?” Aiden looked ready to stand, but at Erskine’s narrowed glare, he stayed where he was.
“We just saw the thieves of these streets holdin’ a dagger at a boy’s throat. Do ye want to take the risk of bein’ out there alone just for a quick romp?” Erskine pointed out to the street again, seeing Aiden wince.
“All right, I take yer point!” Aiden held up his hands in surrender as he returned his attention to the tankard in front of him, but it seemed the young woman who he had been staring at had grown interested in their table. She stood from her place and approached them.
Erskine watched as she came nearer, realizing that from the woman’s dress, she may have been a courtesan. Judging from the area they were in, she was likely to sleep with her customer and steal his purse whilst he was distracted.
