Since her return, she’d made an effort to get to know him better and had been rewarded by the discovery that she actually liked him. Of course, he’d earned her unending gratitude when he’d granted her plea for mercy for Erik’s men by sparing their lives and moving them from the horrible dungeon to a secure building in the village. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised when two nights later, a strange explosion blew a hole in the stone wall of the building and the men were able to escape.
She knew who was responsible.
He’d been so close …
She crossed the Great Hall to the adjoining solar, intending to tell her father of her plans to return to Ireland, but the sound of voices stopped her.
Sir Aymer was here again. Despite her avowal to put the past—and Erik—behind her, her pulse jumped. The English commander was sure to have brought the latest news of the “rebels.”
Though the door was closed, she and Matty had discovered some time ago that if they sat before the fire doing their needlework, they could hear most of the conversations through the thinly partitioned wall. She knew she should be ashamed, but her craving to learn what was going on had overcome the minor twinges of guilt at eavesdropping weeks ago.
Sir Aymer’s voice was raised even higher than usual, and his obvious excitement made her heart sink with trepidation. She heard Ralph say something and then Sir Aymer’s annoyed response. “I’m certain we have it this time. I’ve seen their lair myself.”
Her stomach dropped. It couldn’t be! She forced herself to calm. She’d heard Sir Aymer say the same thing many times before, but Bruce always managed to evade him.
Her father must have had a similar thought. “How can you be sure they won’t move before you can get the troops in position?” he asked. “Bruce doesn’t stay in one place for long.”
“They’re preparing for a feast—one of his men’s saint’s days, apparently—and have sent for some of the village lasses and a barrel of ale. They aren’t going anywhere tonight.”
Women. Her heart twinged. Not just with fear, but with something else. She knew Erik too well.
But Sir Aymer was right: if they were preparing for a feast, they weren’t likely to be on the move. Could this finally be the time the English captured the elusive King Hood?
“How did you find them?” her father asked.
The powerful Englishman sounded as proud as a lad who’d caught his first fish. “One of my men grew jealous when a lass he’d taken a liking to at a village alehouse kept coming and going at strange hours. Last night he decided to follow her and nearly stumbled into their encampment. I should have thought of it before. Follow the women, and they will lead you to the men.”
“Why didn’t you attack immediately?” Ralph asked.
“They are camped in a valley between two rocky mountains,” Sir Aymer replied.
“And you can’t get your horses through,” Ralph finished.
“Aye, so we’ll take cover in the nearby wood and come upon them unaware. Have your men join us in the wood near the loch at the head of Glen Trool. With MacDougall’s Highlanders coming from the north, MacDowell’s men from the south, and the additional English troops from the king, we’ll attack at dawn and crush the rebels once and for all.” She heard the pounding of a fist on wood. “But I want to make damn sure he doesn’t escape this time.” He paused. “Do you have any loyal female servants with you?”
It was a strange question. Typically, conquering armies made use of the locals for their servants, and the English were no exception. Few personal servants were brought into war—and those that were were men.
“Nay,” her father started to say, then stopped, realizing at the same time as she did why Sir Aymer had come to them. Because of Ellie and Matty. “Aye, my daughter Matty brought a maidservant with her. She can be trusted. What do you have planned?”
Ellie could almost hear Sir Aymer smile. “There is going to be one extra woman who joins the feast tonight.”
“A spy?” Ralph asked.
“Aye, to discover their numbers and how well equipped they are. Despite the rumors, Bruce does not have an army of phantoms. I want to know who those men are—with all the trouble they’ve caused me, I’ve something special in mind for them.”
A cold chill ran down her spine. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard mention of Bruce’s phantom guard, and something about the stories of the mysterious warriors with nearly inhuman strength and skill sounded eerily familiar.
“Alice is a respectable girl, not a whore,” her father said, not hiding his disgust.
“Of course not,” Sir Aymer replied contritely. “She won’t be expected to do anything more than help with the food and ale. Be assured the woman will be well rewarded for her trouble.”
Her father must have looked uncertain.
“She won’t come to any harm,” Sir Aymer assured him. “My men will escort her to the edge of their encampment well after the feasting has begun. She can claim to have gotten lost from the rest of the group. By that time they’ll be too drunk to argue.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” her father said dryly.
Ellie moved away in a trance, her heart racing wildly in her breast as she tried to make sense of everything she’d heard.
