Actually, she hadn’t. But her heart jumped to a hard thump. “I’m afraid you are to be disappointed. He’s not here. Last I heard he was out west.”
Her bravado was for nothing. Despenser’s face hardened. “Do not take me for a fool,LadyIsabella—and I use that term very loosely. Right now your lover is cornered in the convent, with my men surrounding him.”
Her heart jerked again, but she forced herself not to react, not to panic. Lachlan could take care of himself. He would find a way out. He always did.
Despenser must have guessed what she was thinking.
“And if he manages to slip through the net I have cast for him, you are all the bait I need to lure him into a second.”
She blanched. “You must be mad to think I would ever let you use me to capture him.”
“Even for freedom?” Despenser held out the bone. “For you and your daughter?”
Bella stilled. “You expect me to believe that?”
He shrugged. “You are not important to us, the brigand is. Sir William has graciously agreed to allow you to retire to his estates in Leicester with your daughter—at least until her marriage can be arranged. No one will know who you really are. Isabella MacDuff will be thought to be safely retired in a convent.”
Bella looked back and forth between the two men. Even if she could trust them—which was doubtful—she would never betray Lachlan like that.
She shook her head. Dread settled in her belly like a stone. But she realized she would face imprisonment rather than betray him. “You might as well take me back to Berwick right now; I won’t do it.”
Despenser smiled. “Such bold words. But I feared you might be difficult.”
Sir William appeared distressed. “For once in your life be reasonable, Isabella. The scourge isn’t worth it.”
“Aye, he is,” she said fiercely.
“Is he worth your daughter’s life?” Despenser interjected softly.
The breath left her. She froze in abject horror. She turned on William. “You would do this? You would harm your brother’s daughter to capture one man?”
“He isn’t just one man,” Despenser snapped. “He can lead us to many others. Men the king will be extremely grateful to know the identities of.”
She should have known it would be Despenser’s political ambitions at work. She pretended not to know what he was talking about and continued to stare accusingly at William.
“Of course I don’t want to see the lass harmed,” he assured her. “But you leave us no other choice.”
“Where is she?” she demanded. “Where is my daughter?”
“She’s safe. For now,” Despenser said ominously.
But she could see from William’s face there was more. “She’s in the guard room at Berwick Castle.”
No. Bella felt the ground begin to move. Her stomach knifed.
“I believe there’s a cage free for her, if you refuse,” Sir Hugh added.
Oh God, no!Horror rushed to smother her. Then everything went black.
* * *
It was a few hours before Lachlan could make his way back to her. He led his pursuers south for miles. After ditching both his horse and his borrowed, too-small armor near the sea—hoping they’d think he’d escaped by ship—he’d circled back on foot.
It seemed to take forever. His heart was pounding in his throat the entire time. If anything happened to her…
He tried not to think about it, tried to concentrate on his surroundings, but fear had wormed its way into his consciousness and no amount of force and determination would root it out.
Although there were still a few search parties concentrated in the area around the convent, the forest approaching the hunting lodge was ominously silent. His senses honed even sharper. Occasionally, he would hear a shout or the sound of dogs barking in the distance behind him, but it seemed the English had yet to extend their search this far out in his direction.
