D’Orsey appeared to be shouting at his forces to form a line. Instead, hundreds of Scots began crossing the stream to join the Humes. Others who wished to avoid taking sides disappeared.
This was what David hoped for, but it was happening too quickly. There were too too many well-meaning Scots between his group of fleet riders and D’Orsey.
D’Orsey did not lack for courage, but he was not a fool. As soon as he realized he would be fighting with only his French guard, he spurred his horse to make his escape.
It was a magnificent horse and had been his father’s pride.
David and his men were caught in the midst of all the Scots who were joining their side.Damn it!When they finally broke free, D’Orsey had too great a lead. He was going to escape, and all this would be for naught.
From the corner of his eye, David caught sight of a rider ahead and to his left, coming from the direction of Blackadder Castle. The rider was small for a man, and he was racing toward D’Orsey with the apparent intention of cutting him off.
***
Alison sat with her daughters by the great hearth in the hall, pretending to stitch. She was so tense awaiting the outcome of David’s encounter with D’Orsey that when one of the guards approached her she jabbed herself with the needle.
“Sorry to trouble ye, Lady Alison,” he said. “But with the laird gone, I thought I should tell you.”
“What is it?” she asked, pleased that someone wished to consult her, even if her husband never did.
“’Tis about Will.”
Unease settled into the pit of her stomach.
“I was up on the wall on duty,” the guard said. “Will was with me, talking about birds and such.”
“That’s our Will,” Beatrix piped up. “Is he still there looking at birds?”
“Ye know how that lad gets odd notions in his head,” the man said. “One moment he’s yapping about bird songs and wingspans. Then he halts mid-thought and races down the ladder. Next thing I know, he’s riding out the gate like a streak of lightning.”
Good God.For all she knew, there could be a battle raging nearby.
“There are fresh apple tarts in the kitchen,” she told the girls, hoping to divert them so they would not see how worried she was. “Go have one while they’re warm.”
“I want Will to come home,” Margaret said.
“I’ll send him down to join ye as soon as he returns,” Alison said with a firm hand on their backs. Once she had them on their way, she hurried out of the keep with the guard.
“I expect the lad’s just chasing a bird and will give up soon,” the guard said, but he looked worried. “I would’ve rode after him, but the laird said we were to stay here and keep watch. I shouldn’t have left my post this long.”
“I’m going up on the wall with ye.” Alison gathered her skirts in one hand and started up the ladder. “I need to watch for Will and the others myself.”
***
David did not want to believe the rider streaking across the distant field was who he thought it was.
“Will’s gone mad!” Brian shouted. “That’s him, chasing after D’Orsey.”
David’s heart nearly stopped beating.Mary, Mother of God. Please, no. Not Will.He would rather die a thousand deaths than see Will harmed.
David spurred his horse until they were flying over the ground. Fear clutched at his gut.
Another rider appeared ahead, racing across the field a quarter-mile behind Will. David cursed. It was Robbie. Positioned where he was, he would have seen Will first.
David gritted his teeth in frustration as Will curved his horse’s path and fell in beside D’Orsey’s in a mad race. What in the hell did he think he was doing?
By the saints!He could not believe his eyes as he watched his foolish brother slash at D’Orsey with a sword while riding at breakneck speed. He prayed that D’Orsey would not knock Will off his horse or pull his own sword and slice his brother in half.
They were still too far ahead. David grasped hold of his horse’s mane and leaned low over its neck. There was a bog ahead that the locals knew to avoid. His only hope was that D’Orsey would become mired in it so that he could catch up before his brother got killed.
