Page 13 of Highland Steel

“All right, I’ll tell you,” she said releasing a deep breath. “They are my siblings.”

“Och, I thought so.” Logan plopped down atop a pile of hay. “Why would ye disguise them and pretend they are someone else? It makes no sense.”

“It was my father’s idea. We were only following orders,” she explained. “He said they’d be safer if no one knew they were noble.”

“But ye werena in disguise so why were they? Wasna he worried about yer safety as well?”

“I – I suppose not.” She was going to tell him she knew how to defend herself and was skilled in wielding a sword, but something made her keep that information to herself.

“Where are ye really goin’?” he asked.

Rhoswen sat down in the hay as well. She couldn’t keep up this charade much longer. “We really were going to the Highlands. That part was true.”

“To meet with Ranulph Drummond,” he said.

She nodded. “Only it wasn’t really because I’m betrothed to him.”

“Ye’re no’?” he asked, not understanding.

“Ranulph was once married to my older sister, Ailsa, who is now deceased. We were going to trade a sword for her son, Lockie, to bring my nephew home.”

“Blethers, are ye tellin’ me yer sister was the wife Drummond killed?”

Her head snapped up when she heard this. “So it’s true? He really did kill Ailsa?” she asked, with her heart about beating out of her chest.

“That’s what he’s been tellin’ everyone. He’s been braggin’ about it, lass.”

Anxiety coursed through her. She got up and started pacing again. “Well, I still don’t believe it. He couldn’t have killed Ailsa.”

“Ye dinna ken the man, lass. He is capable of doin’ so much worse.”

She sat down once again. “Well, no matter what happened, it’s in the past now.” Her father’s words kept echoing in her head, telling her to find justice for Ailsa’s death by killing the man. Kill. She’d never killed anyone and honestly didn’t know if she could. Neither did she want to. “All I care about is bringing my nephew back . . . home,” she said, reality hitting her hard that she no longer had a home to go to when this was all over.

“What is this sword that was stolen from yer faither? And why does Drummond consider it valuable enough for him to give away his own son?”

“Lockie is not his son!” She jumped up and started pacing again. “My father told me on his deathbed that Lockie’s father was a stableboy.”

“And Drummond found out and killed the lass,” he answered, the words stabbing through her heart like a sword. She closed her eyes and silently nodded. “So tell me about this sword.”

“The sword was –” she stopped in midsentence. If she told him it was the English king’s sword, he might want to keep it for himself if they ever found it. But she needed that sword more than anything and needed his help to get it back. “The sword was special to my father. It was a . . . a lucky sword. It won battles. That’s why Ranulph Drummond wants it.”

“I see.” Logan bit his bottom lip and nodded. “I used to have a sword like that once, too, so I understand. I think it’s important we find this sword so ye can bring yer nephew home where he belongs.”

“Yes. Home,” she said, feeling like she was in a trance. She had no idea, even if they found the sword and saved Lockie, where she and her family would live when this was all over.

“We’ll set out lookin’ for it as soon as we bury yer faither.”

“We?” She looked at him in disbelief. “Do you mean that you’re going to help me recover the sword from the bandits?”

“Well, I canna let an innocent little boy grow up with cutthroats like Drummond, can I?”

“I – I don’t know what to say.”

“Say ye’ll give yer faither a proper burial.” He reached out and touched her gently on the arm. “Rhoswen, I dinna ken what ye and yer faither were arguin’ about before he passed away, but ye need to forgive him.”

“You have no idea what you’re saying.” She pulled away from him and walked over to the stalls, leaning her arm on the top of one, looking the other direction.

“Take him back to England. Give him a proper burial in yer castle’s graveyard. It’s the least ye can do for the man after what happened to him tryin’ to save yer nephew.”