Chapter 11 #2
figure beside the queen.
Lindsey’s heart stopped. Surely he would see
through her disguise.
Jamie was too distracted. “I would urge you
once more to consider what you are about to do, Majesty. This is a
perilous journey you undertake.”
Lindsey felt the queen’s hand on her sleeve
and wished she could flee. But there was nowhere to hide. Jamie’s
scrutiny had her trembling.
“Help me mount,” the queen said to
Lindsey.
Before Lindsey could assist her, Jamie came
to the queen’s aid, lifting her to the saddle with ease.
He handed her the reins, then said, “I have
instructed your maid to notify Douglas Gordon and his clan, who
await me at the inn, to return to the Highlands and assemble a
council of all the Highland lairds. If they unite behind Your
Majesty, you will be powerful enough to repel any attack. Further,
you will return to Edinburgh in triumph.”
“Oh, Jamie, my dearest friend. I pray it is
so.”
They looked up at the sound of a commotion at
the front gate.
“God in heaven,” the queen whispered. “I
recognize Ruthven’s voice.” She rounded on the figure astride the
second horse. “Why has he come?”
In a sullen voice her husband said, “It is as
I have sworn to you a hundred times. They no longer confide in me.
I know nothing of their plans.”
Ignoring the man, Jamie whispered, “Lord
Ruthven was here the night Brice was wounded.” He withdrew his
sword form its scabbard and made a move to follow the sound of the
voice. “I would deal with this villain now.”
“Nay, Jamie. There is no time. Do you not
see? If he is here in Edinburgh, he has brought others with him.
Others who wish me dead. The man covets my power.” The queen’s tone
was urgent. “We must ride now.”
For a moment Jamie hesitated. The need to
avenge the brutal attack upon his foster father burned in his
heart. But he had given his word to Brice Campbell that his first
allegiance would be to his queen. Her safety must remain uppermost
in his mind.
Sheathing his weapon, he pulled himself into
the saddle. “Aye, Majesty. We ride to Lochleven.”
“What of your groom?” the queen asked
suddenly.
“He is not my groom,” Jamie said, tearing his
gaze from the queen to study the slender figure more carefully. “I
thought he was your groom.”
“Nay. God in heaven.” Fear darted into the
queen’s eyes.
In one fluid motion Jamie slid from the
saddle and grasped Lindsey by the front of the tunic, pulling her
close. His voice was a low rasp of fury.
“For whom do you spy?”
For a moment her voice was lodged in her
throat. She felt the cold steel of his knife as he lifted it to her
throat.
“By heaven, you will speak or I will cut out
your tongue.”
“I... followed you here, my lord.”
At the sound of that soft, husky voice,
Jamie’s eyes widened.
“Lindsey?”
Without waiting for her reply, he tore the
hat from her head and watched as her hair tumbled down her
back.
The queen let out a little gasp. “What
trickery is this?”
Jamie hauled the ragged figure close to the
queen’s horse, then caught a handful of her hair and forced
Lindsey’s head up so that she was facing the queen.
“This is Lindsey Gordon, Majesty. Her clan
accompanied me to Edinburgh, to offer their services.”
“The daughter of Douglas Gordon?”
“Aye, Majesty,” Jamie said, still holding
Lindsey in a death grip.
“Why are you dressed like that, girl?”
Lindsey swallowed, overcome with emotion. The
queen. She was talking to the queen. Her tongue seemed all twisted.
The words simply would not come out. Worse, she felt like weeping.
And if she did, she would disgrace herself and her family
forever.
“Speak, woman. Lives are at stake.”
She swallowed. “Please, Majesty. I can
explain.”
“Quickly,” Jamie said through gritted teeth.
“We have no time for silly prattle.”
“I—wanted to experience the freedom of a man,
Majesty. And so I—dressed like one and followed my lord, Jamie
MacDonald, to a tavern.”
The queen’s eyes widened. “A tavern? You
entered a tavern dressed like this?”
“Aye.” Lindsey swallowed. “But when Jamie
left with a woman...”
The queen glanced from Lindsey to Jamie, then
back again. “I believe this will prove to be a longer story than we
have time for, my friend.” She drew her cloak around her and said
dryly, “She rides with you.”
“What?” Jamie released Lindsey so quickly she
stumbled.
The queen wheeled her mount and called over
her shoulder, “I said, the woman rides with you.”
“Surely you cannot mean to take her all the
way to Lochleven, Majesty.”
“Would you leave her here with Lord Ruthven
and his cutthroats? They would have our destination pried from her
with a single, carefully placed thrust of their knives.”
Jamie heard the sounds of horses drawing
nearer. He could see the wisdom of the queen’s words. Yet his mind
and heart rebelled against such a move. He did not need the
distraction of this female during another dangerous journey. Still,
the queen had commanded it. Pulling himself into the saddle, he
offered his arm to Lindsey.
She drew away as if to run and he leaned
down, catching her roughly by the shoulder.
“Give me your hand,” he ordered.
“Nay. I will not go with you to some distant
place.”
“The queen commands it.”
“Then to hell with the queen, Jamie
MacDonald. And to hell with you.”
As she tried to twist away he leaned down in
the saddle and caught her around the torso, lifting her easily off
the ground.
Through gritted teeth he said, “You had best
learn two very important lessons this night, my lady. First of all,
keep your foul curses to yourself. And second, when the queen
commands, it is done. Now,” he rasped, wrapping his arms around her
and clutching the reins, “hang on tightly, woman. If you fall off,
I will not comeback for you. If you are bleeding, you will lie in
your own blood until you are drowned.”
“But my father and brothers...”
“You should have thought about them before
you leaped into this dangerous little adventure.”
Within seconds the three horses sailed over
the hedge and disappeared into the darkness. A moment later, amid
shouting and swearing, more than a dozen horses and riders entered
the empty courtyard and milled in confusion.
As their horses clattered along the deserted
streets of Edinburgh, Lindsey held herself stiffly in Jamie’s
arms.
In the darkness she whispered furiously
through clenched teeth, “I will never forgive you for this, Jamie
MacDonald.”
And with each mile, her hatred of the man
grew as she found herself wondering if she would ever see her
beloved family again.