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“Yes, my lord,” she replied
Alford drew the king’s attention yet again “May I accompany you and Gillian?”
“Sit down,” John commanded
Alford didn’t heed the warning in the king’s voice and dared to ask a second time
Irritated with his baron, John decided to ain “And while Gillian and I are taking our stroll, I suggest that you and Hugh and Edwin stay away from the open s”
Alford looked confused by the suggestion John chuckled as he explained “Did I forget to hlanders? Ah, I can see froet How remiss of me”
“The heathens are here?” Alford’s eyes bulged, and he sed loudly as he tried to get past his surprise
“I just said that they were,” John replied “You do knohy they’ve come, don’t you?”
Alford feigned ignorance “No, my lord, I don’t knohy How could I?”
John grinned, enjoying his friend’s disco so impudent in his presence and also because of thehad few loyal lords now, and even though Morgan wasn’t a favored baron, he ell thought of by the others, and his voice in support of John’s policies could wellto locate Arianna’s treasure had put his king in the middle of a squabble, and he planned to ave him
In truth, he would always forgive hiht Arianna to hiressions were, John would never forget that ift
Thinking to hlanders’ mission “Would you like me to tell you why they’ve come all this way?”
“If you are so inclined,” Alford replied smoothly
“They want to kill you Let me try to remember their exact words Ah, yes, I recall now The tallest onehis na to tear your heart out with his bare hands and shove it down your throat Isn’t that ah to do it,” he added with a chuckle
The king didn’t expect an answer and continued on “All three of the lairds were arguing—and in front of ht to kill you”
Alford forced a s”
“They’ve also h The Buchanan laird has gotten it into his head that one of you struck Lady Gillian He believes he now has the right to cut off the culprit’s hands Oh, he alsoyour feet off, Alford, or did I already mention that threat?”
Alford shook his head “You should kill the your friends,” Alford cried “Aren’t we loyal to each other? You and I have been through ainst your ene the pope Kill them,” he demanded with a shout
“No,” Gillian cried out
John patted her ar, Gillian This discussion can wait until we return, but I assure you, I have no plans to kill the lairds Even I know that I would have every h disruption in dom at the moment I don’t need more”
The doors were thrown open and they stepped outside Gillian was looking down at the steps as she lifted her skirts, and when she looked up again, she caasped
There, standing in the center of the courtyard, were Iain and Ramsey and Brodick They were all armed, with their swords in their scabbards
Brodick’s eyes see at her She couldn’t take her gaze off hiet his hands on her
John had given orders that they were to remain outside the walls, and he therefore didn’t knohat to otten inside? More curious than angry, he glanced at Gillian and asked, “You willingly pledged yourself to that laird?”
“I did willingly marry him, my lord,” she answered “And I love him very much”
“Then what they say is true Love is surely blind”
Not knowing if he was jesting and expected her to laugh, or serious and expected her agreement, she remained silent
As she s were braced apart and he took up twice the space Iain and Ramsey immediately did the same
Their et past the tried to walk around them, they’d block them
The rest of the king’s soldiers stood in the background with their hands on the hilt of their swords, watching and waiting for John’s command
The lairds seemed impervious to the soldiers, and Gillian was frantic orry for their safety
“Stand down,” John ordered
“My lord, may my husband accompany us on our walk?” Gillian asked softly “I have not seen hi while, and I would be happy for his company”
“You would?” John asked, grinning once again “He doesn’t look too happy to see you, Gillian None of them do,” he added “In fact your laird wears the expression of a husband ould like to beat his wife”
“Oh, no, he would never do such a thing,” she assured hiry he beco me They are honorable men, all of them”
John stopped directly in front of Brodick, tilted his head back so he could look into the giant’s eyes, and said, “You ishes you to accompany us on our stroll”
Brodick didn’t say a word, but he moved back so that John and Gillian could walk past Her hand brushed his, a deliberate touch she couldn’t resist
She kneas right behind her now, and she was tor emotions She wanted to throw herself into his arms and tell hier, yet at the same time she wanted to shout at hie above his own safety
Desperate to protect hio of her arm, and they walked side by side across the barren courtyard She saw Horace select three men, and her uneasiness intensified She wished that John hadn’t granted Alford’s request
Alford’s soldiers fell into stride behind the king Brodick stayed behind her, his back vulnerable to attack, and her panic became nearly uncontrollable
Out of the corner of her eye she saw another group of Alford’sup the steps into the castle John drew her attention then when he asked, “Where are you leading me?”
“We’re going to the old stable,Alford built after he seized control of Dunhanshire”
“Why didn’t his men simply tear down the old when they put up the new?”
“Superstition,” she answered
“Explain what you mean, and while you’re at it, tell me how you determined where the treasure was hidden”
Gillian began with the night her father was killed and finished her story just as they reached the dilapidated barn
At the king’s command, one of the soldiers ran to fetch a torch John questioned Gillian while they waited “You still haven’t explained what you meant about superstition,” he reminded her
“After Ector became crazed, the soldiers feared him, and my lady’s maid told me that every time he would walk past, the soldiers would drop to their knees and n of the cros
s to ward off his evil She saw them do it countless times,” she added “The soldiers feared that Ector had the power to snatch their minds and make them as crazed as he was Liese also told me the men believed that Ector was possessed by the Devil, himself, and for that reason they didn’t dare touch hied to hi the day and slept in the corner of the stable at night”
“You paint my soldiers as superstitious fools, but if you’re correct in your guess, their fear kept my Arianna’s treasure safe for me all these many years”
The soldier returned with the burning torch, and John o inside first Gillian was suddenly so filled with trepidation she couldn’t get her legs to move Dear God, please, please let the box be there
She felt Brodick’s hand on her shoulder, and she swayed back against him She stayed there for no more than a second or two, but that was all the cohtened and followed the king inside
She could see specks of dust spinning in the bolts of fading gray sunlight filtering in through the holes in the rafters The light wouldn’t have been sufficient without the aid of the torch The air was as stale as death and ser with each step she took
The king stopped when he reached the center of the corridor and motioned for her to take the lead
“It’s in the corner,” she said as she hurried past him She kept her attention on the floor now It was cluttered with decaying flats of wood and nails
When she passed the last stall, she slowly turned to look in the corner, and then she cried out There it was, Ector’s knapsack, still hanging from the hook on the wall
“Shall we see if the treasure is inside?” John whispered
He moved forith Gillian at his side and lifted the filthy knapsack fro the rubble out of his ith the side of his foot, he knelt down on the floor
The soldier, Horace, called out to him, “Is the treasure there, my lord?”