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“If we only knehat?” Colm asked
“If you only knew her,” he hastily said “She is innocent of these terrible accusations”
Colm turned to the priest “We already know she’s innocent”
“Aye, we do,” Brodick agreed
“You do?”
Brodick sighed “We do,” he repeated “But at the moment, that doesn’t matter, does it? Look at them They have all condemned her”
“Yes, they have” Gelroy ringing his hands He stared at Gabrielle as he whispered, “Terrible things will happen to her if they take her back to England and hand her over to King John That lecherous man is capable of vile deeds, and I will tell you this, when he is finished with her, he’ll…” He couldn’t go on Gabrielle’s future was too horrible to speak of
“The woan
“Isla,” Gelroy said “I heard them say her name”
“She lies,” Colm said
Gelroy agreed with a nod “She will have to answer to God for this”
“But what about the monk?” Brodick asked “Why did he confirm her lies?”
“I don’t know”
“Do you know this monk?” Brodick asked
“I do He’s young and eager to serve, and I believe hiine why he would say that he had seen Gabrielle It has to be a mistake, and I’ll seek him out and ask him to tell me exactly what he thinks he saw”
“The dae is already done,” Brodick said
Gelroy’s shoulders slumped “Yes it is They have ruined Lady Gabrielle’s life Shame to them”
“Priest?”
“Yes, Laird MacHugh?”
“When I leave the abbey, you’re co with me”
Gelroy had the sudden urge to throw hied the distance to the steps, and then found a bit of courage He wouldn’t run He would politely decline
“You’re inviting me to serve your clan…”
“If you choose to think of it as an invitation, you may”
“And if I decline?” the priest gulped
“You won’t”
The lump in Gelroy’s throat made it difficult for him to speak, and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to stand before the MacHugh Praying that the laird had indeed come to the abbey to seek a priest, and not, as Gelroy feared, to exact revenge for his brother, he rasped, “I will be happy to go with you”
Brodick laughed “Noho’s telling lies? Your face gives you away”
Embarrassed, Gelroy admitted, “I do have trepidation, but I will do h clan”
“Go and gather what you wish to take with you,” MacHugh ordered
Brodick waited until the priest was out of sight before speaking “I’ve heard it said that once a priest finds a hoet rid of hi to be stuck with Gelroy for the rest of your days”
Had Gelroy heard Brodick’s prediction, he wouldn’t have agreed The sooner he could cohs, the better
He didn’t wish to irritate the laird by dragging his feet, and so he ran all the way back to his quarters to pack his holy water and oils, his stole, and the rest of his possessions Laird MacHugh had ordered one of his younger soldiers to accoht the laird did so to make certain he wouldn’t try to run away
God only knew Gelroy wanted to flee, but with Lady Gabrielle in such need, he had to put his own fears aside All he could think about was finding a way to help her
He thought she would be worried about her guards waiting for her It wouldn’t do for theuards and one wouards ates until this dreadful dra, they could help Gabrielle find shelter away from these terrible people
Gelroy headed for the front gates The warrior blocked hih,” he said as he took the two bags filled with Gelroy’s things “I’ll see that these get tied to one of our saddles”
“Pray be patient with uards orders to continue to wait She would not want theer here It will take but a minute”
The warrior agreed with a quick nod
Stephen stood with Gabrielle’s horse just north of the gate He cahlander
“Gabrielle will be joining you soon Do you have her clothes and other necessaries with you?” Father Gelroy asked
Stephen shook his head “We have sos Her maids packed her trunks We plan to catch up to them by late this afternoon Why do you ask?”
He hated to lie, but Gelroy excused the sin by telling God he was only protecting the guards and Gabrielle fro blood
“She wanted ed She will tell you in just a few minutes when she joins you She bids you stay and wait for her here”
Stephen had no reason to doubt the priest, for he knew that Gelroy had become a friend to Gabrielle
As Gelroy hurried back to the wall, the MacHugh clans him remarked, “You lied to that man Why?”
“To protect him and the others The lady would want it so,” he added “She wouldn’t wish for them to try to interfere in this debacle, as they would be sorely outnumbered”
His escort continued to follow Gelroy and wouldn’t leave his side until the priest was halfway up the stairs Gelroy knew that the ht decide to hide When he reached the top step, he stopped and waited for one of the lairds to bid him to come forward Brodick noticed him and motioned to him
Gelroy cleared his throat to get MacHugh’s attention and said, “Laird, I cannot leave until I know that Lady Gabrielle will be safe froo and stand by her side”
Before MacHugh could respond, Gelroy straightened his shoulders and turned to Brodick “Laird Buchanan, Gabrielle’s father isn’t here to defend her honor, and you are her only relative You must help her”
“Do not tell me my duty, priest” Brodick’s voice was harsh “I knoell”
“Yes, of course you do,” he said, nodding vigorously
Dis Gelroy, Brodick watched the crowd below They were being whipped into a frenzy by Coswold and Percy
“Colm, I’ll take her home with me I can protect her there”
“Keeping her safe won’t restore her honor,” Colrimly
Brodick agreed “She deserves better”
“Her father…he isn’t like those barons?”
“I wouldn’t allow hihteous man”
“Send word to hiet her”
“It isn’t that siather his vassals and prepare for war If the king confiscates his property—”
“He’ll be powerless”
“Yes,” he agreed “Gabrielle needs a strong protector She’s my wife’s cousin It’s expected that I would shield her, but that wouldn’t prove she is innocent”
“What do you care what others think?”
“I don’t care,” he countered, “but if Gabrielle were my wife, I would kill any man ould dare attack her honor”
“As would I,” Colm said
“But she has no husband to defend her honor”