Read Online The Heather Moon by Susan King - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan King
Tags: Romance, Historical Romance, Love Story, warrior, medieval romance, Warriors, Highlander, Highlanders, Scottish Highland, Highland Warriors
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daughter! 'Tis a coward's way. Eh, maybe 'tis yer way, ye blackhearted dog."
"I willna hesitate to hang her! There are laws against tawnies wandering free in England. I have the full right of this, and you know it. Make your decision. Agree to help me, or watch her hang, and then be hanged yourself."
William saw Archie sigh, saw his shoulders slump in visible defeat. The girl watched her father with wide eyes.
"What will ye have of me?" Archie asked, sounding resigned.
"Gather men who will follow me, and gypsies as well," Musgrave said. "I will supply coin for you to pay them all, but I want a list of willing names and signatures, or their marks, and how much you paid to each. I want the list in a fortnight, and then you will learn more."
"I must know more now," Archie said. "Borderers and gypsies are a suspicious lot. They will ask questions."
"Just use coin, man," Musgrave said. "Or threats. As you choose. See it done within a fortnight."
"This secrecy and intrigue speak ill of your scheme, and of your king," Tamsin said hoarsely.
"If Henry Tudor means to start new wars along the Borders," Archie said, "I willna help ye. I will turn the Bordermen against ye, Jasper Musgrave. And that will cost ye nae coin at all!"
Musgrave gestured toward William. "Rookhope sees the sense of this scheme! And he is a man of reputation in the Borderlands, and at court. If you have any sense at all, you will see the advantage in joining us."
"He clearly knows more about it than I do," Archie said. "Ye keep yer secrets close, Jasper."
"Just trust that this is a wise and necessary action, which can prevent years of war between England and Scotland," Musgrave said. "I will see you in a fortnight, Archie."
"If the Borderers refuse..." Archie shrugged.
"Then I have plenty of rope," Musgrave said. "See you, more than Armstrongs will hang if any Scotsman sets foot on my land or acts against me. I will come to Merton in two weeks, with your daughter. I will release her then."
"You canna hold her here!" Archie said.
Tamsin gasped. "I must go with my father!"
"The gypsy will act as your pledge, Armstrong, until the signed promises of willing Bordermen and gypsies are delivered to me. Trustworthy gypsies—if any exist."
"Holding a pledge for good behavior," William said coldly, "is part of Scots law, not English."
"True," Archie said. "The English dinna take honorable pledges. They take hostages, and mistreat them. Ye canna keep her here and get my word on anything."
"I can. I am a deputy in this march. She is my prisoner for crimes committed last night and on other occasions. As are you, Archie. But I will release you for a fortnight only. Do what I want, or your daughter will suffer for it."
"I need the lassie's help to speak to the 'Gyptians," Archie said. "They willna listen to me if I come to them without her." Tamsin knew he lied for her sake.
"Aye, he needs me to talk to the Romany," she said. "He canna find them without me, unless they travel over his lands."
"She speaks their foreign tongue, which they teach only to their own kind," Archie said. "If ye want the help o' the gypsies, then ye must let her go wi' me. I will return in a fortnight. Ye have my word on it."
Musgrave waved a hand loosely. "I cannot let you both go free on the strength of mere promises. She'll stay."
"What d'ye want? A ransom fee? I'll pay it, whatever 'tis. I have gold aplenty."
"Plenty of gold to a Scot is a pittance to me!"
"Ye bastard, I misdoubt ye'll keep her safe!"
"I'll keep her as safe as I please, you old field bull!"
"Cur! Ye willna—"
"Enough!" William said. "I will take her into my custody."
The others turned to stare at him. He had spoken on impulse, weary of the battling of two stubborn enemies who tugged the girl's fate between them.
He knew his offer made good sense. "I will keep her as a pledge at Rookhope for a fortnight," he said. "'Tis common practice for a Scotsman to take custody of a Scottish prisoner, even when the
"I willna hesitate to hang her! There are laws against tawnies wandering free in England. I have the full right of this, and you know it. Make your decision. Agree to help me, or watch her hang, and then be hanged yourself."
William saw Archie sigh, saw his shoulders slump in visible defeat. The girl watched her father with wide eyes.
"What will ye have of me?" Archie asked, sounding resigned.
"Gather men who will follow me, and gypsies as well," Musgrave said. "I will supply coin for you to pay them all, but I want a list of willing names and signatures, or their marks, and how much you paid to each. I want the list in a fortnight, and then you will learn more."
"I must know more now," Archie said. "Borderers and gypsies are a suspicious lot. They will ask questions."
"Just use coin, man," Musgrave said. "Or threats. As you choose. See it done within a fortnight."
"This secrecy and intrigue speak ill of your scheme, and of your king," Tamsin said hoarsely.
"If Henry Tudor means to start new wars along the Borders," Archie said, "I willna help ye. I will turn the Bordermen against ye, Jasper Musgrave. And that will cost ye nae coin at all!"
Musgrave gestured toward William. "Rookhope sees the sense of this scheme! And he is a man of reputation in the Borderlands, and at court. If you have any sense at all, you will see the advantage in joining us."
"He clearly knows more about it than I do," Archie said. "Ye keep yer secrets close, Jasper."
"Just trust that this is a wise and necessary action, which can prevent years of war between England and Scotland," Musgrave said. "I will see you in a fortnight, Archie."
"If the Borderers refuse..." Archie shrugged.
"Then I have plenty of rope," Musgrave said. "See you, more than Armstrongs will hang if any Scotsman sets foot on my land or acts against me. I will come to Merton in two weeks, with your daughter. I will release her then."
"You canna hold her here!" Archie said.
Tamsin gasped. "I must go with my father!"
"The gypsy will act as your pledge, Armstrong, until the signed promises of willing Bordermen and gypsies are delivered to me. Trustworthy gypsies—if any exist."
"Holding a pledge for good behavior," William said coldly, "is part of Scots law, not English."
"True," Archie said. "The English dinna take honorable pledges. They take hostages, and mistreat them. Ye canna keep her here and get my word on anything."
"I can. I am a deputy in this march. She is my prisoner for crimes committed last night and on other occasions. As are you, Archie. But I will release you for a fortnight only. Do what I want, or your daughter will suffer for it."
"I need the lassie's help to speak to the 'Gyptians," Archie said. "They willna listen to me if I come to them without her." Tamsin knew he lied for her sake.
"Aye, he needs me to talk to the Romany," she said. "He canna find them without me, unless they travel over his lands."
"She speaks their foreign tongue, which they teach only to their own kind," Archie said. "If ye want the help o' the gypsies, then ye must let her go wi' me. I will return in a fortnight. Ye have my word on it."
Musgrave waved a hand loosely. "I cannot let you both go free on the strength of mere promises. She'll stay."
"What d'ye want? A ransom fee? I'll pay it, whatever 'tis. I have gold aplenty."
"Plenty of gold to a Scot is a pittance to me!"
"Ye bastard, I misdoubt ye'll keep her safe!"
"I'll keep her as safe as I please, you old field bull!"
"Cur! Ye willna—"
"Enough!" William said. "I will take her into my custody."
The others turned to stare at him. He had spoken on impulse, weary of the battling of two stubborn enemies who tugged the girl's fate between them.
He knew his offer made good sense. "I will keep her as a pledge at Rookhope for a fortnight," he said. "'Tis common practice for a Scotsman to take custody of a Scottish prisoner, even when the
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