Read Online The Heather Moon by Susan King - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan King
Tags: Romance, Historical Romance, Love Story, warrior, medieval romance, Warriors, Highlander, Highlanders, Scottish Highland, Highland Warriors
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accuser is English."
"Aye! Let Rookhope have her," Archie said. The glare that Tamsin shot her father would have melted a lesser man, William thought. Archie looked unperturbed.
Jasper Musgrave frowned. "'Twould be acceptable. The gypsy would still be under my supervision, in a way."
"You have no authority on Scottish soil," William pointed out. "But I can hold her, and put a stop to this squabbling—for a while, at least," he added.
"I dinna want to go with Rookhope, nor stay here," Tamsin said to Archie. "Da, I must be free."
"Tamsin, 'tis Rookhope," Archie said. "Ye'll be safe."
"He—he means to keep me prisoner!"
"We are not offering you a choice, gypsy," Jasper said. "One dungeon is as good as another. You are my surety, so you must be confined somewhere. Do not forget about the charge of horse thievery."
"One dungeon is as dark as another," she said fiercely. "And prison is no different than death to a gypsy."
Jasper waved a hand. "Take her out of here. I will waste no more time with this lot. Archie, I want that list of names and promises within a fortnight."
"Ye'll get yer list," Archie growled.
"Come ahead," William said. The girl turned her glare on him, still sparking like green fire. Taking a lesson from her father, he gave her a calm little smile and turned away.
"Will Scott," Jasper Musgrave said behind them. "Make sure that Archie meets his promise to me. Go with them when they visit those gypsies, and oversee Archie's damned list. I do not trust these two."
"Very well," William agreed. He ignored the girl's continued glare.
He opened the door and beckoned to the two guards who stood in the doorway. "Wait here in the hallway with these two prisoners until I come out," he said. He ushered the Armstrongs through the doorway, resting a hand on the girl's arm to guide her when she shot him a recalcitrant look. Archie followed her, looking grim. William gave him a somber nod and shut the door.
He spun toward Musgrave. "Tell me what this scheme is about," he said. "Or lose my influence entirely in this secretive matter of yours."
"Secretive," Musgrave said. "'Tis the word, aye, or we will all lose in this scheme."
William folded his arms. "Tell me."
"For now, I can only reveal to you the most basic of our intentions," Musgrave said. "Until I have the Border scum and the gypsies bound by signed oaths and payment in gold, I cannot discuss the details of the plan with anyone but Lord Wharton and King Henry."
"I might understand how Bordermen's promises could help King Henry," William said. "But gypsies?"
Musgrave sat back and twined his fingers over his belly, where the pewter buttons pulled tight. "What are the gypsies most known for, eh?"
William frowned. "Wandering in caravans through England, Scotland, and Europe... keeping to themselves, horse training, tinsmithing, basket weaving, palmistry to earn silver... of what use is any of that to you and your king?"
"Sleight of hand, fast-and-loose, clever tricks to take coin from a purse. Lying, stealing, horse thievery," Musgrave detailed. "Fortune-telling, dancing, singing, juggling—even at the royal courts, mind you! The wearing of strange attire, and a tiresome claim of descent from Oriental kings, so that the best among them say they are princes and earls, when they are in reality but vagrants and heathens." Musgrave smiled. "Now think you. What worse is said of the gypsies? How do English mothers frighten their children into obedience, hmm?" He looked pleased as he sat back.
"I believe that the gypsies," William said, forcing a casual tone, "are known for stealing children."
Musgrave nodded. "And how fortunate for us that they have earned a repute for that sort of thing."
William frowned as a realization struck him, bringing with it a cold chill. You bastard, he thought, staring at Musgrave. There was only one child whom King Henry would want in his custody. The king of England had already secured a promise from the Scottish crown to wed
"Aye! Let Rookhope have her," Archie said. The glare that Tamsin shot her father would have melted a lesser man, William thought. Archie looked unperturbed.
Jasper Musgrave frowned. "'Twould be acceptable. The gypsy would still be under my supervision, in a way."
"You have no authority on Scottish soil," William pointed out. "But I can hold her, and put a stop to this squabbling—for a while, at least," he added.
"I dinna want to go with Rookhope, nor stay here," Tamsin said to Archie. "Da, I must be free."
"Tamsin, 'tis Rookhope," Archie said. "Ye'll be safe."
"He—he means to keep me prisoner!"
"We are not offering you a choice, gypsy," Jasper said. "One dungeon is as good as another. You are my surety, so you must be confined somewhere. Do not forget about the charge of horse thievery."
"One dungeon is as dark as another," she said fiercely. "And prison is no different than death to a gypsy."
Jasper waved a hand. "Take her out of here. I will waste no more time with this lot. Archie, I want that list of names and promises within a fortnight."
"Ye'll get yer list," Archie growled.
"Come ahead," William said. The girl turned her glare on him, still sparking like green fire. Taking a lesson from her father, he gave her a calm little smile and turned away.
"Will Scott," Jasper Musgrave said behind them. "Make sure that Archie meets his promise to me. Go with them when they visit those gypsies, and oversee Archie's damned list. I do not trust these two."
"Very well," William agreed. He ignored the girl's continued glare.
He opened the door and beckoned to the two guards who stood in the doorway. "Wait here in the hallway with these two prisoners until I come out," he said. He ushered the Armstrongs through the doorway, resting a hand on the girl's arm to guide her when she shot him a recalcitrant look. Archie followed her, looking grim. William gave him a somber nod and shut the door.
He spun toward Musgrave. "Tell me what this scheme is about," he said. "Or lose my influence entirely in this secretive matter of yours."
"Secretive," Musgrave said. "'Tis the word, aye, or we will all lose in this scheme."
William folded his arms. "Tell me."
"For now, I can only reveal to you the most basic of our intentions," Musgrave said. "Until I have the Border scum and the gypsies bound by signed oaths and payment in gold, I cannot discuss the details of the plan with anyone but Lord Wharton and King Henry."
"I might understand how Bordermen's promises could help King Henry," William said. "But gypsies?"
Musgrave sat back and twined his fingers over his belly, where the pewter buttons pulled tight. "What are the gypsies most known for, eh?"
William frowned. "Wandering in caravans through England, Scotland, and Europe... keeping to themselves, horse training, tinsmithing, basket weaving, palmistry to earn silver... of what use is any of that to you and your king?"
"Sleight of hand, fast-and-loose, clever tricks to take coin from a purse. Lying, stealing, horse thievery," Musgrave detailed. "Fortune-telling, dancing, singing, juggling—even at the royal courts, mind you! The wearing of strange attire, and a tiresome claim of descent from Oriental kings, so that the best among them say they are princes and earls, when they are in reality but vagrants and heathens." Musgrave smiled. "Now think you. What worse is said of the gypsies? How do English mothers frighten their children into obedience, hmm?" He looked pleased as he sat back.
"I believe that the gypsies," William said, forcing a casual tone, "are known for stealing children."
Musgrave nodded. "And how fortunate for us that they have earned a repute for that sort of thing."
William frowned as a realization struck him, bringing with it a cold chill. You bastard, he thought, staring at Musgrave. There was only one child whom King Henry would want in his custody. The king of England had already secured a promise from the Scottish crown to wed
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