A Rough Wooing Read Online Free PDF

would rather die than
let these men know she was afraid.
    When the lieutenant drew rein outside the
vast castle stables, Douglas jumped to the flagstones before he
could dismount. There was no way she would allow him the
satisfaction of lifting her down.
    The troopers surrounded their three prisoners
and escorted them into the castle. The Great Hall, ablaze with
torches, was crowded with men. At the far end, trestle tables were
filled with liveried moss-troopers eating the evening meal.
    Though Douglas hadn’t eaten, the smell of
food, mingled with tallow, smoke, and male sweat killed her
appetite and made her pinch her nostrils. Dressed as she was in
leather doublet and breeches, she was relieved that few men in the
hall realized she was a female.
    “Wait here,” the lieutenant told his
companions.
    Douglas watched him as he made his way down
the hall to report to his commander. She had assumed he was one of
Cumberland’s men, but now as she stared at the tall male he
approached, she realized how wrong she had been.
    Sir Lancelot Greystoke turned his head and
gazed across the hall. Their eyes met and held in a long moment of
shocked recognition. Then they both quickly looked away.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    “Why did you arrest a woman?” Greystoke
demanded.
    “She insists that she is Douglas Elliot, my
lord. We arrested Gavin and Rob Elliot, but Jock was nowhere to be
found.” He handed the warrants to Greystoke.
    “Lock the men up with Sim Armstrong. The girl
presents a bit of a problem.” Greystoke rapidly searched his mind.
“Lock her in one of the storerooms next to the kitchens, and bring
me the key.”
    He decided not to interrogate the Elliot
brothers for the time being. A few days of being totally ignored
often proved fruitful. He collected the storeroom key from his
lieutenant and told the men to eat while the Carlisle servants were
still serving dinner.
    Greystoke had been stunned when he saw the
beautiful red-haired female across the Great Hall. Then he felt
shock to realize she had been taken prisoner. She had insinuated
herself into his thoughts more often than he cared to admit.
    Douglas Elliot! The name suits the proud
firebrand. Not for a minute did he think she had taken part in
the raid, but she was certainly guilty of telling her brothers
about his prize thoroughbreds. My instinct told me she was a
Scot, and yet I never once connected her with the theft of my
horses.
    ~~~
    Douglas heard the key turn in the lock on the
heavy door. I should have known the moss-troopers had been sent
by Greystoke when the charge was stealing English horses. How
strange that I never made the connection. She examined her
surroundings and saw by the rush light in the wall bracket that she
was in a storeroom. She was greatly relieved that she hadn’t been
imprisoned with rough men, but her fear had not vanished. As well
as apprehension for herself, she was racked with worry about the
fate of her brothers. Her stomach seemed to be in knots and she
feared she might vomit. She found a small wooden bucket, just in
case, and realized she might need it for other bodily
functions.
    The small rush light flickered and she knew
she had better search for things she might need while there was
still a glimmer of illumination. It would help keep her panic at
bay. She found a cask of cider, cupped her hand and turned the
spigot. Then she lapped up the liquid to quench her thirst.
    Guided by her nose, she found a basket of
turnips, and a container of dried damsons. She put a handful of the
dried fruit in her pocket, then looked about for a place to sit.
Trepidation was turning her knees to wet linen. She ran her hands
over some large burlap sacks that stood against the wall, and found
one that she thought held barley. She sank to the floor and leaned
gratefully against the cushiony sack. Within minutes the rush light
flickered out, and left her in complete darkness.
    I’m not afraid of the dark , she told
herself fiercely. Then she mocked: