“Brian!” Simon ran up to him and grabbed him by the arm. “I think we may have trouble soon. When I saw that ye and Ned had found others alive, I decided to wander farther down the shore to see if there were others who had pulled themselves up into the rocks. There are a lot of armed men headed our way.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, Brian saw Arianna and the two boys grow deathly pale. “I think there is yet something ye need to tell me.” He looked back at Simon. “How close?”
“They move verra slowly, searching, and have only just begun to do so. Half an hour, mayhap more, and they will be upon us. Fifteen men, I think. I cannae be certain for there is a chance a few have already moved from my sight or are still making their way in from the ship. I didnae linger to make sure of my count.”
“Get the horses packed.” As soon as Ned and Simon ran off to see to that chore, Brian stood up and pulled Arianna to her feet. “Are ye being hunted for some crime, m’lady?”
“Nay!” Adelar moved to Arianna’s side and glared at Sir Brian. “’Tis me and Michel the men hunt for. They want us dead so that they can claim all that our father left to us.”
“This is true?” Brian demanded, fighting the urge to steady Arianna when she swayed, still too weak to be on her feet for long.
“Aye,” she replied. “They dinnae want to wait to see if my husband’s family can get the boys declared illegitimate.” When he just scowled at her, she added, “’Tis a long, sordid tale, Sir Brian, and I dinnae think there is time to tell it all right now. All that is important now is that those men want these boys dead so badly that they rammed Captain Tillet’s ship, not hesitating to condemn us all just to kill the boys.”
Silently cursing, Brian swung her up into his arms, ignoring her protests. As he hurried to the horses, he made and tossed aside several plans before reaching the one he believed would work best. It was a risky one, but he was certain it would succeed in confusing and dividing the men who would soon be hunting them. He was also certain that Lady Arianna Murray Lucette was not going to like it.
He was pleased to see Simon standing ready with the clothes Lady Arianna had stuffed into the keg, and set her down so that she could put hers on. She had a quick, clever mind, he decided as he thought on how she had saved herself and the boys. It would serve them well in the days ahead.
“Simon, Ned, ye take this wee lad with ye and the captain and his men. Ride straight for Scarglas.” He pushed Adelar toward Simon even as the boy was still struggling to put his cloak on.
“Nay! The lads should stay with me,” protested Arianna, pausing in her struggle to put her boots on.
“So that the three of ye can be an easier target for your enemies?” Ignoring her muttered arguments, he looked at his brother Nathan and quickly explained why they needed to get the boys away from the shore. “Nat, ye take the others and the goods we have salvaged and make your way home in as twisted a way as ye can.” He nudged Michel toward Nathan. “Ye will guard this lad.”
“And what will ye do?” asked Nathan as he helped Michel get his cloak on straight.
“The lady and I will take three of the horses and head out as if we are racing for the Murray lands.”
“As if? Where are ye truly headed then?”
“To Scarglas, of course, but by way of Dubheidland. I believe it may be time to visit our cousins the Camerons. Sigimor has become too tame. Leading this trouble to his door should get his blood flowing again.”
Arianna watched the two men grin at each other and nearly cursed as she hastily laced up her gown, trying to ignore how uncomfortable it was to put anything over her wet, torn shift. She was tempted to curse at the men, too. They were obviously intoxicated by the idea of thwarting some foe, just like men everywhere. She had seen that expression far too often to mistake it. The fact that they would take up the challenge to protect a woman and two children as well as avenge Captain Tillet’s drowned men only added to the sweetness of the battle. It was fortunate that she had seen another side to men as she had grown or she could easily think they were all bloodthirsty idiots.
She looked at Adelar and Michel. The boys looked as frightened and uncertain as she felt. She did not need to ask if they were as terrified of being taken from her as she was of letting them go. It was written all over their pale faces, causing tears to shine in their wide gray eyes. Although her legs protested the movement, she went over to where the boys huddled together as the men moved quickly to finish the preparations to leave. Arianna knew she had very little time to soothe the children, or herself.
“We should stay with you,” said Adelar. “All of us together.”
“We will be together again soon.” She kissed each boy on the forehead.
“Do ye trust these men?”