Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“How do you know them?” Dru countered.
“I never met them, but the sorry lot is known to most. They lie. They’re thieves. And they’re drunks. Now, how do you know them?”
“I helped them out of a difficult situation and earned their friendship.”
“For whatever such friendship is worth,” Knox scoffed.
Dru ignored his dismissive remark and explained. “The MacTavish brothers might drink themselves senseless, but they never forget what they hear or see.”
“Now there’s a skill to be admired,” he said, thinking this was a waste of time.
“You wait here while I go talk with them,” Dru said, taking an eager step around a tree to head to the clearing where the men sat when she was suddenly yanked back.
“Not on your life are you going to talk to them alone,” Knox said irritated.
“They won’t hurt me,” Dru insisted, “and they will talk with me more freely without you around.”
“And you expect four drunks to reveal something that will help us?” He chortled at the ridiculous notion.
“Drunk or not, they know things and will share it with only a chosen few.”
“And, of course, you’re one of the chosen few,” he said, thinking now that Dru didn’t survive the Highlands, the Highlands survived her.
Dru stuck her chest out proudly. “That I am.”
Knox shook his head. “You’re not talking to them alone and they are going to learn right off that you are my wife. And just so you know, this is a colossal waste of time.”
“You want to wager on that?” she challenged.
“What have you got to wager, wife?” he asked, seeing a benefit in this that he hadn’t expected.
“I’d say the same thing you’re thinking, husband. You intend to make sure I don’t go with you when you talk with Lord Torrance. If we learn nothing from them that will help us, then you get your way. But if we learn something helpful then you take me along with you without protest.”
Confident the drunken lot would be of no help to them, he agreed, “You’ve got yourself a wager, wife.”
Dru licked her lips. “Victory tastes so sweet.”
Knox hesitated briefly when she stepped forward. The way her tongue glided seductively over her lips gave him thoughts he shouldn’t be having right now. And she sounded far too confident. He got annoyed with himself for agreeing so easily, thinking he may have just stepped into a trap.
“Dru!” one man shouted when he spotted her, then rubbed his nose as she got closer. “Good, Lord, you don’t stink anymore!”
“It’s been too long,” another called out.
“You saw me four moon cycles ago, Quim,” Dru reminded the oldest of the four brothers.
Quim stumbled to his feet, swaying as he raised his hand and tried to point directly at Knox without much luck. “Who’s he?”
“My husband… Knox.”
Knox felt a catch to his gut, hearing the pride in his wife’s voice.
The four cheered.
One of the brothers raised his tankard, “Good for you, Dru.”
“Thanks, Fyfe,” Dru said, seeing the youngest brother was the least drunk of the four of them, which wasn’t saying much.
Another swayed where he sat as he warned, “You better take care of our lass, or you’ll answer to us.”
“He treats me good, Olin,” Dru assured him.
“He better or he’ll have the four of us beating on him,” the last four of the brothers said.
“Not necessary, Atley. My husband does right by me and keeps me safe,” Dru assured again.
Quim almost toppled over as he lowered himself to the ground. “Join us. We’ll drink to your marriage.”
“Got those barrels of ale from the monks, did you?” Dru asked with a nod at two small barrels close to Quim.
“They were happy to part with it,” Fyfe said.
“Of course they were,” Dru said with a chuckle, knowing full well the brothers had stolen the barrels.
“How do you fellows know my wife?” Knox asked.
The four turned silent.
“We don’t speak about that,” Quim said.
“It’s no one’s business,” Olin added.
Fyfe nodded. “It’s enough we call her friend.”
“No one would believe it anyway,” Atley said.
Dru shook her head at her husband, warning him not to pursue it.
Knox let it rest, though he would ask her later.
“We can’t linger,” Dru said. “We need to be on our way shortly but tell me if you know who may have placed a bounty on Autumn’s head.”
Knox admired the way his wife approached people for information without revealing the information she was actually looking for.
Quim shook his head. “No one knows. Whoever it is has remained anonymous.”
“Not a word of speculation of who it might be?” Dru asked, knowing the brothers liked to linger in talk to see what they might learn before divulging anything, and they always divulged—at least to her they did.
“You would think so,” Fyfe said, “but no word of any kind has been heard.”
Dru chuckled. “And you haven’t started one to see where it might lead?