Free Ransom by Julie Garwood Page B

separated.”
    â€œIs your sister lost?”
    â€œNo, she isn’t lost. She was taken north into the Lowlands by one of my father’s loyal men. My Uncle Morgan went to great lengths to find out exactly where she was, but she had vanished into the Highlands. I’m not sure where she is now, but I hope one day I will find her.”
    â€œDo you miss her?”
    â€œYes, I do. I haven’t seen Christen in a long time though. I don’t think I’ll even recognize her. Uncle Morgan told me the family who took her might have changed her name to keep her safe.”
    â€œFrom the baron?”
    â€œYes,” she replied. “Still, she’ll remember me.”
    â€œBut what if she doesn’t?”
    â€œShe will,” she insisted.
    A long peaceful minute passed in silence before he spoke again. “You know what?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI can speak your language real good ’cause my mama taught me how to talk to the English even though Papa didn’t want her to and my papa only talks Gaelic to me. I don’t even remember learning how. I just did.”
    â€œYou’re a very smart boy.”
    â€œThat’s what my mama says. Some Gaelic’s hard totalk,” he continued, “’cause clans got their own way of saying things and it takes a long time to learn all the different words. When Uncle Brodick talks to me, he has to talk my Gaelic or I wouldn’t know what he was saying, but it wouldn’t matter if you could understand what they were saying ’cause you know why? They wouldn’t talk to you unless my uncle told them to.”
    â€œWhy wouldn’t they talk to me?”
    He gave her a look that suggested she was just plain stupid. He was such an adorable little boy she had to fight the urge to hug him.
    â€œâ€™Cause you’re English,” he explained in exasperation. “It’s gonna get dark,” he worried out loud. “Are you gonna be afraid of the dark the way you were afraid of looking down?”
    â€œNo, I won’t be afraid.”
    He was trying to get her to put her arm around his shoulders but she wasn’t taking the hint, and in frustration, he finally grabbed hold of her hand and did it for her.
    â€œYou smell like my mama.”
    â€œAnd how’s that?”
    â€œGood.”
    His voice cracked on the word, and she surmised he was getting homesick again.
    â€œMaybe the baron won’t find us.”
    â€œHis soldiers will see the rope tied around the boulder,” she gently reminded him.
    â€œI don’t want to go back.”
    He burst into tears. She leaned over him and brushed his curls out of his eyes and kissed his forehead. “Hush now, it’s going to be all right. I promise you, I’m going to find a way to get you back home.”
    â€œBut you’re just a lady,” he wailed.
    She tried to think of something to ease his mind and give him hope. His sobs were breaking her heart, and in desperation, she blurted out, “You know what a protector is, don’t you?”
    He hiccuped while he answered. “It’s the same as a champion.” He sat up and mopped the tears away from his cheeks with his fists. “I had me a protector, and then I got another one. The day I was born I got one ’cause every bairn born in our clan gets to have one. He’s supposed to look out for the boy or girl all his life long to make sure nothing bad ever happens to him. Angus used to be my champion, but then he died.”
    â€œI’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “I’m sure Angus was a fine protector.”
    She was getting weary, and it was difficult to keep up with the idle chatter. Her arm was throbbing and felt as though it had been held over a flaming torch. As exhausted as she was from the long trip back to Dunhanshire, she still was determined to keep the boy occupied with conversation until he became too sleepy to