gaze again, and somehow, lifted her chin proudly.
Ignoring Alexander, who stared at them both now, Sir Neil said, “Lady, are ye certain? ’Tis not too late to change yer mind!”
If Sir Neil did not perform homage and swear fealty, he would be hanged. Margaret knew one thing—she would never let that happen. “I am not changing my mind, Sir Neil.” She spoke as firmly as she could, but heard the quaver in her own tone. Worse, she felt more hot tears burning her eyes.
His eyes filled with doubt. Margaret stepped forward and clasped his arm. “Please. We will fight for the Wolf now, we will fight for Bruce—we will put a Scot on the throne.”
His eyes flickered. She realized he might not be allied with Bruce, but he thought as she did—any Scot was better than King Edward.
Sir Neil smiled grimly at her and turned. “I beg your pardon, my lord,” he said.
“Ye have it,” Alexander said, and Margaret wondered at the slight flush mottling his high cheekbones.
Sir Neil knelt, extended his hands, and swore to be faithful to Alexander for the rest of his life, God strike him down otherwise. Alexander took his hands and accepted the pledge. When Sir Neil had arisen to his full height, Alexander dropped his hands. He did not clasp his shoulder, as he had thus far done to the previous men. For one moment, the two men stared at one another—as if antagonists, not friends.
“I will treat ye well, as long as ye remain faithful,” the Wolf said.
“I dinna care how ye treat me. She is my lady, ye must treat her well,” Sir Neil said.
“Go and receive your weapons and join my men,” Alexander returned evenly. But he glanced at Margaret, as did Sir Neil.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
