Ransom by Julie Garwood Page A

festival. Now it’s gone.”
    â€œWhat happened to it?”
    â€œOne of the baron’s soldiers grabbed it from me. I saw him throw it on the chest in the great hall.”
    â€œWe’ll find a way to get it back,” she promised.
    â€œBut what are you gonna give me?” he asked again.
    She held up her hand. “Do you see this ring I’m wearing? I treasure it above all things.”
    In the dying light it was difficult to see the ring clearly. He pulled her hand toward him and squinted down at it. “It’s pretty.”
    â€œIt belonged to my grandmother. My uncle Morgan gave it to me on my last birthday. I’ll loop it through my ribbon and tie it around your neck. You’ll wear it under your tunic so the baron won’t see it.”
    â€œCan I keep it forever?”
    â€œNo, you can’t,” she said. “After I’ve kept my promise to you and gotten you safely home, you’ll give the ring back to me. Now close your eyes and try to sleep. Why don’t you think about how happy your parents are going to be when they see you again.”
    â€œMama will cry ’cause she’ll be so happy, and Papa will be happy too, but he won’t cry ’cause warriors never cry. He won’t be happy very long, though, ’cause I’m gonna have to tell him I disobeyed him.”
    â€œHow did you disobey him?”
    â€œHe told me not to go near the waterfall. He said it was too dangerous for a boy to play there ’cause the rocks were slippery, but I went anyway with my friend, and when I tell Papa, he’s gonna be mad at me.”
    â€œAre you afraid of your father?”
    He snickered. “I could never be afraid of my papa.”
    â€œThen why are you so worried?”
    â€œâ€™Cause he’ll make me take a walk with him, that’s why, and then he’ll make me think about what I did and tell him why it was wrong, and then he’ll punish me.”
    â€œWhat will he do?”
    â€œHe maybe won’t let me go riding with him for a spell . . . that would be the worst punishment ’cause I really like to ride on his lap. Papa lets me hold the reins.”
    She rubbed his back and suggested he not worry about it now.
    He wasn’t through confessing his sins. “But that’s not all I got to tell him,” he said. “I got to tell him what me and Michael did.”
    â€œYour friend’s name is also Michael?”
    â€œMy friend is Michael,” he said. “I told you, we were playing a trick.”
    â€œDon’t fret about it now. Your father isn’t going to care about a game you and your friend were playing.”
    â€œBut . . .”
    â€œSleep, “she ordered.
    He quieted down and was silent for several minutes. She thought he’d finally fallen asleep, and she turned her thoughts to more urgent matters.
    â€œYou know what?”
    She sighed. “No, what?”
    â€œI like you, but I don’t like most of the English. Uncle Ennis hates them all. He told me so. He says if you shake an Englishman’s hand, you’ll come away without your fingers, but that isn’t true, is it?”
    â€œNo, that isn’t true.”
    â€œAre you sorry you have to be English?”
    â€œNo, I’m just sorry Alford is.”
    â€œHe’s ignorant. You know why?”
    She had the feeling he wouldn’t let up until he had told her what was on his mind. “No, why?” she dutifully asked.
    â€œâ€™Cause he thinks I’m Michael.”
    She stopped rubbing his back and went completely still. “You aren’t Michael?”
    He rolled onto his back and then sat up to face her. “No, my friend’s Michael. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. The stupid baron thinks I’m Laird Ramsey’s brother, but I’m not. Michael is. That’s the trick we were playing. We changed plaids, and we were gonna