the iron gate. It creaked and moaned while it was pulled up. “The lady may enter. Only the lady. Her escort will remain here. My men will take the trunks and deliver them once they have been searched.”
Arrogance and authority edged his words. Helena bristled beneath it but she knew the way the Tower worked. There was only one way to survive inside its walls. She reached into her doublet, the yeoman’s eyes following her motions. A hint of lust flickered in his eyes but it quickly changed to greed when she plucked a pound coin from her bodice. He licked his lower lip with anticipation.
“I place my faith in you, sir.”
The coin disappeared in his gloved hand in the blink of an eye. The rain continued to fall, drenching her dress. The cloak became heavy with water, pulling on her shoulders. Walking across the drawbridge, Helena shivered when she passed beneath the raised gate. The yeomen sent men into the rain to pick up her trunks. They hurried back across the length of the bridge on their way to shelter.
Helena stopped just on the other side of the raised gate. Farrell and the other McQuades looked more at ease in the weather than any Englishman in sight. They had a portion of their kilts pulled up over their heads but there wasn’t a miserable expression among them. They looked strong and invincible, exactly as she recalled from the first day she had laid eyes on Keir.
“We will be waiting on yer return, my lady. Right here.”
“I will not be leaving until you have found Raelin.”
Farrell scowled at her. He stepped forward but the yeomen instantly lowered their pikes to keep him on the outside of the tower.
Helena raised her voice so that the men behind him heard her.
“You promised Keir that you would not leave me unprotected. Look around; there is no more secure place than the Tower of London.”
“That is nae what my laird meant and you know it.” Farrell cast a look at the pikes, judging the men who held them. Helena stepped back and he frowned at her.
“Come back here.”
“Do you mean to tell me that you plan to place your faith in the English to recover Raelin McKorey?”
Several of the retainers behind him scoffed at her words. Farrell pressed his lips together.
“Ye’re trying to confuse me.” He dug into his own purse and produced a silver pound. He held it up. “One of ye be a good lad and give me mistress a push this way.”
“I have the king’s permission to see my husband.”
The captain of the yeomen gripped her arm. “You do, and you shall see him. That is my duty.”
Farrell snarled. “Be a good fellow and bring her back here.”
Another pound appeared in his fingers. It was a large amount of coins and a few of the yeomen looked at the grip the captain had on her.
“Farrell, stop it. Can’t you see that this is the only way that I can help? Keir is your laird. You must go looking for Raelin.”
The burly Scot was torn. She witnessed the battle in spite of the rain. The other clansmen frowned, clearly divided between loyalty to Keir’s last order and the need to do something other than stand watch over her.
Farrell replaced the money. He reached up and tugged on his cap. Approval shone from his eyes and it humbled her to see it.
“Are ye sure ye are nae a Celt, my lady? You have a very clever nature.”
Relief flooded her. “I am a woman. No matter where we are born, we females need be clever to survive.”
“See that ye do that, ma’am.”
There was a groan as the gate began coming down. So close to it, she flinched at the harsh metal-on-metal sound of the chain grinding against itself. The black iron gate shook when it connected with the drawbridge. It was such a final sound, one that shook her to her soul. How many nobles had listened to that same sound and never lived to cross back over the drawbridge? Farrell turned and took to his horse in powerful motions. She could see the impatience in every motion. Smiles split the lips of the other McQuade retainers, many of them turning to offer her a quick tug of their bonnets before they dug their heels into their mounts and galloped into the afternoon gloom.
It gave her hope. She clutched it tightly against her heart as she turned to look at the inner wall of