Read Online Highland Lover: Book 3 Scottish Knights Trilogy by Amanda Scott - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amanda Scott
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may say what you like to us.”
Looking down, Will muttered, “Nay, sir. It were nowt.”
“Speak louder, Will,” Alyson said. “I doubt he could hear you.”
Sensing that the boy had thought better of what he had nearly said, and realizing that his silence might have something to do with Alyson, Jake said, “He can tell us later. Meantime, my plan is to find the north-side harbor, beach this coble, and seek shelter for the night.”
“Where?”
“Flamborough must be that clutch of lights atop the headland, and it looks big enough for an alehouse. Also, it lies too far from Bridlington to draw anyone from there in this weather. Still, I’ll wager that if we can find an alehouse there or nearby, we’ll soon hear news of those five ships.”
Giving him a searching look, her demeanor as serene as if she were sitting by her own hearth fire, she said, “I want to learn what they’ve done with my husband, sir. Will said the pirates threw men overboard if they did not obey fast enough. Niall is a complaisant man, so I doubt that he would be one of those. Even so…”
“I understand, my lady. Forbye, you must not show yourself anywhere near those ships. When we make landfall and get our bearings, we’ll learn what we can. You should know, though, that if those pirates discover what prizes they hold in Orkney and Jamie, they’ll guard them well.”
Will looked up at him, clearly about to speak again.Then, tightening his lips, the boy looked away. They had rounded the headland, so although his behavior made Jake more curious than ever, he resisted the urge to question him and fixed his attention on finding the harbor.
The wind now behind them, they sailed parallel to the headland’s looming chalk cliffs. With their tall columns, arches, and caves, they made an impressive sight even at dusk. As Jake had expected, pinpricks of light showed in cottages atop the headland and here and there around the bay, marking its shoreline. Shifting his attention back to the headland, he saw the opening in the cliffs.
“There, Mace!” he shouted. “Just off the port bow. See it?”
“Aye, Cap’n,” Mace shouted from the stern. “D’ye think it might harbor ships as big as them others?”
“According to the
Sea Wolf
’s rutter, it can take one or two large ones. I doubt they’d risk trying to take five such into it, though.”
Will said, “What if there be rocks?”
“If we keep to the center of the opening, we’ll have good clearance, lad.”
“What of the tide?” Alyson asked. “Is it going in or coming out?”
“Coming out,” Jake said. “These rollers will make any landing a challenge, but that beach is said to be safe in all but the highest spring tides. I doubt we’ll need the coble again, in any event.”
His last statement stunned Alyson. “But what if we do?”
“We won’t. As you see, this wide-mouthed bay provides little protection against the wind. We’re nobbuteight miles from our meeting place and can walk it faster and safer than we could sail it against such fierce winds as these.”
“Doubtless, you’re right,” she said, thinking in truth that after their wild ride, once she was out of the tossing coble, she would be grateful to walk.
Looking up at the high, cave-ridden headland above them and seeing no sign of any inlet from where she sat, she hoped again that Jake knew what he was doing.
“Coo, them cliffs reach tae the sky,” Will said. “If there do be a beach in amongst them somewheres, how will we get up from it tae yon village?”
“Where there is a harbor, there will be a path,” Jake said.
“Most often, aye,” Will agreed. “But I’ll believe in it when I can see it.”
Nearly agreeing with that earnest declaration, Alyson noted that Jake had fixed his gaze on a point ahead of them, doubtless the opening of the harbor that he had mentioned to his man. She would have liked to see where they were going. But she could not even see the shore there over
Looking down, Will muttered, “Nay, sir. It were nowt.”
“Speak louder, Will,” Alyson said. “I doubt he could hear you.”
Sensing that the boy had thought better of what he had nearly said, and realizing that his silence might have something to do with Alyson, Jake said, “He can tell us later. Meantime, my plan is to find the north-side harbor, beach this coble, and seek shelter for the night.”
“Where?”
“Flamborough must be that clutch of lights atop the headland, and it looks big enough for an alehouse. Also, it lies too far from Bridlington to draw anyone from there in this weather. Still, I’ll wager that if we can find an alehouse there or nearby, we’ll soon hear news of those five ships.”
Giving him a searching look, her demeanor as serene as if she were sitting by her own hearth fire, she said, “I want to learn what they’ve done with my husband, sir. Will said the pirates threw men overboard if they did not obey fast enough. Niall is a complaisant man, so I doubt that he would be one of those. Even so…”
“I understand, my lady. Forbye, you must not show yourself anywhere near those ships. When we make landfall and get our bearings, we’ll learn what we can. You should know, though, that if those pirates discover what prizes they hold in Orkney and Jamie, they’ll guard them well.”
Will looked up at him, clearly about to speak again.Then, tightening his lips, the boy looked away. They had rounded the headland, so although his behavior made Jake more curious than ever, he resisted the urge to question him and fixed his attention on finding the harbor.
The wind now behind them, they sailed parallel to the headland’s looming chalk cliffs. With their tall columns, arches, and caves, they made an impressive sight even at dusk. As Jake had expected, pinpricks of light showed in cottages atop the headland and here and there around the bay, marking its shoreline. Shifting his attention back to the headland, he saw the opening in the cliffs.
“There, Mace!” he shouted. “Just off the port bow. See it?”
“Aye, Cap’n,” Mace shouted from the stern. “D’ye think it might harbor ships as big as them others?”
“According to the
Sea Wolf
’s rutter, it can take one or two large ones. I doubt they’d risk trying to take five such into it, though.”
Will said, “What if there be rocks?”
“If we keep to the center of the opening, we’ll have good clearance, lad.”
“What of the tide?” Alyson asked. “Is it going in or coming out?”
“Coming out,” Jake said. “These rollers will make any landing a challenge, but that beach is said to be safe in all but the highest spring tides. I doubt we’ll need the coble again, in any event.”
His last statement stunned Alyson. “But what if we do?”
“We won’t. As you see, this wide-mouthed bay provides little protection against the wind. We’re nobbuteight miles from our meeting place and can walk it faster and safer than we could sail it against such fierce winds as these.”
“Doubtless, you’re right,” she said, thinking in truth that after their wild ride, once she was out of the tossing coble, she would be grateful to walk.
Looking up at the high, cave-ridden headland above them and seeing no sign of any inlet from where she sat, she hoped again that Jake knew what he was doing.
“Coo, them cliffs reach tae the sky,” Will said. “If there do be a beach in amongst them somewheres, how will we get up from it tae yon village?”
“Where there is a harbor, there will be a path,” Jake said.
“Most often, aye,” Will agreed. “But I’ll believe in it when I can see it.”
Nearly agreeing with that earnest declaration, Alyson noted that Jake had fixed his gaze on a point ahead of them, doubtless the opening of the harbor that he had mentioned to his man. She would have liked to see where they were going. But she could not even see the shore there over
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