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“I love Torridon with all of my heart, and to see it and my loyal subjects so badly assaulted pains me deeply,” she said.

“Therefore, I beg you to understand what I am about to say. We cannot take any more of these barbaric attacks. We are losing men-at-arms by the tens and, very soon, we will have no one to defend our walls. And you, my brave knights, I fear I will lose one or more of you at any time. And that, I cannot bear. My reason tells me to fight until there is nothing left for Colin Dalmellington to take, but my heart says to save Torridon any way that I can. I choose to listen to my heart.”

Sully stiffened in his seat. She had said nothing to him about this, but he knew she’d been agonizing over the situation for quite some time. Yesterday’s battle had been particularly bad. Now, a warning bell went off in his mind.

Good Lord, he thought . What is brewing inside that pretty little head?

She didn’t keep him waiting.

“I have decided to travel to Burnton Castle and discover what will pacify Colin Dalmellington,” she said firmly. “Whatever it is, within my power, I shall give it to him.”

The knights bolted to their feet, all loudly protesting her decision and declaring their intention to fight until there was no breath left in their bodies. Josephine had expected this and she stood as well, holding up her hands for silence.

“Gentle knights, please,” she begged. “There is no other choice, as I can see it. But if any of you have suggestions, now is the time.”

They quieted somewhat as if contemplating alternative plans, looking at each other in discussion or yelling across the table.

Only Sully was silent, watching his fellow knights in their animated conversations.

Still, his mind was working swiftly– he truly wasn’t surprised to hear of her decision, and it wasn’t as if he entirely disagreed.

It was obvious that she meant to do something to spare her castle and her people, but what would be the least dangerous option for her?

Would walking into the Dalmellington lair be her best choice? He didn’t think so.

“Dalmellington will demand a marriage,” Albert, a burly and younger knight, was almost yelling. “The bastard will marry her to some lout-headed relative!”

“No, no,” said fair-haired Severn. “He’ll demand all of Torridon’s riches and her title!”

“Ye’re both wrong, laddies,” Quig, the ruddy Scotsman, cut in with his usually calm fashion. “He’ll demand her maidenhead. He never could keep his eyes off our mistress.”

Josephine’s bile rose at that thought. Oh, Sweet Jesus, would he really?

Would the man be low enough to demand such a thing?

She stepped away from the table as her men argued and wandered to the wall where the swords and shields of her father hung.

She was still so young, never having any true responsibility in life until Hugh died.

She’d never had to make a serious decision in her life.

And that inexperience was showing.

Josephine had awakened in the dead of darkness last night, her mind churning with worry.

That happened often but, this time, it had been different.

She had had a dream that her father stood on the drawbridge of Torridon, looking at his devastated fortress with such sadness that Josephine sensed he believed all of Torridon’s problems were her fault.

She had taken his once-magnificent castle and run it right into the ground.

Na?ve as she was to the ways of the world, somehow Josephine believed that reasoning with Colin Dalmellington would solve the situation.

Sweet Jesus, she had tried! She had tried so hard to keep Torridon running as smoothly as her father had, but she had one thing to contend with that her father hadn’t– Dalmellington attacks.

She wasn’t even sure Hugh could have defended the castle more ably than she had.

Josephine turned from the wall and walked back to her knights.

Her usually confident self was damaged, but her pride still was intact.

They were still arguing over the best course of action and she found herself sincerely hoping they would come up with a better solution than she did, because she most certainly didn’t want to surrender her virginity to Colin Dalmellington. The mere thought made her ill.

Returning to the table, she stood by her chair as her knights continued to debate the issue. She wasn’t hearing anything that seemed like a better solution to the problem but, out of the arguing, Sully’s voice could be heard.

“I may have a solution,” he said.

Instantly, the other conversations ceased, all eyes turning to him. But Sully only had eyes for Josephine.

“I believe the problem lies in the fact that we have lost so many men,” he said matter-of-factly.

“In the beginning, when we were eight hundred men strong, we were only concerned with defending Torridon and not launching counterattacks. We assumed, wrongly, that Dalmellington would tire of his game. But he has chipped away and chipped away until we now only possess enough men to barely defend ourselves, to say nothing of a counterattack. Our villeins are fleeing and our remaining men are discouraged. What used to be one of the strongest fortresses in all of Scotland is now in shambles.”

The knights were silent. Sadness was reflected in their eyes. Josephine looked as if she were about to cry. Sully continued.

“What Torridon still possesses, however, is her last coffers of wealth,” he said. “Money is not lacking, so I contend that we hire a mercenary army to help us rebuild and launch an attack that will wipe out Burnton Castle and the Dalmellingtons once and for all.”

Josephine’s lips parted in surprise. Of course! Hire an army! Why hadn’t she thought of that before? With growing eagerness, she took her chair and fixed her eyes on Sully.

“Do you know of one?” she asked eagerly.

“Not personally,” he said. “But it is well known that The Red Fury is the fiercest mercenary in all of England and Scotland. He commands over a thousand men and there isn’t an army around that can best him.”

The Red Fury ! Of course, Josephine had heard that name.

Hardly a person in England and Scotland hadn’t.

The man was English, she’d heard, but he did a great deal of business in Scotland fighting wars for Scottish lairds.

It was said that The Red Fury could lick any army, anywhere. Most sane men feared him.

Was it possible she could hire him to defeat Dalmellington?

“Do you think he would assist us?” Josephine asked. “For the right price, of course.”

A lazy grin creased Sully’s lips. “My lady,” he said. “He would assist the devil himself for the right price, to be sure.”

Josephine’s mind was working furiously. It was an astonishingly simple solution and she was truly ashamed she’d not thought of it herself.

“How much will it cost?” she inquired, perhaps a little hesitantly. “Will it be expensive?”

Sully cocked his head, glancing at Etienne before answering. Etienne gave him a quick lift of the eyebrows.

“Perhaps ten thousand marks,” he said finally. “Mayhap more.”

Josephine’s mouth fell open in outrage. “Ten thousand ma…” she sputtered. “God’s Toes! I could buy half of Scotland for that amount of money! They shouldn’t call themselves mercenaries; they should just call themselves thieves and do away with the veil of deception!”

She threw herself against the back of the chair, her expression a cross between anger and disbelief. If the mercenary would really cost ten thousand marks, then hiring him would take everything they had.

“My lady,” Sully said, seeing that she was discouraged. “Ten thousand marks for a one thousand man army. That is, at the very least, worth the money. Think of the security and stability they will bring to Torridon.”

“But it will take everything we have,” she said passionately. “And that is not where it will end. We will have to feed and house them here with our people. My God, when I think of all of the bastards we shall have running around next summer, it makes my head spin. Oh, Sweet Jesus…!”

She put out a weary hand over her eyes in a gesture of despair.

What Sully was proposing was the best possible solution and she knew it; they all knew it.

Josephine had been in favor of the idea until she found it would cost her ten thousand marks.

Mayhap it wasn’t as good an answer as she originally thought, but she seriously wondered if it was the only answer. A mercenary in their midst.

There was no other choice.

Josephine sighed heavily and looked at Sully.

Her lips formed a straight line in a gesture of resignation as she came to the conclusion that they’d all come to; this was the only real solution.

They’d already tried to fight off the Dalmellington forces themselves and they were near collapse. What they needed was a bigger army.

A professional army.

“Very well, Sully,” Josephine said finally. “If you feel this is the right thing to do, then… then I suppose we have little choice. Find The Red Fury and hire his army. Make it so.”

Sully had to admit that he was relieved to hear her command. He’d had his doubts. But even Josephine could see that it was their only answer, even if it would drain their coffers. But at least they’d have their fortress saved from the Dalmellington onslaught.

And a mercenary to save them.

“Aye, my lady,” he said quietly. “I will do what I can.”

The decision had been made. Josephine watched her knights leave the room and wondered if she made the right decision. Sweet Jesus, a mercenary army at Torridon! She’d have to make sure all of the valuables were hidden away, and that none of the women were ever alone or without an escort.

And then there was her sister.

Justine would be in her glory with all of the soldiers to tell fortunes to, but not if Josephine could help it. She wondered how Justine would react to being locked up in the tower indefinitely.