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Ridge, next to him astride his big, black horse, shook his head in disbelief. “God is watching over you, d’Vant,” he said. “That, my friend, was not a coincidence. God is on your side in this matter and we must make the best of it.”

Andrew nodded, feeling truly blessed by the coincidence.

In fact, he was in some disbelief about it.

But he looked to the men around him, seeing their grimly determined faces, and it occurred to him that each and every man thought this was his fight.

They all wanted to assist Andrew so badly that it was quite possible he might be pushed out of the way in their zeal.

Therefore, he felt the need to make things perfectly clear with them so there would be no mistake.

“Haldane’s chapel is large,” he said. “There is one entrance. And when we enter, you will disperse around the church. I am the one who will confront my brother. Your jobs will be to ensure Josephine is safe. That is the only reason you are here. Do you all understand?”

Sully and Donald nodded. Thane and Ridge were slower to respond. “But what happens if you are compromised, Andrew?” Thane wanted to know. “Are we to simply stand by and watch your brother kill you?”

Andrew thought seriously on that. “If he kills me, your lives are forfeit,” he said quietly. “He will not let you out of Haldane alive, not to mention what he would do to Josephine. If it seems as if I am to be defeated, then I want you all to promise me something.”

“What is that?” Thane asked.

“You take Josephine and you run,” Andrew said grimly. “Get her out of there. Thane, I already asked you once if you would take her to de Wolfe at Castle Questing. I will reiterate that request. Promise me… whatever happens, that you will make sure she is safe above all else.”

Thane sighed heavily; he didn’t like the thought of running off when Andrew needed him, but he knew he had little choice in the matter. He had a heavy burden to bear with keeping Josephine alive should Andrew be unable to.

“Aye,” he said reluctantly. “I swear she will be safe.”

That was all Andrew really wanted to hear.

Knowing that Josephine would be taken care of, even if he was unable to do it, was all that mattered.

With the confrontation with his brother looming on the horizon, he was oddly at peace.

Everything was coming together as it should, and he was content with it.

This was where he was meant to be, and he accepted that. He accepted that this was his destiny.

Now, he just had to live through it.

“Thank you,” he muttered to Thane. “Now, we are going into that church and find robes or cloaks that will be convincing. If we are going to pose as priests, then we should probably look like priests.”

With that, he turned his horse towards the church, spurring it onward. Donald followed him, but Sully, Thane, and Ridge were slower to respond. They watched the two men ride off across the old, dusty road.

“If he gets into trouble with his brother, I cannot say that I will run away and not help him,” Ridge muttered. “In fact, I know I will not. I will not watch The Red Fury cut down by a man who is wholly unworthy to do so.”

Thane nodded. Although he didn’t really know Ridge, he’d come to know him a little on their ride to Haldane and his impression was of a serious knight with strong loyalties. He liked him.

“Then I am comforted,” Thane said. “My responsibility is Lady Josephine. To know that you will look out for Andrew gives me great comfort.”

Sully was the last one to speak, his gaze lingering on the castle in the distance, wondering how on earth they ever got to this point.

Not two weeks ago, he and Josephine were fighting off the Dalmellington when the king sent word of his arrival to Torridon.

Now, Josephine was in grave danger from a man he didn’t even know and Andrew d’Vant’s life was on the line because of it.

God, it all seemed so far away from those days when all he had to worry about was an attack from Colin Dalmellington.

Times had changed, indeed.

“Josephine will not be easy to remove if she believes Andrew is in danger,” he finally said, turning to Thane. “I will have to help you. Trust me on this.”

A twinkle came to Thane’s eye. “Are you thinking she will punch me in the face much as she did the first time Andrew displeased her?”

Sully lifted his eyebrows. “You will be fortunate if that is all she does,” he said. Then, he tilted his head in the direction of the church. “Come along, now. Let’s get on with this.”

As the three of them headed towards the little church, Sully was still lingering on the situation and what lay ahead.

In truth, his concerns for Josephine weren’t far off– he doubted Thane would be able to remove her if she thought Andrew was in trouble.

Her instinct would be to fight for him, and that was one instinct Sully couldn’t allow her to give in to this time. It would be bad enough to lose Andrew.

But to lose Josephine would be devastating.

God help us…