“Me lady!” Rabbie’s relief at seeing her would have been gratifying if Iliana had not felt so incapable of managing this mess. ’Twas obvious she was the only one who seemed to realize how inadequate she was to the task.

Forcing a somewhat stiff smile for the man, Iliana took in the fact that he and the other remaining men were all busily shooting arrows down at the men on the other side of the wall. For all the good it appeared to be doing. Moving to the wall as he turned back to continue shooting his arrows, she leaned through an opening and peered down at the men below. The mangonel was positioned at the base of the causeway, directly across the moat. She supposed Greenweld had positioned it close by so that he could get maximum range into the keep. It might as well have been on the other side of the forest, for it was surrounded by men bearing shields. Even now they were preparing another ball of fire.

Iliana took in the collection of debris they were preparing to light. A glance back at the bailey showed women hurrying this way and that. Turning back, she shouted for Greenweld.

One of the figures disengaged himself from the crowd of men about the catapult and moved to stand behind the barrier of shields to peer up. “Would that be my sniveling brat of a daughter?” he bellowed.

“I’m no daughter of the devil!” she snapped. “But you, sir, are a coward.”

“Coward, is it?”

“Aye! Only a coward would force a woman to marry him, then beat her near to death! And only a coward would sneak up on his adversary as you have done!”

“’Tis not my fault your husband left you unprotected.” His words made Iliana’s gaze narrow, but before she could ponder them he roared, “Give her to me, brat!”

“Lady Dunbar to you…you pig!” Not very impressive, she decided glumly.

“Send her out! She is my wife by law. You cannot refuse me!”

“She is my mother. I cannot agree. Besides, I do not know that she is your wife any longer. The annulment may already be complete.”

Furious, Greenweld turned to yell at one of the men beside him, and an arrow came shooting toward her. Iliana instinctively thrust herself to the side, heart pounding as she heard the missile hiss by.

“You bastard!”

Iliana whirled back to the wall at that, gaping at her mother as she bellowed down at the men below. She had not even heard her join them on the wall. Neither had she ever heard her speak so.

“Turning your weapons on a female! Fie! Have you no shame at all?”

“Ah, my stubborn, shrewish wife.”

“Not for long! Mayhap not even now!”