Winning the Highlander's Heart (39 page)

When the squire left, Conan said, “
See if you can guess this riddle then if you may.  I am scratched by the shin bones of the horse and deer, poked with wooden poles on sunny days, glisten in the sunlight, become bone once more at sunset.”

“Anice?” Malcolm asked.

She’d had many a day ice skating in such a manner on Loch Affric.  “Aye, frozen water.” 

“The lady has guessed correctly.”

Everyone cheered.

Malcolm rose from his seat to conclude the feast.  He’d been anxious to end the feast before it had even begun, but the reason had been to get Anice alone with him.  But now that a clue to the murder of Anice’s uncle had come to light, he wanted to find out more about that at once.

He was certain she wished a word with the cook, but he wanted his bride nowhere near anyone who could have done anything so evil.  Yet he suspected he was in for another battle if he tried to deny her right to question the woman.

He straightened his shoulders.  He was the lord of the manor now and his word was law.

He raised his arm to escort Anice out of the hall, so that those of the head table could leave afterwards and everyone else quit the room after that.

Turning to Angus who followed behind him, he said, “Play a board game with the baron.  I will join you after a bit.”

The disappointment in Angus’s face shown.  He wanted to see what had occurred with Dougald, too.  But Angus also knew Malcolm was his laird for now, and he had just as important a mission to perform.  Keep the baron under their watchful eye and from causing more trouble.

Malcolm motioned to two of Anice’s men.  “Join Laird Angus and the baron and have the butler ensure the men are well served.”

“Aye, milaird.”

He had no intention of leaving his youngest brother in the baron’s sights without him having men-at-arms to watch his back.

Malcolm spoke to Nola when she joined them.  “Lady MacNeill will retire to her chamber.  See that she is ready for me when I return.”

“You may pull down the coverlet and sprinkle the bed with fresh flowers.  I will join you in a little while,” Anice countermanded.

“Aye, milady.”  She looked from Anice to Malcolm.

“You cannot come with me, Anice,” Malcolm said firmly.

“I want to speak with the woman, too, milaird.  I have every—”

“I wish it not.  ‘Tis bound to get brutal and I dinna wish you to see or hear what is said.  Please, do as I ask.”

She hesitated, then in a huff, she stormed for the stairs.

He sighed deeply when her ladies hurried after her.  Anice was bound to be a terror when he retired with her later that eve.  So much for getting her in the mood for what was to come.  Yet if she saw their interrogation of the cook, how would that make her feel?  Certainly not in the mood for lovemaking either.

He strode toward the stairs and started down them.  Gavin MacNair joined him.  “You have sent Cawley to watch over the baron, and he told me to watch over ye, milaird.”

Malcolm smiled.  “The man is a fine Scotsman.”

“Aye, he says he is glad the lady found a Scot to wed and nay a Norman.”

Pray the king felt as reassured about the matter as one of Anice’s staff when he learned of their marriage.

Chapter Fifteen

Anice only went as far as the entrance to her chambers, then as soon as the ladies stepped into the room, she turned and hurried back toward the stairs.

“Milady!” Nola said, chasing after her, with the other women gaining ground.

“I have business I must take care of.  One of you may come with me, but nay more.”

“You cannot go to the dungeon after Laird MacNeill told you to wait for him in your chamber,” Nola warned.

Anice wondered if Nola had been too long under the influence of Mai.  “I have nay intention of going to the dungeon.  ‘Tis a dank, dark, horrifying place.”  She shuddered.  Though she wished to speak to the cook, she knew it was best left to men this time, but she wasn’t about to give up the investigation to them.  With everyone so preoccupied, she’d investigate elsewhere.

“With the baron’s men here, you cannot have just one lady with ye.  ‘Tis too dangerous, kenning Fontenot wants you for his own,” Nola said.

“Aye, two ladies then.”

“Where are you off to, milady?”

Anice stopped at the bottom of the steps.  “Mary and Venetia, return to my chamber and prepare it as his laird has asked.  Morrigan and Nola, you come with me, but if you do not be quiet and you get in the way, I will send you to my chamber also.”

The two women nodded, wide-eyed.  She knew they’d rather join her on her adventure and find out what she was up to.  Though Nola was too much like Mai, and might try to stop her, she had the heart of a feral cat, courageous and curious.  But Venetia was too sweet to deal with matters as grave as this.  Mary would have been fine, but Anice really wanted to do the investigation alone.  Too many she feared would scare any away who might confess something to her.  Morrigan would watch her back without a word of complaint and do a fine business of it.  The lady would have made a braw warrior had she been born a man.

Anice continued to the kitchen and when she reached there, she found the kitchen staff sitting at the long table, eating leftovers from the meal.  Everyone hurried to rise.

She motioned for them to take their seats, then she spoke to the head cook.  “Tell me, Robina, what was said during the meal when the girl was found to have poisoned my uncle.”

The robust woman paled.  “Milady, the girl was not hired by me.”

“Nay, I ken that,” Anice hurried to reassure her.  The middle-aged woman had sneaked honeyed cakes to Anice when she was a wee lass, well, even when she was older.  Robina would never have harmed her uncle.  “The cook was hired by our steward, Laird MacKnight, true?”

“Aye, milady.”

Anice stared at the floor.  She’d never considered that possibility.  She had assumed Laird MacKnight was in on the killing of Laird Thompson.  Then she’d thought mayhap both he and her chamberlain, Laird Iverson, were all murdered by the baron’s men.  If the steward had hired the girl, had he been in on the plot all along?  Easily, he would have wanted Laird Thompson dead.  He’d always hated him.  Had he been angry with her uncle for not discharging the man?  When the baron schemed this plan to get rid of her uncle to have her and the properties for his own, did Laird MacKnight greedily go along with it so that he could keep his place as steward?

What of his wife?  Did he conveniently dispose of her, too?  Anice had never heard him have an ill word with his wife though.

She looked at the cook.  “What was said to the girl?”

“Gavin MacNair, who was serving ye and His Lairdship, asked who prepared the meals for His Lairdship.  He said Laird MacNeill was extremely pleased with the fine quality of the food’s presentation and wanted to thank whoever it was properly with a gift of coin.”

The woman glowered at one of the male cooks, then turned back to Anice.  “Any would have been tempted to say they had prepared the meal to win extra wages and praise from his lairdship.  Froman said he had prepared the meal, at which time I knocked him upside the head for lying and pointed to Gertunia.  Why would she no’ speak up for herself, I wondered.  Anytime the laird of the manor praises a servant’s work is naught to be ashamed of.  She paled as if she were going to faint and her eyes grew as round as my cakes.  MacNair dashed for her before she bolted into the kitchen garden.  I had nay idea what the matter was.  In fact, none of us did.  We thought the young man had gone quite mad.”

The cook took a deep breath.  “The MacNair’s face was ten times redder than I have ever seen it when he yanked the girl back into the kitchen.  Here we still had to get the next course of the meal out to ye, and we were frozen by what was taking place.”

“You did a fine job.  None of us knew what was happening.”

“Thank ye, milady.  I made everyone continue with their work as the squire pinned Gertunia to the floor and asked her who paid her to poison your uncle, milady.  That brought us all to a dead halt.  Froman took his knife and approached the girl, threatening to cut off her ears if she didna tell.”

Froman gave a satisfied look and folded his arms.

“Your uncle very much liked us and rewarded us verra well.  So Froman was pretty hot that this slip of a girl might have killed your uncle.”

Anice nodded, trying to keep the tears in abeyance. 

“She confessed.  The wicked thing.”

“Who paid her?”

“She said she did not ken.  That a man had given her the money.”

Anice groaned, wondering how many more of her staff were involved in the hideous crimes against her uncle and the other courtiers.  “One of our staff?” she asked, her voice shaky, hating to hear that it was so.

“Aye, it had to be.  There were nay others here at the time visiting.”

“Had she tried to poison Laird MacNeill this verra eve?”

“Aye, she was paid again, this time to murder him.  Only MacNair must have worried one of the cooks had poisoned your uncle and would do the same thing to the new laird of the manor.”

Anice held onto the table.

Froman jumped up and offered her his seat.

She shook her head and tried to settle her queasy stomach, straightening her back.  “Did she give any description of the man?”

“Nay, milady, but the men will get it out of her.”

Anice didn’t even want to envision what that would entail.  She’d seen a murderer beaten half to death when the villagers were trying to get a confession out of him before her uncle condemned him to death.  For a year, she’d had nightmares over it.  ‘Twas a horrible thing and she knew the men would not be gentle when getting the truth out of the woman who helped to murder the laird they’d served and loved.

“Do any of you remember a man speaking to this girl at any time that seemed odd, out of place?”

Froman spoke, “No’ before as I am certain she was paid when none of us were aware she had poisoned your uncle, but a man approached her before we began the evening meal.  I dinna think a whole lot of it because she is young and bonny and some of the men...”  He stopped speaking as his cheeks grew red.  “Well, beg your pardon for speaking so frankly—”

“These times warrant the truth and every bit of it.  Continue.”

“Some of the lads oft visit three of the ladies here, so I dinna think it verra odd.”

Anice glanced at the ladies who all blushed.  “Except?”

“That Gertunia was not one of them.  She has kept to herself the whole time she has been here.  Like she was scared to death of all of us.  We have never mistreated her and are like a family.  Before preparations of the evening meal, the squire came to her, and they disappeared into the kitchen garden.  Cook was going to beat her if she left her duties just when we needed her, when here she planned a quick roll in the hay, beg your pardon, milady, with the man.  She suddenly burst into the kitchen, naught amiss with her gowns or veils and we assumed he had wanted her and she said nay.  But now it seems he told her to poison His Lairdship.”

Anice asked through clenched teeth, her anger bubbling hot in her veins.  “You ken the man’s name?”

Anice both dreaded and longed to know who the man was who paid to have the girl kill her uncle.  How could any of her staff have done anything so hideous?