“Someone cut down the hive,” Brodie whispered.
“How do ye ken?” Dominic asked as they stood beside the window embrasure. He was bone-weary. Despite sleeping, he didn’t feel rested. He’d woken several times to check on Emelie, who slept so soundly it scared Dominic even more.
“It was a clean cut, likely from a sword to keep whoever it was away from the hive. It wasna the weight that made it fall,” Brodie explained, forgoing his refined speech as he watched his brother. The deep lines around Dominic’s eyes and between his brows concerned him. He hadn’t seen his brother in such a state since their mother was dying.
“Who would do that?” Dominic wondered.
“I dinna ken. As far as I’ve noticed, everyone likes Emelie. She’s impressed them with how she helped while Laurel was ill, and they say she’s friendly with everyone. Dom, they ken Emelie isnae like Colina. The clan is glad ye handfasted. The only gossip is good.”
“But someone did this. Why?”
“All I can think is there’s someone who doesnae feel like everyone else. I dinna ken if this person doesnae like Emelie, or they dinna approve of ye remarrying.”
“Ye said a sword. That makes sense, but that makes it a mon. There are few women who could lift any sword high enough to cut down the hive, nor run fast enough to get away while carrying a sword.”
“Aye. That’s what Laurel pointed out. She’s asking discreet questions to see if she can learn who did this. Did any mon show Emelie attention while ye were gone? Anyone angry that she rebuffed them?”
“Nay. She would have told me. It would have made her uncomfortable.”
Brodie looked at his sister-by-marriage and nodded. “I dinna think she’ll ever keep secrets from ye unless she thinks it’ll protect ye. Laurel says she’s vera protective of ye. She doesnae like the idea that anyone might speak ill of ye, especially for bringing her here. Dom, I ken it hasnae been long, but I ken from ma own experience with Laurel. Ye’re falling in love with one another. If she thinks ye or yer position among the clan is in danger, she’ll say she wants to leave. Until we ken why this attack happened, ye canna let her entertain the idea for even a moment. Things have been quiet with the Lamonts and MacDougalls, but I dinna put aught past them.”
“I was thinking the same. I ken she’s concerned aboot people comparing her to Colina. The few times anyone has, it’s been to say how much they prefer Em to Colina. But could someone have sneaked inside the gates? How could they?”
“I dinna have an answer to that. But from now until we resolve this, we have to assume one of our enemies is lurking nearby.”
“Do ye think the incident with the piglet wasna an accident?”
“Mayhap. Noel swears up and down that he fastened the latch, and I believe him. He said a meaty bone his dog found distracted his animal. The dog distracted him. It gave someone the time to nudge the piglet out, and the dog chased it.”
“But why Emelie?”
“Because she’s the tánaiste’s wife. It makes me wonder if there was something genuinely wrong with Laurel. Are they attacking us through our women? It’s nae secret how I feel aboot Laurel, and people are noticing ye and Emelie are falling in love. It willna be long before people realize the only way to bring either of us to our knees is through our wives.”
“I dinna want to order Emelie to remain within the walls, especially since both accidents,” Dominic scowled, “happened in the bailey.”
“I dinna want to do that to Laurel either. She’ll accept it because she’ll understand, but it willna sit well with her if she canna go to the village. She’ll feel guilty for nae seeing to our people.”
“Emelie will feel the same. She enjoys going there. I dinna ken how she’s gotten the auld coots to like her so much, but she has.”
“I’ll send extra patrols out to see if there’s any sign that someone’s crossed onto our land. I would go, but I’m nae comfortable leaving Laurel, despite how much I want to find the bastard. I ken ye feel the same way.”
“I do. Brodie, ye’re right. I am falling in love with Emelie. It doesnae feel aught like before. I dinna ken what it was last time. Mayhap puppy love or infatuation, but this is vera different. I dinna want to say it isnae sweet because it is. Mayhap I’m more mature than I was before, but there’s a gravity that goes with ma feelings. It’s nae just lighthearted.”
“I canna say I was ever in love before I met Laurel, but I think ye are right that it is maturity. Age and experience have changed ye. Ye were still young when ye met Colina. Ye’d barely been tánaiste for a year, and she was the first lass to turn yer head for more than a tumble. Ye’re a different mon than ye were six months ago. I hate that it came aboot because of such pain, but ye have a wisdom that ye didna have before.” Brodie pulled Dominic in for a manly embrace that involved several thuds against each other’s backs. “Ye’ll always be ma baby brother, but there isnae a part of ye that I amnae proud of. I would have saved ye the heartache if I could. But I nae only love the mon ye are, I like all of ye.”
“Thank ye, Brodie. I didna realize the rift that she put between us. I thought it was just being a married mon. But I dinna feel it anymore, and I’m glad for that.”
“Me too.”
The men pulled apart as Emelie stirred. Brodie left the chamber with haste, and Dominic returned to the bed. He brushed hair from Emelie’s neck as she rolled over with a wince. She looked around, then struggled to sit up. Dominic helped her as she shifted to lean against him.
“Was that Brodie?”
“Aye. He came to tell me he thinks someone cut the hive on purpose.”
“I’m not surprised. I didn’t think aboot it once we came inside, but I thought someone was in the garden with me. I looked around but saw no one. It was only a moment after I turned back to the flowers that I heard the wasps.”
“I dinna ken who would do this, but Brodie and I now think the incident with the piglet wasna an accident too.”
