“Only the men who sailed with you,” Brodie answered.
“I told no one,” Laurel added. “That means one of them got word to Henry.”
“I’m taking you to our chamber, Em. Laurel, will you come and stay with Emelie, please?” Laurel nodded, but Emelie opened her mouth to argue. Dominic lowered his voice, thick with emotion. “I ken ye want to ken what’s happening. I will never leave here without telling ye that I’m going. But ye have been out of bed too long. I can see shadows forming under yer eyes. Ye need to rest. Yer mind is willing, but yer body isnae able. Brodie and I must see to the men. We need to ken who betrayed us.” Dominic leaned farther forward until he whispered in Emelie’s ear. “I dinna need Micheil hearing this. We need to ken if our men’s involvement has aught to do with Graham wanting to be laird, or if this is just aboot ye.”
Emelie nodded, not having considered that there might be a bigger issue at hand. If this was connected to Graham and Colina’s plot, then they weren’t the only treasonous members of the clan. It was a far greater matter than any of them may have known. While Graham was no longer alive to assume the lairdship, there might be clan members embittered by that or who supported Graham’s claim that Brodie shouldn’t be laird.
With her concession, Dominic scooped her into his arms. While Dominic and Emelie headed to the stairs, Laurel offered to arrange for a guest chamber for Micheil, but he declined. It was clear he didn’t want to linger and get further involved in the Campbells’ affairs than he already was. Emelie bid him farewell as Dominic carried her abovestairs.
Once Emelie settled into bed, she felt the remnants of her energy drain away. Dominic had been right that she needed rest. She’d known it before he said anything, but she had wanted to miss none of the conversation. Too many things were whirling around her, beyond her control. She didn’t want to be left in the dark.
“Em, I likely won’t leave until morn. This won’t be a quick conversation to discover who’s been spying for Henry. Obviously, Wallace wasn’t the only one involved. I suspect Wallace and whoever this other person is didn’t know they were both working for Henry. I also need to visit our prisoner.”
“I don’t think I can stay awake much longer,” Emelie said just before she yawned.
“Rest,mo chridhe. When I return, we can sup together, then decide on middle names for our bairn. Nic is growing on me.”
“I don’t like Emma any more than I did before.” Emelie yawned again, but she decided that she would tell Dominic about the ancient prediction that said they were having a son. Emelie shifted further under the covers as her eyes slid shut. She was asleep before Laurel arrived and didn’t hear Dominic leave.
* * *
Dominic and Brodie had an unsuccessful visit with the imprisoned Pringle. The man knew no more than he’d already told them. Henry sent him to recruit someone in the Campbell clan to try to scare Emelie away. When Dominic confronted him about a second man, he shrugged and said he figured Henry arranged for more than one spy in case the Campbells captured one of his men.
Dominic met the men who sailed with him, the four men he’d brought to sail the boat and return it to Kilchurn, plus the men he’d tasked months ago to be Emelie’s personal guards. They met in confidence in Brodie’s solar, where Dominic told them he and Emelie were leaving again. This time they would sail to Fraoch Eilean, a small island in Loch Awe that had a Campbell keep on it. It would take less than a half an hour to reach it.
* * *
Dominic and Brodie stood together at the parapet and looked out to the land on the other side of the postern gate. It was gloaming, and just enough light remained for them to see. Tucked in the shadows, they were unnoticeable to anyone who didn’t stand within a few feet. They watched as the postern gate swung open, and a man stepped through. Dominic was certain he would be ill. He watched Alec, a man he’d trusted his entire life, look around. Alec moved into the retaining wall’s shadow and leaned back. From their position, the brothers could still see him. Dominic’s fists burned as he clenched them.
Just as Dominic was about to run down the steps and confront Alec, another man approached from the right. Whoever it was wore a plaid and had likely come from the front gate. As the unidentified man passed Alec, the latter knocked the former to the ground. Alec straddled the man’s chest, pinning his arms to the ground.
“Ye would betray him after everything he’s done for ye.” Alec’s accusation floated up to the parapet. “He trusted ye. Lady Emelie gave yer family clothes and food when yer croft practically caved in after the storms. Ye repay her by helping a mon nearly kill her.”
“She’s a whore!”
Dominic recognized the man’s voice as one of the birlinn’s crew. It belonged to Stanley, one of the men he’d sparred with the day he arrived with Emelie. He’d broken Stanley’s nose for insulting Emelie, but that was many months ago. Dominic thought Stanley now held a different opinion about Emelie. He was also a skilled sailor, so Dominic had assigned him to the mission. While he hadn’t liked him since they were children, he’d believed he could trust the man’s honor. Dominic breathed easier to know the traitor wasn’t Alec, Garrett, Davey, or Tim. He believed he could still entrust Emelie’s life with them.
“Call her that again,” Alec warned. “And ye willna live long enough for Dominic to mete out justice. Ye have nay right to make such accusations. And even if the shite ye were shoveled were true, who the bluidy hell cares? The laird has a son now. Who cares what Lady Emelie did or didna do before she married Dom? It’s nay one’s business but their own. Ye ken ye willna survive this. Was it worth the coin? Was it worth the shame ye’ll bring yer family? Ye will die a traitor’s death. Why?”
“Graham was the auld laird’s first son, the one he wanted. He should have led us,” Stanley argued.
“Ye would side with a bastard taking his place as laird, but ye would have a woman harmed for supposedly carrying one.” Disgust resonated in Alec’s voice. “Who is this mon?”
“I dinna ken his name. I dinna care. I ken to look for a mon with light wavy hair and green eyes,” Stanley spat without thinking. He’d just let slip a valuable piece of information.
Alec rose to his feet and pulled Stanley with him. Stanley tried to break free. “I will kill ye if ye keep me from delivering ma message,” Stanley warned as he drew a dirk.
“And I will kill ye if ye move even a hair,” Dominic called down as he raised the bow he’d propped beside him as they waited. He had an arrow nocked and pointed at Stanley. “Ye’ve never kenned when to keep yer mouth shut. Now ye’re going to put yer blathering to use.”
Dominic and Brodie wound their way down to the ground as Alec dragged Stanley through the postern gate and shoved him at Dominic, who gave the bow to Brodie and drew his sword. Stanley kneeled before Dominic, a mutinous glare directed at the tánaiste.
“Kill me like ye did Wallace. He kenned the truth too. Yer wife is a whore!” Stanley bellowed the last sentence, drawing attention from the few people who milled around the bailey before the evening meal. Shocked whispers echoed against the retaining wall.
“I’ll kill the maggot for ye, Dom,” Anthony, the blacksmith, offered as he stepped away from his forge.
“Beat him,” came a woman’s voice.
“He brought another whore into our clan,” Stanley argued.
