“That is ridiculous. It canna be because she is pregnant. Not this soon.” Lorna struggled to keep her voice to a whisper. “She only had sex with him two days ago. Jumping the gun a bit on the theatrics, is she not?”
“Jumping the gun?” he repeated slowly.
“An old saying I will explain later.” She was too feckin’ tired to filter her words and translate them into seventeenth-century vernacular. “Did ye tell Forsy to watch the she-devil close and report everything?”
“Of course,” he said, giving her a disgruntled cut of his eyes.
“What about that brother of hers? Laird Leckness?” The man had only made a rare appearance or two outside their rooms ever since they arrived. “Is he still sick?”
“He may have died by now, for all I know.” Jasper snorted his disgust. “According to the maids, the lazy bastard only rises from his bed to foul the chamber pot. He’s nay allowed them to change his bed linens since he and Lady Murdina arrived.”
“Odd behavior for a laird.” Lorna wished she could remember some sort of history about Clan Auchinleck, but for the life of her, she couldn’t. “If ye were him, would ye not be concerned about getting back to yer clan no matter how small it was?”
“I fear our new solicitor didna check them as closely as he claimed.” Jasper bared his teeth as though about to growl. “’Tis a man I sought on the recommendation of our old solicitor’s brother.”
“What happened to the old solicitor?”
“Dead.”
“Ye dinna think they paid yer new solicitor off, do ye?” Under the circumstances, and from what Jasper said, Lorna didn’t trust any of them.
“If I find out they did…” The war chief left it at that. His deadly tone and fierce expression left no doubt about his intentions.
She leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes, and massaged her temples. So much deception—or at least ways of possible deceit. She’d always thought the past was simpler. How wrong she was.
“Mrs. Thistlewick was right,” Jasper said, interrupting her muddled thoughts. “Ye should go to yer bed.”
“I promised him I would stay.” She lifted her head and pulled in a deep breath. “Once he is more comfortable, I will go to bed.” Squaring her shoulders, she forced herself to stand taller. “The guards know Murdina is not allowed out of her rooms, aye?”
“Of course.” Jasper snorted. “The entire clan is aware she attempted to kill our chief.” Then he grinned. “Murdina? Are ye that familiar with the witch?”
“The only title she deserves is Rat Queen. Notlady.”
The library door swung open, and a smiling Mrs. Thistlewick ushered the lads with the buckets out and waved Lorna inside. “He is asking for ye, lass.” She arched a brow at Jasper and gave a leery shake of her head. “He wishes to speak with ye as well. Tread carefully, war chief.”
Lorna patted him on the arm and winked. “Dinna worry. I will protect ye.”
He rolled his eyes. “I thank ye, mistress.” With a bow, he held the door for them. “After ye, dear ladies.”
The housekeeper shook her head. “I am off to brew another tisane. The one I got down him willna grant him much relief because most of it came back up.” Beaming a proud smile, she added, “But he is already finding some ease from what little stayed in him.” With her clacking heels marking her steps, she headed down the hall at an impressive pace.
“Are ye coming in here or no’?” Gunn bellowed.
Lorna rounded the end of the couch. “Ye nearly scared me away. I thought it was a sore-tailed bear that had gotten in here and started growling.”
“I am a feckin’ sore-tailed bear.” He raked a hand down his face, then irritably plucked at the blankets covering him. “And that old woman is trying to bake me alive. She had the lads stoke the fire, then piled every cloth in the keep on top of me.”
Lorna couldn’t help but laugh. Gunn apparently didn’t handle ailing well and had recovered enough to complain. A good sign indeed. “How about if I remove all the blankets but one, aye? I am sure Mrs. Thistlewick is just trying to sweat the last of the poison out of ye.”
“And that is another thing.” With eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot, he shoved himself higher up in the pillows and glowered at Jasper. “Tell me again where ye found that woman.”
The war chief swiped a hand across his brow. “Itisa mite warm in here.” He frowned at the fire roaring in the hearth. “Shall I tame the blaze a bit before it reaches the soot and shoots flames out the chimney?”
“If I were not so weak, I would rise from here and thrash yer arse for ye, man. Answer the question. Ye told me Clan Auchinleck’s solicitor contacted ye when we made it known I wished to marry again and had offered a contract with terms. That woman told me their solicitor is alsooursolicitor. Were ye aware of that?”
Lorna pulled up a footstool beside the couch, lowered herself to it, and rested a hand on Gunn’s chest. His heart pounded strong but fast. He needed to settle down. “Ye need to breathe and calm yerself. This does not all have to be resolved this verra second. It is not even dawn yet.”
“I canna rest until I know the answers to all the questions I should have asked before I allowed that foul woman into my keep.” His jaw hardened and his mouth flexed into a taut, frustrated line. “I was a fool to trust so blindly. I willna be such a fool again.”
