“That must be our ride,” Dewi said.
Ten minutes later, the SUV pulled up in front of a small cottage located at the far rear of an estate, which bordered upon a large forest that wasn’t accessible to the public.
“That’s a step down in life, innit?”Aisling snarked as they got out.
“Yeah, well, based on the pics I saw,” Dewi said, “before Trevor had the manor house converted, it was a dump on the inside.”
Another of Trevor’s men opened the door as they approached, welcoming them in.“She’s in the back room,” he said, pointing.“Go through the kitchen.”
Hell, the cottage was barely larger than the two rooms Callum and Bryn now had.But this home was also tidy and smelled like freshly baked goods.
The room was small, but it was a sunroom, and Frannie—who Peyton said they should still call Hyacinth, for now—sat reading in a recliner.
She smiled and put her book aside, standing to shake hands with them.“Hello.Trevor called ahead.I made blueberry scones.”
“Mebbe later,” Aisling said, already scrambling to retool her previous mental image of this woman.
Yes, she’d talked with Peyton and Trevor and knew Frannie wasn’t a monster, just a woman caught in the cross-fire of Donnel and Faegan’s schemes.She might not have been destined for sainthood, but she certainly hadn’t deserved to be dragged into that mess and turned into a personal baby machine for Faegan.
Who, apparently, would’ve had her murdered soon to take yet another mate, according to what little information the Prime managed to pull from the eejit’s brain before Faegan died.
“Would you like some tea or coffee?”she asked.
“We’re good for now,” Dewi said, briefly shaking hands with her.Aisling was certain Dewi used her Prime powers on the woman to make sure she was still being truthful.When Dewi released the woman’s hand and gave Aisling the slightest of nods, it confirmed her suspicions.
“Very well,” Frannie said.“Please, sit.”She returned to her recliner and waved them to the small sofa.
“I want to be direct,” Aisling started.“I’m Tamsin’s mate.I was there the day your husband’s men murdered Maisie and Rupert and the others.In fact, Maisie’s dyin’ words to me were to make sure Tam knew she loved her and wanted her to go on and be happy.”
Frannie dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.“I’m so sorry.He was an evil man.”
“Well, we’re in complete agreement on that,” Aisling said.
“Is Tamsin okay?Is the baby okay?Peyton and Trevor won’t give me information about them.”
“They are,” Aisling said.“And that’s all I’ll give ye.Right now, she doesn’t want anythin’ to do wi’ ye, and she’s said repeatedly she doesn’t want the baby meetin’ ye.”
Frannie sniffled.“I don’t blame her,” she said.
“Why’d ye stay with him all those years if he was such an abusive shite?”
“I honestly don’t know,” she said.“I guess he had Callum order me to?I’m not sure.Peyton and Trevor told me a lot of things, but I’m still not certain I understand it.”
“Which brings me to my next question.If ye were under orders to obey the gobshite, why were ye able to stall his plan to give Tamsin to that other man?”
She slowly shook her head.“I don’t know.I didn’t want him to do it at all.I was ready to send Tamsin away if I couldn’t stop them.But for some reason, Faegan agreed.”
“Did ye know that was always his plan?”Aisling asked.“To sell her off?”
“I knew there was a plan, but he never told me the details.I was beyond happy when she met Maisie, although I didn’t tell Faegan that.But I knew Maisie could protect her, or that her family could.I begged Faegan to accept the dowry and drop it.To let her go.But he was…obsessed.And then when he learned she was pregnant, he went nearly insane with rage.He became nearly incoherent.I think part of it was because he lost control of her.He was such a needy man, in that way.He wanted complete and unwavering fealty without disregard for anyone’s feelings.”
“Did ye know anything about the lab operation?”
“No.He never told me anything about that.He never shared any kind of business information with me.I stayed out of his way and cooked, raised our children.”She sniffled.“When he killed Ben, I wanted to murder that bastard.”
“Why didn’t you?”Dewi asked.
“I don’t know.Several times I wanted to stab him in his sleep, and it was as if I couldn’t do it.Not that I didn’t want to, but like when I moved my hand, the knife in it, to plunge it into his heart or slit his throat, a force akin to an invisible hand prevented me from doing it.”
