Enguerrand and Yvan appeared suddenly in the garden, and Enguerrand was intent upon interrupting the discussion about the dovecote.Fergus squeezed her hand, then took the Templars aside.Iain meanwhile, escorted the mason to the gates, finalizing the arrangement for the construction of the dovecote.
“I must see the prize entrusted to us!”Enguerrand declared, making no effort to keep his voice down.“I must verify its safety.”The Templar’s demand to be given the key to the treasury was clearly heard by all, for both Iain and the mason glanced back from the other end of the garden.
Murdoch folded his arms across his chest and watched.
Leila hoped they did not all understand French.
She feared otherwise.
The men conferred more quietly for a moment.Then, Enguerrand marched back into the keep with Fergus and she knew they would ascend the stairs, unlock both doors, and find the reliquary missing.
And she would be blamed.
Praise be that Hamish had found the reliquary and ensured its safety.
She sank down to that stone bench, feeling the urge to pray all the same.
What if Agnes had guessed the location and stolen it again?
“What is amiss, my lady?”Murdoch asked from her side, but Leila did not reply.In this moment, she was uncertain who to trust fully and chose to trust no one.She intended to be a good wife to Fergus, because she loved him, but as the cries of outrage rose from within the hall, Leila realized that being a good wife might not prove sufficient.
When she was forbidden to climb to the solar, she feared the worst.She returned to the stone bench and reminded herself to trust Fergus in this matter.
But there was no disguising the fact that Leila felt very much alone.
Fergus hatedthat he had to let Leila appear to be guilty in order to keep the reliquary safe.Enguerrand was furious about the apparent loss but probably more concerned with his own status.For that reason, Fergus did not confide in him.
He had a lingering sense of malaise this morning, as if the dark cloud drew closer.He feared that he had said something in his sleep, for Leila had been less happy this morning than was her inclination.
Could it be that more than the reliquary was in peril?
In the solar, Enguerrand raged about the folly of letting Fergus take custody of the treasure and spewed hatred about Saracens and women that set Fergus’ teeth on edge.
“She did not steal it,” he said finally.“Think of what you are saying.”
“Of course, she stole it!”Enguerrand raged.“A priceless relic stolen when a Saracen held the sole key to its hiding place!What else could have happened?”
“My father has a key as well.”
“To his own treasury.How could he not?”Enguerrand shook a finger at Fergus.“And he did not have a key on the day you rode to Dunnisbrae.”
“What has that to do with it?”
“That is the day it was stolen!”
“How do you know?”
“Because there was a witness,” Enguerrand insisted.
“Ask the witness who took it.”
“She—that person will not say.”Enguerrand paced the width of the solar.“Your father did not take it, that old man.Why would he steal it?It was in his possession already!”
“And why would Leila steal it, after she had defended it from thieves all the way from Jerusalem?”
“She had a scheme.They all have schemes...”
“Why would she want to steal it?”
