It was true.Even though she had none of his mother’s warrior skills, Helena would respect Carenza.She had inner strength and a wee bit of deviousness that his mother would appreciate.As for his father, Carenza’s charm and brilliance would win him over.Colin admired anyone with whom he could cross wits.
“Will your laird approve?”she asked.
“Aunt Deirdre?She’ll just be relieved you’re not English.”
“I want to meet them,” she decided.
“I want you to meet them.”
“When?”
He loved her eagerness.But he had to finish his mission.
“As soon as I catch the thief.Och, bloody hell!”he said, holding her at arm’s length as he suddenly remembered why he’d come to the physician’s quarters.“I didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
He glanced around the small chamber for the first time.It served as the physician’s apothecary.Most of it consisted of shelves lined with vials and jars, vessels of clay and wooden boxes, with labels identifying their contents.Dried flowers and herbs hung in one corner, and various desiccated frogs and fish dangled from another.Between them was squeezed a low, sagging pallet.Peris probably slept here to guard his precious potions.
“I need to search this room,” he said.
Her interest piqued, she raised her brows as she realized, “He’s at Kildunan.”
“He’s at Kildunan.”
She wasted no time.While he fastened up his trews, she began searching the shelves.“What are we lookin’ for?”
“Something.Anything.”He began searching the second set of shelves.“I have a feeling they’ve been stealing more than just church artifacts.”
“More?What more wealth could a monastery have?”
“I suspect he may be lifting jewels and coin off of the nobles who come to the infirmary.”
She frowned, considering that.“Ye mean the nobles who…who don’t survive?”
He nodded.He didn’t want to tell her the second part of his theory.That Peris might be hastening their demise.
But as he scoured the shelves, he also looked for substances that could kill quickly.
There were several deadly ingredients.Belladonna.Cyanide.Foxglove.Henbane.Mercury.Monk’s hood.Opium.
Of course, they were also used as medicines.Possession wasn’t proof.Still, if poisoning had occurred, it made Peris the most likely culprit.
They made a thorough search of the physician’s things.But they didn’t find anything to condemn him.He had very little in the way of wealth, though he had a small library of medical texts.His clothing was well-made and tidy.His boots were in good repair.But because of his profession, he eschewed jewelry.There seemed to be nothing incriminating among his effects.
“He could have hidden them elsewhere,” Carenza suggested.
“Aye, though it makes the most sense he’d hide them in a place kept under lock and key by day.The place he sleeps at night and can watch o’er them personally.”
“True.”She began pacing the small area between the shelves, rubbing thoughtfully at her chin.“Maybe he keeps them in his satchel.”
“’Tis a possibility.”Indeed, if he was using poison, that would surely be found within his satchel as well.“He always has it with him.”
“Right.So how can we search it?”
“I’ll find a way.I’ll return to the monastery and—”
“Nay,” she said, clutching at his sleeve.Then she gathered her brows.“I mean, must ye?”
