That made sense.Then a twisted thought coiled around her brain.“What if Peris’s accompliceisthe abbot?”
“I don’t think so.”But she could see there was a sliver of doubt in his mind.“The abbot wouldn’t have put me on the task in the first place if he had something to hide.”
“So what are we goin’ to do with the treasure?”
“Weare doing nothing,” he said, arching an overprotective brow.“Ihave a plan.”
“And what’s that?”
He furrowed his brows.He obviously didn’t want to divulge his plan.
“Damn ye, Rivenloch,” she bit out, startling him with her oath.She startled herself almost as much.“I brought ye here.”She pointed to the bed.“We just lay on that pallet together in nothin’ but the skin we were born in.I shared my body with ye in the most intimate act a man and woman can perform.God’s eyes, I gave my maidenhood to ye.Are ye goin’ to tell me ye’re unwillin’ to share your plan with me?”
She could see he was taken aback by her fury.To be honest, so was she.But she had to admit she rather liked this new person she was becoming.Someone who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.To disagree.To get angry.To have opinions and ideas and dreams of her own.
He apparently liked her too.His lip curved up in a half-smile of approval.
“Fine,” he said, telling her his plan as he gathered up the treasures in the linen square, tying a knot in the top.
She didn’t like the plan.It was too risky.There were too many opportunities for mistakes.
But she knew it would do no good to tell him so.His mind was set.He was confident it would work.
The best thing she could do was make her own plan for when his failed.
Hew carefully poured the contents of the linen bundle onto the table of the chapter house.The gold gleamed in the candlelight, and the jewels winked up at the three witnesses.
“Ye found it!”the abbot exclaimed in stunned awe.
“How?”the prior asked, looking just as shocked.“Where?”
He didn’t answer the prior.Instead, he addressed the abbot.“Is this all of it?All the missing items?”
“Aye, it appears so, but…” The abbot looked puzzled.“’Tis more than that.”He picked up a medallion and a ring.“These don’t belong to the monastery.None o’ these jewels do.”
“’Twas a thief by trade, no doubt,” the prior said, licking his lips.“A local outlaw.”
“Did ye find the thief?”the abbot asked.
“I found one of them,” Hew said, subtly bringing his axe down off his shoulder and testing the edge with his thumb.“He confessed.”
The men paled.
“One o’ them,” the abbot repeated.“Is there more than one?”
“Aye.He had an accomplice.”
“An accomplice?”the prior echoed.
“Did he name the fellow?”the abbot asked.
“Not yet.”Hew pretended to examine his axe blade.“But I mean to return to Dunlop on the morrow.I’ll convince him to clear his conscience.’Tis only a matter of time.In my experience, most outlaws prefer to keep at leasthalftheir fingers.”
Both men shuddered at that.
Hew shouldered his axe again and bid them farewell.Before he exited the chapter house, he turned.
“I believe you’ll find the jewels belonged to your deceased infirmary patients.”
