She realized he hadn’t been informed about the outcome. Of course, there was no reason to inform a servant about the doings of lords. Considering that, he likely didn’t know that Lachlan had been beaten either, and was keeping to his room while he recovered.
He appeared worried, but that wasn’t conclusive guilt. Considering Lachlan’s huge size, anyone who accused him of anything, true or not wouldn’t feel safe about it until Lachlan was arrested and unable to show up for revenge—or an accounting.
She wondered now if the groom might not disappear if he thought there was a chance Lachlan would come looking for him. That in itself might point toward his own guilt—or not, since fear of retribution from that Highlander could be just as motivating, she supposed.
No, she didn’t think that would actually help, so she said, “He claims he’s innocent, don’t you know, and the duke, being a fair man, has given him time to prove it. But there’s not much he can do in that regard, injured as he is.”
“Injured?”
“Yes, he was soundly thrashed. No more than he deserved, of course.”
The man visibly relaxed, hearing that. Kimberlyhopedshe hadn’t made the wrong decision in trying to keep him from disappearing. But he did seem to be the only lead to proving Lachlan’s innocence, and they needed him.
Kimberly offered him a parting smile and bid him good-day, eager to get back to the house. But just as she turned to leave, Howard Canston came around a corner and stopped abruptly.
“Lady Kimberly!” he exclaimed. “What are—ah, I’ve been looking for you. Was told you’d wandered this way. Thought you might like to go for a ride, what with the sun making a rare appearance today.”
She didn’t. She wanted to go have a talk with the duchess, to discuss what she’d just learned. However, she’d also been meaning to explore the immediate areas around Sherring Cross, on the unlikely chance that she could find the missing horses herself.
The duke undoubtedly had his own people out looking for the animals, but there was a lot of area to cover, including forest and uncultivated meadows. And she would really like to be the one to actually locate them, to make up for her silence.
So she agreed to the ride. It certainly couldn’t hurt to further her acquaintance with Howard too. She did still have to get married after all, and he was still on her list of likely candidates.
But Kimberly frowned to herself as they left the breeding stable to walk to the common one down by the house, where she could get a gentle mare for riding. If he had been looking for her, as he claimed, why then had he seemed so surprised when he found her?
30
Asmall table with several chairs had been brought into Lachlan’s room for him to take his meals at, since he wasn’t up to venturing downstairs to join the other guests. Gilleonan plopped down in one of the chairs now and lifted the cover off of the meal that had been delivered before he arrived, but hadn’t been touched yet.
“They’re feedin’ ye well, at least,” he said, sniffing at the baked salmon and creamed potatoes, the huge slab of fresh baked bread smothered in soft butter.
Lachlan turned away from the window where he’d been staring thoughtfully at his own reflection in the glass. “Did you think they were starving me?”
“’Twas a possibility.”
“Rest easy then, I’ve got maids showing up throughout the day wi’ tarts and cakes and full-course meals. They mun think I’m starving, too. That’s my second dinner there, so help yourself.”
Gilleonan grinned. “I dinna mind if I do,” he said, and pulled the tray over to himself. But after a few bites, he glanced up at Lachlan to make his report. “That Lady Kimberly showed up tae talk to Ables today. She really despises ye, dinna she?”
Lachlan stiffened. “Why d’you say so?”
“She was after agreein’ wi’ the mon, sayin’s how ye got thrashed and deserved it, callin’ ye an audacious thief.” Then Gilleonan frowned as he remembered something else. “’Course she did get him tae state that ye had a thick brogue, when she and I both ken that isna so.”
Lachlan looked confused for only a moment. Then he laughed. “I do believe she was there tae help, Gill. Consider this…if he thought the lady sympathized wi’ him and didna suspect a thing, he might be telling her things he wouldna tell you.”
“Hmmm, now ye mention it, I suppose that could’ve been what she was doin’. Actually, she tried tae have a look at the bump on his head also, but he was havin’ none o’ that, nearly fell on his arse tae avoid her touchin’ him.”
“No lump then,” Lachlan said.
“I’d suspected as much,” Gilleonan agreed, adding, “Then I almost got discovered, hidin’ ’round the corner from them, when that viscount showed up lookin’ for the lady. I only had seconds to dive out o’ sight.”
“Lord Canston?”
“Aye, tae take her ridin’.”
“Did he?”
Gilleonan shrugged. “I didna follow them tae see. I stayed close tae Ables, though no one else showed up tae see him today.”
