Jock put the box down on the mantel above the fire, ignoring the question. He would have liked to have known the answer himself. Who was she?
He could attend to that later. First, Robin, and the missing money. “Sit there and tell me what you have found out.”
Robin sat in the chair he pointed to, looking nervous. “I have heard some rumors but I must be given more time if I am to get to the bottom of them.”
“The king will give me no time to find the money I promised. What are these rumors?”
“There are whispers about who might have done it but I need time to question more people.”
“Then why are you wasting it talking to me? Go get on with it.”
“You told me to be here by twelve.”
“And you were late anyway. Now, I am going to ask you a simple question, Robin, and I want the truth. My new sword has yet to be blooded, need I remind you?”
“Please, my laird. I beg mercy.”
“Will you find the money?”
“I guarantee it, my laird.”
“How long do you need?”
“Two days, three at most.”
“The king will be here in that time.”
“Aye, I ken.”
“You seem unconcerned about that?”
“You dinnae think I care about this. I am still rebuilding my house in stone. How do you think I’ll get it finished if there’s no money to pay me? My laborers will walk away and I’ll be left with nothing but a shell of a home. A financier who can’t build a house. I shall be a laughing stock.”
“You had a perfectly servicable house of wood. I dinnae ken why you needed to rebuild.”
“My laird. All the best men have their houses made of stone.”
“Your vanity is not my concern. I have to look after an entire clan and that is not going to be easy with a quarter of the funds I should have. Go to your task with haste and remember your laird’s head is on the line as is your own.”
“Aye, my laird.”
Robin got up and left, scurrying out as if expecting a sword stroke to follow him.
Once he was alone, Jock crossed to the window and looked out at the courtyard once more. The castle was alive with people, all of them busy in their work.
How would they feel if they found out he had lost all they had worked so hard for?
It would be a tough winter without money to buy food. How much grain would the harvest bring? Would there be enough to last them until spring? Would he even be around to see the new year? Or would he be one more skull lining the bridge at Edinburgh?
He wanted to blame Robin and it would have been easy to do so but it was not the financier’s clan, it was his. Ultimately the responsibility fell on him with all the weight of the clan’s past to add a few extra tons.
He expected the anger to return but it had gone. In its place a face swam before his eyes. Her face. Who was that girl?
He had forgotten about the box she had brought. He was too busy thinking about how she’d looked in those strange clothes. And just how appealing she might look out of them.
For the first time he found himself wondering if maybe he would not die alone after all. Had he met the woman for him? His father had told him it would happen in an instant when it did. Was this it?
If he could just find out who she was, and also retrieve the money, and save the clan. Maybe then he could find the time to get to know Daisy Stone a little better.
