Jamie’s gaze narrowed. “In the forest?”
Will nodded. “We had the same concern, but he’s been followed and nothing ever appears out of the ordinary. He’s never absent longer than a few hours.”
“I see.”
“Did I misunderstand your instructions? The Lamont’s former guardsmen are not prisoners?”
Jamie shook his head. “No, they are not prisoners. They can come and go as they please—as long as they are watched.”
But he had the niggling suspicion that the old man was up to something, and he meant to find out what.
Chapter 19
Caitrina held her breath as the last beam was lifted in place. The work on Ascog Castle had progressed well while Jamie was away and she was banned from its halls. In the two days since his return, even greater strides had been made. The roof was not yet weather-tight, but if all went well, it would be soon.
The heavy rainstorms on the mainland had lightened as they crossed the Kyl to Bute, bringing a dense, foggy mist and drizzle, but thankfully not enough to curtail the work.
Mindful of their agreement, Caitrina was careful to stay out of the way as the men worked, unwilling to test the limits of her husband’s temperance. He wasn’t pleased to see her around Ascog, she knew, but as she kept away from the danger by staying mostly in the kitchens and supervising rather than joining in the maidservants’ work, there was little he could object to. Too many decisions required her attention, from what pots and dishes could be salvaged, to what furniture to purchase and what could be made, to where to build the new storage cabinets.
She’d come upstairs to the great hall to speak with Seamus about the rebuilding of the worktables and shelves for the cellars and had lingered to watch the momentous placement of the final beam. When it was secured, a great cheer went up around the hall and she joined in with enthusiasm.
Automatically, she scanned the room for Jamie, her heart catching as it always did when she caught sight of him. With his height and size, it was easy to pick him out among the other men, but it was the relaxed grin and twinkle in his blue gaze that made her pulse leap.
Feeling her eyes upon him, he turned, and their gazes collided. A moment of connection and shared accomplishment passed between them. She grinned back at him, feeling lighter, savoring the moment—until one of his guardsmen asked him a question and his attention was drawn away.
She sighed, regretting the loss. For an instant, it had felt as it had in those precious few days before he left. Though it was nothing that she could put her finger on, something had changed since he’d returned from Dunoon. On the surface, everything was as it had been before: At night he held her in his arms and made love to her with all the passion she remembered, and during the day he was more solicitous and attentive than she could recall.
But he was watching her.
Did he suspect something? Had she done something to alert him?
Perhaps she only imagined it. She bit her lip, the twinge in her chest belying that claim. Maybe it was her own guilt speaking?
Keeping something as important as her brothers’ survival from her husband was tearing her apart. Caitrina wanted to share her joy; instead, it felt as though she were lying to him.I am lying to him.
To make matters worse, since Jamie’s return she hadn’t dared venture to the caves to see Niall and Brian—it was too risky. The reports from Mor were not enough. She missed them desperately and worried for their safety.
Jamie had been charged with clearing the area of outlaws—what would happen if he found them or discovered she’d kept them a secret from him?
Unable to find Seamus, she was just about to return to the kitchens when she caught sight of Mor trying to get her attention from across the room. She could tell from the anxious look on her face that something was wrong.
Dread sank over her. Her first thought went to Brian. No, it couldn’t be him; he’d been getting better.
Caitrina hurried as quickly as she could toward Mor, doing her best not to give any indication of the turmoil burgeoning inside her. She didn’t want to give Jamie any cause for concern.
She took her old nursemaid’s cold hand in hers. “What is it?”
Mor’s eyes flickered around furtively and she said in a low voice, “Not here.”
Caitrina’s chest tightened and her heart pounded even harder, having her fears confirmed: Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Knowing Jamie’s eyes might well be on her, she forced a smile to her face and led Mor out of the great hall, down the stairs to the cellars. With too many people in the kitchen, they passed through the corridor into the buttery. It was cool and bone-penetratingly damp in the cellars. Caitrina pulled herarisaidharound her a little tighter, whether to ward off the cold or chill of premonition she didn’t know.
She tensed, preparing for the blow. “Is it Brian? Did something happen to Brian?”
Mor shook her head. “No, my poor wee lamb, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Your brother is as well as can be expected.” Caitrina didn’t miss the censure in her voice. Like her, Mor thought that Brian should be removed to Rothesay. Relief poured from every fiber of her body—until she heard her next words.
“It’s your fool stubborn brother Niall who’s going to get himself killed.”
“Niall? I don’t understand.”
