“If the part of your story about the monk delivering a message is true,” he said, drawing the stone across the blade again, “then one or more of the servants was party to the scheme.”
“Every word I told ye is true,” she said. “Can’t ye question them and find out which ones were involved?”
“I don’t care which ones did it,” he said. “I want every one of them gone.”
“Surely ye can spare Old Garrett and the cook?” she said. “I’ve no doubt both are loyal.”
David wiped his blade and held it up to examine the razor-sharp edge, which gleamed in the sunlight. Then he stood and rammed it into the sheath at his belt. Finally, he looked at her, and the cold fury in his eyes made her draw in a sharp breath.
“Loyal to you, perhaps,” he said. “But I don’t trust them. Or you.”
She had been mistaken in thinking he’d spent his anger in their fierce lovemaking and was well on the way to forgiving her.
“Patrick Blackadder took us by force on our way home,” she said, though she had explained this before, “because I refused to do what they wanted.”
Without a word, David turned away from her and started down the steps.
“I told them nay!” she said, gripping his arm.
“Ye shouldn’t have been there,” he said, and shook her off. “Ye shouldn’t have gone. I told ye not to leave the castle.”
“And I’ve told you why I did it, but ye don’t want to hear.”
“Ye gave me your word,” he said. “I won’t trust ye again.”
“Ye never did!” she said to his back.
***
David leaned over the map he’d rolled out on the head table and contemplated the final steps he needed to take to avenge his father and uncle. He had allowed himself to be diverted by his wife for too long.
It pained him that his father’s widow continued to languish in Dunbar Castle, but until her captor, Lord D’Orsey, exposed himself, there was nothing he could do. That left the Blackadders. After the events of the last two days, he regretted that he could only kill Patrick Blackadder once.
“The Laird ofTulliallan and his son Patrick sent those men to attack the village as a diversion,” he said to his senior men and Robbie, who were gathered around the table. “They wanted me away from the castle when they lured my wife to the abbey.”
Was Alison lured or was she part of the scheme? Even if she was complicit in the beginning, it had not gone as she expected, for she had clearly been frightened for her daughters.
Regardless of her guilt, he would not speak ill of her in front of the men.
Now that his temper had cooled somewhat, he realized that it had been unreasonable for him to expect loyalty from a woman he had forced to wed him. And he could not fault Alison for not wanting to be bound to him. She had, however, done her best to deceive him into believing that she did.
That she had succeeded was his own fault. He had wanted to believe it.
David brought his thoughts back to the business at hand and nodded to Brian, who had just returned from Hume Castle and looked as if he’d aged ten years in the last two days.
“We know for certain that the men who committed the attack on the village were former guards at this castle.” Brian’s haunted gaze traveled over the other men. “When we find them, Walter Blackadder is mine.”
Brian had told him earlier that Leana had named the former captain of the guard as her attacker.
David looked up as one of the guards from the front gate entered the hall and approached the head table.
“Laird,” the guard said, “we’ve got a fellow outside who rode in alone and says he carries a message for ye.”
“What clan is he?” David asked.
“He’s an outlander. Talks funny and is verra”—he paused as if searching for a word— “clean-looking for a fighting man.”
“Invite our guest inside.”
