“I trusted you with this task, but you have not managed it well,” he groused.
“How good of you to mention it,” she said sourly.
He pried the lid off another jar. “For years, I studied your uncle’s work and read every word Sir Hugh wrote. I felt sure there had to be a connection between Arthur and Scotland here at Dundrennan. I wanted to find it for the world.”
“For the world or yourself?”
“Your uncle started it, then Sir Hugh. I wanted to find the real proof. I even took you in as museum staff and showed interest in you.”
“Am I supposed to be grateful?”
“But Walter Carriston became a laughingstock for his theories. I could not associate myself with that.”
“You let others do the real work and then take credit. How do you live with that?”
“Guilt and conscience inhibit success.” He popped free another waxen seal. “The evidence is too compelling to overlook. Arthur’s supporters could be on that military roster. He could have come up here.”
“Aedan mac Brudei was on that roster. These were his lands.”
“And Arthur would not have entrusted his gold to just anyone. It had to be a loyal warlord who could protect it until theking could claim it. There has to be something here. If not in this storage chamber, then above, inside the walls somewhere.”
“We have been digging carefully. There is nothing but evidence of a domicile.”
“You are a fool, Christina,” Edgar said. “I was sincere about marrying you. I thought you had more sense. But you came here and lost your mind.”
Lost my heart, she thought. “Let me go, Edgar. I will say nothing. This is temporary loss of control. Understandable excitement on the verge of a great discovery.”
He came toward her, sinking to one knee. Reaching out, he tipped up her chin. “So lovely. So innocent, despite a lack of good judgment. I fell in love with you when I first saw Stephen’s painting. I saw a seductress. But she does not exist. You are a dull little scholar after all, and not the equal intellect I hoped you were.” Yet as he spoke, he slid his fingers through her hair. “But beautiful, and you could be a helpmate. A partner. Agree to help me. We will find this together. The credit will be mine, of course. But you will benefit.”
“Get away from me,” she said.
He forced her head back, kissing her, his mouth dry and eager, his lips working heavily over hers. His tongue plunged into her mouth.
Gagging, she turned her head away. Edgar grabbed her shoulders, pulling her toward him. She booted him in the stomach with a foot, knocking him backward.
“Stop!” she gasped out.
He gathered himself up and reached for her again. She kicked once more, hitting his thigh. But he grabbed her foot to stop her. Struggling, she writhed away, petticoats frothing around her legs.
“Christina—we could do this together!” He groped, pulled her toward him, hands tight at her waist. “A triumph of scholarship. A brilliant match. I just need your loyalty.”
“Leave me be—” she began.
A movement in the shadows caught her eye. Suddenly, behind Edgar, still clawing at her, she saw a lean, athletic figure hastening down the ladder. Aedan hit the ground and spun, rushing toward them.
His face was hard and dangerous in the low light, his jaw tight with anger. Wordlessly, he snatched Edgar up to drag him off Christina.
Edgar whirled and struck out, and the two men grappled until Aedan grabbed Edgar by his carefully tied stock and gave him a solid punch upward to the jaw. Edgar sank to one knee, groaning. Aedan hauled him upward.
“Touch her again,” he growled, “and you will die, I swear it.” He shook Edgar and tossed him backward, so that he struck the wall and slumped.
Christina struggled to her feet, her wrists roped. “Aedan!”
“Love, are you hurt?”
She shook her head, and cried out a warning as Edgar leaped for him. Aedan spun, broke Edgar’s attempt at a hold and shoved him back again, this time pinning him to the stone wall, their heads nearly touching the low ceiling.
“As for finding King Arthur’s gold,” Aedan said, breathing ragged, “that right belongs to me and mine. When the princess wakes, they say”—he shoved Edgar hard again—“the gold will be found. Not until then. And not by you!”
