Page 39 of Confessions of a Highland Assassin

Boyd made his way to his friend and peered over the wooden railings. “I was looking for ye. I kent that ye would probably be in here.”

Rory was standing beside a pure white mare with a bulging abdomen. “I just wanted tae mak’ sure Cleo had everything she needs for the night,” he lovingly ran his hand down the horse’s neck. “Willnae be long now, and she will be ready tae give birth.” He was wearing an off-white riding shirt that was tucked into his cream breaches.

“I found a letter in my father’s study,” Boyd said while examining the horse from a distance. The mare was known for her jumpy mannerisms. Rory was the only one that could get close to her without the animal bolting.

Rory frowned and looked up at his friend. “Care tae talk about it?”

Clenching his jaw, Boyd kicked his leather boot against the wooden support, knocking some mud from the sole. “I first thought it was a letter arranging me marriage tae Cora since it was addressed tae Malcolm Steward.”

Rory watched his friend with concern and pulled a small silver flask from his pocket. “Care for a dram?” he held the container out to his friend. “May help.”

Boyd took the flask and swigged the contents after taking a cautionary sniff. The warm whiskey stung his throat on the way down. “It was a love letter from my mother tae Malcolm Steward.”

Rory raised his eyebrows and leaned against the stall door. “Was this ‘afore or after yer parents got married? Perhaps she was in love with him first.”

“Aye, that she was. There was one letter ‘afore they got married, confessing her love tae Malcolm, there was also a second letter basically admitting they were having an affair after my parents were married.”

Rory coughed and shifted as if he were uncomfortable.

“I ken what ye are thinking,” Boyd said coolly. “It would have been sick in a way if I had married Cora.”

“It’s nae as if ye were related by blood,” Rory confessed to his thoughts. “But in a way, it would have been wrong if her father was bedding yer mother all along…” his voice trailed off. “Ye may as well have been step-siblings.”

Boyd shook his head and kicked his boot against the wood again. “That’s nae even the worst part. My mother and Malcolm seemed to be plotting a way tae stop the wedding. Now I dinnae ken if they just wanted tae tell the truth and mak’ us realize on our own that we could nae marry, or if they wanted tae dae something more sinister.”

Rory let out a long whistle through his teeth. “Do ye think yer mother and Malcolm had something tae do with the disappearances?”

“I did think that at first. But the way my mother grieved and then took her own life, I doubt she kent that they would go missing. She would have gone with Malcolm if they planned the disappearance, or at least waited a suitable amount of time ‘afore joining them.”

Rory walked back over to the mare when she began to shift uncomfortably and started to whiny. “What is it that ye are thinking about doing now?” he asked as he soothed the horse. “I ken ye, Boyd. Ye are already thinking of plans, but I dinnae think ye should do anything until ye had some time tae think things through.”

“I would like tae ask some of the men for volunteers and start the search again. If this was an elaborate plot, they may still be alive.”

Rory sighed and brought a bag of oats up the mare’s face. “I ken that ye want answers at this point, Boyd. But with the Jacobite uprising and Callum at yer doorstep, I dinnae think that will go down well with the council,” he frowned as he watched the horse munch on her oats. “Something is bothering me…”

“Go on then?” Boyd nodded. Rory had always been better at putting the finer details of a story together.

“If ye found the letters in yer father’s desk, he must have ken about the affair. Even if he somehow found the letters after the marriage.”

“I think it’s safe tae say that he did. The letters hinted that he was interested in my mother and would nae stop until her father agreed tae the marriage. This disnae mean that he didnae ken she was in love with another.”

“Then why was he one of the people that went missing?” Rory asked as he thought about the situation.

Boyd stood up straight and looked at his friend. He’d been so focused on the revelation of his mother’s affair, he didn’t think to question his father’s disappearance. Rory had a point. It didn’t make sense that his father went missing as well.

“Let’s say, that the affair was the reason for the wedding party’s disappearance. If it was planned by Caitir and Malcolm tae stop ye from marrying Cora, she would have gone with him and nae taken her own life. And on the other hand, if yer father found out about the affair and wanted revenge, why did he go missing as well? Would he nae have just done away with Caitir and Malcolm Steward?”

“None of this really makes any sense,” Boyd clenched his jaw in frustration.

“There may be another thing that neither of us have considered,” Rory put down the bag and wiped his hands on his dirty breeches. “This could all have been a ploy by Callum,” he looked at his friend with severity. “The wedding was arranged tae ease bad blood between the clans. What if Callum disagreed with his brother and never wanted peace? If he got rid of the wedding party, he had a reason tae declare war with our clan. And become Laird.”

“And if he got rid of my father, he would weaken our defenses, forcing me tae become Laird. He would have kent that I didnae ken the truth,” Boyd finished the sentence for him.

“It’s the only explanation that would mak’ sense. He found out about the affair and used it tae his advantage. He became the laird after his brother went missing. He had every reason tae declare war on ye. It just leaves yer mother. But she could have slipped the trap by accident, whatever happened. Or Callum thought it would have been too obvious tae tak’ her as well.”

Rory’s words made perfect sense to Boyd. Everything lined up perfectly for Callum Steward. Unless there was some other mitigating factor that neither of them knew about, this was the only scenario that explained the disappearances.

“So, if I were ye, Boyd, I would nae start the searches again. I would go after Callum. If there’s anyone alive that kens what happened on that night, I would place my money on him.”