“I believe her aunt is still alive, although there is no love between them,” Tavin reminded him quietly.
Hamish sighed. “Still, she is family, and she has a right to know.” He hesitated. If word got out that there was a murder during the peace talks, the situation could rapidly deteriorate. He had to think of the rest of his people. “They deserve to know the truth of how she died, but press upon them the nature of keeping quiet. Let them know that I will do all I can to find her killer, but I cannae allow for the situation to get out of hand. If clans start to point fingers, many more lives will be lost.”
He looked at Alec for support and wondered if he would get it. Alec had every right to demand justice for the attack on his sister, but if there was one man who would know the position that he was in, it was the other laird who had taken control of another clan.
Alec nodded. “I trust ye,” he said quietly. “‘Tis not an easy position that ye are in.”
“Nay, and if we find that this was a planned murder, then the killer was no doubt anticipating this,” Hamish growled. He didn’t like to know that he was being manipulated like this.
It didn’t surprise him when the men reported back that nothing had been found. After all, there had been plenty of time for the murderer to return and retrieve any traces he had left behind.
He and Alec returned to Angus’s cottage. Connor was pacing outside, his fury written all over his face. “Did ye know?” he demanded immediately when they walked up. “Did ye know that she was sneaking out every night?!”
“Aye,” Hamish said in a low voice. “I kept an eye on her and escorted her back when it was safe to do so. I thought she would stay in her chambers tonight since Maggie wasnae working at the tavern, but I doonae think Maggie informed her of that.”
“Moira just admitted that she’d been helping her and then had the nerve to kick me out of the room,” Connor growled. “All because we didnae tell her that we wanted her to marry. Now look at the trouble she has gotten into. She could have died!”
“Is she awake?” Hamish demanded.
Connor narrowed his eyes and glared at him. “Ye should have told us what she was doing!”
“And what would ye have done?”
“Sent her home!”
“Where she wanted to be in the first place?” Alec interjected miserably. “Face it, Connor, we blundered badly when we didnae tell her the real reason that she was here. Of course she was planning on escaping, and of course she would rope Moira and Cora into it. They are friends. Now, is she awake?”
“Aye,” Connor grumbled. “But the lasses willnae let me in ‘til my temper cools.”
Hamish’s own temper was pricked, but he kept quiet as he entered the cottage. Poor Angus was in the small chair at the table wringing his hands and muttering to himself. Ignoring him, Hamish moved past him to the bedroom.
“If ye are also going to yell, I will save ye the trouble and simply throw ye out,” Lorna said quietly as she packed up her herb jars.
“I am the laird.”
“I doonae care.”
He turned to Grace. She looked as though she was waking from a long and deep sleep. Her gaze moved around cautiously as she seemed to try to understand what had happened. It was good that she was awake. If she could identify the killer, they could put this to bed quickly and quietly.
“How are ye feeling?”
“Confused,” she said hoarsely and winced as she reached up to touch her head. “And my head and body ache something terrible. No one will tell me anything. Did I fall from a horse? I doonae remember even getting on one.”
Disappointed, Hamish tried not to show his frustration. “Ye have no memories of what happened?”
“‘Tis not uncommon for a head injury,” Lorna said calmly. “Sometimes the memories might return and other times not.”
“What happened?” Grace asked.
“Ye went out to meet yer friend again. The two of ye were attacked.”
“Attacked?” Her eyes widened. “Oh no! Maggie? How is she?”
“I am sorry, Grace. Maggie is dead.”
9
Dead. Maggie was dead.
It was the next day, and Grace still hurt from the attack, but she felt like she was walking in a hazy cloud. She couldn’t remember anything other than changing to go see Maggie. It was making her mad that she’d witnessed Maggie’s murder but couldn’t remember anything about it.
Justice needed to be served.
“Bed rest means resting in the bed,” Connor ordered as he walked into her chambers. He and Alec had been taking shifts to keep an eye on her. They claimed the healer said that someone needed to watch her since she had a head injury, but she was certain that they just wanted to make certain she didn’t try and sneak out again.
The worst part was that she didn’t know what she would do if she did try to sneak away. Part of her was disgusted and ashamed with herself. I was there. Why had I not done something to stop it? Why didnae I save Maggie?
And why couldn’t she remember anything?
“There is no difference in resting in the bed than in resting on the window seat,” she sighed. “Ye doonae have to keep an eye on me, Connor. I amnae going anywhere.”
“Because ye still hurt?” he asked with a perplexed look on his face.
Because there was nothing she could do to help. “Aye,” she lied. “Because I hurt.” To appease him, she moved slowly from the window and settled back on the bed. So far, Connor and Alec hadn’t mention forcing her back home, although that would be fine with her. At least no one had been murdered in front of her on Sinclair lands.
“I suppose the Hamiltons are upset about Maggie.”
“I doonae think they know. Hamish asked us all to keep quiet until he makes an announcement, but he’s been so busy with the other clans that he hasnae said anything else.”
“The other clans?” Grace was outraged. She understood that the peace treaty was important, but a woman was dead! Someone needed to investigate.
“That is why we are here,” Connor reminded her with a perplexed look on his face. “Grace, are ye losing more of yer memory? I will send someone to get Lorna.”
“Aye.” She pressed a hand to her temple and groaned. “I fear that ye will need to get her right away. Doonae bother with a messenger. Fetch her yerself!”
“Hold on, dear. I shall be right back.” Connor leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead before he hurried away. Grace waited a moment until he was gone before she pushed the covers back and hurried out of the room and down the hall. Hoping that Alec was busy with his duties, she made her way down the stairs and knocked on Cora’s door.
It opened, and Cora immediately looked panicked. “Are ye all right? I thought Connor was with ye.”
“He was. I sent him to get Lorna, so I only have a few minutes.”
“Lorna? Oh, Grace, has something else happened?”
“What?” She waved her hands. “No, I am fine. Well, as fine as I can be. Connor just told me that Hamish hasnae done anything to find Maggie’s killer. How is that not the priority? A woman is dead!”
“Aye, and you were attacked. I am sure it is a priority, but politically, it is a nightmare. Hamish may have stopped the Hamilton feuds, but if he accuses another clan of murder during the peace talks, there is no telling the amount of blood that will be shed.”
“But if we let people leave without investigating, then the killer could walk free. A woman is dead! A friend!”
Cora nodded sympathetically. “I know, Grace, and I imagine that Connor and Alec are going to press for some action to give you justice, but from what I have heard, Maggie has only an aunt to speak for her, and I don’t think she is applying much pressure.”
Indignant, Grace’s eyes flashed. “She was a wonderful person, and she deserves justice. If all that is required is a little pressure then ye can be certain that I will apply plenty of it!”
“Grace...” Cora said hesitantly.
“I ha
ve to go. Connor will probably be back at any moment, and he willnae be happy to find me out.” Even as she said it, she felt the pain in her side and tried not to grimace.
“Grace!” Alarmed, Cora reached for her. “I will walk you up.”
“Nay, ‘tis not necessary.” She had never been weak in her entire life, and she would not look weak now. “I am fine. I think I have been resting for too long. Clearly, I have wasted far too much time.”
With that, she held her head high and headed back up to her chambers. She felt a little bit guilty when it became obvious that Connor must have raced to get Lorna for he returned shortly after, and they were both out of breath.
Lorna took one look at her and glared. “Laird Sinclair, if ye will give us some privacy, please. I would like to see how Grace’s wounds are healing.
“Aye, of course. I will be right outside.”
The door closed, and Lorna sighed. “Ye know, my mother always told me that highland warriors made the worst patients, but I do believe ‘tis the lasses.”
“I was feeling some pain in my head and in my side,” Grace offered weakly.
“Because ye were racing up and down the stairs?” Lorna guessed. “Yer cheeks are still flushed. Well, as long as I am here, I should look ye over. Unbutton yer dress.”
Grace figured she might as well ask her some questions. “I doonae know much about what happened to Maggie. Did she suffer?”
“Not at all. Her wound was quick and clean.” While Grace worked on her dress, Lorna parted her hair to check her head wound. “Which makes me think ye must have fought tooth and nail.”
Unable to help herself, tears filled Grace’s eyes. “I cannae remember,” she whispered. “I feel like I let my friend down.”
“Grace, until ye do remember, there is no use getting down about it. There could have been two bodies out there last night rather than just one. Now then, do you hear any ringing in yer ears or feel dizzy when ye get up and sit down?”
“A little dizzy,” Grace admitted. “But no ringing. Do ye know of anything I can do to make my memory return faster?”
“Relax.”
“Relax? That cannae possibly be yer advice! How am I supposed to relax knowing that there is a murderer running free out there?”
“I realize that ye are frustrated, but I also heard that ye were in a disguise, so I would not be so worried that the attacker will recognize ye.” Lorna probed at her injuries carefully, and Grace cocked her head. The healer didn’t seem to be judging her for her actions, which was a first. Connor and Alec had spent so much time lecturing her that she kept pretending like she was exhausted and falling asleep in the middle of it. Soon they would think that she had some sort of sleeping disease.
Hamish, on the other hand, hadn’t visited at all, but at least that was one less person to lecture her.
“I amnae worried about my safety. I want justice for my friend.”
“Ye consider Maggie a friend?” Lorna smiled. “The Sinclair clan must be vera different from ours. Maggie was a favorite here, but there was a time when a lady like yerself would only consider her a whore.”
“Moira would never have let a murder of anyone go by unchecked!”
“Aye, but Moira didnae wield much power. Even before she became the pariah of the clan, her brothers tended to smother her ideas. I wasnae much older than her, but even I could see the fierceness inside of her. I knew that one day it would serve her well.” She pulled back and nodded. “Ye will continue to bruise, and I expect ye will still be tender for several days. How is yer breathing?”
“It doesnae hurt as much as this morn.”
“Good. That means the damage to yer ribs was not extensive.” Opening her bag, she started to pull out some herbs. “I intended to bring ye more salve this afternoon, but I might as well mix it and leave it here.”
“How long have ye been the healer?”
“I worked with my mother for many years. She passed away just before Tyree took over as laird. One of the feud battles were fought too close to home, and a fire was set to it. She was asleep at the time and didnae get out fast enough.” There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“Oh, Lorna, I am so sorry.”
“Aye. I think of the lives that could have been saved if Tyree had stepped into power sooner.”
“And Hamish?”
“He is beloved as a hero, and I admit that he has done well, but a hero doesnae always make a good laird. We shall see.” Lorna finished mixing some herbs in a bowl and began to grind it into a paste. “Ye should know that yer brothers were thinking of sending ye home. I delayed it because of yer injuries, but since yer ribs aren’t worse, ye should be good to travel as soon as tomorrow.”
“Nay,” Grace said emphatically. “I beg of ye, doonae tell them that. In fact, if ye could buy me even more time, I would appreciate it. I know that the talks are almost over, and the peace treaty could be signed this vera evening.”
“I will not lie for ye, Lady Grace, but I willnae say differently if ye choose to,” Lorna decided. “As it happens, Maggie was my friend as well, and I am glad she has someone to champion for her.”
“She was planning on seeing ye. In fact, I believe that she was on her way when we were attacked. I do remember that much. Do ye know why she would see ye?”
“Was she feeling ill?”
“Nay.”
“Then my guess is that she was going to see me because of two things. She either wanted a certain mixture of herbs to keep from getting pregnant or she wanted to get rid of a pregnancy.”
Grace thought of the way that Maggie touched her stomach, and her heart dropped. “I think it was the latter,” she whispered. “Do ye think that is what got her killed?”
“Bastards are not uncommon in the Highlands, and ‘tis not something one would kill over,” Lorna said thoughtfully before she paused. “Unless the father is someone in power.”
“Ye think the killer could have been a laird?” Grace whispered.
“Aye, or someone paid by a laird. See why ye should not get involved? They’ll be attempting to ascertain yer identity to keep ye quiet, Grace. If I were ye, I would go home as soon as possible.”
Grace didn’t bother telling the healer that she didn’t run from a fight. It was obvious in Lorna’s smile that she already didn’t believe that Grace would go. In fact, she wanted to find a way to stay for as long as possible. Hamish might not care about a tavern wench, but Grace did.
And she wasn’t leaving until she discovered the truth.
10
It was a momentous occasion to watch the powerful lairds sign the decree, but Hamish couldn’t enjoy the moment. His thoughts were still muddled from the moment he’d found Grace bleeding on the ground. She’d been so still. Horror gripped him when the image popped unwelcome back into his head. How could she not see how fragile she was? How easily she could be broken?
It was all that he could think about, and it was turning his stomach. If the perpetrator did realize that Grace was running around in trousers, he would target her.
He had a terrible feeling that one of the men here was responsible for it, which meant he’d just signed a peace decree with someone who didn’t hesitate to spill innocent blood, and who wouldn’t hesitate to spill it again. Those who preyed on women were the lowest in Hamish’s eyes, and unfortunately, he had seen it plenty during his travels. It was sickening to think that Maggie could have died for no other reason than a man wanted to feel powerful over someone.
Without realizing it, he turned to watch Theo. His father certainly had a bloodthirsty streak. The picture of his father beating one of his clan members, the delighted and maniacal look in his eyes, would stay with Hamish for the rest of his life. The question was, did his half-brother have a cruel streak in him as well?
So far, he’d kept Maggie’s murder quiet for a reason. For one, he didn’t want there to be any unnecessary fighting before the treaty was signed, and for another, he wanted to see if he could
find out the truth himself. If the killer thought they were in the clear and relaxed, then he might reveal something about himself.
Since he knew there was a witness to his action, he might stay behind to silence who he thought was no one more than a Hamilton lad.
After some claps on the back, Hamish announced that it was time for the celebration feast. The clans gathered outside just as the sun was setting. A great meal and been prepared, and there was live music and plenty of ale and wine.
“If ye continue to look so dour, the others will start to question ye,” Tyree said in a low voice as he joined him. Because he sought Tyree’s council, he’d told the older man what had happened. “Ye have done something that no other Hamilton laird in four generations has been able to do. Ye must allow yerself to enjoy the moment.”
“How can I enjoy the moment when I have to wonder whether I have agreed to peace with a murderer or whether the killer is one of my own?” Hamish demanded softly. He didn’t need to worry about anyone overhearing him since everyone was working quickly through the ale and wine. Laughter roared from every corner of the grounds, and Hamish couldn’t help but look around to see if anyone was watching him, noting his action.
“’Tis the curse of being in power,” Tyree reminding him. “Ye cannae control everything, so ye must learn to take pride in yer successes. Is it more than Maggie? Perhaps this is about Lady Grace?”
“Grace is not one of mine,” Hamish muttered darkly.
“So I see.” Tyree grinned and lifted his ale. “Ye will certainly have yer work cut out with that one.”
Sighing, Hamish turned and walked away. He didn’t know why everyone assumed that he had chosen Grace. Couldn’t they see she was obviously trouble?
Alex and Connor were taking turns keeping an eye on the little hellion, and their absences were noticed. Most agreed that they were working on getting their wives pregnant.
Highlander's Hellion Bride: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance (Highlander's Deceptive Lovers Book 3) Page 7
