A wisp of pleasure wafted through him at the fact that they had come so easily, beckoned by a man that was not a part of their family. It made him feel as if he belonged and though his heart wrenched at the memory of his deceit, it also soared with the need to protect them.
He swept his eyes through the room. From the Laird downing his wine, and grinning happily when he was done, to Dougal watching his brother with a shaking head. To even Jonathan, sitting in his usual seat by the fireplace with a frown on his face. Though they had not spoken much, Matthew knew he was just as great a part of the family as any of the others were.
It was evident in the fact that Jonet had chosen to sit in the seat closest with him. She was staring at Matthew, he noticed, when his eyes finally came to rest on her. When he had walked in, she had been deep in conversation with Jonathan, both of them wearing bright smiles.
Those smiles were no longer present. She watched him, noting instantly that something was wrong, but she did not come to a stand.
“Matthew!” Laird MacLagain boomed. “What did ye call us all here for?”
“Ye interrupted a spirited battle between me and the wee one,” Dougal wandered over to Jonathan to clap a heavy hand on his shoulder. Matthew expected Jonathan to smile and respond, but he did not. He only stared at Matthew the way Jonet did, as if he knew something was wrong and was waiting to hear what it was.
Matthew decided it was easier to simply say it straight. He held up the letter between two fingers and said, “When I returned to me bedchambers, I found this letter on me bed. In it, was this.”
With his other hand, he held up the lock of hair. The two older gentlemen squinted the moment he did. Jonathan and Jonet frowned in disbelief.
Only Jonet approached him, not taking her eyes off the lock of hair. “Is this…”
“Aye, it seems to be yer hair. Dipped in blood.”
The room trembled. Whether it was from the anger that was clearly mounting in the Laird as the hair was passed to him, or the fear he could already see building in Jonet’s eyes, Matthew was not sure.
“What does the letter say?” asked Jonathan.
“It says that I should leave here.” Matthew did not take his eyes off Jonet and she did look away. “Or else Jonet and I will suffer a painful death.”
“What?” The Laird barked. “Let me see that!”
As Matthew handed the letter over to the Laird, Dougal said, “Who would think to do such a thing to the man betrothed to the Laird’s daughter?”
“It’s all me fault,” Jonet whispered. Matthew grasped her wrist, keeping her from walking away.
“It isnae yer fault, Jonet,” he said strongly. “This isnae a curse. This is someone targetin’ ye for some reason that we cannae figure out.”
“Whoever this is doesnae ken I will go to the ends of the earth for me daughter.” This was a side of the Laird that Matthew had never seen before. He was clearly furious, pacing back and forth, but his voice was low, his eyes focused. This was far from the usual volcano of rage, it was a more direct form that meant it had transcended past anything Matthew had seen before.
“This is an outright attack on our family!” Alas, where the Laird fell short, Dougal picked up. He was the one roaring so loudly that it seemed to shake the room.
“Ye must tone down, Dougal,” Jonathan spoke in his usual calm demeanor. His brow was still furrowed, as if he were deep in thought. “It is likely that whoever sent somethin’ like that is within the Castle walls. It may very well be one of the servants.”
“Aye, ye may be right,” agreed the Laird. Despite his low tone, his face was fierce enough to make anyone quake in their boots. “Even if it could be an outsider who got one of the maids to leave the letter, no one else would have access to Jonet’s hair like that.”
“If it even is hers,” Matthew pointed out. “Jonet isnae the only one with black hair.”
“A slim chance that it isnae,” Jonathan said. He rose as well. Now, they were all on their feet, pacing, seething, and despairing.
Matthew slid his hand down to take Jonet’s. He brought her closer to his side, hoping that his presence would help her see that she was protected. Her silence spoke volumes, but right now, Matthew could not interpret it very well.
“Jonet.” Laird MacLagain made his way over to his daughter in three long strides. The determination written across his face was something great to behold. “Ye willnae leave this Castle until we find out who did this. We cannae risk what happened with those brigands to happen again.”
Matthew had expected some sort of protest from her, but she only nodded silently.
Laird MacLagain looked at Matthew. “Stay by her side, Matthew. If someone is after both of ye, ye will be better off protectin’ each other.”
“Aye, Me Laird.”
Laird MacLagain nodded, seeming satisfied with Matthew’s agreement. He turned his attention to his brother. “Come with me, Dougal. I shall interrogate those brigands some more. Maybe that’ll give us a clue as to who is behind all this.”
Dougal nodded determinedly. Before they left, Laird MacLagain addressed Jonathan, “Question the maids. Tell me all ye find out after ye do.”
“Aye, Me Laird,” Jonathan nodded.
They all left, one after the other. Jonathan left after a lingering look of what appeared to be sadness cast over the both of them. Matthew had no doubt he would do whatever he could to reveal the culprit.
The moment they were alone, he looked down at Jonet. She was staring at the rug beneath her feet, her mind far away.
“Jonet? Are ye all right?”
She did not answer with words. She only nodded slowly and took a deep, shuddering breath.
Matthew wrapped his arms tightly around her, stroking her hair. She took another breath, but he was relieved to know that she was not crying.
“At least now I ken it wasnae a wicked curse that caused their deaths. It seems someone has been trying to take away everyone who gets close to me. And now ye’re their next target.”
“I willnae let anythin’ happen to either one of us,” Matthew told her, kssing the top of her head. “Now that we ken this, we will be able to look out for any signs of danger.”
“And when an arrow comes shootin’ out at ye again?” she asked, looking up at him. Her eyes dry, but tortured. “What do ye do next?”
“I’ll just dodge it like I did last time.”
“Ye are puttin’ a lot of faith into what was obviously just yer luck.”
“Ah, yer faith in me is always so rewarding.”
She did not laugh the way he had hoped she would. She only hugged him tighter. Matthew simply held her, knowing that she needed the time to sort through her thoughts.
“Everythin’ will be fine in the end, right, Matthew?” she asked after a while. “We’ll find this person, and then we’ll be free to marry and be happy, right?”
“Of course,” he said, kissing the top of her head again. “I’ll make sure of it.”
And when the time comes, I’ll make sure to tell ye everythin’ about me past. I just pray ye will find it in yer heart to forgive me.
Chapter 22
Rinalda handled the news far better than Jonet had expected. She did not take her eyes from her mother though, fearing she might slip into an episode. Rinalda was certainly very strong, but in her weakened state, Jonet did not want to risk making it worse.
She had not wanted to tell her. She had planned to stay away from her mother’s room for some time, just until they found the person who sent the letter. Jonet had known that if she dared to sit before her mother, she would pull the information out of her before Jonet even knew what was happening.
Yet Matthew had convinced her to go to her. He kept saying that it was wrong to keep her in the dark and that she was much stronger than she appeared. Aside from the odd faith Matthew had in a woman he had only met a few months prior, Jonet could not deny that his suggestion was tempting. She had been longing to go to Rinalda ever
since Matthew revealed the letter. She had managed two whole days holding in the urge to seek her mother’s company and reassurance.
“Ma?” Jonet glanced uncertainly at Matthew who was sitting by her side. He took her hand as she faced her mother’s drawn face. “Are ye all right?”
“I should be the one askin’ ye that, Jonet.” Rinalda spoke, as calmly as she could with trembling hands. She refolded the letter and placed it by her bed. Jonet had neglected to bring the hair along, not wanting to make things worse than it needed to be. She did not know why she hadn’t tossed it in the fire yet.
“I’m fine, Ma.” Jonet squeezed Matthew’s hand. “I have Matthew here with me and ye ken he is always tryin’ to make me feel better.”
“And I ken ye have a bad habit of blamin’ yerself for things that arenae yer fault.” Rinalda cast her tender eyes on Jonet, reaching out to grasp her hand. The moment she did, Jonet’s eyes pricked with tears. “Are ye sure ye are all right?”
Jonet swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’m scared,” she admitted.
Rinalda patted her. “Of course, ye’re scared. Anyone would be. But as long as ye ken that this isnae yer fault, and that yer Faither and Uncle will strike down anyone in their path to make ye safe.”
“I ken.”
After the Laird’s fruitless interrogation of the brigands, he and Dougal had joined Jonathan in weeding out the person responsible inside the Castle. They had not ruled out the possibility that it might be someone on the outside, but even so, there had to be a person helping them within the Castle’s walls. When they found them, Jonet was the first person they would come to.
In the meantime, she was under strict orders to stay indoors, keep to Matthew’s side, and relax. She found that last bit far too difficult.
Rinalda’s eyes drifted over to Matthew. “I take it ye have been keepin’ watch over her.”
“I have been,” he assured her. “I havenae allowed her out of me sight.”
“Ye have been sleepin’ in her bed?”
Jonet sat up straight, her eyes wide. “Maither!”
Matthew chuckled as Rinalda lifted her brows in question. “Did I say somethin’ wrong? He did say he hasnae allowed ye out of his sight. Surely that means he has been stayin’ by yer side even while he sleeps.”
Jonet pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ye ken very well that was a very inappropriate thing to say.”
“It isnae if Matthew has nay problem answerin’ it.”
“It isnae for Matthew to decide!”
“I see. So, he has been sleepin’ in yer bed. Yer cheeks are far too red for it to be otherwise.”
Jonet gaped at her, now not knowing what she should say. Thankfully, Matthew decided to talk up.
“It isnae what ye think, Rinalda,” he said. “I have been sleepin’ in her bedroom, aye. But I have taken up me spot between the door and the window.”
“She lets ye sleep on the floor?” Rinalda asked, lifting her brow again.
Jonet sighed in frustration. She silently thanked Matthew for coming to her rescue, even though her mother was completely right about them sleeping in the same bed. In each other’s arms, as a matter of fact.
“He was the one who thought it best that we do that, Ma,” she said. “Why do ye insist on tryin’ to make me embarrassed?”
“I daenae ken what ye’re talkin’ about.”
Jonet sighed. She stared at her mother, watching as the older woman lifted her eyes up to Matthew and gave him a secretive look. Jonet did not bother to look at Matthew, knowing very well that he was doing the same.
After a while, Jonet relaxed. She suddenly knew what her mother’s intentions were. She was trying to distract Jonet from the threat… and it was working. Jonet had not thought of it the moment Rinalda put the letter down and the very idea made her lips twitch.
“I heard quite a few things have been going on lately,” Rinalda spoke suddenly, her tone serious. “If it isnae brigands attackin’ ye both, then it is threats.”
“And poison,” Matthew added.
Jonet whipped her head around to face him. “Poison?”
He looked grimly at her, letting go of her hand to wrap it around her back. “I dinnae say anythin’ to ye because I dinnae want to worry ye.”
“I think it might be a little too late for that, Matthew,” Rinalda murmured, almost idly.
Jonet ignored her. She turned to face him fully. “What do ye mean, poison? What happened?”
“Nothing happened,” he reassured her. “I dinnae drink it. I noticed that somethin’ was wrong with the smell and so I tossed it out.”
“So that time I asked ye if ye liked me Faither’s wine…?”
“Aye, I suspected that might have been poisoned as well.”
“As well?” She screeched. Hysteria was mounting in her. Jonet felt as if she had been teetering on a precipice, and one strong gust of wind would have her falling headlong into an abysss of terror.
Matthew patted her on the leg, trying to be reassuring. “I noticed it once when I was in me bedroom and again when I was talking with yer family. But I daenae think—”
“How could ye nae tell me that someone might have been poisonin’ ye?” she demanded to know.
“I dinnae ken if I was right. I was goin’ based of a smell, and I just assumed. I dismissed it because I thought I was only gettin’ a little uneasy and might have been overthinkin’ it.”
Jonet did not know what to say. All this time, she had been believing that she was safe, while Matthew was fighting with the question of whether someone was trying to poison him.
“It seems ye were suspicious enough to instantly assume it was poison,” Rinalds pointed out. “Perhaps ye were nae as convinced all these happenin’s were coincidences as ye have been sayin’.”
Matthew sagged a bit at that, yet still he nodded. “Aye, perhaps.”
“Have ye told anyone else?” Jonet asked.
“I had mentioned it to the Laird a few days ago.”
“Goodness, now, he will have someone taste all our food.” Rinalda sounded as if she was forcing her slight irritation. Jonet doubted she was very opposed to the idea, considering the situation they now found themselves in.
“If that is what must be done,” Jonet said determindedly. Then, she looked at Matthew. “When did ye speak with him? Ye have been with me ever since ye told us about the letter.”
“I have me ways, woman,” he said with an easy grin, and Rinalda laughed.
Jonet, despite herself, rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She felt much too relieved to let herself wallow in her surprise and anger at his silence.
She had also promised herself that she would not sink into despair. She would try to do whatever she could to find this suspicious person. Instead of beating up herself for something that was completely out of control, she should do what she could to keep both her and Matthew safe.
“I dinnae think this would ever happen to me,” Jonet murmured. “To think that I’ve been targeted is…”
Rinalda shook her head, her braided hair slipping off her shoulder. Jonet absently put it back in place. Her mother was wearing a lovely auburn dress, and though it looked a little too small for her now, it did not diminish her kind beauty as she regarded Jonet.
“It is the fault of whoever this is,” Rinalda spoke in a very comfortingly dismissive manner. “I would nae be surprised to find that they have done all this because they are jealous of ye.”
“Jealous?”
“Ye’re beautiful, smart, funny, and everyone loves ye. Nae to mention ye are the Laird’s daughter. A maid lookin’ in on yer life might want that for themselves.”
“But it is hard for me to think of anyone like that,” Jonet gnawed on her bottom lip as she thought. “I ken nearly all of the maids here. They have all been so kind to me.”
“Ye forget how easy it is for some people to lie, Jonet.”
She sighed silently. Sunlight streamed in from behind them, casting a golden
glow on her mother’s covered legs. When she looked at Matthew, she noticed he too bathed in that glorious light, and for some reason, her heart felt lighter.
A moment did not go by without her being aware of who stood by her side. Despite the danger that lurked in the shadows, Jonet felt safe. She felt protected with her angel by her side, someone who she believed would never hurt her. Physically, or otherwise.
It still did not diminish her restlessness. “I cannae just sit around nae knowin’. I need to do soemthin’.”
Highlander's Trials of Fire: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 19
