Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
D anielle was reeling from the kiss with Graeme. She had thought of little else since. She could not wrap her mind around the fact that it was not long ago that she was fighting with her ex-boyfriend Jay in her office, and now she was falling for a handsome Highlander. Never in her life did she think such a thing could happen, yet here she was thinking about the way his lips had pressed against hers.
There was a knock at the door, and she perked up, moving to the door with a dance in her step and hoping Graeme would be on the other side.
“Oh, Eva. Come in,” Danielle said.
“Actually, would you come with me? We've been summoned to Maria's chambers,” Eva replied nervously.
“All right, do you know what it's about?” Danielle asked as she closed the door to her room and walked alongside Eva down the corridor to the wing of the castle where the Laird and Lady lived.
“I honestly don't know, but it's unusual for Maria to send for me like she did. To be told to bring you is even stranger,” Eva said.
When they knocked on the door, Sarah answered it, which surprised Danielle a little until she noticed that all the women from her time were there. "What's going on?" she whispered.
Sarah shrugged, as they all moved toward the seats and waited.
“Ladies, thank you for joining me. I'm afraid I have asked you here for something ridiculous. Please have some tea,” Maria said, gesturing toward the tea that was being set on the table by one of the staff.
Danielle found the hot tea to be a favorite treat and helped herself.
"Maria, what's going on? Is there trouble?"
“No, nothing so dire. I've asked you all here to see if I happened to have lent one of you a scarf by mistake. Since so many of you have come through the door, I've been giving out my clothing without much thought, as many of you have as well, so I thought perhaps this scarf had been bundled up by mistake when I was preparing the clothes for one of you. I wouldn't care, except the scarf is rather special. Cameron bought it for me on one of his trips. It was a gift, which makes it extra special, and I don't want to lose it,” Maria said.
“It's possible. I'm sure we can all look through our things and see if we have it. What does it look like?” Cara asked.
“I have a small painting of it,” Maria said, unrolling a piece of parchment and showing it to them. "It's a white linen scarf with a bold green stripe around the edge."
“I'm sure it’s a beautiful scarf, and your painting isn't bad, Maria,” Beth said. “You're getting quite good.”
“We will all look for it when we return to our rooms,” Edith commented.
Danielle looked at Beth, the cute strawberry blonde with wispy hair, freckles, and bright green eyes. She recalled that Beth was the mystery writer. She secretly wondered if she would write The Mystery of the Missing Scarf and had to smother a giggle before she shared the thought with the others. She didn't think they'd find it quite as funny.
As women mingled and helped themselves to more tea, Danielle noticed Maria whispering to Delphine in the corner and looking worried. She knew enough about conspiracy and criminal activity to know there was something more to this scarf story. Because of that, she was intrigued. Maybe Beth really could write a story about the missing scarf and have it be something interesting. Danielle was certainly interested now in what was going on.
After the women were done with afternoon tea, they left Maria's sitting room. But Danielle was quick to catch up with Beth down the corridor.
“What was all of that about, do you think? Is it really just about a scarf?” Danielle asked, wanting to get her take on it.
“Uh hey, Danielle,” Beth said. “Yeah, I’m sure it's just about the scarf. Why would it be anything else?"
“Beth, come on. I'm a criminal justice lawyer. I know when something's up. Let me help, please? I want to be of some use. I can't just sit in my room doing nothing.”
Beth frowned and looked up and down the hall before sighing. “Fine, you can help. But we're trying to keep this quiet, okay? Maria's scarf isn't the only thing to have gone missing from the Keep."
"It's not?" Danielle's eyes widened. "What else is missing?"
"Heigl noticed that it started in the kitchens. Small things. Bits of food, milk, a freshly baked loaf of bread, and some of her shortbread."
"Well, her shortbread is amazing, I can understand someone sneaking off with it, but I get what you're saying."
"It's strange, though. Food isn't the only thing to be taken. The kitchen maids will be doing lunch prep, leave for a moment, and return to find that the items they were working with are gone. Some of them thought it was a ghost. Which is nonsense, of course, but you know how rumors start." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, that changed when other things went missing. Supplies from the stables. Little things from storage, articles of clothing, both men's and women's, some blankets, and things of that nature. After a while, it adds up to something not so little.”
“That is intriguing. And Maria thinks it's one of us? If one of us has the scarf, then it must be us stealing supplies. That doesn't make sense. Each of us is taken care of so well here. Why would we need any of those things?”
“No, you're right, that's not it. The scarf is missing, but Maria doesn't think one of us is doing the stealing. She just wants to make sure that she hasn’t misplaced it before adding it to the list of things that have gone missing,” Beth assured her.
“I see, now that makes sense. Very logical thinking. I do love a good mystery, and this seems to be rather intriguing. I'd love to help figure out what's going on,” Danielle said.
“Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Beth said. "Don't forget to check through your things. Maybe it got mixed up in the clothes Heigl brought you from Maria's room?"
“I will, though I don't remember seeing a scarf like that. I don't think I was given a scarf at all, but then again, Dorine might have folded it and put it somewhere when she took care of my clothes. She keeps the room so organized, I hardly have to do anything. I'll make sure to ask her if she's seen it, too, after I look.”
Graeme had not stopped thinking about the kiss he shared with Danielle. When he closed his eyes, he still felt her lips pressed against his, and her bright blue eyes looking up at him. But it was a dangerous distraction to him right now in the dining hall, where the Laird had called a meeting of the Keep including all of the Guards except for those on the wall and in the towers.
“I've called you all to this meeting because something has been brought to my attention.”
The Laird stood on the raised section, watching everyone. Graeme wondered what had him looking as though he was barely hanging on to his anger.
“It has been called to my attention that over the past month, several items have gone missing. Food, clothing, and supplies disappearing in small amounts here and there but gone. I can only draw one conclusion, and that is that we have a thief among us. Either an outsider is getting in and out of the castle without the Guards noticing to take these things, which is unlikely, or it is someone among us,” Cameron said. His eyes traveled over the staff, the Guard, and every person in attendance.
“Is this happening during the day, at night, or both?” asked Kieran, the Guard Captain.
“Both. So, I must ask, does this mean that the Guard are not doing their job and protecting the Keep from outsiders? Someone is coming in and out unnoticed, and leaving with a bounty of goods, and they are not being stopped. This means they are slipping by you somehow, and there is a hole in our defenses. Or our thief is one of you,” Cameron said.
Just then, Graeme caught sight of Danielle walking into the dining hall. She looked thoughtful as she moved along the back wall to stand near the kitchen staff.
“If it is one of my Guards, they have no honor,” Kieran said.
“Who would do such a thing? We're all pledged to our Laird, and we all know if we need anything here, it is freely given,” added Bran, the tanist.
“Perhaps it is one of us who has a lot of experience being a thief!” Brody shouted, looking at Graeme.
Brody had been a thorn in Graeme's side since he’d arrived. He'd been pleased when Danielle dumped her wine on him, but now, Graeme saw that the man was only going to get worse. “Make sure you are right in your accusations before you toss them at me.”
“If not you, then who?” Brody said. “In truth, you are rather large to be slipping in and out unnoticed, but your brother Danny is slight and could do such a thing without notice. You taught him well, as did your murderous father, did he not?”
“Take that back,” Graeme said stepping toward him. Two men grabbed Graeme and held him back.
Graeme heard Danielle gasp and hoped she stayed out of it.
The Laird stepped between them. “That’s enough; both of you. No accusations shall be voiced until we know them to be fact. Now, go your ways, all of you, and find out who is using my Keep in such a way. You are dismissed,” he shouted.
Graeme had a feeling this was far from over. If Brody had his way, he'd pin the thefts on him and Danny, just to be rid of them. And he was not about to allow that to happen.