CHAPTER 22
“What in God’s name have ye done, sending them off?” Isabel greeted Margaret the moment she reentered the hall. “Alex should be here to comfort his parents.”
“I did as the earl bid me,” Margaret said as she removed her rain-soaked cloak.
“Of all the foolish things,” Isabel huffed. “If there is a murderer at Helmsdale, we need our men here to protect us. Go fetch them back!”
“They’ve already gone,” Margaret said. “How do the earl and Helen fare?”
“Not good,” Isabel said through pursed lips. “I’ve sent for the priest. He’ll be here in the morning.”
Margaret ignored Finn’s instructions and hurried up the stairs to the earl and Helen’s chamber. As she entered the room, she cast sidelong glances at the two men guarding the door and the maids attending the ill couple. Was it one of them who poisoned their laird and his wife?
She was shocked at the earl’s transformation. An hour ago, he looked like a man in robust health with his ruddy complexion and powerful presence. Now he was covered in sweat, and his face was ashen with pain.
When the earl saw her, he attempted to sit up, but he was too weak. “Did ye—”
“Rest easy.” She waved the maids away from the bed and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Finn and Alex are on their way to Dunrobin. They rode off a short time ago.”
“He…didn’t…” the earl attempted to croak out the question.
“No food or drink passed his lips, I’m certain of it,” she said in a hushed voice, and took the earl’s hand between hers. “Finn will keep him safe.”
“Aye, ye can count on Finn when it matters,” the earl said, forcing the words out between harsh breaths.
His eyes drifted closed, and she thought he had fallen asleep, the poor man.
“But he needs a good woman. Told him to…hold onto Maggie,” he said in a voice so weak she had to lean down to hear him. “Didn’t know…how lucky he was…to lose Curstag.”
Lose Curstag? Finn had told her there was nothing between them. She could not think about that now.
She turned when one of the maids tapped her on the shoulder.
“I’ve done everything I know to help them,” the maid said, wringing her hands. “Una is wise in matters of healing. Could ye ask her to come?"
“Of course. I’ll fetch her now,” Margaret said.
She was relieved to see Ella safely ensconced in their chamber, lying on her pallet and listening to Una’s stories behind the barred door.
While Una went down to the earl and Helen’s chamber, Margaret rocked her sleepy daughter on her lap.
After all that had happened, it was such a comfort to hold her that tears came to her eyes.
“I love ye so much,” she murmured as she rubbed her check against the top of Ella’s head. “You’re a blessing.”
“Where’s Finn?” Ella asked, looking up at her.
Through the narrow window, she heard the wind and rain pounding against the thick walls of the castle. She prayed silently that Finn and Alex would reach Dunrobin safely.
“He’ll be back tonight,” she said as she brushed a curl behind Ella’s ear.
Ella smiled and laid her head down. She was sound asleep in Margaret’s arms when Una returned.
“Ye weren’t gone long,” Margaret said.
“They don’t need a healer,” Una said. “They’ll be dead in two days’ time, and nothing can be done about it.”
Margaret gave a sigh as a wave of sadness washed over her. “I’ll go sit with them.”
She laid Ella on her sleeping pallet, careful not to wake her, and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.
“Let this be a lesson to ye,” Una said, stopping her at the door. “Ye never know how long either of ye have in this world.”
“What if I can’t bear the loss that comes after?” Margaret asked.
“Pain and sorrow come to us all,” Una said, patting Margaret’s hand. “But fear will lead ye to miss the joy.”
Una’s words went around and around Margaret’s head as she sat at the bedside of the dying couple.
And they were dying. The most she could do for them was ease their suffering by wiping their brows.
Every hour or so, she looked up to find Isabel standing in the doorway, her piercing black eyes fixed on her brother- and sister-in-law.
###
Finn and Alex rode through the storm at a reckless pace on the muddy trail along the coast. Finn was determined to get his cousin to Dunrobin before whoever was behind the poisoning had time to send men after them to finish the job.
Luckily, they both had ridden this trail between Helmsdale and Dunrobin countless times and knew every dip and curve.
It was growing dark, however, and the storm was pounding in their faces and blowing debris on the trail.
“Fallen tree!” he shouted. He leaned low over Ceò’s neck as his horse sailed over it, then turned to make sure Alex’s horse cleared it too.
All through the treacherous ride, questions spun through Finn’s head.
Who was behind this heinous act? How many were involved in the plot?
Plenty of men had reason to seek vengeance against his uncle.
But if the intent was to erase his family and leave no Gordon heir to Sutherland, that bespoke of both hatred and ambition.
Finn was more than glad to hear the Dunrobin Castle gate bang closed behind them.
After gathering everyone into the great hall, Finn watched their faces as he told them about the poisoning of their laird and his wife.
Was someone here party to this crime? Someone whose look of shock was not caused by the news about Alex’s parents but by Alex’s escape?
“Every one of ye must be vigilant to protect your laird’s heir,” Finn said. “I want four men guarding his door at night.”
With four, they could keep watch on each other.
“You and you,” he said, pointing at two warriors at random, “will taste Alex’s food and drink before it’s served to him.”
Finn was anxious to return to Helmsdale. After speaking briefly with the man his uncle had left in charge of the castle, he drew Alex aside to bid him goodbye. His cousin looked young and scared.
“You’ll be safe here,” Finn said, and squeezed his shoulder.
“Whether my parents are alive or…no,” Alex said, choking on the words, “I want them brought home to Dunrobin.”
Finn prayed his aunt and uncle would live, but he would not give Alex false hope by assuring him his parents would survive.
“It may not be wise to move them right away,” Finn said. “But I’ll return with them as soon as I can.”
The storm swirled around him, the darkness pierced by bursts of lightning as Finn rode back alone. It was long after midnight when he finally reached Helmsdale.
“Give Ceò a good brushing and extra oats,” he said as he threw the reins to the stable lad, then he patted his horse’s shoulder. “Ye did well, mo caraid.” My friend.
He rushed inside and ran up the stairs. As he started past his uncle and aunt’s chamber, he saw Margaret curled up in a chair beside the bed and drew his first easy breath since he’d left her.
She must have sensed his presence, for she turned toward the doorway where he stood muddy and dripping wet.
Her eyes went wide, and then she surprised him by leaping to her feet and throwing her arms around him.
Praise God she was safe. He closed his eyes and held her for a long moment before either of them spoke.
“I’ve been so worried about you,” she said against his chest.
That was so like her to fret over him when she ought to be angry that he’d left her alone with his ailing relatives—and with a murderer on the loose.
“I see ye didn’t follow my instructions to lock yourself in with Ella and Una,” he said, leaning back to look into her face.
“I wanted to do what I could for your aunt and uncle,” she said. “I’m afraid they’re not doing well.”
He turned his gaze to the couple on the bed. Oh, God, they did look bad.
“Thankfully, the pain seems to have eased, and they’ve gone to sleep,” Margaret said. “Is Alex safe?”
“Aye, he is, but let’s talk upstairs,” he said. “Ye need your rest. Let the maids take care of them for a few hours.”
Margaret woke one of the maids who was sleeping on a pallet on the floor and whispered instructions to her.
“There’s no doubt it was poison?” Finn asked as they climbed the stairs.
“Una is certain, and your aunt and uncle show all the signs,” Margaret said.
“Any notion how it was done?” he asked.
“The men fed what was left of the supper to the dogs, hoping to find out which food or drink contained the poison,” she said, wrinkling her nose in disapproval, “but none of the dogs became ill.”
“Then either my aunt and uncle consumed all of whatever food was poisoned,” he said, “or someone got rid of what was left.”
“One of the servants—a man who helped serve our supper—has gone missing,” Margaret said.
“Damn it,” Finn said. “When Alex and I left, I told the men at the gate not to let anyone else leave.”
“He was probably already gone by then,” she said. “The hall was in chaos after the earl began shouting that he’d been poisoned. The culprit could have easily disappeared in the confusion.”
“I expect this missing servant was bribed to do the deed,” he said. “But I’d wager someone else is behind it, someone with a good deal more to gain than a piece of gold.”
“Who do ye suspect?” she asked.
That depended on whether the motive was vengeance or gain. Either way, there was no shortage of possibilities.
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out,” he said. “In the morning, I’ll question everyone in the castle.”
When they reached their chamber, Finn took off his cloak and hung it on a peg on the back of the door. He wondered if Margaret would leave now to sleep with Una and Ella.
“You’re soaked through,” Margaret said. “Let me help you out of those wet clothes and find ye a dry shirt to wear.”
If Margaret were a different woman, he might think this was an excuse to get his clothes off. Alas, thoughtful Margaret just wanted him warm and dry before she left him for the night.