Chapter Seven #5
Laurel splayed her fingers across Conor’s chest and lifted her face, offering him her mouth. He kissed her slowly, lingeringly, and with a deep, tender possessiveness. “He still might.” Laurel grinned.
“On second thought, I don’t think you should resume your role of matchmaker, Laurel.
Especially in your condition. Conan can make even the most patient person furious at times, and you should not get riled.
Besides, he is so furious with you, I don’t think he is going to listen to anything you have to say. ”
“I have no intention of directly taking on that role,” she said, with a mischievous smile. “I have no need to. Conan already has a female in his life to whom he listens. He just doesn’t realize it.”
Then Laurel kissed him thoroughly, ending any possibility of continuing the conversation.
* * *
Brenna and Bonny raced into their room right after their father ordered them to leave the great hall. He had told them to prepare for bed, but it was still early and it would be at least an hour or two before Maegan or a servant came to ensure they were settled for the night.
Bonny went to sit by the hearth and looked for one of the Latin books that Conor had given her to practice. She expected Brenna to undress and put on a robe per her normal routine, but her sister was instead quickly running a brush through her blond hair.
Bonny stood up, put the book down, and went over to where Brenna was splashing water on her face. “What are you planning?” she asked, crossing her arms, imitating what Conan did when he suspected her sister of something.
Brenna dabbed a cloth on her face to dry it and said, “I’m leaving.” She gave the towel to Bonny and pointed to the bowl. “And so are you.”
Bonny took the towel and said, “But Papa said—”
“Papa only said to come to the room and prepare for bed. I’ve brushed my hair and washed my face. I did what he said. Now it is your turn.”
Bonny began to splash water on her face. “I don’t think he meant for us to leave again,” she mumbled, as she began to dry her face off.
“Then stay,” Brenna replied in superior tone, “but I’m going to find out what is happening with Mhàiri and Uncle Conan.
” She then headed for the secret door in their room.
Their castle was full of them. Her great-grandfather had insisted that there be multiple ways to escape any room in case McTiernay Castle was ever attacked.
Brenna had never known anyone to need the passageways for safety reasons, but she thought them marvelous things for discovering bits and pieces of information.
And the best conversations were the ones everyone thought her too young to know.
Bonny narrowed her eyes. Most knew about Brenna and her continual propensity to eavesdrop, but it was not as well-known just how often Bonny went with her.
If Brenna was about to take the risk and sneak back out, it was not very hard to figure out who her sister wanted to spy on.
Besides, Brenna was right. Things were happening, and it was certain that Conan and Mhàiri were not going to tell them anything.
Bonny had discovered a few years ago that while she did not share her older sister’s passion for the thrill of not being caught, she did learn a lot more about people by eavesdropping than she did by asking grownups questions.
“I’m coming,” Bonny announced.
Brenna stopped and turned around. “Fine, but hurry. Braeden is going to get bored and come here any minute.”
Bonny ran two quick swipes of a brush through her hair and rushed after her older sister into the dark corridor.
Minutes later, they emerged from the stairwell into the storage room on the bottom floor of the tower.
After years of practice, both were adept at hearing approaching footsteps and knowing where to duck out of sight until they passed.
Bonny whispered, “Where are we going first? Mhàiri’s or Conan’s?”
Brenna bit her bottom lip. “Both could be talking right now. So you go find out what Uncle Conan is saying to Seamus, and I’ll go listen to Mhàiri and Maegan.”
“How do you know they are not alone?”
Brenna rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion that Bonny hated. “If Maegan wasn’t talking to Mhàiri, she would have been checking on us. And if she is speaking to Mhàiri, then she told Seamus to check on Uncle Conan.”
Bonny was not sure, but it did not matter. “We meet back at the room?” she asked.
Brenna nodded and began to rub her hands together as if she were about to start an exciting game. “You tell me everything Uncle Conan said, and I will tell you everything I heard Mhàiri say.”
“And then what?” Bonny asked, seeing that her sister was up to more than just discovering what was going on.
“Then we figure out what we are going to do, because if Mama won’t help Uncle Conan win, then we will.”
Now that was the first idea Brenna had had that Bonny fully supported. With a smile and a nod, she followed her sister into the shadows of the courtyard before splitting off to the North Tower as Brenna headed for Mhàiri’s room.