Rowan's Lady (24 page)

“I do no’ ken, lass. But she has been through much
and needs her rest.”

Lily didn’t care for his answer. “I was through
much too! And look! I’m all better!”

He could not argue with her reasoning. But he knew
that children tended to be far more resilient than adults.

“Aye, and I be verra glad ye are all better,” he
told her as he added numbers in his ledger.

“So why isn’t Lady Arline better? I miss her. Lady
Beatrice won’t let me go see her. Why can’t I?”

Rowan let out a frustrated sigh, set down his
feather and looked at his daughter. “Lily, ye must understand that Lady Arline
was seriously injured and it will take a few days to recover.”

“Have ye seen her?”

“Nay, I have not.” And it wasn’t for lack of
wanting to. He was simply giving the lass time to rest. But still, he was
growing concerned as the hours passed by without seeing her.

“I miss her, da.” Lily said, pulling her lips into
a pout. “She took good care of me.”

Rowan knew his daughter was genuinely concerned
for Arline, for he had similar concerns.

“I tell ye what, lass,” Rowan said as he scooped
Lily up and into his arms. “We will give Lady Arline another day to rest and if
she is still not well, we shall go and see her.”

“Do ye promise?” Lily asked as she rested her head
against his chest.

“I do so promise,” Rowan whispered. “She’ll be
better soon, so ye needn’t worry. ’Tis nothin’ some good sleep won’t cure.”

He prayed that he was right.

Later that afternoon, Rowan called for Frederick,
Daniel and Thomas for a meeting in his library. They had much business to
discuss, the primary concern being who had tainted the ale with the sleeping
draught.

Rowan sat behind his desk as the three men stood
before him. “Have ye learned anything since our return?”

“Nay, Rowan, we have not,” Thomas answered. “I’ve
been askin’ the women folk and so far, nothin’. Mrs. McGregor seems to be as
puzzled as the rest of us as to who might have done this. But, it would be
quite easy to slip into the cellar and taint the ale. ’Tisn’t like we keep it
guarded.”

There had never been a need to keep the ale under
guard. No one, least of all Rowan, would ever think such it necessary. His
clansmen were good, honest people. Many were related by blood, but others had
come from nearby clans that had been decimated by the Black Death. There were
even a few from as far away as Inverness.

Concern was etched in the lines of his face. Had
he unwittingly opened his home to a traitor? Or worse yet, traitors? Why would
anyone do such a thing? Had he not offered them a safe home? Did he not treat
each among them with respect and dignity?

“Have any of ye any suspicions?” Rowan asked.

The men cast furtive glances at each other. Rowan
sensed they were afraid to speak their minds, which he found rather odd. Each
of them looked very uncomfortable.

“I get the feelin’ ye be afraid to speak yer minds,
lads.”

Frederick cleared his throat and shifted from one
foot to the next. “None of us want to suspect our own, Rowan.”

“Neither do I, Frederick. But someone within these
castle walls tainted the ale and kidnapped me daughter. We need to find out who
it was. Who is to say that they might not make an attempt again?”

“Do ye really think it be one of our own, Rowan?”
Thomas asked.

While he did not like the thought, it was a
possibility. “I dunna what to believe at this point, Thomas. I dunna want to
think it be one of our own.”

Daniel finally spoke. “Do ye think it be one of
those that ye opened yer home to? Someone not born within the clan?”

Frederick turned and looked at Daniel, visibly
angered by his question. “I was no’ born within this clan, and neither was me
brother Ian. Do ye accuse us?”

“Nay, I do no’!” Daniel snapped. “But at this
point, no one is above suspicion. Do I think ye or yer brother involved? Nay, I
do no’. But
someone
did betray us, all of us.”

Frederick looked as though he were ready to snap
Daniel’s neck. Frederick had come to live among the clan when Rowan and Kate
first married.

“If I thought, even for the briefest moment, that
any of
ye
were involved, ye would no’ be standin’ here before me,” Rowan
said as he looked Frederick in the eye. “I trust ye with me own life and the
life of me child.” He paused a moment to allow his words to settle in. “But
Daniel is still correct. Someone here
did
betray us and we need to find
out
who.
We can worry about the why of it later.”

Thomas offered his own opinion on the matter.
“Aye,” he said as he patted Frederick on the shoulder. “I feel the same as
Rowan. I trust ye and Daniel, without question. But the fact remains we have to
find out who did this.”

“Keep doin’ what yer doin’,” Rowan told them. “Keep
yer eyes and ears open. I’d concentrate first on those who are newest here.
They verra well could have been sent by Blackthorn to do this. As of this
moment, no one is above suspicion save the four of us in this room.”

“Does that include the ladies Arline and
Beatrice?” Thomas asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

Rowan’s stomach tightened at the notion. “Need I
remind ye that Lady Arline was no’ here?”

“Nay, I ken that. But, how do we ken that she
wasn’t sent to finish what was started?”

Rowan cast him a look of derision. “At the point
we met Lady Arline, she was plannin’ on stealin’ Lily away, to protect her from
Garrick. The man didna ken we were comin’ fer me daughter, so how could they
have planned such a thing?”

“We dunna ken any such thing, Rowan,” Thomas
replied sternly. “I keep askin’ meself how it was that ye were able to get into
his keep so easily? ’Twas almost as if he was expectin’ ye.” Rowan had thought
they had settled this matter days ago. “Lady Arline
is
above reproach.
Need I remind ye that she helped save Angus McKenna’s and Duncan McEwan’s necks
seven years ago?”

In Rowan’s mind that was enough to disqualify her
as spy and traitor. Thomas however was not so inclined to remove Lady Arline
form the list of suspects.

“I ken what she did fer Angus and Duncan. But much
can happen in seven years, Rowan.”

Rowan was growing impatient with Thomas’ theory.
“So ye believe do ye, that Garrick Blackthorn, known whoreson and spoiled
bastard, allowed us into his keep so we could take Lily back? And ye believe
that Lady Arline allowed him to beat the bloody hell out of her just so she can
gain entry into our keep? For what purpose, Thomas? To steal Mrs. McGregor’s
recipe for meat pies?”

Thomas rolled his eyes. “Nay, no’ to steal Mrs.
McGregor’s recipes.”

“What then?” Rowan asked, holding his palms
upward. “It makes no sense, Thomas.”

“None of this makes much sense, Rowan,” Daniel
said. “I believe Garrick Blackthorn was no’ hurtin’ fer money, or anythin’ else
fer that matter. He outnumbers us two to one. His clan was no’ hurt nearly as
bad as ours and many others. If its yer coin he wants, why no’ just attack and
take it? Why kidnap Lily fer ransom?”

Rowan thought that to be a very good question. He
pondered it for several long moments. “Let’s look at what we do ken,” he said
as he stood and went to the fireplace. “We ken that Garrick is a spoiled man. A
boy trapped in a man’s body. We ken that he has plenty of fightin’ men, more
men than we. We ken that someone here aided in the kidnappin’ of me daughter,”
he paused and clasped his hands behind his back and thought.

“We also ken that he annulled his marriage to Lady
Arline,” Daniel offered. “But why? They were married for over a year.”

“What has that got to do with anythin’?” Rowan
asked, growing perturbed with how they kept coming back to Lady Arline.

“I find it curious is all,” Daniel said.

“She’s barren,” Frederick said with a shrug of his
shoulders. “Garrick was no’ her first husband. She was married to Carlich for
three years and no children came of that marriage. ’Tis the only thing that
makes sense. He annulled the marriage because she could no’ give him an heir.”

Rowan was growing more and more frustrated with
the topic. In his heart, he knew Lady Arline had nothing to do with the
kidnapping. “Again, I ask ye
why
that be important.”

“It may no’ be important as it pertains to the
kidnappin’. But it may be important fer
ye
to ken that.” Thomas replied.

“Me? Why would I care if she be barren or no’?”
Rowan unclasped his hands and rested them on his hips.

“Och! Rowan, we all saw how ye were lookin’ at the
lass on our journey home,” Thomas said with more than a hint of frustration to
his tone.

“Yer daft. I have no idea what yer referrin’ to,
Thomas,” Rowan snapped at him. Aye, he had fond feelings toward the woman. But
he was not yet ready to admit to anyone that there might be more to his
feelings than just a fond admiration or gratitude for what she had done for
Lily.

Thomas harrumphed. “And yer daft if ye think no
one could see how yer eyes lit up whenever ye saw her. I only say this fer yer
own good. Ye could never marry that woman.”

Rowan’s fury erupted. “Marry her? Who said
anythin’ about me marryin’ anyone? We’re talking about who betrayed us and
helped kidnap me daughter!”

Thomas let out a sigh. “I was merely pointin’ out
the obvious. Lady Arline be barren and ye be lookin’ at her all calf-eyed. I
feel it me duty to point out that ye canna marry a woman known to be barren.”

In two strides, Rowan was standing eye to eye with
Thomas. “It is none of yer business how I feel about Lady Arline, or any other
woman fer that matter,” he said through gritted teeth. “And if I were inclined
to ever marry again, it will be a woman of me own choosin’, barren or no’.”

Thomas would not back down. “Am I or am I no’ one
of yer advisors? Have ye no’ always relied on me opinion? I merely be pointin’
out facts, Rowan. Facts ye might no’ be able to see because yer smitten with
the lass.” Thomas reached out and placed a hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “Ye canna
deny that ye are, no matter how loudly you voice it otherwise. I be simply
tryin’ to help ye see things from all angles. Ye need a son and she canna give
ye one.”

As much as he hated to admit to it, there was
truth in Thomas’ statements. Aye, he
had
grown quite fond of Lady
Arline. And if she were barren? As much as he wanted to deny it, it mattered
more than he cared to admit.

He could not deny wanting more children. When he
and Kate had first married, before they realized the trouble she would have
getting with child and carrying one to full term, they had both wanted a very
large family. Kate thought six of each would be a perfect number and Rowan
agreed.

Still, it was far too soon to think of such
things. He had a strong desire to get to know Lady Arline. She was a fine woman
of good character, still, there was much he did not know of her.

Mayhap, he told himself, in the end, they were
destined to be nothing more than good friends. That in and of itself would not
be a bad thing, to have her as a close personal friend.

His heart, however, didn’t believe a word his mind
was telling him.

When Arline did not appear in the gathering room
for the evening meal, his worry intensified. He grabbed Frederick from the
crowd and pulled him into the hallway where they could have a more private
conversation.

“Frederick, have ye seen Lady Arline this day?”

“Nay, I haven’t, Rowan,” Frederick said as he
studied Rowan closely. “Do ye wish me to go and find her?”

“Aye, I do. I’d like to ken how she fares. I’m
told she is not feeling well. And see if ye can find the healer.”

Frederick gave a nod and left Rowan standing alone
in the hallway. He had sent for the healer three times and each time a message
was brought back that she was busy tending to other clansmen and would come to
Rowan as soon as she was able.

If the lass was still ill on the morrow, he would
go to her then. He’d quit fooling around with messages and messengers. With
that decision made he returned to the gathering room.

Beatrice sat at the high table again, occupying
the same seat as last night. Time had slipped away from him today, what with
training, his meeting with Thomas, Fredrick and Daniel and his other duties. He
had forgotten all about speaking with Beatrice.

Lily wriggled her way through the crowd and took
Rowan’s hand. The little doll that Lady Arline had made for her was tucked into
the crook of her arm. Lily hadn’t been without the doll since the night he took
her back from Garrick.

Lily looked very excited about something. “Da!”
she said gleefully. “Red John’s dog had puppies! He let me see them today!”

Rowan smiled as he scooped Lily into his arms.
“That is excitin’ news!”

Lily nodded her head vigorously, her little
ringlets bouncing. “He says I can have one if I want!”

Rowan stopped dead in his tracks. He would
strangle Red John for making such an offer without speaking to him first. “He
did, did he?”

Lily nodded her head again. “Aye! He said I can
pick whichever one I want, as soon as they’re weaned!”

Rowan made a mental note to visit his stable
master first thing tomorrow morning. He didn’t feel that Lily was old enough
yet for the responsibility that a puppy would require. Not ready yet to have
this battle with his daughter, he chose to change the subject. He walked down
the pathway toward the high table. “What else did ye do this afternoon?”

She paused, tilted her head and thought hard for a
few moments. “I played with the puppies. Jinny and Robert played with them too.
One of the puppies peed on Robert’s hand!”

Rowan smiled as he set his daughter on the bench
before taking his own seat. “And what did Robert think of that?”