RAGE consumed him from the moment he escorted his future wife to her chambers to the moment he carried her to bed after her swoon. The poor woman had vomited at least three times. None of this made sense. Beatrice had barely eaten anything at dinner. Someone might have worked up enough courage to usurp his command and poison the future lady of Clan McIntyre.
Between the servants, his mother, and the healer, Deirdre, Beatrice’s room was a flurry of activity. Colin stared at his personal guard. “I want her room guarded at all times. No one is to prepare her food with the exception of my mother, Cook herself, or Deirdre. Am I understood?”
“Aye, laird. Would ye have us arrange to bring servants forth for questioning?”
“Nay. I will conduct my own investigation.”
Colin stormed out of the room. The first place he would start was in the kitchens. Step by step his feet pounded into the stone steps, and minute by minute, time was being wasted. While the offending culprit still wandered these halls, no one was safe.
When he reached the kitchen, he found the cook, Alec, and several other women cleaning.
“A word please,” he announced.
Everyone had stilled, even Cook. One maid, on the other hand, fidgeted where she stood. If he had to guess, the one woman knew precisely where to find the answer. He approached her, and instead of being the honorable man most were accustomed to witnessing, he grabbed her by the shoulders. Hard. Unrelenting. He stared the wench down until she broke down into a puddle of salted tears.
“What do ye know of what is happening to Lady Beatrice? Answer honestly, or ye will not live to see sunrise.”
The woman sobbed and snorted. Colin could make out only the names Mary and Gwendolyn when he freed the woman. She ran out of the kitchen, but he would make it a point to find her afterwards and question her further.
“Who are Mary and Gwendolyn?”
“Mary Gwendolyn was one of Sinclair’s mistresses, a healer, who trained other women of ill-repute. I’m not certain entirely of what her participation is in all of this, but I can take ye to her cottage. It’s not far from here,” Alec said.
“I would appreciate that.”
Colin followed the servant out of the keep and into the courtyard. Lately the days passed in a quick succession of following, yelling, battling, and more following. When he’d left for Sinclair lands, he never anticipated that he would be here longer, much less taking a bride. Yet, now that his soon-to-be-wife was threatened by forces beyond his control, it wouldna be tolerated.
As they approached the cottage, a blonde woman approached. “She has already left. Ye have to know her actions were out of anger. Were it not for the Duncan bitch returning, she would have been the next Lady Sinclair.”
“What does that have to do with anything? Sinclair was defeated, and all were to pledge their loyalty to me. If ye cannot find it in yerself to do so, women of yer kind are not welcome here.”
“So that be the ways of it. Well, ye will never find Mary again. The Sinclair had other allies, and I imagine she is already halfway there.”
The blonde woman stopped and reached for a sack. “I bid ye a good evening, but I believe I will leave as well.”
He was shocked that the woman of ill repute chose to leave. What had Sinclair done to these women? Camp followers weren’t uncommon, but he suspected that these women did nothing more than serve his baser needs.
Sinclair having other allies, including the English, meant these lands weren’t safe for his mother or Beatrice. As soon as the lass recovered, they’d return to his keep and remain there until all the usurpers were revealed.
“I am sorry ye did not find the answers ye were seeking, laird.”
“All will be fine, Alec. Once Beatrice’s health is restored, I will have her moved.”
“Who will ye be leaving in charge of the keep then?”
“I will leave one of my personal guard here. He is a fair man, and ye should find no trouble with him.”
Colin had led the trek back into the castle when Cook came rushing at him.
“Laird! Thank the Lord. She has finally quit purging, and some willow bark brew seems to have settled her down. Ye must come and see.”
“What do ye suppose she was given?”
“If I had to guess, someone might have slipped her something to make her toss. They did not seem to care that too much of whatever they fed her might have killed her.”
Which was probably the reason why the woman fled before being caught.
“Should this Mary Gwendolyn ever cross these lands again, I want to be notified immediately. I’ll not tolerate this sort of subordination from anyone.”
He climbed the stairs leading to Beatrice’s chamber and found her resting peacefully. The once pale and sallow skin was now warm and rosy with color. Colin held her hand for a moment and then sat on a chair next to the bed.
“Everyone leave. Get yer rest, and I will watch over her this night.”
Once the room had cleared, he began to remove his clothes. His body ached, and the wound to his chest, while it had begun to heal, needed to hurry. A laird couldna be caught in such a vulnerable state.
Naked as a babe, he crawled into bed with his sleeping lass, needing nothing more than her warmth. She gave him his newfound strength to conquer all, and right now, he needed her to recover more than anything.