15
“Hush now, it’ll be all right.” Cleopatra cradled Hugh to her bosom as she ran her fingers through his hair. Her heart went out to the boy. Although she didn’t know the servant personally, she had seen him around and from what she could tell, he was a kind hearted soul who didn’t deserve the fate handed to him.
“Sam was a friend,” Hugh said through ragged breaths as he raked his hand across his nose. “He dinnae deserve to be poisoned. Everyone here loved him dearly. He always had time for me to play when others dinnae. Why did this happen?”
Hugh glanced up to Cleopatra with big red eyes. The tears streamed down his face as she tried to sooth him. Though she wanted to help and take away the last twenty minutes of his life, she knew she couldn’t.
“I cannot even imagine what you’re going through right now. It is hard to lose anyone we care about whether they’re a mother, a father or even a friend. I’m so sorry, Hugh. Honestly, I am. But I don’t have the answers you are looking for. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people or why he was poisoned.”
“Ye think he was poisoned?” Hugh asked glancing up to her.
“What else could it have been?” Cleopatra asked. “You saw him just as I did. There were no arrows shot through him, no stab that we could mend. No, he was killed from the inside out.”
Cleopatra’s heart sank to her stomach. Deep in her core she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the poisoning was meant for Hugh and Jude. Her gut instinct screamed at her.
My father is behind this. He has to be. There is no one else that would be so cruel. What if he’s doing this because I left? If Jude hadn’t taken me, I wouldn’t be here.
Guilt stabbed her sharply as she pulled Hugh from her bosom. Staring into the boy’s eyes, she tried to find the right words to say that would make everything better, but her mind went blank. She knew there was nothing she could say to Hugh to take the pain go away.
“Listen to me very carefully,” Cleopatra said as she brushed Hugh’s bangs away from his eyes. “Your father one day will hand this land over to you and you will be the leader of the clan. There will be people who think they should be in charge instead of you and will challenge you. Some may even try to steal what is yours by force. Others, well,” Cleopatra paused as she lowered her eyes a moment.
Is he too young to understand this?
Glancing back up to the boy she shook her head. “You must know that there are evil people no matter where you go. There will be those who will stop at nothing to see you dead. But you must not give them that satisfaction, do you understand me?”
“I think so,” Hugh said swallowing hard as his tears dried up.
“You are the son of a great ruler, and because of your station in life, people will always be against you.”
“Why?” Hugh sobbed.
“Sometimes it is due to jealousy. Other times it’s because they think they can do a better job. That is why certain contingencies are in place to protect you and to protect your father from those who wish to harm you. It is why there are tasters and soldiers that roam the halls. I cannot tell you why this happened to your friend, but I do know that your father will stop at nothing to ensure your safety.”
“I ken he will,” Hugh said resting his head on Cleopatra’s chest. She racked her mind trying to think of anything that would get Hugh to think of something other than a replay of the gruesome sight he had just witnessed. Scanning the room, she noticed the shelves lined with books. She knew it was a long shot, but she would do anything to get Hugh’s mind on something other than his friend dying.
“Hugh,” she whispered. The boy shifted his weight without saying a word. “I know you must be feeling guilty about all this, but you can’t. Your friend, Sam, died nobly. He was doing his job and protecting you. That is what it means to be a ruler.”
“It still hurts,” he said.
“And if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be human. All we can do right now, is try and be grateful and know that Sam was hero. I know this will be on your mind for some time, but I’d like for you to try and think of something else.”
“Like what?” Hugh asked. Cleopatra noticed the edge to his voice. There was pain there that she knew she couldn’t remove.
“How about picking out a book for me to read to you?” Cleopatra asked as she nodded to the books.
Hugh raked his arm across his nose and gave a sharp nod. His lips trembled as he rose to his feet and walked over to the bookshelf. Cleopatra watched him as her heart filled with pity. Slowly, Hugh drew a book from the shelf and brought it back to her. He plopped down beside her, handed her the book as she shifted her weight. Hugh glanced to her as she opened the book.
Using a soothing tone and annunciating the words properly and deliberately, Cleopatra hoped that Hugh would allow the words to seep through his pain. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow shifting and quickly whipped her head around. In the crack the door, she noticed Jude standing, peeking into the room.
“Will you continue reading?” Cleopatra asked as she looked to Hugh and handed him the book.
“Where you goin’?” Hugh asked as Cleopatra brushed the wrinkles from her skirt and stood.
“I’ll be just a moment. Have no fear, I’m just going to check the door a moment,” she said as she brushed the back of her hand over the boy’s cheek to clear away the remaining tears.
Hugh gave a sharp nod and turned his attention to the book. She could see how much pain it was for him to read and focus on anything other than what the tragic event happened. Still, Hugh read in a monotone that pulled at Cleopatra’s heart.
At least there is something to keep his mind occupied. Poor thing. He should never have had to deal with such events.
Moving toward the door, Cleopatra’s heart fluttered as she reached Jude. She could see the pain on Jude’s face as she drew closer and stopped at the crack of the door.
“And how’s me son doin’?” Jude asked as he glanced around Cleopatra to Hugh as the boy sat on the couch alone.
“How do you think he’s doing? The boy has been traumatized. And truth is, I don’t know how to help him out of this. Do you have any idea who could have done this?”
“We have ideas, but nothin’ is set in stone,” Jude said as Cleopatra nodded her head. She knew plenty about rivalry.
If there was one lesson her father had taught her, it was never to trust blood. After all, in her childhood she had watched her father outsmart several assassination attempts from her uncle. Each time, her father gave her a new lesson to learn in self-reliance.
“How are ye doin’?” Jude asked as his eyes shifted to Cleopatra.
She stopped to take stock of her emotions that seemed to be scattered to the winds. On one hand she felt pity for Hugh and all that he had seen, but on the other, she knew she had to be as cold as the snow that came down in the winter.
Pressing her lips into a tight line, she shrugged knowing she had to be the voice of reason for Hugh. She had to appear strong and unaffected by the day’s events. Yet the moment Jude’s hand clasped hers, Cleopatra felt the walls she had built up around her to protect her from such things crumble. Her nerves were shot and she could feel herself slipping into tears. Clearing her throat, she shook her head, refusing to let her sadness and her terror get the better of her.
“Ye ken everythin’ will be all right, daenae ye?” Jude asked as Cleopatra felt his hand tighten around hers. She nodded.
“I know you will do everything in your power to find out who was behind this,” she said.
In the depths of Jude’s eyes, Cleopatra noticed that he was staring at her, not with pity or remorse but with something else. She watched as he struggled to get the words out and realized she must have looked the exact same way to Hugh only moments before.
“I want to thank ye,” Jude said, finally breaking the silence.
“For what?” Cleopatra asked as she glanced over her shoulder checking on Hugh, who still seemed emerged in the boo
k that he picked out.
“Ye saved our lives. That is nae somethin’ that we are likely to forget. But how did ye ken the food was poisoned?” Jude asked us his eyebrow arched up.
“In my father’s study there are a several books that I had often stolen for the day. Books that allow me to learn things outside of the manner. And being a curious child, I read them all. Of course, some of them helped me as a child to avoid the poisons that grew around me as I played in the ruins near my Father’s manor. Knowing which ones to touch, and which ones to avoid served me well,” Cleopatra started to explain.
“In one such volume, I learned of poisonous plants and put to memory of what they smelled like, both cooked and naturally. This morning, your dishes caught my attention. I cannot remember for the life of me the name of the plant and I am sorry for that, but I knew they were not safe to eat.”
Jude shook his head as he squeezed her hands tighter and stepped closer to her. “Daenae apologize for yer quick thinkin’. Ye saved both me and me son, and I am forever in yer debt because of it.” Cleopatra gave a sharp nod as she pulled her hands away from Jude.
“Your son needs you. This event has wreaked havoc on him and he needs strong guidance right now,” Cleopatra said as she stared at Jude wishing with all of her might that he would comfort her. Yet in the depths of her being, she knew that it wasn’t right for her to steal such affection from him now, not when his son needed him more.
Cleopatra stepped to the side and allowed Jude to enter the room giving another nod as she noticed Jude steal one last glimpse of her before swiftly moving to the settee. As Cleopatra stood in the doorway watching Jude and Hugh, her heart went out to them. She watched as the boy broke down and fresh tears streamed down his face. Cleopatra watched Jude slip around the settee and hold onto his son, rocking the boy back and forth.
“It’ll be all right,” Jude said rocking Hugh in his arms. “We are rulers and sometimes bad things do happen.”
“Why?” Hugh wailed as Cleopatra drifted to sit on the other side of Hugh. She rubbed the boy’s back as she stole glimpses of Jude.
“There is no telling why things happen the way they do,” Cleopatra answered. “What matters is how you react to the bad situations and what you do to overcome them.”
Jude gave her a gentle nod as if pleased by how well she was handling her own fear. After all, she had been in the same room and was offered the same food. The thought of Jude or Hugh being harmed or killed rattled her.
“What do you say I read for a bit?” Cleopatra said. “I know it won’t make things better, but maybe you might be soothed by it?”
Her eyes flicked to Jude, once again searching for approval. He gave her a short nod as Hugh continued to weep in his father’s arms. Slowly, Cleopatra rose and walked to the bookshelf. Scanning the books, she finally pulled one that she thought would help Hugh the most.
“Ah,” she said as she moved quickly back to Hugh’s side and opened the book. “This one will work.”
Cleopatra settled beside Hugh and began reading to him slowly. She could tell almost immediately her soothing tone allowed Hugh to settle down a bit and the boy went from weeping, to resting his head on Jude’s shoulder without a peep.
As the day wore on, Cleopatra continued to read until Hugh’s eyes fluttered shut and he was sound asleep on Jude’s lap.
“Thank ye for that,” Jude said stroking the boy’s hair.
“It was the least I could do,” Cleopatra said, “I only wish I could have done more for him.”
“Ye did enough,” Jude said keeping his eyes on her. “At least he is restin’ now.”
“We should probably get him to his room,” Cleopatra said as she rose slowly so as not to disturb Hugh.
“Nay,” Jude said, “he’ll go to my room.”
“Do you want me to fetch a servant to carry him?”
“Nay, I’ll take him and be with him until he wakes,” Jude answered as he carefully scooped Hugh into his arms. With great ease, Jude rose to his feet, with Hugh cradled to his chest. Cleopatra couldn’t help but admire the way Jude was so tender with Hugh.
As Cleopatra placed the book back on the shelf, Jude turned to her.
“May I see ye later?”
“I would like that,” she said as she gave a soft smile. She watched as Jude carried Hugh out of the library and disappeared around the corner. Her shoulders dropped as she slipped the book back onto the shelf.
Glancing around the room, she felt lonely. So much had happened that she struggled to make any sense of it. She knew all she could do was wait and pray that an answer to the madness would present itself sooner rather than later.
Turning, she walked out of the room. She felt the lump forming in her throat as she drifted further and further away from Jude. She knew that he was battling something that she couldn’t help with as she walked to her room.
Her heart dropped as her blood ran cold at the sound of footsteps behind her. Panic shot through her as she stopped, knowing fully well that there was now a murderer in the castle. She felt suddenly uneasy, being so alone in the hallways.
Turning back, she glanced down the hallway and noticed Jude’s mentor standing before her. His face was white as his eyes were narrowed and almost black. He looked troubled as his lips trembled. Cleopatra cleared her throat and rolled her shoulders back as the mentor moved closer to her.
“Forgive me if I startled ye,” the man said, “that was nae me intention.”
“What can I do for you?” Cleopatra asked.
“I’ve come to beg yer forgiveness, me lady,” he said. “After today’s events it has become clear to me that ye’re nae me enemy. Nor are ye Jude’s as I first thought.”
“I did not know that I was seen in such a way,” Cleopatra said.
The man’s head dropped as did his shoulders and he pulled in a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “I placed blame on ye for me son’s death, and I shouldnae have done that. I have been suspicious of ye since ye came to the castle and I kept me distance. But today ye showed yer willingness to help the Laird.”
“Of course, I will help Jude,” Cleopatra said as the old man’s eyes twitched as he spoke. “Believe it or not, I care for Hugh and his Father.”
“Aye, I saw that today,” the man said.
Cleopatra stared at the old man as she tried to understand him. There was a look of pity about him and for the moment, Cleopatra recognized remorse. Moving to him, she laid her hand on his shoulder and stared deeply into his eyes.
“Sir, you have every right to put blame on me and I am truly sorry for your loss, but we must put our differences aside and stand as united against whatever evil has entered this castle. Jude and Hugh are in danger and I am not entirely sure if I am, but for now rest easy knowing that my heart goes out to both the Laird of this castle and that my fealty and loyalty to him should never be in question. Jude has done more for me than my father ever has. And there is no way I will ever be able to repay him for his kindness.”
“Then we will work together,” the man said as he bowed low and stepped away from her. “I shall send Paige to yer room. The last thing we need is for yer life to be in danger as well. Until we get to the bottom of this, I fear nay one is safe within these walls.”
16
You do not know my father. He will never relent. He doesn’t just let people go without cause.
Cleo’s words played back Jude’s head as he paced the study. His mind shifted to the day he received word Hugh was stolen from him by a group of men near the river. Yet, he couldn’t deny the evidence that was stacking up against the Earl. After all, it was the Earl who kept his son captive for so long, and didn’t send word that Hugh was there, but Jude could not understand why Cleo’s Father would want them dead.
What if Cleo was right? What if her faither doesnae let things go, but holds a grudge against those who have bested him? Yet, why wait so long before makin’ a play for revenge?
Unless…this isnae the first att
empt.
Jude’s mind raced back to the last night they were on the moors. How it was Adam who had been shot with an arrow and killed before they even reached the Castle. Jude’s heart sank like a bag of stones in a loch as his breath quickened.
The Earl isnae about to let the girl off the hook so easily, is he?
Anger turned to rage as Jude clamped his hand into tight balls of fury. After all, from what he knew of Cleo’s father, he was cruel, not only to his servants but to his daughter as well. Even Hugh told him stories of being in the manor under the Earl’s protection and how cruel he treated those around him.
As Jude contemplated on what to do next, he couldn’t help his mind from drifting to Cleo. She was so much stronger and braver than he had given her credit for. The anger that swelled within him ceased at the thought of her beauty and grace.
Highlander’s Wicked Temptation: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 13