'Then I will write to Mr Henderson. I must do it before I leave, and 'twill be one less matter of concern.'
*
Lord Iain Campbell left on the following day, and John one day later. He did not speak again with Blanche on the matter of the proposed marriage, and she did not know whether he had written to England.
She did not care to discuss the prospect with her mother, feeling that this would indicate her willingness to accept such an arrangement, and determinedly thrust the whole business to the back of her mind.
Fiona was preoccupied with her estates, but always delighted in Blanche's company when she had time to spare. A week went by after John's departure, but there was no message from him. Both Blanche and Fiona knew full well it was most unlikely he would be able to entrust a message to anyone, but they both nonetheless hoped to receive some word from him. Life was almost dull with no excitement to break the even flow of the days, only the constant anxiety, until one morning Blanche was awoken early by a hand shaking her urgently.
'What is't?' she asked in alarm, struggling out of a deep sleep. 'John? Is it John?'
'No, missee, 'tis my dear mistress. Oh, I beg you, come to her at once!'
Blanche's sleepy eyes focussed on the worried face of Janet, Fiona's old nurse, bent close to her own. The candle she held cast weird shadows about the room as she hastily set it down on a table beside the bed and dragged the bed curtains further aside, reaching for Blanche's wrap as she did so.
'What is it? What ails Fiona?' Blanche asked in alarm as she slid out of bed and thrust her feet into the slippers Janet held out to her, and pulled the wrap round her shoulders, shivering at the cold.
'Come, I will explain as we go,' Janet whispered, but she led the way so swiftly along the draughty passageways and down a narrow flight of stairs Blanche had no time to question her, and learned only that Fiona was ill. Reaching Fiona's bedchamber Janet pulled her inside and whispered in her ear.
'Do not ask questions until the physician has gone,' she warned.
Blanche was too astonished by the scene that met her gaze to argue. Several candles had been lit, and Fiona lay motionless in the great bed where all the chieftains had lain. At her side the man who was the castle's physician had just finished bleeding her, and was in the act of removing the bowl that held the blood.
'That should remove some of the evil humours,' he muttered fussily, then glanced across at Janet. 'Give her this potion in an hour, it will complete the purging. I will return soon.'
He left the room and Blanche stood looking down at her motionless friend in wide-eyed alarm.
'What happened?' she said softly to Janet as the latter began to bathe Fiona's temples with a cloth soaked in a sweet-smelling substance that Blanche could not recognise.
Janet looked up at her, a grim expression in her eyes.
'I did not tell the physician all,' she said in a low voice. 'He is well enough at his trade, but he is a fool, and I do not entirely trust him. If aught happened to my dear lady, he would repeat my suspicions.'
'What suspicions? What ails Fiona?'
'She was poisoned.'
'What? But how, when? She was perfectly well when we went to bed last night, for she came to my room and we talked for a while, as we often do.'
'I believe 'twas afterwards. My nurseling always had a sweet tooth and she kept a box of comfits here in her room, and had them when she felt like one. I cannot say whether she had one last night after I had seen her into bed, but the box is beside her bed and she could have taken one. I looked in on her an hour afterwards, for she had seemed restless, and I thought she might want some mulled wine to help her sleep. She was twisting in agony on the floor and could scarce speak. She had vomited and I suspected poison, so I gave her a remedy of my own which caused her to vomit again. Then I fetched the physician and he has been purging and bleeding her since.'
'Will she recover?' Blanche demanded fearfully.
'Surely, for she is not so ill as others I have seen that have been poisoned.'
'Are you sure it was the comfits? Could it not have been something she ate at supper?'
'It could, but you are not ill, and neither am I nor the physician, nor several other people I have seen,' Janet said swiftly. 'As soon as it is light I shall go and give the rest to one of the stable dogs.'
Blanche stared at her in consternation.
'If it is the comfits, then it must have been deliberate,' she said slowly. 'Where did they come from? The castle kitchens?'
Janet pursed her lips. 'No. That is why I do not tell any but you until I am more certain. They were a present from her loving Aunt Katriona, brought here by her Uncle Colin,' Janet replied in a flat, expressionless voice.
'And you think – ? No, they would not! Surely they would not dare?'
'They have much at stake,' Janet reminded her.
'What will you do?'
'Guard my mistress carefully until she is better, and then tell her, for 'tis her decision whether to accuse them.' Janet turned away, starting to clear up the things used by the physician. 'I had to tell someone else for fear aught happened to me,' she said in a muffled voice, and great sobs began to rack her. 'You are her friend, you love her as I do,' she gasped.
'Hush, Janet, you have saved her this time, and must not give way,' Blanche urged, taking the old woman in her arms and holding her close. 'I will help you guard her and look after her, and there will be no further opportunity for them. You know you can trust me. Come now, there is work to do, and we must tidy the room before she sees this confusion!'
Janet gulped and sniffed and patted Blanche's hand.
'I knew you were her friend,' she muttered, and nodded several times. 'I do not think we ought to tell anyone else until my lady has considered it.'
Blanche agreed, for the attempt had been a great shock, and she could not disentangle her whirling thoughts. She wished intensely that John were there, so that she could unburden herself to him, and on the thought she recalled that Alexander, with his promise of guarding Fiona, perhaps ought to be informed. But when she suggested this to Janet some time later the old woman was reluctant.
'Best tell no one,' she insisted. 'I am sure Lord Alexander is to be relied on, but the fewer to know the less likely our suspicions will get abroad, and that will be safer for my mistress, which is all I care about.'
'What shall we tell people in the castle? We must say something to account for the illness.'
'A stomach disorder. We cannot hide that, for the physician will talk. But possibly you could pretend to be a little affected and blame the fish we had? You and your mother will have shared the one at my lady's table, and Alexander also. If another is affected it will divert attention from other possible causes.'
Blanche nodded eagerly. She appreciated the old woman's desire to hide the real cause of Fiona's illness until there was more proof, or until John returned, and Fiona was well enough to make her own decision on how to deal with the situation.
'I will stay here with Fiona and give it out that I too am indisposed.'
'And for fear it was not the comfits, I will prepare all the food for you both,' Janet declared fiercely.
*
They sat watching over Fiona until the dawn spread a faint light over the castle.
She had slept heavily, but when the pipes that were always played to herald the sunrise were heard she opened her eyes.
Blanche bent over her.
'Oh, my head! Blanche, why are you here so early?' she asked weakly.
'Hush, you must stay there, you have been ill.'
'Ill? What is it? Oh, this detestable taste in my mouth! I must have something sweet!'
She stretched out her arm towards the box in which the comfits had lain, but it was empty. At that moment Janet came up with a glass of wine in her hand.
'Drink this, my dearie, 'tis what you need to strengthen you.'
Weakly Fiona complied, and after staring in a puzzled way at Blanche, closed her
eyes and drifted back to sleep. For the rest of that day she alternately slept and lay drowsily, too ill to ask questions, but grateful Blanche remained beside her.
Janet bustled about, giving orders to the maids as to what they were to say, and sending them running to bring food and all the other things she demanded.
Janet and Blanche ate bread and cheese, for as the old woman remarked grimly, these could hardly be tampered with.
'I will go and kill a chicken myself, and we will have that later, and it will make a nourishing broth too,' she promised, and as soon as she was satisfied all was in hand she departed, taking what were left of the comfits with her.
While she was gone Lady Emrey came to discover what was the matter, but Blanche met her in the anteroom and explained Fiona had been ill during the night and wished for her company.
'Janet is in charge,' she said with a slight laugh, for now Fiona seemed to be sleeping calmly she was no longer afraid. 'It seems to her as if Fiona is back in the nursery!'
Lady Emrey smiled and nodded. 'Your own nurse revelled in any illness that kept you her prisoner for a while,' she agreed, and Blanche shivered. 'Are you ill too, my dear?' her mother asked anxiously.
'No, Janet has made such a large fire in Fiona's room that standing here out of its range I feel cold,' she explained, and then recalled Janet wanted it to be believed she too was ill. Surely Janet would not expect her to deceive her mother. She explained quickly, begging her mother not to breathe a word of their suspicions to anyone else, and saying she was going to pretend to be feeling ill also if anyone else came.
'I pray Janet is not right,' Lady Emrey said calmly. 'Now you had best go back to Fiona, and I will return later to see if I can help Janet.'
She left the anteroom, and Blanche returned to her post at Fiona's side.
Soon afterwards Alexander appeared in the anteroom and Blanche went swiftly out to him, her finger to her lips.
'Hush, Fiona sleeps,' she said urgently.
'I must see her, to make certain she is well.'
'She is far from well, so you cannot see her! But Janet says she is in no danger,' Blanche told him, standing firmly in the doorway separating the rooms so that he could not pass.
'Do you presume to give me orders?' he asked in surprise, halting before her as she refused to move out of his way.
'I care only that Fiona be not disturbed,' she replied calmly, firmly repressing the desire she had to step backwards away from his large and menacing presence.
'I have certain rights here, Mistress Emrey, and of that you must be aware,' he said haughtily.
'Mayhap, but disturbing your chieftain when she is in dire need of sleep is not one of them,' snapped Blanche. 'Lower your voice, if you please!'
For a moment he stared at her arrogantly, then his expression changed and he grinned engagingly. Blanche had been trembling because of her defiance of him, and now she put out a hand to steady herself against the doorpost.
'I apologise, for I understand you are indisposed yourself,' he said in a milder tone, and surveyed her mockingly so that she blushed in confusion. 'I would have said you were far too vehement in defence of Fiona, and indeed looking delightfully healthy, to be suffering greatly.'
'I – I have been much less severely affected than Fiona,' Blanche stammered.
'Indeed? I am happy to hear that. But you do appreciate my anxiety about my cousin?'
'We are all anxious, but it is a mere disorder of the stomach, and she sleeps. When Janet returns she will tell you when you may see Fiona.'
'So the old dragon is in her element again, is she? Lord, how she used to terrify us as children!'
'And will do so again, so be it you disturb my lady,' Janet's admonishing voice came from behind him.
Alexander swung round to face her. 'She will recover?' he demanded.
'To be sure, stupid boy! What a commotion to make over a mite of sickness. Tomorrow you may see her, but not for long, mind. And you must not plague her with problems.'
'No, ma'am!' he replied, but smiled and dropped a kiss on her wrinkled cheek as he passed her. 'I'll keep you to your word.'
Janet watched him unsmilingly as he left the room, and then gave Blanche a faint smile as she took the chicken she carried into the bedroom.
'Shall you tell him?' Blanche asked, following her and pulling a stool up before the fire. 'I will pluck the bird while you prepare the rest.'
'I shall tell no one else,' Janet said. ' 'Tis not that I do not trust young Alex, but the fewer that know the better. Besides, he might do something rash against his uncle.'
It was two days before Fiona was able to leave her bed, and she was very weak and easily tired. Janet, who had taken complete charge of her apart from the visits of the physician, gave strict orders she was only to attempt to sit out in a chair for an hour on the first day, and Fiona was only too pleased to obey, finding herself more feeble than she had ever been before. But the following day she felt much stronger, and commanded Blanche to tell her what had happened. Janet was in the room, and she subjected Fiona to a sharp scrutiny before nodding her head.
'I will lock the outer door,' she said, and proceeded to do so, somewhat to Fiona's amazement.
'Are we in some danger?' she asked.
'Possibly. I do not know. Did you, my lady, eat one of the sweetmeats out of your box the night before you were ill?'
Fiona frowned in concentration. 'Yes, I think I did. Then afterwards I had a bitter taste in my mouth and felt sick. I tried to get out of bed, but – I remember no more!'
Janet nodded and explained her suspicions.
'I gave the rest of them to one of the dogs, but he suffered no ill effects, so none of the others were poisoned.'
'It could not have been that then.'
'It could have been just one sweetmeat treated with a poison, so you would eat it at some time. You were fortunate it caused you to vomit, else it would have killed you.'
'But – Aunt Katriona sent those to me!'
'Yes,' was all the reply Janet vouchsafed to this.
Fiona eyed her in dismay. 'I cannot believe she would do that!'
'You are too honest and trusting. She is a wicked woman, and I've always said so. She is like a she-wolf where her cubs are concerned. She has those two boys to provide for, and your Uncle Colin is not wealthy. His wife has always resented his being the second son.'
'They could have killed Patrick,' Blanche said quietly. 'I have been puzzling over this, Fiona, and if it was Katriona, it well might have been her plot against Patrick too. She may think the only safe plan would be to kill you also. To kill your betrothed would not suffice, for you are not likely to remain unwed. She must rid herself of you if she wants Colin to become chieftain.'
'Uncle Colin brought me those comfits. I cannot believe he would agree!'
'He is too timid,' Blanche agreed,'but he need not have known what he gave you.'
'I might have given them to someone else.'
'Your aunt knows your habits,' Janet reminded her. 'Whenever you have stayed with her you have kept some beside your bed. And if by some mischance the poisoned one were to be eaten by someone else, that would be a setback, nothing more. She would try again. It was clever to make only one sweetmeat poisonous, for no proof could then be found in the others.'
Janet was so positive in her opinion that Fiona, despite her natural revulsion at the thought of her aunt attempting to murder her, was almost convinced.
'What shall we do?' she asked. 'Have you told Alex of these suspicions?'
Janet hesitated, seeming reluctant to answer. 'I think it wisest not to,' she said slowly. 'I would not wish to alarm your aunt if talk of our suspicions got back to her. As it is, she will not be certain your illness is caused by the poison, and will hold her hand awhile. Your cousin is so impetuous he would mayhap wish to confront them. I would wait until your steward returns. He will know what to do and can be trusted to do what is best, and not act hastily. In the meantime I am prepari
ng all your food as a precaution, and I sleep in the anteroom with the door locked so that no one can enter. You are safe, my lady.'
'I am honoured you care so well for me,' Fiona said, smiling at her old nurse, and Janet pursed her lips.
'You need someone, until you have a good husband,' she said gruffly, but obviously proud of the praise.
*
For another week Fiona kept to her room, gradually recovering her strength, but oddly reluctant to resume her normal life. John was still absent, and now her concern over Fiona had lessened, Blanche found herself worrying much of the time about his safety. Fiona seemed indifferent, for when one morning as the two girls sat sewing Blanche expressed these fears, Fiona merely smiled calmly.
'He will return, I have that certainty,' she said. 'He warned me he might be gone for several weeks, for to gather exact information he might need to travel over great distances.'
'I wish he would return here, so that we can plan what to do about all your enemies,' Blanche replied to this. 'Have you had any message from your Aunt Katriona?'
'A message of sympathy, advising one of her favourite potions, which she also sent, and complaints that I am too fond of fish, which she abhors!'
'You will not take the potion?' Blanche asked in alarm, and Fiona laughed.
'Do you think me a simpleton? But Katriona would not attempt to poison me so directly, for she could not escape suspicion. Oh, I also had a letter from Uncle Bruce. He says, though I know not whether to believe him, that he intends to come and visit me, bringing Donald.'
'You think he might really bring the boy?'
'If he is in one of his better periods, he might. I am told his mother was only mad at certain times during the first few years, and it seems as though Donald is the same, though poor Uncle Bruce cannot admit it is the same malady, and deceives himself into thinking the attacks are caused by other things, fevers, and such.'
'Does he hope to make your cousin declare himself in person?'
'No doubt. I was too clearly not ready to listen to his father's embassy on his behalf. I hope they do not stay long.'
Blanche echoed that hope when she met the young man. He was tall, but held himself with a stoop, one shoulder lower than the other, and his hands hanging loosely almost to his knees. His stare was disconcerting, and he shuffled along with an uneven gait. The whole effect was horrifying, and despite herself Blanche could barely repress a shudder whenever they met.
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