Vexing the Highlander

by Terry Spear

  Ward rubbed his whiskered chin, his brow furrowed. “You dinna know either of the voices?”

  “They were speaking low and even if they were no’, I doubt I would have recognized them. No’ unless they were one of our own men. I wondered if the shooting of the servant on the hunt was by accident or by design. Mayhap he was the one they had targeted, but they failed to kill him.” Alban finished belting his plaid.

  “If that is so, why?”

  “He knows something about the men and they need to keep him from talking? Or mayhap he got in their way when they intended to shoot someone else. Did you see the incident?” Alban sat on the bed to pull on his socks and shoes.

  “Nay. We had split off after three boars running in different directions. Two of the men who tried to finish the boar we took down were gored. The boar only missed me by the length of a tusk. I truly thought I would be run through if it hadna been for some baron I didna know who shot the boar and finally took him down. Unlike in Lord Dunlap’s case with you, I profusely thanked the man.” Ward sat down on the chair to put on his socks and shoes.

  “Then I am just as thankful you were safe and unharmed during the hunt as well. I didna have a chance to tell Lady Aila that we would look into this. That I want her to have no part in it if she thinks to try to help identify the men,” Alban said.

  “Aye, I agree. ‘Tis entirely possible the man who was shot wasna part of the other men’s discussion. That Sim was just accidentally shot.” Ward rose from the chair and crossed the floor to the window.

  “True. Then who had they attempted to kill and not succeeded?”

  “They could have been talking about an earlier incident. No’ anything to do with the hunt.” Ward peered out the window for a moment, then turned around.

  Alban ran his hands through his hair. “You are right. I want to place one of our men as guard on the servant who was shot, just in case he truly is the target.” He felt they had to protect the man in case he was the one targeted for some reason.

  “You will arouse unnecessary suspicion if you do. Mayhap we can ask if the servant can serve us for a time while he is recovering from his wound. He willna be much use on the king’s staff. One of our men can safeguard him here, in our chamber, until we learn the truth of the matter. If the servant wasna the one who was targeted, who was?”

  “Any of the lords, the king even, could have grievances against them. We need to learn who witnessed the shooting of the servant.” Alban would not let go of the notion until they knew for sure what was going on.

  Ward let out his breath. “Aye, but again, inquiries could cause speculation.”

  “We have to do something.”

  “If we are to get at the root of this, we have to be cautious though, or show our hand.”

  Alban didn’t want to be cautious. He wanted to expose the assassins for what they were before anyone else could get hurt.

  “When I mentioned that it was great that Lady Aila had located the boar, you had to remind her of it. What was that all about?” Ward asked.

  Alban loved the way she had been concerned for the stag’s safety, though he didn’t like that she’d gone off by herself alone. “She had located a white stag first.”

  “Nay.” Ward looked incredulous.

  “Aye. We couldna allow anyone to learn about it. Certainly, that we saw it and didna let the king know.”

  “Truly? A white stag? I should have loved to have seen it.”

  “He was truly remarkable. Let us see to the women then, and afterward, inquire about the servant.” Alban was eager to learn what they could as soon as they could.

  When they reached Aila’s chamber, Alban was glad to see the two ladies’ maids, Mai and Ralene, sitting up and eating at a table, smiling and talking.

  “They are doing well.” Aila led the brothers back into the corridor. After she shut the door, she spoke low to them. “What are we to do about…you know what?”

  Alban explained what they intended to do about the wounded servant. Aila looked so relieved and he was glad she was pleased and that he had suggested it.

  “I worry about Sim,” she said.

  “You didna check on him, did you?” Alban’s heart began to pound with worry for her safety.

  “Nay. Wynda wouldna let me.”

  The lass was far too willing to risk her life, and he had to impress upon her that he and his brother would take care of the matter. “You wouldna have gone alone, would you, my lady?”

  “Nay. Of course no’. I would have taken my sister.”

  He let out his breath. “My lady…”

  “Aye, I didna go anywhere, but I still did worry about him. May I go with you now?”

  “We are trying no’ to arouse suspicions,” Ward warned her. “If all of us were to go at the same time, it would look too irregular.”

  “Aye.” She wrung her hands. “Mayhap I can make inquiries about Sim’s injury. I could act”—she shuddered—“morbidly interested.”

  “My lady,” Alban said, wanting to sequester her away to keep her out of harm’s way. “Is it no’ enough that we look into this matter?”

  Full of worry, her soft brown eyes watched him, and then she nodded. “Aye, of course. ‘Tis your place no’ mine to look into such a despicable plan, if it were an attempt at assassination. Do keep me informed, will you no’?”

  “Definitely. We must hurry to see about Sim now. And mayhap we can speak later.” If they could do so without garnering undo attention.

  Then Alban and Ward took their leave, but Alban worried the lady was not satisfied with their plan.

  When she returned to her chamber and shut the door, Ward asked, “Did you get the impression the lady has a mind of her own?”

  “Aye.” Which Alban loved in a woman as long as it didn’t mean endangering her life.

  Aila would not be dissuaded from inquiring about the incident when the servant was shot. She first asked the ladies who had attended the hunt and had kept up. She was convinced none of the ladies would be involved in anything so diabolical. And she was certain none of them would share what Aila was questioning them about. They were at the meal now, and she managed to learn that Lady Umberton had witnessed the entire event. Eagerly, Aila asked her to sit with her and Wynda to tell them all about it. The lady was all too happy to oblige. Hopefully she wouldn’t embellish the story too much.

  Wynda nudged Aila’s ankle under the table, but she ignored her. This was the first lead she’d had, and she’d spoken already to Alban, his brother, and her sister as well, about the servant’s recollection. But he had seen nothing but the boar coming at him and then realized an arrow had lodged in his arm. Beyond that, all he had tried to do was stay out of the path of the boar.

  “Do tell me what you saw exactly,” Aila said enthusiastically.

  “Well,” the lady said, her blue eyes widening with eagerness as she appeared delighted to tell Aila and her sister something they wished to know, “’twas just an accident, of course.”

  “Aye, of course. The servant must have gotten in the way of the lord.” Aila didn’t know if the shooter was a lord or someone like Alban. But she thought if she pretended to know he was a lord, the woman would clarify who, or maybe say he was not, and tell her his name to set her straight.

  “Oh, for sure.”

  “I am positive he must have told the man he was sorry.” Aila knew he had not come forth about the matter at all.

  “You jest. If anything, he might be grousing about missing his target, disparaging the servant’s name.”

  “Is he?”

  “How would I know that for certain? He would probably tell his close circle of male friends. Certainly not a topic of conversation for the women.”

  Was that a rebuke because Aila was asking about it? “Who else was on the ground when the boar was charging?”

  “Why the king, of course. Which is why I am confident whoever shot the servant would have been angry with him as he tried to shoot the boar to protec
t the king.”

  Aila closed her gaping mouth. Had the hunter tried to shoot the king himself? She had to get word to Alban and his brother soonest. She glanced in Alban’s direction where he was seated with his brother again and realized he had been studying her. She wondered if he suspected she was trying to learn what had gone on during the incident. She wasn’t going to leave it to the men to find out if she had a chance to safely discover anything.

  “How come the king was on foot? Had he fallen?” Aila asked. It was an honest question. Lord Dunlap had fallen from his horse when the horse had reared up at the sight of the raging boar.

  “Heavens no. And dinna say that to anyone. The king had gallantly dismounted to give the killing blow to the boar, but it had other plans.” Lady Umberton drank from her tankard of sweet, honeyed mead.

  Aila wanted desperately to ask if Lady Umberton knew which direction the arrow had flown, and if it could have been meant for the king. But she could not ask her that or the word would surely spread throughout the court that Aila thought the king’s life had been in danger.

  Lady Umberton probably wouldn’t have known anyway, as much of a threat as the boar had been to everyone in the area at the time. They talked about the festivities after that and the dance. Lady Umberton even confided in them about how Lady Felicia was secretly hoping for Lord Dunlap’s proposition to the king, asking for her hand in marriage.

  “Will he offer for her?” Aila asked, curious. She wasn’t truly interested in any of the lords here. Only, with one beautiful Highlander who made her heart beat with passion, and took such a genuine interest in her, their servants, and now the injured servant, she couldn’t think of anything else.

  “He wasna impressed with her inability to keep up with the hunt. He wants more than a pretty lass who will smile sweetly and agree with everything he says and does. I have heard he has shown some interest in you even. He was much impressed that you no’ only kept up with the hunt, but that you found a boar. Lady Felicia isna happy with that at all. Dinna be surprised if she attempts to sabotage your chances at marrying the earl.”

  Though Aila wasn’t interested in the earl, she had no desire to be made the fool of, if Felicia intended to do something to ridicule her.

  “I have heard we are going to have races across the loch one of these days when the weather is grand like it was earlier today on the hunt.” Lady Umberton ate some of her boar.

  “I look forward to it.” Aila loved the water. Both she and her sister did. When they were younger, they swam all the time, with guards, naturally, and their maids and mother present. She and Wynda had also learned how to use oars so they could row a boat. They had even raced their da and some of their clansmen in fun. Though they had not been strong enough to beat any of the men, they had all had a good time trying to. Their mother felt it important that a lady know how to do many things well, that mayhap another family would feel was not ladylike at all.

  “Do you know this Alban of the Clan Daziel?” Lady Umberton asked. “He seems to have caught your eye. We wondered if he was a childhood friend.”

  Aila wasn’t surprised others had been gossiping about her. She wished she could say they were. To explain some of the familiarity between them. But she couldn’t make up stories for she knew she would get caught up in the lie.

  “He most graciously offered to assist us in bringing the healer to our chamber so that she could take care of our sick maids,” Wynda said.

  Lady Umberton smiled sweetly, but her smile didn’t appear to be genuine. “Then you danced with him in gratitude.”

  Aila was certain the lady knew that was not so and was trying to catch her up in a lie. “On the contrary. He asked me to dance before that. He so gallantly wanted to dance with me when no one else would. He is a true gentleman.”

  “I see. Well, I do suppose his interest in you is only because he canna marry you. Or mayhap he has the ridiculous notion the king will allow him, a commoner, to marry you and take all your properties. Though, I highly doubt it. No’ unless Alban has resources and fighting men to call his own to help support the king’s cause.”

  Which Aila was sure he didn’t have. He was just a good man. Unfortunately, that would not be good enough for the king.

  When the dinner was done, Wynda glowered at Aila. “What?” Aila mouthed, exasperated.

  They were alone in the great hall, as much as anyone could be in a castle filled with people, though most everyone had already left. Just Ward and Alban were headed their way.

  “You are acting too interested in what happened to the servant. If someone did try to—“ Wynda paused as Alban and Ward joined them. “Should you be seen speaking with us here?” She sounded cross.

  “My sister worries needlessly when we do have news that you must hear.” Aila explained about the king having dismounted when the servant was shot.

  “I thought—“ Alban said, sounding exasperated with her.

  “I said naught that would cause us trouble.”

  “She didna mention you at all. Just was curious about the man who had shot the servant. But she is liable to get us both in trouble if she keeps this up,” Wynda said.

  “I hadna planned to ask anyone else. Just the women. And only the one had witnessed the scene.”

  “Lady Aila—“ Alban said.

  “I must see to our maids.” With that, Aila made her way past the men, her sister hurrying to catch up to her.

  “They are right. I am right.”

  “And how would we know what we now know if I hadna asked her some questions about this?” Aila asked her sister.

  “We know naught more than before,” Wynda said, sounding annoyed.

  “Except that we now know who had dismounted and may have been the target!” Why couldn’t everyone see how important that could be?

  But Aila didn’t intend to go straight back to their chamber. She knocked on the door to Alban and Ward’s chamber. “’Tis me, Lady Aila.” She glanced at her sister standing next to her, her arms folded across her chest. “And Lady Wynda. We wish to speak to the wounded man again.”

  “Aye, my lady,” Alban’s guard said, opening the door.

  The ladies hurried inside and he shut the door. Sim was lying on a pallet, awake, his arm bandaged, his blue eyes wide. “I have never been treated so well after being injured.”

  “Did you try to save the king while the boar chased you?” Aila asked.

  “The king was near me, but you must understand in a situation like that, ‘tis every man for himself. We both were trying to avoid the boar’s lethal tusks.”

  “Do you have any enemies?”

  The man’s mouth gaped. “What makes you ask that?”

  “Just in case you had gotten on the bad side of some lord and he shot you instead of the boar,” Aila explained. She swore Wynda groaned softly beside her, and the guard looked askance at Aila.

  “No’ that I recall, my lady. I try always to try to be careful of what I say or do around the noblemen and the ladies. Or I would pay for it for certain.”

  A knock on the door had everyone turning to look at it. The guard said, “Aye?”

  “’Tis me and Ward,” Alban said.

  Aila figured Alban wouldn’t like it that she had questioned the servant any longer. But with her suspicions of the king being in danger, she had to learn if the man recalled anything further about it. Or if he might have had enemies and the attack had nothing to do with the king.

  “Thank you,” she said to Sim, and headed for the door.

  When the guard opened it, Alban was ready to walk in with his brother, but stopped short at seeing her standing there with her sister. “Good day to you, sir,” she said, and waited for him to move out of her path.

  He bowed and stepped aside. When his brother entered the chamber, Alban shut the door and escorted the women back to their chamber, asking what she had spoken to the servant about. As soon as she told him, he groaned even louder than Wynda had.

  “My sentiments e
xactly,” her sister said.

  “Lady Aila, I will keep you informed about everything I am doing concerning the matter.”

  “That is all I can ask for.” But Aila had every intention of listening to the men to try and determine who might have shot Sim. And whom the hunter seemed to have a close association with.

  6

  Alban had to secure the arrow that had shot Sim, just in case the shooting wasn’t an accident. Ward was going to go with him, but Alban thought they’d be less conspicuous if only one of them looked for the arrow.

  “If you find it, how will you conceal it?”

  “Under my plaid. ‘Tis the only way. Unless I wrap it in a bit of cloth, but even that might seem suspicious.”

  “You canna carry a quiver of arrows, or that would also look odd.”

  “I agree. Though the healer might have broken it to remove it.” Alban grabbed a piece of cloth and tucked it under his plaid, just in case. Then his brother wished him luck and Alban left.

  When Alban arrived at the outer building set aside for the wounded men from the hunt, he greeted the healer and asked, “Perchance, do you still have the arrow that struck Sim?”

  “The bloody cloths are over there.” Inghean waved in the direction of a bucket. “But those will be washed and reused. Mayhap it was tossed…” She rested her chin in her hand as if trying to decide where she might have thrown it. “I removed the arrow from his arm when he was lying over there. Your men came and took him to your chamber to work for you.” She raised her brows a tad. “Are you getting much work out of him?”

  “He is recovering nicely.” Alban wished his men had remembered to ask for the arrow then. They were supposed to, but they had been worried about arousing even more suspicion as to why they were moving him to Alban and his brother’s chamber, that they had forgotten to ask about the arrow.

  She gave him a little smile. “I am glad to hear it. You might look around on the floor over there. Mayhap I tossed it there. Unless my assistant or some other threw it away.”

  “Thank you.” He tried not to show how interested he was in the arrow.