“I suspect it is because he has the coin to loosen a few tongues. I fear there are many in this part of the country who ken us weel, the MacFingals and the Camerons.”
“Do ye recall how we thought the Lucettes read the letters I wanted to send to my kin, destroying any they thought were too critical of them?” Arianna could tell by the dark look growing on Brian’s face that he was already seeing what she just had. “What if they also read all the ones my kin sent to me, if only to be certain they destroyed any they believed could cause some trouble for them? Ones that might ask me to come home for some reason or ones asking when they might visit me. Or they looked for information on my family, mayhap to find a way to get some more money from them.”
“And thus they would ken every place ye had kin or allies, or nearly so. That is, if the ones who wrote to ye would speak of such things, tell ye what tales they have heard of concerning other kin and allies.”
“Ye mean they would gossip.” She grinned briefly. “’Tis what it is. And, aye, near all my kin love to tell tales. That is another reason your name and the Camerons seemed so familiar to me. The MacEnroys, as weel.” She sighed. “My family wished me to ken where everyone was and so ’tis verra possible that whoever read my letters has learned it, too. A lot of information about my clan and all we are allied with was in those letters. Amiel was always around and, as Claud’s affair with Marie Anne continued, the elder Lucettes became more and more disgusted with their heir. If Amiel began to aid them in keeping a close eye upon what news passed between me and my kin, then ...”
“Amiel learned about us all and but needed a few clever judgments as to who ye were with.”
She rested her head against the rough trunk of the tree. “I suppose Amiel could have a cunning that I ne’er noticed before.”
Brian nodded and finished his food as he thought over the possibility that the men hunting for Arianna and the boys had come with knowledge of the places she would try to run to. If Amiel had had a plan to murder his brother for a long time, it made sense that the man would learn all he could about his brother’s wife. Yet Brian did not think Amiel had plotted against his brother for that long. The man he had watched in the inn did not have that sort of patience. That meant that Amiel had simply taken advantage of information already collected on Arianna and the Murrays.
The reason for the collection of such information on allies was varied and none of them revealing anything laudable about the family Arianna had married into. None of the reasons mattered at the moment, either. All that was important was that Amiel and the DeVeaux knew too much. He and Arianna could evade the men pursuing them, but never fully shake free of them.
“Ye are verra quiet,” she said, watching him closely. “I am sorry. None of us saw any reason to be verra cautious.”
He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “Ye have naught to apologize for. The Lucettes are allies and ye all thought the family of your husband would be safe. Why wouldnae ye be free in what ye said to each other?”
“In a way I can understand why they carefully watched what I said to my family, mayhap e’en why they watched what my kin said to me. Yet, why make a record of it all as I begin to think they did? What need would they have had to keep such information at hand?”
“They may nay have had any true plan for its use, just a wee thought that it might be useful at some time. Whatever plan they had doesnae matter now. ’Tis Amiel’s knowledge of it all that we must consider now.”
“We cannae lose him. I suspicion your kinsmen cannae lose the ones after them, either.”
Brian wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. “My kinsmen will be fine. They may ne’er lose the ones on their trail, but they can and will evade and outrun them. As can we. My kin have something we dinnae have as weel, something that gives them an advantage.”
“Oh, aye? And what would that be?”
“More men.”
“Ah, true. Would it help if we hired more men? I can afford it. Weel, once I am back with my clan and can get some coin in my hands, I can.”
“I did think on that, but nay. We are verra close to Dubheidland. Best if we continue as we have. I still believe we have a better chance of slipping round these bastards if we are alone. I will be rid of the third horse once we reach Sigimor, though. I dinnae believe it fools anyone any longer.”