Gybbon laughed and noticed even the head of the guard was fighting a grin. “It was Robert, wasnae it?” the man softly asked.
“Aye,” replied Sigimor. “He also saw to the killing of David and his wife, may have seen to the killing of David’s older sons, and is now after the boy, Colin.”
“Jesu. There always was a meanness in the lad, but I ne’er would have thought he would do all this.”
“Watch your step, Colin. Ye can do nay good if he kills ye, too.”
“Och, I ken it, but I am verra good at looking like I am doing what I am told without actually doing it, and I can keep a secret.”
“Can the housekeeper?”
“None better. She just has to worry about getting the laird better without telling how she kenned who made him sick. I will watch her as I suspect the cure will be slow.”
“Aye. It all depends on how much the lad has given the mon.”
“He can clean out his system slowly and it will be messy and ugly,” said Jolene.
“So somehow they have to keep Robert from ‘aiding’ his da until there is proof of Robert’s guilt he will believe.”
“That willnae be easy. The other lads? Young Murdoch?” asked Colin.
“It looks as if Robert leads and the others are too afraid nay to follow,” replied Gybbon.
“That feels right. It has always been that way, but the old laird wouldnae listen if ye tried to tell him that Robert needed some reining in. He was a mean, often vicious boy.” Colin shook his head.
“We will be busy trying to keep the lass and the wee lad safe,” said Sigimor.
“Ye shouldnae put yourself in the way, m’laird. Ye have to live here.”
“Oh, I ken it. ’Tis why we are handing that job over to the Murrays.” Sigimor clapped Gybbon on the back. “But if ye think there needs to be someone other than a clan member to do something, ye ken where I am most days, Colin.”
“I certainly do. Thank ye.”
“We best go now. Housekeeper is about to give the laird the first of the cleansing tonics he must drink,” Jolene said softly, and started for the door.
“This is going to be bad, aye,” said Colin, and cast a longing look at the door. “It always is when a healer says cleansing.”
“Just verra messy, I fear.”
Sigimor said their farewells to Colin and got out of the room. Just as Sigimor was shutting the door behind them they heard that the ordeal had begun. He slammed it shut and hurried down the steps. At the bottom stood Robert and his brothers. Murdoch looked wretched even though his bruises appeared to be healing. Robert looked furious, whereas Lachlan and Duncan moved carefully until they flanked Murdoch.
“What are ye doing here?” Robert barked.
“We came to see your father,” Sigimor said as he kept moving forward, until Robert stepped out of the way. “Ye do ken that we make an effort to keep the three clans around here close and friendly so all is peaceful. I thought that this time my wife’s skills at healing might be helpful.”
A woman went racing up the stairs with a bucket and two others followed with mops and rags. “What have ye done?” Robert demanded, foolishly glaring at Jolene.
“His system is being cleansed as he appears to have eaten or drunk something poisonous. He should get better now with the housekeeper tending all he eats and drinks. Colin will oversee it all.” Ignoring the man before her, she slipped her arm through Sigimor’s and said sweetly, “Shall we go now, m’love?”
Sigimor just nodded and led her out the door. Gybbon followed and saw Murdoch slip out after him. He turned to face the youth and felt badly for him. It was not a trap he would like to be in. If Murdoch angered Robert he would pay, but his loyalty was to his father in the end.
“Do ye want something?” Gybbon asked.
“It was poison, was it?”
“Oh, aye. Lady Jolene kens her healing arts and she says so.”
“Thank ye, and get the lass and the boy away from here.” He turned and went back into the keep.
“What was that about?” asked Sigimor as they started the ride back to the manor.
“Murdoch just wished to be certain it was poison,” Gybbon replied. “Then he told me to get the lass and the boy away from here.”
Jolene sighed. “He is afraid his brother will increase his efforts to be rid of them now that the laird is being watched.”
“And so ye shall do as he asks, as soon as possible,” Sigimor said.
“Aye. To Gormfeurach and shut the gates on her as soon as I can.”
Chapter Ten
Mora woke up slowly and stretched. It felt good to be able to do so, even tentatively, yet not feel the pull and pinch of stitching. Jolene had removed the stitching last night and declared her wound healed with a caution: she could still not ride a horse for a while. Mora was not pleased by that but knew she would do everything the woman told her to.
She turned onto her unwounded side to look out the window and found herself staring into Gybbon’s eyes. They were mostly green this morning. Mora had not yet made up her mind about why or how they changed at times. Then she became fully aware of the fact that he was lying in her bed. She squealed softly and pushed away, catching herself just in time to save herself from the humiliation of falling out of bed.
“What are ye doing in my bed?”
“Waiting for ye to wake up. We leave today for Gormfeurach, ye ken.”
She found the thought of him watching her sleep a little alarming and hoped she had not done anything too unappealing. “But ’tis barely sunrise.”
“Sun has already cleared the horizon. It is a bit of a long journey to my home.”
“How long?”
“Twa days, mayhap three. Ne’er made the journey with a cart before.”
“We could wait until I can ride a horse.”
“Nay. ’Tis best if we can slip away from here as soon as we can. The sheriff and his men are looking hard for ye and Andrew. Sigimor rebuffed Robert, too, who now leads more than just his brothers. I say ten men, but Sigimor said twelve.”
“They still hunt for me and Andrew?”
“Aye, I believe his brothers do as he says, but they are afraid of him. Others only see that he is their laird’s firstborn son and should be obeyed. I have ne’er understood why, but a lot of people seem to think a firstborn son is just like his da.”
“Do ye ken if Colin and the housekeeper are still weel?”
“Och, aye, they are, and they remain close by the laird. I think some of the men protect them as weel, and as much as they can, but the place is ne’er going to be verra safe for them until Robert is gone. Seems they have tried to warn the laird about his son, but he isnae heeding them. They stopped because they didnae wished to be pushed away and leave the old mon unprotected.”
“There is naught we can do?” She tensed a little when he reached out to toy with a lock of her hair.
“Nay. We did all we can and he is getting better. What needs to be done now is getting ye and Andrew far away from Robert and here, where the sheriff can reach ye, too.”
“Weel, if we are to be traveling soon, ye best get out of here so that I can get ready.” She shivered as he slowly stroked her neck.
“I could help,” he said as he shifted close enough to wrap his arm around her waist. “I am verra good with laces.”
“So am I. I believe I can manage without aid despite my infirmity,” she said as she placed her hands on his chest, intending to give him a little shove. “And that may be something ye shouldnae say to women as they then wonder why and where ye got such skill.”