"Aye, for I dinnae wish to become as wary and lacking in trust as Diarmot.
There would be no hope for our marriage if that happened."
"And for that ye need to do this so quickly we near run back to the keep?"
Ilsa shook her head. "Nay, I need to do this quickly so that I have the truth ere my brothers hear the gossip."
"Oh dear."
When Gay began to run, Ilsa nearly laughed, then she also began to run. She had not been in the village very long before hearing the gossip so there was no doubt in her mind that her brothers would hear it as well. If they had not all lingered within the walls surrounding the keep, Ilsa suspected they would have heard it a lot earlier. Ilsa hoped that the lack of such tales within the keep meant those who lived there did not believe Diarmot guilty. This new problem could take a long time to solve if there were ones within Clachthrom eager to keep her brothers suspicious of the laird. That would prove a slow, dripping poison to any hope of peace in her new home.
Ignoring the startled glances of the ones she and Gay ran past, Ilsa led her companion straight to the nursery. She was pleased to find Gillyanne there with Fraser and requested a few moments of privacy with the two women. After assuring Gay she would let her know exactly what she learned, and assuring the children she would soon return, Ilsa left Gay to watch over the nursery. She then led an openly curious Gillyanne and Fraser to the small solar she had claimed for her own.
"What do ye need to tell us?" asked Gillyanne as she sat down beside Fraser on a well-padded bench.
"I heard some rumors in the market today," Ilsa said.
"Oh, dear," murmured Fraser.
"What rumors?" Gillyanne asked at the same time.
"I was warned about my husband's inclination to poison his wives." She nodded at Gillyanne's gasp of shock. "Tis clear ye havenae been to the village much since Lady Anabelle died, Gilly, but Fraser kens what I speak of."
Fraser grimaced. "Aye. I had hoped that foolishness had waned, good sense killing all suspicion. Tis clear nay everyone there has any regard for a laird who has worked hard to keep them safe and their bellies full. Who told ye this wretched tale?"
"A young mon named Wallace."
"Ah, one of Anabelle's many lovers. A foolish lad who thought her a poor troubled soul and believed the laird the one to blame for it. Anabelle was troubled, but she was also mean-spirited, selfish and vain. Of course, he ne'er saw that. The laird had naught to do with Anabelle's death."
"I am nay the one who needs to be convinced. My brothers are gathered in the alehouse and will undoubtedly hear this rumor." Ilsa nodded when the other two women winced. "Exactly. I need to ken everything that happened ere they return to Clachthrom."
"Which could be soon and with fire in their eyes," said Gillyanne.
"I fear so," agreed Ilsa. "I cannae be sure Angus and Nanty will be able to stop them, either, or will e'en ken what is happening. Diarmot has made no attempt to ken the men my brothers are, nor allow them to learn who he is.
Diarmot still thinks they are liars, mayhap e'en the ones behind the attempt to kill him, and that insult sits poorly in my brothers' bellies, plus makes them suspicious of Diarmot. Sigimor and Tait will be strongly inclined to beat Diarmot, drag me home, and listen to explanations later. Mayhap. After a sennight or two."
"Weel, we cannae have that," said Fraser. "Anabelle found herself with child.
It wasnae the laird's for he had cast her from his bed many months before, near to a year, I believe. Most here at the keep kenned that, thus they would ken that she was carrying some other mon's child."
"Considering all else she had done, I am surprised that would concern her."
"True. She made no secret of her whorish ways, seemed to flaunt them, in truth. By then, however, I think she wasnae quite right in her mind. She also didnae want the bairn. She ne'er wanted Alice, either, and seemed to forget the wee lass existed from the moment she bore the child. Since Anabelle had an easy birth, I cannae believe she feared the bearing of a child."
"So, she got herself a potion to cleanse her womb of the bairn."
"Aye. The healer Glenda in the village refused to give her one. Anabelle ranted about that for a few days, then seemed to calm herself. I had thought she had accepted it all, but, nay, she had her potion. She took it one night after having a fierce argument with the laird. Nay o'er the child, though. I dinnae believe the laird kenned Anabelle was carrying. Within hours we all kenned it, kenned what she had done, and kenned that she might soon pay for her sins with her verra life."