Marcus whirled. "Her wedding band."
"What?" Kiernan said, breathless as he jumped from his horse and hurried to his side.
Marcus looked past him to Justin, who was dismounting. "I didn't see her wedding ring. Did the priest give it to you?"
"No," Justin replied.
Marcus tightened his jaw as he pushed past Kiernan. "What have they done with her wedding band?"
Justin strode to his side. "The highwaymen would have taken everything."
Marcus shook his head. "Nay. The ring was a size too large. She feared losing it and packed it away for the trip."
The earl shook his head. "Surely the highwaymen would have searched the baggage."
"The emerald is three karats. It will not be easily hid. I can find it and Elise's murderers within the week."
For the second time that day, Marcus rode through the streets of Braemer. Elise's body was already on its way to Brahan Seer. Justin had made the arrangements. Marcus's gut twisted. He would retrieve her wedding band, find the guards who had deserted her, then return to Brahan Seer… and to her. He could offer no recompense for her death, but neither would he find peace for the remainder of his days. He stopped in front of the modest church.
"Wait here," he ordered Kiernan and Justin, then dismounted and went inside.
Father Fynn walked down the aisle toward the door. He halted when Marcus entered the sanctuary. They stared at one another for a moment, then the priest said, "You're here about the jewelry?"
Marcus felt another vicious twist to his insides. "Aye."
Father Fynn nodded. "Come with me." He turned and started toward the altar.
Marcus followed him to the back of the church. He hesitated when the priest paused before the altar to make the sign of the cross. Left led to the room where Elise had lain. Father Fynn turned right, but Marcus's knees weakened nonetheless. They continued down a short corridor and entered a modest bedchamber. Father Fynn stopped before a desk in the far corner and opened a drawer. He retrieved a folded paper, then faced Marcus.
"I wanted no mistakes. When I saw the quality cut of Lady Ashlund's clothes, I assumed she had met with highwaymen. Therefore, the fact she wore no jewelry did no' surprise me. I thought no more of it until Sara MacPhee, one of my parishioners, arrived early this morning. According to her, her son discovered your wife. I didn't know that when I spoke to you earlier because it was James MacAlphie who alerted me to the presence of Lady's Ashlund's body in the loch." Father Fynn paused. "You must understand, the jewels represent a lifetime of wealth to these people." Marcus made no response and Fynn went on. "The long and short of the matter is that Sara's son took the jewelry."
Marcus clenched his hands into fists.
"The boy is gone. You could find him, of course, and would be well within your rights to extract payment. A man of your position could sentence the boy to a lifetime of imprisonment."
Marcus envisioned the boy hanging alongside the three men who had been entrusted with Elise's life.
Father Fynn unfolded the paper. "Sara saw the jewelry. She described a thin, gold bracelet and a brooch—"
"I am well aware of my wife's jewelry," Marcus snapped.
He strode to Father Fynn and snatched the paper from his hands.
"Of course." Father Fynn hesitated. "Lord Ashlund, I pressed Sara for information concerning the brooch. It was the most valuable of the items, so I had hoped—"
"Most valuable?" Marcus demanded coldly. "My wife's wedding ring was far more valuable. The emerald is three karats. The gold, twenty-four karat. The ring has been in my family for generations. It is priceless."
Father Fynn looked startled. "Emerald? What emerald?"
"She packed the ring in her valise with the chain and brooch."
The priest pointed to the paper Marcus held. "I swear, Lord Ashlund, there was no emerald ring. Wait, there is this." He opened a drawer and withdrew a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded the document and handed it to Marcus.
He lifted the paper and recognized the pawnbroker's ticket for Elise's wedding band.
Thick gold wedding band his mind repeated the words on the document. Elise had kept the pawn ticket. Why?
Marcus riveted his gaze to Father Fynn. "Where is this Sara MacPhee?"
Fear crossed the priest's face.
"I will not harm her."
Father Fynn hesitated, then said, "I cannot stop you."
"No," Marcus said, his voice hard. "No one can."
In the predawn hours the next morning, the door to Marcus's study opened and Justin and Kiernan entered. The time of reckoning had arrived.
"Justin," Marcus said, without shifting his attention from the instructions he was preparing for Harris, "go home."
"Father," Kiernan said, forcing Marcus's attention to the chair Justin was settling into and his son standing beside it.
Marcus met Kiernan's gaze and he saw the pain on his face, but only broke the connection saying, "You will return to school."
"I will stay."
"Staying will not stop me." He looked at Justin. "Nor yours."