Page 81 of Laird of Flint
She had a point. But the last thing he needed was a lass getting in the way of his investigation, especially when it involved powerful members of the church. And if Carenza was anything like the last three women he’d courted, she’d be unable to resist sharing her clandestine mission with her maid.
Soon the whole clan would know what they were up to.
The abbot would find out Hew had been indiscreet.
And the gossip would reach the king’s ear.
Nay, it would be best if she forgot everything she’d heard about the monastery thief.
“I work better alone,” he told her.
“No one w’rks better ’lone.” As she grew sleepy, her voice trailed off.
But what she’d said was true. And it made him think.
“Wait. What did you say?”
She smiled. “About kissin’ y’?”
He couldn’t help but smile back. But this was important. “You said no one works better alone.”
“Did I? Mmm.”
He began to think aloud.
“Working with a partner does make things easier. Whether ’tis fighting in a clan battle or digging a cart out of the mud.”
“Or stealin’.”
“Right. It makes sense that the thief has an accomplice. Someone to cover for the theft or provide a distraction.”
“One t’ steal it an’ one t’ hide it.”
He froze. Of course. There weretwothieves.
He’d been searching for a person who had both access to the innermost chambers of the monastery and the freedom to come and go as he pleased in order to stash the treasure at a remote location.
But if there were two thieves, only one would need to have access to the treasure. He might be any monk within the walls. The second thief would simply receive the stolen goods from the first and transport it elsewhere. That person could be any vendor or visitor who came to the gates of Kildunan.
His mission had just gotten a lot more complicated. But for the first time, he believed he was on the right path.
“My brilliant lady,” he declared, “I think you may be right.”
But his new partner in the investigation was already asleep.
Chapter 15
All the day and half the night were gone when Carenza awoke. She’d never slept so long. She’d missed supper. Skipped feeding her animals. Neglected to tell her father goodnight.
As far as she could tell, the opium had had no other lasting effect. But it had certainly made her feel strange. Deliciously relaxed and deliriously happy. As if she hadn’t a care in the world. As if she were perfect just the way she was.
And Hew… Her heart softened. The loyal warrior had stayed with her. Watched over her.
Like her noble champion. Her perfect hero. Making sure she didn’t make a fool of…
Then she remembered.
A silent scream slowly built inside her throat as the words she’d blurted out in her opium-induced state crashed down on her with vivid clarity.
