Page 69 of Highland Renegade
“’Tis nae just family loyalty,” Fiona said. “Devon has always been honorable. ’Tis unmanly to kill a woman.”
“Especially with poison,” Emily said thoughtfully. “That is a method women have used for eons.”
“Aye,” Fiona agreed, “and Devon is also very smart. Do ye nae think he would make sure he had an excuse of some sort to cover such a deed? Instead…” She gave each of them a deliberate look. “He was alone in his bedchamber during the time Ian figured out this happened.”
“That would make sense, I suppose,” Juliana admitted.
“What about Glenda?” Lorelei asked. “If she heard about Ian kissing Emily—”
Emily felt her cheeks warm. “Let’s not go into that right now.”
“Glenda always acts jealous of you. She might have done it,” Lorelei went on. “And you said poison is a woman’s choice of weapon.”
“I did not mean—”
“’Tis possible,” Fiona said thoughtfully. “Glenda is nae a servant, so she wouldna have been questioned. I will speak to Ian about it.”
“I wish you would not…”
“Shemust.” Juliana squeezed Emily’s hand. “This person must be caught.”
Emily put her cup down, her hand trembling as reality finally set in. She’d made excuses for the other incidents, because she hadn’t wanted to admit someone actually hated her. And she’d been too weak and tired today to consider much of anything, but the broth had revived her somewhat.
Someone truly wanted her dead.
Chapter Nineteen
Emily still felt a bit wobbly the next evening when she went down to the dining room. Ian had made her promise to stay in her room that day while he finished up with the harvest. Her first inclination had been to resist, but by the time she finished her ablutions and donned a fresh gown, she realized how weak she still felt. Fiona had brought breakfast and lunch to her, and her sisters had stayed with her throughout the day. She suspected that if she lurched into the hall unexpectedly, she’d probably find a guard lurking there, too.
But she couldn’t hide in her bedchamber forever. As far as she knew, the clansmen had not been told what had transpired, but she would have preferred taking the meal in the Great Hall where Ian’s people could see she was alive and well as a warning to the…culprit. She still had trouble believing someone would deliberately put hemlock in her wine. However, Fiona said Ian had requested they all meet in the smaller dining room tonight. She suspected he was going to make some kind of announcement to his family about what had happened.
Now she took a deep breath to steady herself and walked through the door, Juliana and Lorelei trailing behind her. The room was crowded with Ian’s brothers and uncles and a new “guest.” Glenda was sitting next to Fiona. Generally, she ate in the Great Hall with the others, so her presence tonight must mean that Fiona had relayed her concerns to Ian after all. The girl looked pleased, though, so he probably hadn’t told her exactly why she was here.
Ian rose and pulled a chair for her. He nodded to Hamish who’d been standing at the door. The castellan disappeared only to return a moment later with Maggie and two young lads carrying platters of food. The housekeeper did not look particularly happy, and Emily had never seen the two boys before. Normally, women worked in the kitchen and served the meals. She glanced at Ian. Had he taken to heart that poison was usually a woman’s weapon and dismissed the maids from the kitchen? That would certainly account for Maggie’s demeanor. Emily just hoped he hadn’t dismissed the cook, too.
“Set everything down in the middle of the table,” Ian said.
The lads’ eyes widened, but they moved quickly, one spilling some of the soup from the tureen and the other nearly causing a leg of lamb to slide off its server. Maggie scowled at both of them and they skittered out.
Hamish placed two bottles of wine on the table. “I uncorked them myself.”
Ian nodded. “If ye and Maggie will wait, I want ye to hear what I have to say.”
Devon looked wary, the other brothers resigned.
“Has something happened?” Broderick asked.
“Aye. Someone tried to kill Lady Woodhaven the night before last.”
His uncle frowned. “Kill her? What do ye mean?”
“I mean, someone put a glass of wine along with some marzipan on Em…Lady Woodhaven’s nightstand.” He looked around the room. “The wine had been laced with hemlock.”
Emily watched the group through lowered lashes. Donovan looked shocked, Devon sullen, and Glenda’s face had gone white. Which could have been from Ian’s brusque tone or the seriousness of the proclamation, Emily reminded herself. It didn’t mean the young girl was guilty.
Broderick raised an eyebrow. “Are ye certain? We harbor no witches here.”
“Old Gwendolyn confirmed it was hemlock,” Ian said grimly.
