"The gardens are empty. Should they be?" Blake glanced over his shoulder. The bishop was craning his neck, peering inside even as he shook his head.
"Nay. The servants or lay sisters should be tending them at this hour. Lady Elizabeth Worley runs St. Simmian's, and she is a fair virago of a woman who would put up with no--"
"Look you," Rolfe said, cutting off the bishop. "There are baskets scattered about. 'Tis as if they had been working and left suddenly."
"It sounds worrisome." Little George's rumble drew Blake's attention to the fact that every single man who rode with them had dismounted and was crowded around, trying to peer into a sanctity they would normally never get a chance to see.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." The bishop shook his head, his eyebrows turned down in concern. "Something is not right; something is simply not right."
"You said many seek sanctuary here. You do not think someone actually broke in and--" Rolfe left the rest of his theory unsaid.
Blake pushed the gate the rest of the way open and started resolutely inside. 'Twas one thing for the little Scottish wench to flee from marrying him; 'twas another for someone to steal or harm her. He would not stand idly by and see that done. 'Twas not in his nature.
*
Seonaid was a bit surprised by the wariness on the other woman's face. She was a redhead, her skin pale and powdered with a light sprinkling of freckles. Her face was blotchy from crying and scrunched up in distrust as she watched them approach. Pausing before her, Seonaid glanced uncomfortably away. She wanted to turn around and leave but simply could not. 'Twas due to her one failing; in her heart, Seonaid was soft. 'Twas a fault she and her brother had worked hard to eradicate over the years. They had failed at the task. She could not walk away from an injured animal or man, could not ignore cries of pain, and could not leave the Englishwoman to sob her heart out as she had been doing.
"Yer Lady Helen. I'm Lady Seonaid," she announced abruptly by way of a greeting.
"Lady Seonaid? Aye, Sister Blanche mentioned you to me." There was relief on her face as the woman got to her feet. The emotion turned to surprise as she took in Seonaid's height and realized she was a good foot taller than herself. "You have been here two weeks, have you not?"
"Aye. I be attemptin' to avoid marryin' an English dog," Seonaid announced with feigned boredom.
Helen looked startled, then started to laugh. "And I am endeavoring to escape marriage to a Scottish pig."
"Nay. Really?" Seonaid grinned, then asked, "Well, why did ye no go to an English abbey then?"
Helen grimaced. " 'Twas in Scotland I escaped. I sought the closest haven I could find."
"Oh, aye." Seonaid nodded. "Well, never fear, ye'll be safe here."
"Aye." The word was one of agreement, but her expression was doubtful.
When Aeldra shifted on her feet beside her, Seonaid suddenly recalled her cousin's presence and grimaced at her own bad show of manners. " 'Tis rude I am. This is me cousin, Aeldra. She insisted on accompanyin' me here to keep me safe should I run into trouble."
When Helen stared at the woman in question, Seonaid turned to examine Aeldra, seeing her as the other woman must. Her blond cousin was her opposite in coloring and height, shorter even than Helen herself. Seonaid supposed her cousin's insisting on accompanying her to "keep her safe" would sound odd to anyone who had never seen her fight, but Aeldra was a wildcat in battle.
"She's a fair bloodthirsty wench," Seonaid felt she should explain. "An' nimble too. Show 'er," she suggested.
Nodding, Aeldra turned as if to leave the chapel, took several steps away, then suddenly did three backflips in a row. She landed facing Helen on her last spin, a small knife drawn and at the Englishwoman's throat.
"Oh, my," Helen breathed faintly.
Seonaid and Aeldra both laughed as the smaller woman stuck her blade back in her deerskin boot.
"Can you teach me that?"
Aeldra shrugged. " 'Tis fair impressive to see, but no verra helpful in a real battle. An archer would ha' shot me down in mid-flip 'ere I ever got me dagger near yer neck."
"Oh. So you will not teach me." Helen's shoulders drooped. Seonaid and Aeldra exchanged a glance.
"But I could be teachin' ye something a bit more useful," Aeldra said.
Helen's attitude brightened at once. "Truly? Would you?"
"Aye."
"Oh, my, that would be marvelous. Then should Cameron come for me, I could defend myself."
Seonaid's eyes widened. "Cameron? Lord Rollo?"
Helen grimaced. "Aye"
She considered. "I have heard nothing to say he be so bad. Now, the man I was to marry, he's a dog of the first order."
"Who were you to marry?" Lady Helen asked curiously.
"Sherwell."
"Lord Blake Sherwell?"
"Aye, do ye ken him?" Seonaid asked.
"Aye. Well, nay, I have never met him, but I have heard of him. They call him the Angel. He is said to be fair handsome, and quite charming. 'Tis said he has the looks of an angel and the tongue of the devil, and betwixt the two could have lured even Saint Agnes to his bed." Helen frowned. "Why would you not wish to marry him?"
"He be English." When the woman looked taken aback, Seonaid threw her an apologetic smile. "Well, 'tis no just that he be English. He's a cur as well."
"Oh." Helen hesitated, then asked, "Have you met him?"
"Nay, but me father kenned his father. They were once friends. 'Twas why the marriage was arranged, but then the earl showed hisel' to be the cur he is an' ..." She shrugged.
"What did the Earl of Sherwell do?"
Seonaid pursed her lips. "Well, now, I dinna rightly ken, but it must have been something fair rude, for me father has hated him ever since an' curses him at every opportunity." When Helen continued to frown and seemed about to comment, Seonaid shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Why are ye fleein' Lord Rollo? S'truth I have heard naught against him."
"Aye." Helen's expression darkened. " 'Tis sure I am, you have not. He hides his true nature well. He fooled even my father, so much so he agreed to the marriage, but on the way to Cameron Castle, I overheard him talking with one of his men. We had stopped to make camp for the night and they thought I was sleeping. They were discussing how he planned to end the marriage as quickly as he could once we reached his stronghold, so that he could marry another woman."
Seonaid raised her eyebrows. "If he planned to end it anyway, why marry at all?"
"For my dowry. My father is quite well off and was generous with my dower."
"But, if he ends the marriage, he canna keep the dower."
"He could if the marriage ended because I had died."
"Nay!" Seonaid gaped at her. "He wouldna!"
Helen nodded grimly.
"Did he say so?"
She nodded again. "They were discussing how best to do it. They could not decide between breaking my neck and throwing me down the stairs to make it look as if I broke it in the fall, or breaking my neck in the woods and saying I fell off my mount."
"The cur!" Turning to her cousin, Seonaid gestured. "Can ye imagine, Aeldra?"
Aeldra shook her head. "Nay. 'Tis lucky ye truly werena sleepin'."
"Aye," Seonaid agreed. "What did ye then?"
"Nothing at first. I had to continue pretending to sleep so they would not know I knew of their plans."
"Oh, aye."
"But soon as I had the chance, we escaped."
"We?"
"My maid was with me."
"Was?"
"Aye, well, I sent her toward home to tell my father. Once he realizes Cameron's plan, he shall come to my aid at once."
"But what if they catch her afore she reaches him?"