Forbidden Highlander (Highlander Trilogy 2)

Chapter Thirty-two

After Lila left, Dawn paced in front of the hearth. Old Mary knew more than she was saying. What secret was she keeping and why? She wished she could talk with the old woman, though she wondered if Old Mary would be as evasive as she usually was.

Dawn finally sat down, turning a chair to face the hearth. A cold crept into her even though she was warmed by the fire’s heat. Was it a portent of what was to come? She shivered at the thought and shivered again, the image of Bree lying dead in the woods suddenly invading her mind. Had she been an innocent or an accomplice? And if the latter, then who was her accomplice?

Lucerne certainly painted a picture of a confused and troubled woman or was it a ruse? And what of Lady Ann, her true mother? Was she truly trying to protect the daughter she had given birth to and the one she raised or was she more concerned with her own interests? And what of Roland Gerwan? Was he oblivious to it all or was he the master pulling the strings?

There was so much deceit involved that Old Mary had been right about warning her to ‘trust no one.’ But now with the two murders of possibly innocent people, something had to be done. The lies had to finally stop and the truth be told.

A sudden thought had her jumping to her feet. Old Mary knew more than she was saying. Did someone else know that as well and did that mean that Old Mary’s life was in just as much danger as her own?”

Dawn didn’t take time to think. She grabbed her cloak and swung the door open.

~~~

Roland Gerwan entered the Great Hall in hurried strides, stopping a few feet away from where Cree stood speaking to Sloan. “Good Lord, Cree, my daughter’s servant murdered?” he said shocked, as if he didn’t believe what he was saying. “I thought you a more competent leader. I daresay the King needs to know of this turn of events. Perhaps you are not as capable and worthy of a title as you believe.”

Cree turned away from Sloan, who was shaking his head at the stupidity of the man, and turned a murderous glare on Gerwan. “There are many things the King is going to be made aware of and one of them is the duplicity of those involved and,” —he grabbed the broom near the hearth and approached Gerwan—“how easily I snapped,” —he swung the broom up and in one quick jerk snapped it in two— “the necks of the persons responsible for this heinous crime.”

Gerwan paled and took several steps back away from Cree.

Cree threw the broom pieces to the floor. “Justice will be swift, though not painless.”

Gerwan attempted to appear brave raising his chin a notch. “Titled men leave such dreadful tasks to lesser men.”

“It is a lesser man who leaves a necessary, though often times repugnant task to others.”

Gerwan tossed his chin up again. “I want to make certain that my daughter is in no danger.”

“Is there a reason she should be?”

Gerwan stared at Cree, as if at a loss for words until finally he said, “You have a murderer running about.”

“The spineless fool runs about thinking he will avoid me. I will find him soon enough. But tell me, why would you think that this coward would be interested in your daughter?”

Gerwan was once again at a loss for words and fumbled to find an answer. “Bree… was Lucerne’s servant.”

“How did Bree get that position?”

“I have no idea,” Gerwan said with a wave of his hand. “That matters not.”

“We’ll see if it does,” Cree warned.

“What do you mean?”

Cree moved toward the man so fast that Gerwan stumbled trying to back away from him. “It means that I am going to be asking endless questions of you, your wife, and Lucerne.”

“Why?”

“You said it yourself… Bree was Lucerne’s servant.” Cree marched past the man and straight for his solar.

Sloan followed shaking his head at Gerwan as he passed him.

Kirk McClusky came around the corner just as Cree was about to enter his solar.

“May I have a word with you?” he asked and Cree waved him in.

Kirk McClusky didn’t wait to speak. “Ann is terribly upset. She feels that the decision she made all those years ago has now returned to haunt the innocent. She believed she was doing the right thing for all concerned. And now she just wants to make amends for a deed she regrets.”

“And how does she intend to do that?” Cree asked.

Kirk smiled. “She says that she will leave that to you, though she does request permission to talk with Dawn. She regrets the way they recently parted.”

“Until I am certain that Lady Ann poses no threat to Dawn, I will grant no such permission.”