What on earth did he want with her?
“Och? What for?” she asked.
“I wanted to have a word with ye in private.”
She looked up at him. “This is private, so say what ye’ve got to say.”
“’Tis nae private enough. ’Tis too important to risk anyone hearin’ what I have to say. Please, will ye just come with me so we can talk safely? ’Tis very important.”
She was reluctant to do as he asked, but he was so vehement and seemed so agitated that she thought it must be something very important.
“All right.”
She followed him into the trees a little way, where he stopped. He looked around nervously before turning to her.
“What is all this about, Findlay? The Laird will be back at any moment, so ye need to be quick.”
“Lady Aberfeld, I have a terrible confession to make. I am responsible for the little acts of sabotage that have happened to ye and the Laird recently.”
Olivia did not understand him at first. “What? What are ye talkin’ about?”
“The broken bow? The urchin who robbed ye at the market? The cut girth strap? That was all me. It was me who put the drug in the Laird’s ale that night.”
Olivia stared at him with a growing sense of horror. “That was ye?”
“Aye, that’s what I am tryin’ to tell ye. And I want to apologize. I didnae want to do any of it, but I had to,” he said, his eyes darting around at the darkness between the trees, a worried expression on his face.
Olivia was overcome by rage. “How dare ye try to apologize! Do ye nae realize that we could have been seriously hurt by what ye’ve done? Why, the Laird could have been killed because ye tampered with his saddle!”
He winced, clearly distressed as he said hurriedly, “Aye, I ken, Me Lady, and I’m truly sorry. I’ve felt so bad about it that I couldnae keep it from ye any longer.”
“I dinnae care about that! Ye’ll have to explain yerself to the Laird. But I dinnae understand why ye’re tellin’ me all of this now.”
“I had to… because I’ve just found out that Nurkirk is on his way here with his men, and he’s plannin’ to attack the castle!”
Olivia’s blood ran cold, but her mind worked fast. She did not waste time on recriminations but turned to run back to the fire.
“Hurry, Findlay, we have to tell Edan immediately,” she told him.
But he caught her by the arm, his eyes wild. “Nay, Me Lady. I beg ye, dinnae tell him. Dinnae give me away, please!”
She shook his arm off. “Ach, ye coward,” she said with contempt and once more turned to leave.
But she had barely taken five steps when she heard a loud thud and then a gasp behind her. She turned to look over her shoulder and was stunned to see Findlay falling to his knees, an expression of horror frozen on his face.
Instinct compelled her to help him, but as she turned on her heel, he toppled forward on his face. Hands flying to her face, Olivia too let out a gasp of shock when she saw the arrow sticking out of his back.
A man-sized shadow emerged from the darkness, a bow in its hand. “I’m sorry ye had to see that, Lady Aberfeld. I thought the man would be useful to me, but he’s proved to be a useless fool and a liability. He had to go.”
Olivia froze in terror at the sound of that voice.
“Nurkirk!” she gasped, staring in disbelief as he stepped closer, and she could finally make out his features.
“Ach, there’s nay need to be so formal. Call me Andrew. After all, once I kill that so-called husband of yers, we’ll be married,” he told her, smirking maliciously.
Olivia started backing away, thinking only of finding Edan, but the moment she moved, Nurkirk did too, grabbing her upper arm harshly.
“Let me go, ye’re hurtin’ me!” she hissed, frantically trying to pull away.
