“Yer wife? Why would the laird kill yer wife?”
Jerry hesitated then stood up from the edge of the bed where he’d been sitting.
“I am sorry. I appreciate yer kindness in seeing me here, but I’m afraid ’tis not ye that I need to tell my story to. I must speak to the laird’s son, for he is the only one who may be able to help me. Do ye know how I might cross his path?”
Casting me a careful glance, Alasdair crossed his arms and joined me against the wall.
“The laird’s son? Do ye know him?”
Jerry shook his head.
“No, though my…my wife,” again he seemed to struggle with the words, “she knew him. I have reason to believe he tried to seek her out before her death. I mean to find out why.”
Every hair on my body stood on end. He couldn’t possibly mean Grier. Twisting to look at my brother, I watched as he tried to mask his thoughts. Alasdair was an open book—he looked as speechless as I felt. Silently asking Alasdair to stay back, I placed my hand on his arm and stepped away from the wall as I went to stand in front of Jerry. I wanted to look in his eyes as I asked him.
“The lass ye speak of—she is not yer wife, is she?”
He stared at me for a long, silent moment, and the same strange sense of déjà vu I’d felt while on horseback yesterday evening swept over me.
“Ye can tell me. If ye lied about it, I know there must be a reason.”
While I meant for my words to put him at ease, I could see in the way that his gaze hardened, I’d only aroused his suspicion. Leaning back to increase the space between us, he didn’t break eye contact as he answered me.
“Lass, if ye are of the opinion that I owe ye any explanation, ye are wrong. While I’m thankful for both of ye, this here is not what I owe ye. Name yer price in regard to the work I must do for ye. As soon as strength returns in my arms, I shall complete it and call the debt I owe ye paid. Now, I would appreciate it if ye would both leave me. I shall find a way to speak to the laird’s son on my own.”
Laughing, Alasdair stepped away from the wall. While Jerry’s response only infuriated me, I could see by my brother’s expression it only endeared the man to him even more. Alasdair would’ve behaved in exactly the same way had their roles been reversed. Jerry didn’t know that he was standing in the same room with the very man he wished to find. He only knew that the two people who’d provided him aide were questioning him as if he were their prisoner.
“Lad, ye doona owe us anything. I believe I can help ye gain access to the man ye seek. I know the laird’s son verra well. Ye said before that ye no longer offer yer services to the laird of the territory from which ye came. Are ye in need of work? Not debtors work, but work in which ye may earn yer keep to stay here?”
Jerry nodded. “Aye. Any work ye can offer me, I will happily take.”
Alasdair smiled, and I could sense what he meant to do. It would please him to trick the man.
“I’ve no work for ye, but the castle’s stable is looking for a new hand. I’ve business I must attend to with the laird himself this evening. I shall present ye to him. If he thinks ye suitable, perhaps he will allow ye to stay on. If ye work at the castle, ye are bound to cross paths with the laird’s son. Ye can then reveal everything to him that ye doona wish to reveal to us.”
Jerry smiled.
“Thank ye. Yer understanding and kindness means much.”
Satisfied with himself, Alasdair moved to the door.
“Ye canna come to the castle looking like that, lad. Ye must see yerself cleaned and groomed if ye wish the laird to grant ye work.”
With his left shoulder still bound to his chest and his right arm bruised, he would need help.
“I doona think he can. Will it really matter?”
With a horrified expression that I knew full well was pretend, Alasdair twisted in the doorway and looked back at me.
“Aye, it matters. I willna bring any man before the laird and present him as my guest looking as he does now. What would the laird think of me?”
Shaking my head to shame him, I neared my brother and whispered, “What do ye expect him to do?”
Dismissively, Alasdair shrugged as we walked into the hallway.
“Mae can help him.”
Mae constantly had more to handle than any person should ever have to. I wouldn’t allow Alasdair to place one more burden on her shoulders.
