He looked at her pointedly. ‘Oh, he would, if it meant getting the Tanist’s only issue out of the way. How long have you known?’
‘Their differences? All my life. As to the marriage, you were there when I first knew of that.’
‘You’re a terrible liar.’
She jerked. ‘Me a liar? You’re the one who gave his vows before God and then didn’t keep them.’
A stillness overcame him. An understanding. ‘You’re afraid. Why?’
Startled green eyes met his before she looked away again. ‘What would I have to be afraid of?’
‘You’re not merely here for the cure, you’re here to discover the poisoner. The documents aren’t only on healing tinctures.’
Her eyes swept the room and the sudden tension left her body. It immediately alerted him. Shewasa terrible liar, but now he wondered if he had truly discovered the lie. It was his turn to search the room, but he could think of no other reason for her presence here. Why she looked at lineage documents as well as healers’ recipes.
‘You understand the difficulty of it,’ he said. ‘Who would want to murder a Lochmore and a McCrieff?’
‘I’m here for exactly what I said I was...to find the cure and I’m also organising the room. And if you are thinking of blaming my father, you met with him today. You know what kind of man he is.’
‘I know what kind of man he is and I can’t rule him out. He has reason to kill Hamish.’
‘My father is loyal and wouldn’t harm his Chief!’
‘Despite their differences?’ he asked.
‘They’ve always differed in opinions.’
‘And always differed in power. But your father has some now.’
‘Killing Hamish wouldn’t serve the clan, nor would harming the Lochmores.’
‘Harming the Lochmores would always serve the McCrieffs.’
‘Not with our marriage, which was suggested by a McCrieff. My father will not harm you or yours.’
His wife was as direct as always. The room was cold, the wall damp and the stone he stood on was unforgiving. She’d been toiling here for hours. For him, for them or for her own interests? A wife he wanted, but could he chance his clan, his future with her?
‘I won’t harm you either, Ailsa.’
‘Why are you talking of this with me?’ she asked.
He sank a bit further on the wall, crossed his arms. ‘You don’t need to be afraid of me.’
She dropped the parchment in her hand and rested her hands on her bent knees. Like this she was so much smaller than he and almost fragile looking. But her gaze held his and he knew the falsity of that impression. His wife held unimaginable strength. After all, she had brandished shears at him.
‘I think your family have underestimated youas well,’ he said. ‘I think your father has also tried to protect you.’
‘Shouldn’t all fathers protect their daughters?’ She stopped, hesitated. Looked away as she said, ‘For that matter shouldn’t fathers protect their sons?’
His father. His lie.
His wife. Too far away, was his only thought as he sank to his knees next to her. He relished that she didn’t move away. ‘Ailsa.’
‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.
Taking a chance. ‘I’m helping you. These documents are everywhere.’
She shook her head once, twice. ‘Last night...’
