"Lady Grey won't mind. I'm here to help her."
Morrison bobbed his head. "Very well, m'laird. After you." He motioned and Cyrus headed outside, Fraser and the three guards following.
They met the other MacKenzie guards in the courtyard. In the gloaming, light rain continued to fall, and the cobblestones were slippery. Morrison bypassed them, leading the way around the side of the house to a small grate style gate beyond the stables. It had been roughly chained back together and secured with a padlock. Cyrus crouched and examined the large broken lock lying on the ground. It appeared to have been smashed with a hammer or a rock. "Was the lock on the inside of the gate?"
Morrison nodded. "Indeed."
Cyrus stood and eyed the crisscrossed iron bars which were about eight inches apart. Plenty of room for someone to stick an arm through. 'Twas one of the least effective gates he had ever seen. "Is this replacement lock in the same place as the old lock?"
"Aye."
"Well then, someone could've easily reached an arm through the bars and hit it with a hammer or a stone. Therefore, 'tis unknown whether someone from within these walls broke the lock or if an intruder did. Could've easily been either."
"'Tis true, m'laird. But I know not why someone within would need to break it if they could simply get the key from one of the guards. Any one of them could've had access to the key at some point during the day or night."
"They might have smashed it so no one would suspect them of being traitors to their lady."
Morrison nodded but kept his lips pursed tightly.
Could've been Morrison himself. Cyrus eyed the man but couldn't tell whether he was hiding something or not. Regardless, the person who smashed the lock might be in the employ of Elspeth's enemy, whoever that was. He needed to talk to her and uncover some of those intriguing secrets hiding in her eyes. Once her guard awakened, hopefully he would remember who struck him.
The rain poured down harder and they returned to the dining hall. Cyrus and the others stood close to the fire, drying their plaids, while the maids prepared the table for supper.
A few moments later, Elspeth descended the steps, looking panicked and pale, though she had changed into dry clothing. The elegant moss-green gown caressed her slim curves perfectly, and his body quickened in response, annoying him. Hell, he wasn't supposed to be attracted to her. Forcing his attention upward before she noticed, he studied her bright copper hair. It had recently been upswept into a tidy knot at the back of her head. Enticing curls still framed her face.
He strode forward to meet her at the bottom of the steps. "How is your guard?"
Her concerned eyes met his. "Not responding."
That didn't sound good. It had been several hours since his head injury. "'Tis obviously severe. Did he have other injuries?"
"Nay, none that the healer could find."
"The attackers must have simply wanted to knock him out but not kill him."
"'Haps, but they almostdidkill him. I pray he survives."
Cyrus nodded. "As do I. Did you check to see how much was stolen?"
"Aye. All the jewelry from my chamber. I had some of it hidden elsewhere and they didn't find that, at least. Plus, I had some with me at Rebbinglen. I haven't yet checked for all the silverware, but I'm certain they grabbed anything displayed or easy to find."
"Without doubt."
She pressed her eyes closed and rubbed her temples. She appeared at her wits' end, making him want to do anything he could to help alleviate her fears.
"Does your head hurt?" he asked.
"Aye, but I'll be fine."
"You had a head injury also, in the accident. 'Haps you should have the healer look at it."
"I will, but Stillman's injury is a hundred times worse than mine."
Cyrus admired her strength and fortitude. "When Stillman awakes, mayhap he will remember who struck him. I'll get to the bottom of this, I vow."
Her eyes softened upon him as she forced a faint grin. "I thank you for your help."
Cyrus wished he could say more to take away some of her worry. He would wait until he could talk to her in private to mention that 'twas possible one of her staff had broken the lock from the inside to allow the thieves in. No doubt that would intensify her distress. Who wouldn't be troubled when they learned their own guards and staff might be traitors? If such a thing happened in his household, he would certainly not tolerate such disloyalty.
