"Um, now that you mention it, I think it was a small person, a lad perhaps."
"Or a lass?"
He shrugged. "I suppose it could have been."
"Do you remember how they smelled?"
"Smelled, m'laird?" Leith frowned.
"Aye. Good scent, horrible odor?"
"Come to think of it… I do remember the scent of roses."
"Damnation." Constance often wore rosewater perfume, but he had not been close enough to her in the great hall to notice how she smelled. It actually could've been Constance. But why would she do such a thing? Spying on him to see if he and Anna were sharing a bed? Or did she intend to stab him in his sleep in revenge for Farquar's death?
"Stay here." Neacal headed out of the room in search of Tavia and the housekeeper. If Constance smelled of roses, someone was going to have to search her for a weapon and it wasn't going to be him. But he did have to protect his staff from her if she was armed.
He found Matthew and another of his guards, Dugan. "Quietly go find Constance, bind her hands and bring her to the library."
"Chief?" Matthew observed him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Someone was sneaking about outside my chamber door and tripped over my guard. A small person who smelled of roses. I need to find out if 'twas her and whether or not she's armed."
The two nodded and hastened away.
Of course, Constance could've already disposed of her weapon, if she had one. Then again, most women did carry small blades. Still, mayhap he could tell by her behavior whether she was the guilty party or not.
Once he found Tavia and the housekeeper, Mistress Gilbert, he brought them into the library with Leith and closed the door.
"I trust the two of you," he told the women.
They nodded, eyeing him curiously. "We're glad, m'laird," Tavia said. "Is there something we can help you with?"
"Aye. Someone was slipping around outside my chamber early this morn. My guard said the person smelled like roses. Matthew and Dugan will be bringing Constance into the room."
"Why would she do such a thing?" Mistress Gilbert asked.
"I have no inkling, but I intend to find out."
Tavia's face held intense concern.
"Have either of you noticed Constance acting odd?"
Mistress Gilbert shook her head. "Only that she's been slipping about, all over the castle, with one of the minstrels."
Neacal frowned. "Indeed? Which one?"
"That handsome piper."
He found it odd that Constance would take up so quickly with another man after she'd appeared devastated by the guard's death.
"Is she having a tryst with him?" Neacal asked.
Mistress Gilbert raised her brows. "'Tis what most of the servants think."
He turned to the other woman. "Tavia?"
"I have seen her with him a few times, but I thought nothing of it."
