Page 16 of Highland Guard

“Aye,” said Nathan, trying to get a good look at the cat. “Dirty, thin, cowardly. Nay a grand find.”

“’Tis certain that it belongs to no one so, aye, I will take it home with me. I do try to get the people to cage any dog or cat that goes into season but they dinnae always do it. ’Tis extra work, isnae it, e’en though I have the cages for them and have e’en had a shelter built to put the cages in. So, at times I find myself with a few that need some shelter. I have almost succeeded in getting the numbers down so that any newly born are usually taken in by others without hesitation.”

Harcourt watched as she moved to walk out of the alley, the cat tucked up hard in her arms. He had been at Glencullaich long enough to know that Annys collected the animals tossed aside as avidly as several of the women in his clan did. Glencullaich did not really need yet another stray cluttering its bailey or keep. He knew he had no chance at all of convincing her of that as he listened to her talk soothingly to the still-shaking animal.

“It will need that leg looked at,” Harcourt said as he carefully examined the way the tether had scraped the animal’s leg raw, ignoring the growling noises the animal made since it did not move from its place in her arms with its face tucked up in her armpit.

“Dunnie is verra good at that. He will ken what to do,” she said.

It did not surprise Harcourt when Dunnie took one look at the cat Annys showed him and scowled at her. The man probably saw far too many. It did take some time to detach the cat from Annys, however, before Dunnie could haul it away to fix its injuries.

“Who do ye think tried to grab ye?” Harcourt asked as they slowly walked toward the keep.

Annys had hoped the lack of questions immediately after saving her had meant Harcourt would just accept it all as one of those dangers of market day. She should have known better. Unfortunately, she did not really have all that much she could tell him. Not with any certainty.

“I think it may have been Adam,” she replied. “All of them wore cloth tied around their faces, but just the way he spoke when I made him let go of me made me think it was Adam.”

“Just how did ye make him let ye go?”

She could not fully repress a blush. “I slammed my hip into his, um, groin.”

“Clever. Weakest place on a mon. Instinct most often makes him reach for himself after such a hit as weel.”

“Which is what he did. Then I ran. I kenned that if I could just get back to the opening of the alley, I could call for help.”

“It was a risky thing for him to do.”

“I thought the same.”

“Mayhap he grows desperate.”

“O’er what? The fact that Benet and I still reside here? Still breathe?”

“Aye, exactly that,” replied Harcourt. “The mon didnae appear to be one who had a lot of patience. Nay, nor one who could make any plans that would require it. What he did today is the sort of thing a mon does simply because an opportunity arises and he snatches at it without much thought.”

“I did wonder how he could e’er have thought he would succeed. Weel, I shall write to his father now.”

“Do ye think that mon will be of any help to you?”

“Nay,” she replied as they stopped outside her bedchamber door and she struggled not to think of what had happened the last time they had stood there together. “He was verra angry when David chose to marry me. I was to be Nigel’s wife, nay David’s, he said, and since Nigel was dead, I should just be sent back home. Me and my dowry, of course. David wouldnae send me home as he kenned it wasnae a good place for me to be, nor could he give up my dowry. Many of the improvements we now enjoy were made with it.”

“Then why write to the mon if ye ken that he willnae help?”

“So that I can honestly say that I tried to get the family to help, tried to seek aid from my late husband’s kinsmen. It may prove important if Sir Adam gets himself killed.” She sighed. “And he hasnae actually hurt us yet so I would like it ended ere that happens.”

“He killed David.”

“We ken it, but unless we can catch who put the poison in David’s food, I can ne’er prove that.”

“And ye dinnae think he was planning to hurt you today?”

“What good would that have done him? Benet wasnae with me.”

“Because without ye, Benet would be even more vulnerable. Aye, we would still be here to protect him, but Sir Adam may nay believe that. I think he believes we would leave, that ’tis only ye who hold us here.” He nodded when she frowned, her expression revealing her doubt of his words. “The mon doesnae think a plan through. That is a belief I have become more certain of each time he tries something.”

“I am nay sure any of David’s family has the wit to do so,” she said. “Nay any of the ones I have met. David was their brightest light once Nigel was gone. I oftimes felt they all resented him for that, for being such a respected, learned man.”

“There is one thing that puzzles me.” He hesitated, uncertain of how to ask his questions without risking offense, and then decided to simply ask, “Why, if ye were chosen to marry Nigel, did ye wed David?”