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ected slump. At least his brother had come with them, but he was still amazed by his actions. “When I shoved Kieran aside, I thought he meant to protect Ula. Do you believe he really would have killed her?”
“Aye, that I do. He was devoted to Cadell and would never have forgiven her for his death. But, frankly, I was astonished by Garrick’s speed with his dagger, and by your haste to banish him.”
Egan broke into a satisfied grin. “I doubted I would ever have another such perfect opportunity to be rid of him. Garrick was privy to Ula’s secrets, so he must have known the truth about my father’s death. I believe he was greatly relieved to escape being accused of it.”
“Aye, he did give in easily, so perhaps he dared not allow a more lengthy discussion.”
Egan leaned down to smooth Raven’s mane. “Without proof, there was no point in accusing him, but I’ve never trusted him. There’s the sacred grove. Let’s find the hole where the great tree is missing and dance around it.”
After the morning they’d had, Albyn was astonished that Egan possessed sufficient energy to even consider dancing, but as always, he willingly followed his best friend.
Upon entering the fortress, Oriana requested Myrna’s help with the banner. Delighted to be of service, the little woman gathered the necessary materials and suggested they work in Adelaine’s room. As soon as they were seated on the bed, Oriana spoke her worst fears aloud.
“Ula claimed Cadell killed Adelaine. Is that what you were afraid to admit?”
Pained by the query, the tiny woman curled her shoulders as if to hide. “Since we last spoke of it, I have done little but ponder Adelaine’s fate. She was a great beauty and all men admired her, but she adored Cadell and never encouraged other men’s affections. As for Cadell, she was the love of his life, and he was a thoughtful man, deliberate in his actions, not one given to fits of jealous rage.”
Because Egan had already suffered so terribly, Oriana hoped Myrna’s faith in Cadell was justified. “I’m relieved to hear it. Still, someone caused Adelaine’s death. Rather than an enemy, she must have had an admirer who could not abide being rebuffed. Perhaps he chanced upon her alone and merely wanted a kiss, but she fought him, and her death was a regrettable accident.”
“What an imagination you have,” Myrna murmured, and she sorted through her needles without looking up. “Adelaine would never have gone up to the battlements on her own.”
“Then perhaps her killer carried her body up there and tossed it to the rocks to cover the horror of his deed. I wish it hadn’t been so long ago. Did any of the men who admired Adelaine seem particularly stricken by her death?”
Myrna delved deep into her faded memories before supplying a name. “Innis, Albyn’s father, made no secret of his fondness for Adelaine. When she died, he sat and wept with Cadell for days. All thought him a great friend, but could guilt have prompted his tears?”
Long before Ula’s hateful accusation, Oriana had hoped to solve the mystery of Adelaine’s death, but she dared go no further if in seeking to prove Cadell’s innocence, she cast suspicion on Albyn’s father. Not when such a terrible possibility would destroy the already troubled young man.
“Please tell me Innis is long dead,” she begged.
“Aye, he was killed in a battle soon after Adelaine died. That very year it was, or maybe the next. That is how Albyn came to be raised here with Egan.”
“We will not speak of this again,” Oriana insisted with an anguished shudder. “Perhaps all we will ever know is how deep Ula’s hatred ran. She may have murdered Cadell, but we’ll not allow her wicked lies to diminish his memory.”
Eager to escape the bloody horror of the morning, Oriana reached for a length of black silk. “Now, let’s put our minds to more wholesome thoughts and work on the banner. This would be good for the eagle, and the brilliant blue for the field.”
A light tapping at the door drew Oriana from the bed, but she could scarcely believe she had a visitor. Fearing it might be Garrick come to say good-bye, she opened the door only slightly and found a tall blonde on the other side. She was positive Egan had introduced her, but she could not recall her name.
“I am Fiona, my lady, and while it has taken me a while to find you here in Adelaine’s chamber, I’ve come to offer my help with the banner.”
“Thank you, Fiona. Won’t you come in?” But as Oriana gestured toward the bed, she glimpsed Myrna’s disapproving frown. “We’ve not yet begun, but is there something we’ve forgotten, Myrna?”
“A queen is expected to keep better company,” Myrna murmured under her breath.
Oriana thought she remembered seeing Fiona with Kieran, but that was no reason to disqualify her as a friend. After all, Fiona was the first woman to approach her, and she deserved a fine welcome as a reward for her courage.
“I will choose whatever company I please,” Oriana announced proudly, and plucked the black silk from the bed.
“Egan requested a hawk in flight, but I wish to show the bird with his talons outstretched swooping down for the kill. I can see it so clearly in my mind, but I’m not certain I can cut it from cloth. Do you think you could help me?”
“It would be my pleasure,” Fiona insisted. “I’m very good with fabrics and a needle.”
“Thank goodness, for I am not,” Oriana confessed, and she ignored Myrna’s sour expression to make room for Fiona to join them on the bed.
“Others should have come,” Fiona apologized. “But they are all afraid of you.”
Oriana nearly gaped in surprise. “I thought they merely disapproved of my lack of family. Why are they afraid? I’ve done nothing to harm anyone here.”
“Perhaps not, but any woman who could captivate Egan so completely quite naturally commands awe. If you can cast love spells, I do wish you would make one for me.”
