Old Mary looked to Dawn. “Someone saw us.”
Dawn nodded and waited, curious to know the answer.
“As I said Lizbeth was the truest of mothers and she wanted to make certain that her daughter was protected against any harm. She had a dear friend, much like Lila and Dawn are friends, whose husband was near to death and when he died she would not be able to work the croft on her own and would soon be homeless.”
“Magda,” Cree said.
Old Mary nodded. “Magda jumped at the chance not only to help her friend but herself as well. I took her to Lady Ann and convinced Lady Ann that she would make an excellent servant to tend the babe. She agreed without hesitation. A few years ago Lady Ann decided to replace Magda with a younger servant. Lucerne had grown very attached to Magda and made a fuss insisting that she be kept on to see to the care and stitching of her garments. Magda is brilliant when it comes to stitching garments. Lady Ann agreed.”
“So her visit was nothing more than wanting to see an old friend?”
“It hadn’t been her first visit to me,” Old Mary admitted and Cree cocked a brow at her. “It seems that Lucerne was not her usual self and either was Bree. When she learned that Bree had accused Lucerne of taking a heavy hand to her, she was shocked. Lucerne had never touched Bree and she asked me to keep an eye on the young lass and see what she was up to.”
“So that was the reason you requested Bree to remain with you,” Cree said.
“I sensed the lass was troubled and with her staying close, I could better understand her problem. But Bree could be a sly one and was gone more often than here, especially at night when she thought I was sleeping. She would sneak out and not return until morning.”
“And you never thought to share this with me?” Cree demanded.
“Magda asked me to give my word that I would say nothing. She feared being taken away from Lucerne and leaving her unprotected. She saw that you had no patience with Lucerne and did not believe that she suffered headaches. She felt she had no choice but to remain silent. It is the way of things with a servant’s lot. Punishment can often be swift and unfair and so silence is often the best resort and—” Old Mary gasped and stood as the door flung open and Elwin rushed in.
“Kirk McClusky confronted Gerwan. Kirk lies injured and Gerwan lies dead.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Torr jumped up. “How bad is my father?”
“A head wound with much bleeding; he lies unconscious,” Elwin explained. “Elsa is on her way to him now. She ordered that he not be moved until she can have a look at him.”
Torr flew out the door.
“What of Gerwan?” Cree asked as Dawn stood. He took her hand and gave it a tug letting her know that she was to go nowhere without him.
“Stabbed in the chest,” Elwin said. “Lady Ann is there. She is the one who discovered them. She was to meet McClusky there. She’s hysterical, blaming herself. A servant ran to get Lucerne to help her mother.”
Cree gave Sloan a quick nod and he returned one in kind and hurried out the door. He then turned to Dawn. “You will remain by my side and if you don’t I will see us shackled together. And it will be done if you do not obey me on this. Do you understand?”
Dawn nodded seeing an uncertainty in his eyes that frightened her.
“You know,” Old Mary said as the two walked to the door.
Cree turned. “That more blood will be spilled before this day ends?”
She nodded.
“Whose blood will it be?”
“That I do not know. I only know that fate has finally revealed her hand.”
Dawn realized that Cree worried that it would be her blood that would be spilled and she worried that it would be his. She squeezed his hand and moved closer to him as they hurried through the village.
He looked to her and gave a nod. “I am glad you comprehend the importance of staying by my side.”
She nodded, knowing her concern showed as clearly in her eyes as it did in his. And then she tapped his arm and held her hand up keeping two fingers close together.
“You are telling me that I must do the same, stay close to you?”
She nodded, her fear of losing him growing and the babe must have felt the same for her stomach roiled with the dreadful thought. Her hand went to her stomach causing Cree to stop abruptly.
“You are not feeling well?”
She shook her head and rested her head to his chest, laying her hand on his chest over his heart.
He slipped his finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to look at him. “Do not worry yourself over me. Trust that I will keep you, our babe, and me safe.”