“You always keep your word to me. I have no worry about that,” she said and another sigh followed, the burden to see Lendra kept safe weighing heavily on her. “She didn’t do this, Odran.”
“It does not bode well when Deara’s last word was to blame Lendra,” Odran reminded.
“There must be more to it.”
Odran hurried his steps, the rain growing heavier. They were both soaked by the time they entered the Great Hall. Dorrit saw towels brought to them, but they would need to change into dry garments.
“What is this I hear about you seeing Lendra when I ordered no one was to speak to her,” Fergus demanded, rising and walking around the dais where he was seated talking to Finch.
Odran stepped in front of his wife. “Temper your voice and manner when you speak to my wife, Da.”
Fergus halted abruptly, his son’s command surprising him. “She disobeyed my order.”
“Elysia is worried for her servant, a good woman who has no reason to kill Deara.”
Elysia felt a jump to her heart that her husband defended not only her but Lendra as well.
“Deara condemned her with her dying breath,” his da argued.
“Unless her dying words were misunderstood. We need to make certain we hang the guilty person responsible for Deara’s death, and see if the person could have been responsible for Glenis’s death, or possibly suffer another innocent woman being murdered,” Odran said.
His da raised a questionable brow.
“What would a few days matter?” Odran asked.
“Unrest will grow in the clan,” his da argued.
“Not if it is made known that we wish to make certain the guilty person is hung, protecting more innocent women from being murdered.”
Elysia was impressed with the way Odran handled the matter and presented a reasonable explanation for it—his clan’s safety. He would lead the clan wisely and fairly one day.
Finch had approached them but had remained a distance back, he stepped forward offering his thoughts. “Lord Odran has a point. There could be more to these murders than can be seen. And I must say, Deara and Lendra got along well from what I saw. Deara remarked to me a few times how glad she was that Lady Elysia’s servant was so kind. It seemed strange to me that Deara would accuse Lendra.”
“Stranger things can happen,” Fergus remarked. “But I do see your point. It would be better we condemn and punish the guilty one and not an innocent one.”
Elysia poked her husband in the back, reminding him to ask about Lendra being moved. She would have spoken up herself, but she thought it wiser she held her tongue and let her husband request it.
“The hut where Lendra is being held is in shambles, Da, especially with this rain. It would be wise to move Lendra to her cottage and keep a guard outside the door, since it will be a few days before anything is decided.”
Fergus nodded. “I agree. Have her moved.”
“Also, I want my wife to be able to visit Lendra whenever she wants to,” Odran said with a firmness that made it known he would have it no other way.”
Elysia wanted to throw herself into her husband’s arms and kiss him for making sure she would be able to see Lendra and for having time to prove Lendra innocent.
“I suppose she would harangue me until she gets her way,” Fergus said, shaking his head. “Women—they can be a mettlesome lot.”
Elysia stepped from behind her husband. “But think what life would be like without a woman in your life—Da.”
Fergus glared at her. “You are,” —his glare turned to a soft smile— “the resilient and determined daughter I had always hoped to have. Now go get dry before you grow ill.”
“First, I must see to Lendra,” Elysia said and turned to hurry off.
Odran grabbed her arm before she was out of his reach. “Finch will see to that.”
Finch stepped forward. “Aye, I will see that Lendra is settled in her cottage.”
“What about Crissa?” Elysia asked with concern, feeling guilty she had yet to look in on the woman.
“She sleeps, her healing more tiring than she expected. I think it might be wise for us to delay our departure a few more days,” Finch said.
“I agree,” Elysia said with a nod. “I will look in on her at first chance.”
Fergus looked at his son, dripping with rainwater. “Get yourself dry then meet me in my solar. There are some clan matters we need to discuss.”
Odran and Elysia hurried out of their garments once in their bedchamber.
Elysia grabbed a towel from a stack on a small stool not far from the hearth and went to her husband and began drying his wet chest. “I am grateful for what you did for Lendra.”
“Did you doubt I would?” he asked, her gentle, slow strokes with the towel testing his control.
“Fear of not being able to save Lendra from a punishment she didn’t deserve blinded me to any sensible thought. I think of her as family, since she made sure to help me after I was left on my own.”