“You do not want to do this, William,” Tavia said.
“Of course, I don’t. You have been most kind to us, my lady, as have others. Life here is what it once was like at Clan MacVannan when Lord Bennett ruled. But no more. He has Glenna, and I fear what he may have already done to her,” William said, tears pooling in his aged eyes.
“Lord Ivan has Glenna, doesn’t he? You are part of Clan MacVannan, aren’t you?” Tavia asked, her voice soft and gentle, all the pieces starting to fall into place.
William nodded. “Clan MacVannan was a decent clan when Lord Bennett ruled, but no more. Lord Ivan rules with brutal force. He starves and beats his people unmercifully. He cares for nothing or no one but himself and the power and wealth he can accumulate.”
“He sent you here, didn’t he?” Tavia asked, hoping to keep him talking and distracted long enough for the warrior to return.
“Lord Ivan forced me and Glenna to come here even gave us a sample of what awaited us if we did not obey him.”
“That was why you were weak when you arrived here,” Tavia said.
“Why didn’t you just tell Lord Bhric? He would have protected you. You would have been free of Lord Ivan,” Marta said as if the solution was simple enough.
“My exact thought at one time, but then Lord Ivan stood two friends of ours we have known for many years in front of us and detailed what they would suffer if we did not succeed in our task. There was no freedom for Glenna and me if our friends were not free as well.”
“You should fear more of what Lord Bhric will do to you than Lord Ivan,” Marta warned.
“Either way, Glenna and I will not see tomorrow,” William said, his stooped shoulders heavy with defeat.
Warnings was not what William needed if they or he and Glenna were to survive. “Where is Glenna?” Tavia asked, placing a gentle hand on William’s arm.
Tears rolled down William’s cheeks. “He has her and if I do not bring you to him, he will kill her.”
“Give me the dagger, William, we will find a way to save Glenna,” Tavia said and reached for it.
Marta moved quickly to shield Ingrid.
Tavia stilled William’s arm as he went to raise it. “You have my word, William. We will get Glenna and bring her home safe, and you and she will live a fine life here.”
Tears streamed down his cheeks. “We do not deserve it for what we have done to you, my lady. I am sorry that we planted and helped fuel the lies that were told about you and made others believe you evil.” He looked to Ingrid. “My wife was ordered to see you dead from poison, but she could not do it. Instead, she gave you something to upset your stomach.”
“The pouch,” Tavia said, recalling what Hertha said about seeing one on the table In Ingrid’s cottage.
“Glenna left it there by accident and returned to retrieve it,” William said.
“I laid doubled over in pain on the bed when I thought I heard someone enter the cottage. I assumed Hertha had returned, but when I turned to look no one was there,” Ingrid said, shaking her head. “I believed I had imagined it.”
“Glenna worried about being caught but she worried more what Lord Ivan would do to us since she failed to obey him,” William said, his head dipping in defeat.
Tavia placed her hand over his and slipped the dagger easily out of his grasp. “The pouch. She did not get it from Hertha as she had me believe, did she?”
“Nay. She met with a person, the husband of the couple who was threatened. He pretended to be a traveler seeking shelter at Clan MacShane for the night. Glenna feared you might speak to Hertha and learn the truth, but I assured her that you would not give it thought that you had no reason to distrust us. That made Glenna feel worse, that you should trust us when we were not all trustworthy.”
“More fool her,” Marta said snidely.
“And more fool you for not recognizing her courage,” William said, sadness filling his weary eyes as he shook his head.
“Why does Lord Ivan bother with me and Ingrid when he wants Lady Tavia?” Marta asked, no worry of him harming them now that he had no weapon and appeared completely defeated.
William dropped to a bench at the table, his legs no longer able to support him and tears gathering in his eyes. “He wants it shown how wrong Lord Bhric was about his wife being evil.”
That made no sense to Tavia. There had to be more to Lord Ivan’s reason for doing this, something that would benefit him.
“Lord Ivan expects me soon, my lady. If not…” He shook his head and wiped at his tears. “I fear what he will do to her, or what he may have already done to her.”
The door opened and Greta entered. She cast a suspicious eye around at everyone, and when her glance fell on the dagger in Tavia’s hand, she asked, “Is all well here?”