“Ye should jail her now,” Kenn whispered.
“She saved my life,” Darach bit out through gritted teeth.
“Aye, she did,” Morven agreed. “She has a fine hand at healing. And I dinnae think she should be punished for that.”
She had done more than that, Darach thought, more than his brother would ever know. Jane MacThomas fired his senses like no other. He was on edge every time she was near.
“She agreed tae the sacrifice tae be yer healer?” Kenn asked casually.
Darach shrugged and felt a little pain in his side, but he ignored it. “Aye, she nursed me tae recovery. It was the best decision, as we couldnae trust anyone else because we dinnae ken the intruder.”
“The truth might have been right under yer nose all this while.”
Morven narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Two souls encountered the intruder, but only one person truly saw him. She was the one, and we're going by her description of an intruder who could have come for her.”
“Nay. I’ll nae sit here and listen tae slander of the lass!” Darach roared. “I needed her healing skills, and she offered them. If she wanted me dead, I assure ye I should be long and gone now.”
Darach glanced at Morven, who said nothing but just had his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes fixed on Kenn.
“True,” Kenn said with a shrug. “She doesnae want ye dead. Her faither does.”
“And why do ye think that?” Morven asked with a scowl. Kenn blew out his breath, his eyes as dark as a winter storm.
“Why else? What purpose would anyone else have tae launch such a vicious attack on a laird who was supposed tae be an ally? He has lost his leverage tae ransom his daughter and needed tae do something.”
Morven leaned against the wall, his lips set into a grim line. “But why attack Darach? If he got his man within our walls, saving his daughter should have been his focus. The attempt makes nae sense, Kenn. That gets him nae closer to his aim of having his daughter back. Killing Darach does naething tae further his cause.”
Kenn sighed. “Maybe what we think is his cause is nae his cause. I heard some servant rumor that would make me believe MacThomas has a vested interest in keeping all the northern clans from allying themselves. That would explain why he jailed me without reason, tae start a rift with one of the strongest clans in the rebellion. He might be on William's side.”
“That is a big allegation tae make, Kenn. Moreover, the man was never a blood-thirsty soldier; he always preferred peace above all,” Morven murmured.
“It is nae one allegation I make lightly. Trouble may be coming, nae matter what wethinkwe ken about him.”
Darach took in a huge breath. Their future very much depended on making strong ties with neighboring clans, and if what Kenn said had any iota of truth, then there was trouble. But that didn’t mean he was in a rush to jump to conclusions.
“I’ll send word tae our allies when I am sure and alert them tae be on guard against a possible seed of division being sewn by MacThomas. We’ll determine what is tae be done about him together.”
Morven nodded his agreement. “Pray tell this last thing before ye take yer rest. Why did they accuse ye of stealing intae the man’s study?”
Kenn waited for a moment and swallowed hard before he answered, a vein on his brow pulsing. “I was there only by mistake, Morven. And I never went intae the study. That was a lie concocted by his damned daughter. Keith MacThomas must have something tae hide. Something important enough tae want tae murder a man like me when I hadnae done anything bad.”
He watched Morven open his mouth as if he had another question to ask, but he shut it without a word and nodded instead. Darach turned toward Kenn, truly relieved to have him home. He could never forget how this man helped him overcome the guilt of his wife’s death and had been his most trusted adviser for years.
“For now, have yer rest and regain yer strength. All else can wait, and I’ll see ye on the morrow.”
Kenn nodded. “I'm glad tae be back by yer side where I belong, my laird.” He bowed before he walked out.
“What think ye of his words?” Darach asked his brother.
“Kenn has always been loyal tae our cause. But it is quite disturbing that his escape story makes nae sense.”
Darach nodded. “I will need tae ride tae see the lairds soon. Regardless of what he said, I think William would be making his move in the upcoming weeks, and we should be ready.”
“Ye need tae heal first, brother.”
Darach chuckled. “I am healed. It’s naught but a wee cut tae my side. I’ll be up and on the training field in nae time. And then we can turn our attention tae putting things right.”