Aideen was about to reply, but Jack put a hand on his cousin’s hand to stop him.
“I will find whoever is responsible,” Jack told them. “I have tightened security in the village and around the Castle. The workers minin’ our gold will be protected too and ye neednae worry about anythin’.”
“What about the people in the village? What happens if they someday get murdered by this scheming enemy?”
“Then I will punish whoever is responsible,” he replied. “We willnae show our weakness and let our enemies undermine us. Never again.”
Jack hoped he had been able to calm some of the rousing fear in the people with his words. He did not have the strength to settle any internal disputes currently.
After the meeting, he sat with Jamie in his study working on how they could tighten the security around the Castle’s escape and hidden routes. They talked for a long time and kept thinking of ways to secure the Castle better.
“Whoever is doin’ this is someone in here who kens this Castle very well. I am certain the injured woman kens somethin’ and he wants to have her killed before she speaks. Or perhaps she is just a target because she is weak, and this is a ploy to stir trouble.”
“It’s why we must speak to her quickly and find out what she kens. The danger isnae past yet, My Laird.”
Jack agreed with Jamie. He got on his feet and finished the brandy in his quaich before heading toward the door.
“My Laird,” Jamie said, and he stopped in his tracks. “There have been rumors about the Lady ye intend to wed in the village. I have been investigatin’ after I heard. The villagers have a rumor goin’ around that the lady is—”
Jamie didn’t finish his sentence, so Jack turned to him. “What is it, Jamie?” he asked.
“Rumors that the Lady is a strange one, and that a local dreamer foresaw the destruction she brings on our land. They say she is cursed.”
Jack briefly remembered Madeline’s words. It rang in his head and chilled his spine, he quickly stilled that feeling and stared hard at Jamie.
“A dreamer?” he asked.
“Aye, My Laird.”
“One who has never met or seen her? He kens she is cursed because of his dream?”
“He foresaw—”
“Nonsense, Jamie,” Jack cut in. “Whoever speaks these lies should be brought to me. I’d like to ken where their dreams come from.”
Without another word, he walked out of his study and headed for the healing chamber to find Isla and the woman she had saved.
* * *
Isla questioned Penelope about the things she remembered. “Do ye live in the village? Did ye see the face of the man that attacked ye?”
“I live in the Castle, My Lady,” Penelope answered her. “I have worked here since I was nine-and-ten.”
Even their voices are similar,Isla thought as she realized how much she sounded like her friend Penelope.
It was still a nerve-racking realization to Isla. How could they look so much alike and have the same voice? Even their eyes were the same shade of blue and their mannerisms where the same. The girl’s smile wavered a little as she began to tell Isla what happened on the day she was hurt.
“I was walkin’ in the fields, and I heard someone approach me from behind. When I turned around, it was a man dressed all in black. His face and head were covered so I could only see his eyes.”
Isla blinked for a second to see if all of this would fade, but her eyes opened again, and Penelope was still on the bed.
“Who attacked you?” Isla asked next.
She saw panic rise in the girl's eyes, then she lowered her head and gripped the sheets at her side tight. “I dinnae remember, My Lady.”
The door opened then, and Jack walked in with Jamie. Isla noticed Jamie’s displeased expression once he saw her seated there. His lips formed a tighter thin line and his eyes narrowed at the corners.
“Has she said anythin’?” Jack asked and put a hand on her shoulder.