“Lord Simon was a wise man. He claimed you as his ward after your parents died and made provisions for you to inherit everything. I believe he wanted you to have the freedom denied to women. Naturally, when you wed your husband would have access to your wealth. My uncle saw this as an opportunity and had a false marriage document created showing we were wed upon your parents’ death. He then placed an extremely large bounty on your head so that I would inherit everything, thinking I would be pleased and share it with him.”
“You were not pleased?”
“I found his plan enticing, but not how he imagined it. I had the bounty rescinded immediately, saw to it that I would never be troubled by my idiot uncle ever again, though I took advantage of the opportunity he had given me. I planned to rescue you from a life I believed you abhorred here in the Highlands and make good use of your money to help me with my missions… until I could take your endless chattering no longer.”
“But love ruined your plans,” Flora said.
“When your uncle told me he had you wed to a Highlander, I thought for sure you would be relieved to see me and learn we were wed, and eagerly embrace our marriage and return home. Never would I have expected you to fall in love with a barbarian.”
“So, you had no choice but to see me dead.”
“I simply had to adapt my plans. I was not about to lose all that wealth.”
“And how do you plan to escape after killing me?” she asked.
“I did not kill you, dear heart. You had a tragic accident. You fell down the stairs and broke your neck.”
“My husband will never believe that.”
“What choice will he have when I am there beside him as he discovers your body?” Henry said with a smug grin and stepped toward her.
Several possible ways to escape had run through her head, none being sensible or successful. She let instinct take over and caught him off guard as she raised her foot to deliver a powerful kick to his chest, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Fearful she would not make it past him safely, she headed up the stairs, praying her husband would come to her rescue.
Where did she hide? The thought ran through her head, but hearing Henry get to his feet with a groan and a curse kept her in flight until she reached the tower room.
She had trapped herself… until.
She saw that several stones had crumbled in decay along the side of the sealed door to the point that they had fallen out. It was a slim space to slip through, but she had no choice. She tossed the torch down the stairs, leaving the area in darkness and felt her way to the slim opening and with earnest effort and suffering some scrapes she slipped through and into the room.
* * *
“You think me involved somehow,but I tell you and will continue to tell you that I am here to do as Flora’s da asked of me… to keep his daughter safe,” Walsh said.
Anwen went to interrupt for the second time and once again, Torin waved his hand to silence her.
“Ethan had found information pertaining to a possible spy sent from England while on another mission. The king was anxious to finally discover the elusive man’s identity. Word reached Ethan that the man might be in France looking for information. He used a gathering of scholars as an excuse to travel to Paris and see what he could find out. And I shouldn’t even be sharing that with you, but I doubt you care about such information.”
“Henry was in France, but on the coast,” Anwen said, not waiting for permission to speak.
Torin turned to her. “Where did you learn that?”
“I heard him tell Lady Flora.”
“He is with her?” Torin asked anxiously.
“That is what I came to tell you. The wind sent a powerful moan through the keep and everyone there ran out, including Henry.”
“My wife is alone in the keep?” Torin asked, already heading that way, Anwen and Walsh following.
“The last I saw, but I hurried to tell you as soon as I gave the servants Lady Flora’s orders,” Anwen said.
“Has anyone seen the man who arrived with the Strathearn warriors the other day?” Torin called out as he kept a quick pace to the keep.
“I saw him,” Philip called out.
Torin stopped.
Philip pointed. “He was entering the keep.”