Page 29 of The Guardian's Witch

“So she hid to protect others. No wonder she didn’t want a protector or to return to Glen Kirk. She is more honorable than Hubert.”

“In his defense, she did play a nasty trick on him. Laura and I were there when Hubert and the others arrived. Hubert had been obnoxious all day. He and his party swept into Glen Kirk as if he were the landlord and not a protector. By the end of the day Lisbeth had had enough. When the mist gathered in the Great Hall she snapped her fingers and sent it scattering.”

“What? How did she do that?

“The dog was curled up in the midst. When she snapped her fingers, he wagged his tail. Hubert screamed.”

Alex couldn’t contain his amusement at the image.

“And everyone laughed—at him,” added Jamie.

“No wonder Hubert called her a witch. No one likes to be the brunt of a joke,” Alex said soberly.

“When Hubert left I brought Laura to visit Lisbeth at Glen Kirk. We found her stripping the rooms bare. She said she’d found Hubert taking ownership of things that weren’t his. He even went through her trunks. I worked with her and the servants to take down the tapestries, put away the plate, preserve Wesley’s armor and Darla’s gems. Before the second protector came, she left the castle.

“There’s more. The king sent a second protector. He too thought it his privilege to loot Glen Kirk. What little was left he helped himself to. When that was gone, he and his men took what they wanted from the market.”

“Now I understand. Thank you. It explains a lot. But we still have the other issues.”

“Yes, we still need to get to the bottom of these attacks, first Wesley and Darla, the disappearing protectors, then the farmers, and now you,” said Jamie.

“You never told me what actually happened to Wesley and Darla. You’ve led me to believe it was a terrible accident.”

“I know. But I had to be certain. I couldn’t let anyone know my suspicion.”

“The rumors at court abound. All say it was an accident. They said they went into the forest too late in the day. The trail was iced over. The driver went too fast. But you’ve only told me the bare facts. I didn’t want to press the issue out of respect for your closeness to the family but I think it’s time I heard it all—every detail.”

Uncertainty crept into Jamie’s expression. Alex waited and let Jamie come to his own decision.

“Wesley brought Darla and Lisbeth to visit Laura and me. Laura was excited. The king had requested that Wesley and Darla bring Lisbeth to court. The women had been working on Lisbeth’s gown for weeks. Laura drove me crazy with her excitement. They spent three days with us and left one afternoon to get back to Glen Kirk before dusk. My men and I traveled with them to the border. Before we parted Wesley told me he feared intrigue. He would say no more, only that he expected to have the evidence he needed before they left for court. We said our goodbyes. Wesley took the others on their way.”

Agony twisted Jamie’s handsome features. “Why did I let Wesley dissuade me? I should have gone with them. The forest can be treacherous, especially at dusk. There was a tree down across the trail. The coach was forced to take another, more dangerous path. The ground gave way and the carriage rolled down the embankment into the gorge. Wesley’s men sent for help in both directions, to Glen Kirk and to me. We spent hours trying to get to them. When we reached the carriage there was nothing we could do. We found Wesley and Darla wrapped around Lisbeth. Only Lisbeth was alive. Her body was badly bruised. Her mind, well, her mind was bruised as well.”

“Lisbeth. I didn’t know.”

Jamie’s usually twinkling eyes had a haunted look.

“If it’s too difficult, you needn’t go on.” Alex put a steadying hand on Jamie’s shoulder. Alex read the gratitude in Jamie’s face.

“No, you should know it all. They had traveled the same trail three days before and the way had been clear. We couldn’t find the tree stump. We did find drag marks. The severed end was more likely a week old rather than three days old. We concluded the tree was placed across the trail. I took Lisbeth back to Laura and Gareth took the news to the king. It wasn’t long after Gareth returned that the first protector arrived.”

“Why did the king send protectors? You’re here.”

“Alex, you are a man who judges another on value. In your king’s court you are a rarity. Edward could not let a Scots take charge of an English holding. After Richard died, Wesley made arrangements with the king for Glen Kirk to go to Lisbeth, as the oldest surviving Reynolds. It was in your king’s best interest to get the best man he could to marry Lisbeth and fill the vacant seat. Until he found the right man, he sent protectors. The first ones were not...” He searched for the right word.

“Capable, and some were not honorable,” Alex finished.

Jamie’s face brightened. “Exactly. I think Edward thought Glen Kirk would run itself, and it did for a while, but eventually it needed a leader. With the arrival of each protector everyone hoped things would change. They wanted to return to the way things were. The first two brought disappointment. Wesley made it look easy. Anyone coming after him would have difficulty. Anyone without skill was doomed.”

“So where do you think the protectors are?”

Jamie ran his hand through his hair. “I wish I knew.” He stretched his legs out in front of him. “I wish I knew.”

“The rumors at court say they were victims of the curse.”

Jamie swung around to face him.

“Now don’t get upset. That’s one explanation. The rumors abound. Some say they are dead, and others say they were taken by the Scots.”

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