Page 48 of Kilty By Association
Elspeth paused, realized her son’s face was turning purple due to lack of air, not anger, and relaxed her hold on him.
“Oh. Terribly sorry.”
He grinned and wrapped one arm around her waist. “I dinnae mind. I was scared today.”
It took everything in her not to squeeze him tightly again. “No’ as scared as I was, I’ll wager,” she murmured, turning them both toward the stairs where Craig had disappeared.
Before they reached them, however, Brigit appeared, seemingly out of nowhere—had Elspeth really been that distracted?—one hand shoved up the sleeve of the opposite arm, looking calm and composed, but frowning.
“What happened?” she snapped. “Are ye hurt?”
Elspeth, taken aback, shook her head. “We were attacked while out riding, but Craig saved Robbie and killed the men who tried to hurt us.”
“Fook,” she hissed, her frown turning into a scowl. “IkennedI should’ve gone with ye today.”
Brows raising, Elspeth tried to make a joke. “Why? I didnae need my hair fixed, and I managed to dress on my own.”
But the slight maid ignored the jest and turned to the stairs, her hands falling to her sides, now clenched into fists. “Craig is looking for Lady Agnes?”
“The bandits confessed she’s the one who paid them to kill Robbie. And—and my husband.”
John’s death was no accident. He’d been murdered. Although their marriage hadn’t been particularly happy, she’d finally come to terms with it, and had been content on most levels. She’d never wished him dead, and learning someone else had still made her reel.
“Mother?” Robbie’s hand dug into her side. “Aunt Agnes…”
“Agneswas the villain all this time?” Brigit seemed incredulous. “We didnae see that coming!”
“Well, I mean…” Elspeth smiled sickly. “Idid. She’s quite the bitch, is she no’?”
“Fook,” Brigit hissed again, and Elspeth realized she’d never heard her little maid use such language. On the other hand, she had no idea the other woman cared so much about the situation here at Dungotit. “Our intelligence was totally wrong!”
Our?
Before Elspeth could ask, though, the woman swung back to her. “She’s no’ in the women’s solar, I was just there.”
From above, they could hear Craig bellowing Agnes’s name.
Bridgit gave a nod. “I’ll check the laird’s solar.”
“’Tis where Uncle Roger spends his time,” Robbie offered.
Before Elspeth could respond, Brigit had already begun to jog up the stone steps. Unwilling to be left out, Elspeth hurried after her, and, since she couldn’t seem to let go of Robbie, he, of course, followed.
On the third landing, Craig barreled into them, catching himself at the last moment and clamping his hands down on her shoulders. Well, one on one of Elspeth’s shoulders, the other on Robbie’s. He shook them both together.
“Have ye found her?” Elspeth opened her mouth, but he shook them again. “She’s no’ in the women’s solar.” Another shake, another attempt to speak. “I cannae allow her to escape.”
This time when he shook them, Elspeth bit her tongue.
‘Twas Robbie who got through Craig’s panic by kicking him in the shin. The large man blinked, glanced down at his leg, then back to Robbie.
“What was that for?”
“To get ye to calm down,” the boy said, breathing hard. “We’re going to see if Aunt Agnes is with Uncle Roger.”
“The laird’s solar,” Brigit blurted, already on her way up the steps.
“The laird’s solar!” Craig repeated in a near-gleeful shout, dropping his hand to his sword’s hilt and thundering after her, nudging the maid out of the way so he could go first.
