Page 46 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
“What? I merely complimented ye. I’m surprised—”
“A woman could plan such a thing?” she mimicked with a snarl, whirling back to face him, the shadows of the scars on her ruined cheek making her appear otherworldly. “Yer manipulations willnae work! Ye’re trying to make me monologue!”
Well,thatsurprised Drum. He reared back. “I’m trying to make yewhatnow?”
“Monologue,” she repeated with a wave of her hand. “When ye finally have the villain where ye want him and he decides to talk at ye for a while, thinking ye’re safely trapped.” She planted her hands on her hips and straightened her shoulders. “Well, I dinnae have a tank of sharks, this isnae a volcanic lair, and ye arenae strapped into a dentist’s chair!”
Drum blinked. “I…have nae idea what ye’re talking about, lass.”
“Lass? I am Lady Avaline, one of the Queen’s Angels, and I’msick and tiredof idiots like ye dismissing me! Just because I’m a woman doesnae mean I’m no’ just as devious, just ascunning, as the next man!”
Ah, they were finally getting somewhere. Drum nodded sympathetically, realizing that he was manipulating her as he’d always accused women of doing. “Ye’re just as smart as a man, if ye planned this.”
“As smart as?” she screeched, snatching up the dagger and pointing it at him. “I’msmarter,ye buffoon!”
Deciding ignorance was the best path forward—and giving her the chance tomonologue—Drum scratched his head, pretending confusion. “But I dinnae understand. If I kill the King, how will he recognize yer brilliance?”
“Ye’re no’ going to kill him, ye idiot! I’m going to save him at the last minute, the way I did from the crossbow ambush and the poisoned wine!”
“Zounds, ‘twas lucky for him ye were there, for certes,” Drum managed with a straight face, hoping he sounded impressed. “Elsewise His Majesty might’ve died.”
“Luck?” Her voice had gone all low and hoarse, as she stalked toward him, waving that dagger back and forth, back and forth, as if trying to hypnotize him for a mummer’s show. “Luckhad naught to do with it!”
Playing his part, Drum kept his attention on the tip of the blade as he shuffled backwards, hoping she was speaking loud enough for the words to carry. “Then how do ye explain—”
“I set it up!” And huzzah, she was back to screeching again. “I was there to whisk the King from danger, ye complete dobber, becauseIwas the one to arrange the danger in the first place.”
Excellent.
Drum pretended to gape. “The crossbow ambush?”
“I knew everyone would assume ‘twas a man, since ‘twas set up so high, but I had nae trouble.” Slowly, Lady Avaline straightened, pride tinging hervoice. “The trap was clumsy at best, but I didnae need—wantit to work.”
“Ye just needed it to look convincing,” Drum finished in what he hoped was an awed tone as his arse hit the altar behind him and he had to stop backing up. “And the poison?”
She scoffed. “ ‘Twas no’reallypoison, or have ye no’ figured that out yet? Ye’re a shite investigator, if so. ‘Twas only a concoction tolookdangerous, so I could ‘discover’ it and save the King again.”
Drum had to struggle to keep his gaze from darting around the chapel, wondering where Brigit may be hiding. God willing, she heard that confession and understood its meaning. So why hadn’t she shown herself?
Fook.
If she didn’t secret herself ahead of time in the chapel as planned, she might not even be here! She might have missed her cue, or something might have happened to her. Was it possible Lady Avaline had done something? Discovered Brigit?
Drum’s heart began to pound in earnest.
Was it possible this haughty, determined lady-in-waiting actuallywascapable of true harm?
Dinnae underestimate her. That is the whole bloody point of this, ye arsehole! Ye cannae assume she cannae hurt ye just because she’s a woman! She’s devious and driven and determined—have ye no’ been paying attention?
Aye, Brigit had taught him that women could be powerful allies…or dangerous enemies. He’d be best to keep that in mind.
Good. Otherwise we’re going to have to back up a few chapters so ye can understand the moral of the story again.
“Now.” Avaline’s voice had turned low and calm again, as she took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders, her gaze steely. “Are ye going to do as I suggest?”
Drum’s mind flashed over the previous conversation. “Um…am I going to take that dagger and go into the King’s chambers and try to kill him, only so ye can swoop in at the last moment and save him by—by what? Killing me?”
“Aye.”
