Page 49 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
“What is there to tell?” she asked with a breezy shrug. “I needed to get away from my father’s controlling thumb. He was determined to marry me off, and I vowed toneversubmit to a man’s will.”
“I thought ye holy,” Drum murmured.
“That’s what I wanted ye to think.” Avaline was playing with the dagger now, her attention seeminglyon the blade, her tone too nonchalant. “ ‘Twas my only power, my only way to leave my family—what a fight that was! When ye were chosen to escort me, I saw an opportunity to get something else I wanted.”
“What, lass?” he asked hoarsely, stepping nearer. “Pleasure?”
“Nay.” She looked up, eyed him, then flicked her fingers dismissively as she turned away. “Power over a man. I made ye believe I wanted ye, aye? That we had a future together?”
“Ye did.” His tone had gone hollow, and Brigit’s chest squeezed, knowing how much he’d been hurt by her actions. “I wanted to marry ye.”
“Aye, but ye werenae paying attention.” Her lips curled into a cruel grin she sent him over her shoulder. “Ididnae want to marryye.” A click of her tongue, as if she dismissed him again. “I never forgot yer face as the doors of the nunnery closed after me. Looking so forlorn. I kenned then and there I could have power—no’ just over men, but overanyoneif I could find what they wanted and pretend to give it to them.”
Drummond’s expression…
Brigit’s heart ached for him.
His face had gone hard, but his eyes shone with pain. This woman had hurt him forfun.
And even worse…Brigit sucked in a breath as she realized. Avaline’s actions hadn’t just hurt Drummond, they’d changed the way he thought about women for years. Her deliberate attempts to hurt him meant that Brigit almost lost him!
“I wanted to become the Abbess because I believed that was the only position of power open to awoman like me. I was on my way when I was caught in a fire that started in the library.”
Drum’s voice turned low and dangerous. “And how did that fire start, Rebecca?”
“Avaline, please,” she corrected him. “I was born Rebecca, but I became Sister Avaline, and that is the name the Queen used when she scooped me up. I was recuperating in the infirmary when she found me. She’d heard about the fire, heard about my ambition, and decided she could use me.”
“For certes, ye were grateful she didnae ken ye’d been the one to set the fire, aye?” he growled. “Likely part of the scheme to get rid of the Abbess.”
Avaline huffed a bit. “I wasnae going tokillher. I just needed her to appear incompetent, so when a series of letters arrived at the palace urging them to appoint a new Abbess, I would be there to step into the role.”
“Yebitch.”
Avaline merely shrugged, her lips curled into a cruel smirk. “Men only say that because they cannae stand to see a powerful woman in control of her own destiny.”
“Nay, I say that because ye are a heartless conniver who doesnae seem to care who she hurts in her quest for power. I would call ye a bitch even if ye had a cock.”
“Oh, excellent, thatisgood to ken. Remember, ‘tis no’ as if I’m a murderer. Nae one has died.”
“Yealmost died in the fire that gave ye those scars.”
“And I had more than enough time to lie there and contemplate my errors as I recuperated. I should havebeen more careful when I laid my trap. Ye’ll see I’ve corrected that in my latest scheme.”
“Ye almost killedme. Or rather, had me executed for attempted regicide!”
“Och nay.” Avaline waggled the dagger mockingly as she spun back toward him. “Iwillkill ye. And I’ll be the hero who saved the Kingyet again.”
When she stepped toward Drummond, Brigit pushed aside the tapestry, already reaching for her daggers.
‘Twas the Queen’s grip on her wrist which stopped her, and she twisted to glare at the other woman. “Let me go,” she hissed.
But the Queen merely shook her head, her attention on the pair by the altar. “Drummond can handle her,” she whispered.
“Ican handle her.”
The Queen finally glanced at Brigit, eyes hard as she hissed, “Trust him. That is an order.”
And that meant there was naught Brigit could do except trust the man she loved to protect himself. Still, her fingers remained wrapped around her throwing dagger, awaiting the moment the Queen decided Drum needed her help and released her.
