Page 27 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
He was innocent. The King believed him innocent and he’d keep his head and his position…and his monarch’s trust, which was equally important.
But why? ‘Twas through no effort of his own that his name had been cleared. Och, nay, ‘twas because the King and Queen trusted the word of someone else!
As he straightened and turned, Drum found Brigit still staring at him, her eyes swimming, her bottom lip disappearing between her teeth. She looked miserable.
Misery at her betrayal?
Good.
Drum forced himself to snarl and hated the burst of satisfaction he felt when she gasped and backed up. “Brigit,” he offered, voice low and menacing. “Dinnae bother to see me out, I ken the way. Goodbye.”
Goodbye.
After what they’d shared—particularly that afternoon—their goodbyes should’ve involved more screaming, more throwing things, more passionate kisses. But not in front of their monarchs.
Goodbye.
He nodded once and stalked for the door, ripped it open and stumbled through.
He had a mission from the King, one he’d take great joy in.
And he bloody well wouldn’t trust a woman in doing so.
Ever again.
Chapter 6
“Forty-six!”called the Queen, darting forward to smack the shuttlecock with her wooden paddle.
Brigit followed the path of the cork, which had duck feathers poked into one end to slow its fall, impressed by the altitude the other women managed. As it began to fall back toward the lawn, she judged its trajectory and…
Whack.
“Forty-seven!” she called as the thing soared up again.
“Oh, well done, Brigit, I was not certain we could recover from that!” her partner called, eyeing the fall of the shuttlecock.
The breeze played with the leaves of the trees here in the garden, as well as the veils and gowns of the ladies. There were quite a few of them—all somehow related to the Queen, or owed favors, or hoping for favors—spread through the rows of rose bushes and evenly spaced flower beds.
The garden was protected on three sides by the palace, and on the fourth by a stone wall with a secret exit. Brigit herself had used that door a few times, and she knew Isabel’s son—and the Queen’s daughter—had been kidnapped through it as well.
Aye, this was a familiar location, but the activity…
“Watch it! Brigit, watch it!” the Queen called, and Brigit’s attention snapped back to the feather-covered cork, hurtling back toward her.
She lunged, swinging her paddle. “Fifty-two!”
But instead of making contact, sheswooshedpast the target which landed with a disappointingplopon the grass. The Queen wasn’t the only watcher who groaned in disappointment.
“I’m sorry, Yer Majesty,” Brigit offered, scooping up the shuttlecock and hurrying toward her. “I was distracted.”
“Oh, that is fine, my dear,” the Queen replied, taking both the paddle and cork from Brigit. “You are allowed some distraction recently, I imagine. Besides, I would ratheryoumiss the shot in front of everyone than me.”
Her teasing smile told Brigit she meant no harm, although there was a bit of truth in the statement. So, Brigit forced a grin in return.
“’Tis lucky for ye that the game is cooperative instead of competitive; ye already have all the ladies scared of ye. Imagine trying to playagainstthem.”
A small huff of laughter. “They would likely be dropping the cock every which way out of fear of offending me.”
