Page 35 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
“I…wasnae wrong. Women are for falling in love with, making a life together.No’working with. No’ partnering with. Ye cannae trust them.”
Except…he’d had plenty of time to think about Brigit’s actions in the last week, and he wasn’t so certain he had a right to be indignant about her actions.
Just as the King had his Hunters, the Queen’s Angels were a shadowy group of women masquerading as her ladies-in-waiting, whom she sent the length and breadth of Scotland on missions rather more discreet than that of the Hunters.
They were unknown, and Drum had only learned what he knew of them because the King was willing to speak to him once more.
Brigit is an agent of the Crown, same as ye. She was only doing what she was ordered…and ye can understand that.
She’d used her relationship with him to learn if he was guilty.
She manipulated ye into revealing yer truth instead of just asking ye!
Would he have done differently? Criminals would claim innocence the same as an innocent man.
She’d used what she could to learn the truth about him.
Just because ‘tis logical doesnae make it hurt less.
“Ye’re scowling,” Craig announced unhelpfully. “Want to talk about it?”
Nay.
Aye.
With a sigh, Drum scrubbed his free hand over his face and admitted that his friend might just have a good idea. “’Tis…complicated.”
Snorting, Craig turned for the steps. “When are women no’ complicated? Give me the general outline of the story.”
With a deep breath, Drum did. He started with the attempted assassination, the ambush with the crossbow, and was pleased when his friend was suitably irate at the threat to the King’s lifeandDrum being blamed. He described his investigation and Brigit’s help, and what they’d learned together…only to find out he’d beenhermission all along.
“All along?” Craig asked with a frown as they turned down one of the corridors. “I ken the two of ye have been…”
God’s Blood, evenCraighad noticed his obsession with the buxom little redheaded maid?
Drum growled, “Nay, just…”Damnation, how to continue that sentence? He took a deep breath. “When I started fooking her, she kenned I was a Hunter, but I didnae ken she was an Angel. And I wasnae a mission to her until I came under suspicion.”
That much he knew was truth, at least.
But Craig hummed thoughtfully. “Didanyoneken she was an Angel?”
“Nay,” Drum snapped. “I told ye! They’re like this super-secret group. The Hunters have helms to announce who we are. No’ them. Ye cannae trust women.”
“But if she couldnae tellanyonewho she was, she couldnae tell ye. Unless ye gave her a reason to think ye were worth betraying the Queen’s trust.” Craig looked far too cheerful to be dropping such knowledge. “And ye cannae fault her reasoning. ‘Twasgoodsecret-agenting, ye have to admit. TheQueen told her to use what she could to determine yer guilt, and she did. ‘Tisnae to say she liked it, just that she did as commanded.”
Drum’s steps slowed, his attention on the stone floor as they neared his little office.
Brigit…hadn’tlooked as if she’d enjoyed betraying his trust, had she? She’d looked tortured and miserable, but Drum had been too angry to notice anything beyond her guilt.
Unless ye gave her a reason to think ye were worth betraying the Queen’s trust.
Drum squeezed his eyes closed.Fook. It wasn’t as if he was her husband. He had no right to be soangryover this…did he?
“Besides.” Craig’s huge hand slammed into his shoulder. “She proved ye innocent, aye? Stood up for ye to Their Majesties?”
“Aye,” Drum croaked.
“So ‘twas for the best?”
