Page 5 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
Avaline sat on the hard bench with her shoulders as straight as a board, a sympathetic expression on her face. “I’m sorry, Yer Majesty. That must be a terrible blow.”
“If only we could find evidence exonerating Drummond—”
“Who else could it be, Yer Majesty?” Avaline asked bluntly. “Only those closest to the King kenned how often he traveled that corridor at night. Only one of his personal men could have kenned his route.”
The Queen wasn’t the only one who sighed in despair.
Brigit lifted her embroidery higher and tried to duck behind it, pretending to focus on the tiny purple penises she was stabbing inefficiently with her needle, hoping it would hide her expression.
She wasn’t even certain what her expression was.
Sorrow, certainly, for the King’s grief, knowing his trusted friend and advisor had tried to kill him.
Fear, for what Drummond might do next.
And her own heartbreak, knowing her long-time lover was guilty of such a sin.
She would’ve never guessed Drum capable of such a thing, not the way he always spoke so highly of the King. But as Avaline said…who else was capable?
A fortnight ago, the King had almost been killed by an assassin’s trap. Few people knew His Majesty visited the royal nursery every evening he was in the palace; ‘twas better that way, and no one would expect a male monarch to be involved in the lives of his children like that.
But on this night, a tripwire had been set up, with a crossbow tucked into one of the darkened niches along the corridor leading back to his chambers. It had to have been recent, which meant ‘twas someonewho had access to the palace, because otherwise a servant would risk triggering it.
As ‘twas, Avaline had almost been skewered herself when she pushed His Majesty out of the way of the bolt. Thank God and all his saints she’d happened to have been passing along the corridor then!
Aye, it had been a sloppy assassination attempt, one which anyone could have triggered, and which had little hope of actually hitting the King. But it had been set upin his home, along a corridor everyone believed to be safe.
The culprit was most definitely someone Their Majesties had trusted, and Drummond Kennedy had access to weaponry, to the palace, and knew the King’s schedule.
“But one thing I keep coming back to,” murmured the Queen, “iswhy? My husband has known Drummond for years, and trusted him almost as long. They have been together for so long, why would Drummond betray him now?”
“Money,” answered Avaline immediately. When they turned her way—the Queen interested, Brigit incredulous—the slender woman nodded certainly. “The Hunters have been retiring at alarming rates, aye? Three—nay, four—married in the last year or two? He is losing his men. Perhaps he is thinking of retirement as well, and when one of the King’s enemies approached him—”
“Ye think Drummond would kill the King—his friend—formoney?”
It wasn’t until the words had blurted from Brigit’s lips that she realized she was defending him. WhenAvaline frowned at her, Brigit flushed, but turned to meet the Queen’s conflicted gaze.
“Yer Majesty, ye said yerself Drummond was a trusted advisor and friend of yer husband.”
The Englishwoman nodded. “Yes.Was. Something has happened to change that, and I cannot guess what it might be.”
“Gold is a reasonable explanation,” Avaline pointed out, far too calmly. “He has nae home of his own, aye? He left his clan to follow the King, so nae holding, nae way to retire. If he was offered money to kill His Majesty…”
When she trailed off suggestively, the Queen shook her head and slumped back against her tall chair. “Is it bad that I almost hope thatisthe case? ’Twould mean it had been someone else’s idea to betray my husband, and Drummond was acting on purely selfish motives.”
“Ye would prefer the assassin’s motives be selfish?” Brigit asked in surprise.
The Queen nodded. “’Twould be better than having to explain to my husband that his oldest friend hates him enough to murder him.”
Brigit winced at the wordmurder.
Had Drummond truly turned on the King? Or had he done it, as Avaline suggested, purely for profit? And would it matter either way?
Ye’ve been sleeping with a traitor.
Still, of all the people in Scone, Brigit was likely the person who knew Drummond the best, outside of his own men. A year ago, after months of flirting, she allowed him to finally convince her to come to hisbed. She hadn’t expected anything earth-shattering, but she’d been surprised.
Verysurprised.
