Page 136 of Once Upon A Haunted Castle
“I was surprised when Lord Jamie brought us news of Evan and Angel. Mother found it hard to believe Evan would kill Angel,” Laura said, hoping she didn’t sound forced.
“No one knows what to believe. Poor Mary. She found the bodies. The woman’s a seasoned soldier’s wife who’s seen many a horrible wound, but seeing those two. The image still haunts her. I’ll leave you to your bath.” She shook her head and left with Laura’s dress.
A large wooden tub lined with linen and filled with hot water stood next to the fireplace. Laura quickly undressed and sank into the water. She scrubbed the dirt and grit off, leaned her head back against a small pillow, and let the hot water ease her stiff muscles. The crackling fire and the warmth of the water relaxed and soothed her until she nodded off.
“Excuse me, Lady Laura. I’m Sonia.” A young woman entered carrying her dress. “Mrs. Turner sent me to help you.”
“Have you been with the Maxwell’s long?” Laura sat in front of the fire and dried her hair.
“Like many others, my parents work for The Maxwell.” Laura stopped rubbing her hair. Perhaps Sonia could help her, but she had no idea if Sonia was related to one of the families. She had to tread lightly. Would the girl even speak to her if she asked about Evan and Angel?
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Sonia turned away and busied herself, suddenly nervous. The poor girl must be frightened that she’d said too much. Laura saw her opening.
“Thank you for your kind words. It’s been very hard to believe Richard is gone. I’m sure it’s been difficult here as well with the poor harvest and the appearance of a ghost.” Laura purposefully left out any mention of Evan and Angel.
“More difficult with the murder of Evan and Angel.” Sonia took the brush out of the dresser and made quick work of Laura’s hair.
“You don’t think Angel attempted to stop Evan from poisoning the grain?” A hint of a mock baffled expression on her face.
“No, m’lady. Evan’s been wrongly accused of poisoning the grain and killing the woman he loved. He won’t rest until the truth is found and the real villain brought to justice.” The two women were quiet, each in their own thoughts. Sonia helped Laura on with her dress.
“Have you told anyone?”
Sonia straightened the skirt and placed the metal belt around her waist.
“M’lady, they have it in their heads that Evan is the villain in both deeds. They have no reason to look elsewhere. He won’t rest until there’s justice for him and the stain removed from his family.” Sonia was adamant. “They won’t listen to anyone. They think they have all the information they need.”
“Couldn’t he have had something in his background, some dispute with Herbert or his family that would drive him to do them harm?”
“Never, m’lady. He worked hard for Lord Herbert and was recently appointed the castle Marshal with much more responsibility and people to manage. The marriage wasn’t an arrangement for anyone’s betterment. He was excited and loved his Angel. Lord Herbert and both families supported the marriage. Now, they’ve all tried and judged him.”
Laura knew that helplessness Sonia felt.
“Calm yourself. I’ll speak to Jamie without any mention of you. He’ll know what to do.” One last glance into the polished metal at her refection and she was ready for supper.
Laura thanked the girl and left for the hall. Jamie greeted her at the door.
The Great Hall was on the first level of the gatehouse. Two fireplaces took off the chill of the autumn air. Tapestries and battle weapons dressed the walls. Maxwell Clan banners hung from the rafters. A long trestle table ran down the center of the room. At one end, a raised dais held the table for The Maxwell and his guests.
“It doesn’t flood,” Jamie said and laughed. “And it cannot be breached.”
From the outside, she thought. Someone, and not the ghost nor a live Evan according to Sonia, poisoned the grain. They stood by the fireplace waiting for Herbert.
“We have five days to put Evan’s ghost to rest. What is our plan?” Jamie asked.
Our plan? She stopped herself. Her foot was getting sore from her frustrated tapping. From lowered lids, she shot a commanding glare at him. His help wasn’t needed. She took a calming breath and counted to ten.
“I plan to speak to Evan and Angel’s families as well as Mary, the woman who found their bodies, to see what I can find,” Laura said.
“There are a lot of bad feelings between those two families right now.” He ran his hand through his hair, looking like he had some dilemma to solve.
“Don’t try to talk me out of this. I don’t need your help.” She spoke with as much of a reasonable voice as she could command then took a calming breath.
“I know you’re more than capable to hold a conversation with people.” She took a good look at him, standing with his hands on his hips, inflating himself with importance. She didn’t miss the note of sarcasm in his voice. “But both families are on the defensive, their tempers heated. For my wellbeing, I’ll go with you.” It wasn’t a question or a suggestion. It was a command and that irked her as much as his tone.
“I don’t need someone to protect me. They have nothing to fear from me. They have nothing to lose, only to gain.” She stood up to him toe-to-toe and didn’t flinch. She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her, or get in her way.
“Are you through with your obstinate position? At this time all we have are rumors and suspicions. If, in your questions and discussions, you come across information that proves Evan, in fact, poisoned the grain, do you think they will let you live? They have much to lose. The family will be tarred and feathered, turned out of the clan as traitors. If not killed. Oh no, they have a lot to lose.”
