Page 52 of Forgotten Secrets (Secrets of the Heart 4)

“Reed Douglas. Your father,” he answered, not able to look at her when he told her. “Whitmore thinks I am still targeting him while his other assassins go after Rook and Rowen.”

“Nay! Ye canna hurt my da,” cried Morag. “Dinna do it, Bedivere, please!”

“Shhh,” he told her, holding up a hand and looking over to the door. “I understand that.” Then his hands balled up into fists and his jaw tightened. “However, I don’t know what to do. You need to understand, I have to protect my family as well as free my mother.”

“Well, dinna hurt my family in order to do that.”

“I don’t want to.” He hung his head, shaking it slightly. “There has to be another way.”

“Do ye think Whitmore is somehow really involved in tryin’ to kill the king?”

“I don’t think so. He has too much to gain by keeping the king alive.”

Morag walked across the room to join him. “How is he findin’ out that all these men have bad intentions?”

“There are spies everywhere,” he explained. “That part doesn’t surprise me. But what does surprise me is how rich Whitmore has become in the past two years.”

“What do ye mean?”

“Every time I make a kill, Whitmore ends up claiming the dead man’s holdings. I didn’t think much of it at first, but it does seem a little suspicious.”

“So, Richard is thankful to him, and that’s why he gives him the dead man’s castle and land?”

“Exactly.”

“He sounds greedy.”

“He is. Being advisor to the king, he is constantly whispering in Richard’s ear and getting everything he wants and more.”

Morag’s nerves stilled as she now understood Bedivere’s dilemma. She wanted more than anything to help him free his mother. “Do ye think the men ye killed were guilty of plottin’ against the king or no’?”

“We’ll never know. But I’m sure my father was innocent.”

Morag paced back and forth in thought. “Mayhap, because my uncles are close to Richard and often advise him unofficially, that has somethin’ to do with Whitmore wantin’ them dead.”

“Possibly.” Bedivere crossed the room and stared out the window in thought. “But why would he order me to kill your father? As you said, he’s in Scotland and doesn’t want anything to do with the English.”

“My faither and uncles would die for each other. They are verra close,” explained Morag. “If anyone killed my uncles, Rook and Reed, I am sure my faither would avenge their deaths.”

Bedivere turned to her. “You’re right. I think that is it. Morag, you are amazing at this.”

“I am?” Morag felt the blush rise to her cheeks. It felt good to be told she was good at something in her life, and this was the first time she ever heard it.

“I think my last kill should be the head of the snake,” he told her.

“Whitmore?” asked Morag, a small part of her still hoping he didn’t mean her father. “But if ye kill the king’s advisor, it is only goin’ to bring ye and yer family more trouble.”

“Aye,” Bedivere agreed. “That’s why I am going to have to trick Whitmore into admitting his deception. The king needs to know about this.”

“Ye’ll also need witnesses that will hear him confess, for when he goes to trial.”

“Aye. But in the meantime, I need to get back out there and try to stop those assassins. I won’t have the deaths of the bastard triplets on my conscience, too. My mind is already tainted enough.”

“I’m goin’ to help ye,” Morag told him.

Bedivere shook his head and let loose with a breath of air. “Nay. What could you do?” he asked her. “I would rather have you locked away safely inside your chamber until I can get things under control. I don’t want to have to worry about you because it’ll distract me. And if I’m distracted, someone is going to end up dead.”

“If someone is out there tryin’ to kill my faither and uncles, I assure ye there is nothin’ in the world ye can do to keep me behind locked doors. I am goin’ to help ye whether ye like it or no’.” Morag crossed her arms over her chest as she took a stand. Her chin rose as she challenged him to tell her otherwise. This decision felt good. It felt right. It was something Morag had to do, no matter how frightened she was deep down. She would push away her fear and her nerves and act like a strong woman for the first time in her life.

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