Bridget nodded, thoughtful. “And… did he hear anything afterward? A commotion, a shout—?”
Catriona shook her head. “No, my lady. He didn’t hear anything at all. He only learned what happened much later.”
Bridget rose to her feet and dusted off her skirt, but her mind was already working. A package. Left in the barn. Alastair had told Killian he would retrieve it after the race, but he never got the chance.
She met Catriona’s gaze, offering a small but grateful smile. “Thank you. I need to speak with Killian.”
Catriona stood as well, watching her carefully. “You’re going to ask him about it, aren’t you?”
Bridget nodded, determination sharpening her features. “If Killian had seen Alastair just before his death, and if Alastair had entrusted him with something, then Alastair must have suspected he was in danger. He had taken steps to protect something, something important. Knowing what the package contains could lead us to his murderer.”
She turned toward the house and broke into a near run.
Bridget moved quickly through the halls and found Thomas in his shirtsleeves, in the study, standing near the fireplace, reading a document. He looked up as she entered, his sharp gaze immediately locking onto hers.
“What is it?” he asked, reading the urgency in her expression.
Bridget closed the door behind her and stepped closer. “I just spoke with Catriona. She told me something that changes everything.”
Thomas straightened. “Go on.”
Bridget took a breath. “Killian saw Alastair on the course that morning. He had tethered his horse. It was out of place. All along, Alastair was eager to participate in the chase. Killian stopped to ask if something was wrong. That’s when Alastairgave him a package and told him to take it to the barn. He planned to retrieve it afterward.”
Thomas’s brow furrowed. “A package?”
Bridget nodded. “Killian doesn’t know what was inside. But he said Alastair was serious about it. As if it was important.”
Thomas set the document on the desk. “And Killian heard the scream shortly after?”
“No. He didn’t know what had happened to Alastair until someone came looking for assistance.”
Thomas ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. “If Alastair sent something away before the chase, it wasn’t just important; it was something he didn’t want to be found on him.” His voice sharpened. “Whatever he gave Killian might explain why he was killed. We must speak to him now.”
Bridget didn’t hesitate. “I thought the same.”
Thomas grabbed his coat from the back of the chair, already moving. “Then let’s not waste time.”
Bridget followed him, her pulse quickening.
*
The steady rhythmof the forge hammer echoed through the yard as Bridget approached the stables. The scent of horses and hay mingled with the sharp tang of heated iron. Inside, Killian worked methodically, his sleeves rolled up, revealing arms dusted with soot. He barely glanced up as she and Thomas entered, but Bridget didn’t miss the way his grip tightened around the metal he was shaping.
She paused a few feet away, watching as he worked. “It’s been a long morning,” she said, her voice calm but deliberate. “I imagine you’ve had little time for anything but work.”
Killian adjusted the iron in the glowing embers. “Work keeps a man’s hands busy,” he muttered.
Bridget nodded. “And his mind.” She let the words settle before stepping closer. “Killian, I need to ask you about his lordship.”
His hammer stilled, but he didn’t look at her. Instead, he placed the iron back into the forge’s embers. “A shame what happened,” he said gruffly.
She exchanged a glance with Thomas before speaking again. “Catriona told me you saw him that morning. That he gave you something.”
“She shouldn’t have said that.” Killian exhaled a short, forceful breath, the kind a restless horse gives when unsettled.
Thomas uncrossed his arms. His tone was even but firm. “But she did. And now we need to know what it was.”
Killian finally turned to them, his blue eyes shadowed. “His lordship helped me and my wife escape Scotland when no one else would. I owed him everything.” He hesitated. “If he asked me to keep something safe, I wasn’t about to question him.”
