Nineteen
“Brodee,” William said, his tone lashing through the black fright that gripped Brodee.
He jerked his gaze from a sobbing Jane, who stood in the courtyard facing him, along with Fergus, Cul, Mari, and William. He turned his gaze to William and away from Jane, who he’d just yelled at. “What?” he demanded, the word more a growl than anything.
“The lass kinnae calm herself enough to talk with ye bellowing at her.”
Brodee nodded. Logically, he knew William to be correct. Jane stood trembling and weeping before him. Her face was buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Physically, he was having a hard time controlling himself from yelling more as the terror clawed at him. He knew it. He knew it would cause him to make mistakes. And now Patience was gone.
She’d not been at the tournament and neither had Kinsey. They both had disappeared without a trace. He didn’t have a care about Kinsey, except for the fact that he was certain she was somehow responsible.
Every time he took a breath, all he could think was what if Patience was somewhere hurt? What if he never saw her again? He needed answers, and so far, all he’d received since gathering those who should have known where Patience was, was babbling and crying from Jane. Of course, they had only just gotten here and he had raged at the poor lass the moment she’d entered the courtyard. Everyone else was staring at him with a mixture of fear and trepidation, except William, who gave him a look of understanding.
“Try less yelling,” William suggested.
Brodee yanked his hand through his hair. “When was the last time ye saw Patience, Jane?”
Jane slowly looked up, her lips quivering. “Nae since this morning. I took a goblet of wine to her room earlier, as I always do, but she was nae there.”
Brodee frowned. “Does she drink wine in her room every day?” he asked, simply trying to get an accurate picture of her normal day.
Jane shook her head. “Nay. My lady has nae ever touched the wine I bring her.”
“Then why the devil do ye bring it?” he roared, his control once again snapping. Jane immediately started to sob, and he had the desire to bellow his frustration again. Instead, he clenched his teeth, breathed deeply, and said, “I’m sorry, Jane. I’m verra fashed about Patience.”
Jane sniffed, swiped at her eyes, and said, “I take the wine because Lady Kinsey ordered me to do so when she first appointed me as Lady Patience’s lady’s maid. She dunnae drink it, but Lady Kinsey instructed me to continue bringing it.”
Brodee frowned. “Why would Kinsey have ye bring wine to Patience when she dunnae even drink it?” He was thinking aloud, not expecting an answer, so he was surprised when Jane did speak.
“I dunnae ken for certain, except Lady Kinsey did murmur that surely Patience would at least once drink the blasted wine. ’Twas her words,” Jane rushed out.
Brodee nodded absently as he thought about the wine that had made him feel so unstable. “Mari”—he looked to the older lady—“would ye smell or taste an herb if it was put in the wine?”
Mari’s eyes widened at the implication. “It depends on the herb,” she said. “But perhaps.”
“Jane,” Brodee ordered, “go fetch the goblet ye took to Patience this morning.”
“Aye, Laird, but surely ye dunnae think Lady Kinsey would be trying to harm Lady Patience?”
The memory of Kinsey’s hand on his wine goblet that horrid night came to him. “I dunnae ken what to think. At this point, I dunnae dismiss anything.”
Jane bit her lip, and remained before him.
“Do ye have something to say?” he asked, assuming she would speak in defense of Kinsey.
“Well, ’tis probably nae anything, but Lady Patience did almost plunge to her death off the seagate stairs a sennight ago. Lady Kinsey was standing above her on the stairs, and she said she slipped and fell into Lady Patience. I happened to be coming down the stairs and saw it, and I screamed out. Lady Kinsey then grabbed Lady Patience and pulled her to safety.”
A cold, hard knot formed in his stomach.
Fergus cleared his throat. “My lady almost got shot by an arrow some days ago, as well.”
“What?” He whipped toward Fergus. “Why are ye just telling me now?”
“I’m sorry, Laird. I was still trying to figure out what had happened, but I should have mentioned it immediately.”
“What do ye ken?” Brodee demanded.
“Well, I was coming from a stone path that leads to the courtyard and Lady Patience and Lady Kinsey were in the courtyard some distance apart from each other. I stopped Lady Patience to tell her I was sent to find her, but before I could get the words out, an arrow swished by Lady Patience’s head, nearly hitting her. I saw it come from the direction of the gardens, and Lady Patience confirmed that’s where she saw it come from as well.
