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Coswold did not realize the truth of his statement about turmoil, for he had yet to hear of MacKenna’s demise
The abbot showed the baron into the hall “I am certain the envoy will return safely, Baron, but you are welcome to wait here and see for yourself I will have the cook bring you food and drink If there is anything else I can do to make you comfortable, I am your humble servant”
The abbot hurried off to uest
When the travel-weary group returned to the abbey after nightfall, Cosaiting to greet them
The envoy was surprised to see the baron “Did the king send you here with further instructions for me?” he asked
“No,” Coswold answered He pulled a chair fro relies on you and knows as I do how important your duties are Your safety is i I care about ation to see to your well-being”
With an ingratiating smile, he pointed to the chair “Sit with me and ill drink some wine and eat some cheese, and you can tell e and ill-tempered as I have heard? And what of Lady Gabrielle? Is she as beautiful as I remember?”
The envoy was flattered by the baron’s attention and eager to share his experience After a second goblet of wine, he was completely relaxed and the words flowed freely
“Do you want me to tell you word for hat each said?”
“No, no, not at all,” Coswold said “Save your report for the king I’m only interested to knohat those people are like”
“I will not be giving the king each word I heard He only wants to know if Lady Gabrielle accepted his forgiveness and his offer of Finney’s Flat”
He took a gulp of hile Cosaited impatiently
“Now to answer your question, it is true Lady MacHugh is a beauty,” he said “She seems content as well Her new clan was happy to hear that Finney’s Flat now belongs to their laird They are—”
Coswold interrupted “Lady MacHugh? You mean to say Lady Gabrielle?”
“She is Lady MacHugh now, for she isin aze on me He is a fierce warrior”
The envoy accepted more wine and continued to talk about his ih laird He didn’t notice Coswold’s distress
While he chatted aht ahead, gripping his goblet so tightly the rian to bend fro from his stomach It took all his control not to screaain eluded his grasp Was the treasure lost to him as well?
Whenever the envoy paused, Coswold nodded encourageoblet After so rew heavy “I am sleepy,” he said and started to rise
Coswold hurriedly offered him more cheese and bread “You will sleep better on a full sto broadly when the envoy reached for the food
“What other news did you hear?” Coswold asked “The MacHughs are such a curious group of people I find the,” he added so that the envoy would not discern a deeper , he doubted the drunkenhe’d said
“While I aiting for Lady MacHugh to co foods There was a sweetbread I much enjoyed…”
Coswold let hi of interest
“They were celebrating,” the envoy said, yawning A piece of cheese was stuck between his teeth, and Coswold looked away The drunkard’s behavior was beco
“Celebrating what?” he asked, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice
“Finney’s…” He seeht
“They were celebrating the news that Finney’s Flat is now theirs?” Coswold prodded
“Yes, yes It belongs to them”
“Was thereelse their laird would receive?”
The envoy blinked several ti to focus “What?”
“Gold,” Coswold old?”
The envoy scratched his chin “No, no gold”
Despair was drowning Coswold, and he slumped into the chair and buried his face in his hand “Lost,” he whispered
He thought the envoy had fallen asleep, but he was mistaken
“Treasure”
“What say you?” Coswold asked sharply
“St Biel There is treasure”
“They know about the treasure?” he deh to continue
“The priest…he said they will get the treasure…” he mumbled
Coswold leaned closer to the man so that he could hear each word “Did anyone say where this treasure is?”
“No…Lady MacHugh…Lady MacHugh said…”
Coswold grabbed the h say about the treasure?”
The ets the land…but he will not have the treasure”
Coswold dropped the man’s shoulders and stood back Perhaps it was not too late after all
COLM WAS A POSSESSIVE MAN HE KEPT A WATCHFUL EYE on Gabrielle and found that he didn’t like any
In the days since theirafter supper, Liareat hall While Willa and Maurna cleared the table, Lia up his brother’s intense watchfulness
“Come and stand by the fire, Colm, so that I may speak to you in private”
Lia into the fire, then pulled a chair closer to the heat and sat down
Colainst the hearth and waited to hear what his brother had to say
“Do you have reason to distrust Gabrielle?” Liam asked
The question offended Col to insult him or Gabrielle “Of course not,” he muttered
Liaht to trust her She would never be untrue to you I see where her heart belongs”
“And where ht that be?”
His brother laughed “You cannot be that blind You know she loves you”
Cole Liam’s words Love was for women to talk about, not warriors
“Why did you ask me if I distrusted her when you already held the answer?”
“Because of the way you act You behave like a jealous man”
“I auard what is mine Gabrielle deserves as much protection as any other member of my clan”
“She is your wife, Colm”
“And I will guard her well”
Gabrielle caught their attention when she appeared on the stairs She stepped to the side and waited while two of Colm’s men carried up her trunk
“Gabrielle, why are you taking salt to your room?”
As the men passed her she told them, “Put it across the hearth in my chamber, please”
“I’ll show theo,” Maurna called out as she hurried to help “But milady, why is it you want a trunk of salt in your room?”
“It isn’t salt,” she explained to Maurna And then to Colm and Liam she said, “If you’ll remember, Colm, I told you that all but one of the trunks were filled with salt It took forever to find the right trunk, and as luck would have it, it was on the bottom of the stack”
“You ear the MacHugh colors You have no need of English clothes,” he answered
“Ito keep thes in the trunk as well, reshi
re and St Biel”
“Good God, Gabrielle, you’ve got enough reminders of St Biel,” Liam said “Colm, did you see the size of the statue the abbot sent? It’s in the storage rooo inside the church”
“No, Liao inside It stays outside by the door so that all will see it as they go in It is tradition”
“None of the statues in St Biel are inside churches?”
“Of course not We pray to God, not to statues”
Liam had stood when she entered the room, but once she was seated, he returned to his chair
“Is it true that another statue is co from your father?”
“Yes It belonged to my mother, and now that I am married it will come to me It’s tradition”
“Any others on their way here?” Colm drawled