"He is just another male heir so, aye, the boy, too."
"I wonder what the people at the keep are thinking."
"They probably ken the truth, but what power do they have to do anything about it? The laird is useless yet nay dead and would he e'en listen to accusations against his own sons? Nay, I suspect they are all scurrying about, tending to their chores, and keeping their heads down."
"I wouldnae mind getting a look at the old mon though, with Jolene. She could tell if it was poison or nay."
"I am nay sure it would be safe for either of us to go to the keep. We cannae be sure if Robert is there and he would recognize us as the ones who are getting in his way."
"Mayhap, but I dinnae think he would chance acting against any laird round here when his father is only ill, nay dead. 'Tis hard to judge the mon's greed, true enough, but 'tis clear to see he has a good idea of what is needed to protect himself." Sigimor frowned. "He was probably one of those children who delighted in beating down the children of those he considered less important than himself."
"I doubt ye would get much protest from his brothers as I am growing more certain that this is his idea, his plan. The others go along out of fear."
Sigimor looked at Gybbon and cocked his head. "Ye think they would just stand by and allow him to be accused?"
"I do, yet cannae say they would do so if he cried out for their help or if they felt sure he would get out of the trap and then come looking for them. I have ne'er seen brothers like them. 'Tis as if he is their lord and master and one who would probably kill them if they disobeyed. Aye, brothers ken which one of them will be the laird when the father is gone, but they still act as equals until it happens."
"Weel, your family is a strong one. And I suspicion your father would have interfered with a strong hand if one brother tried to rule the others. Seems the old laird may have played favorites and gave Robert too high an opinion of himself, or he was just born mean." Sigimor reined in in front of his manor. "I think we will go to see this ailing laird and offer my wife's skills if needed."
"Are we taking any men with us?" asked Gybbon as he hurried to follow Sigimor.
"Of course. I am a laird. Need some men when I ride about distributing my largesse." He grinned when Gybbon laughed.
Although Jolene was not sure it was a good idea, she gathered up her things for healing, making certain she had what was needed to treat a poisoning, and had her mount readied. Five men rode with them as they traveled to the Ogilvy keep. Sigimor just sighed when they had to go through a careful examination of who they were and what they wanted before the gates were opened.
When they were allowed inside the keep they were met by the head of the guard and the woman who ran the household. Sigimor knew the head of the guard and Gybbon watched in amazement as Jolene charmed the housekeeper so well the two linked arms as they went up to the laird's chamber. The shock of her being English had not lasted long.
The laird's room smelled of sickness and approaching death to Gybbon. The man in the bed looked gray and he kept moaning, a low, soft noise that made the housekeeper teary eyed. Jolene patted the woman's arm and walked closer to the bed.
"What is she doing?" he asked, as Jolene carefully looked at the laird's hands.
"Checking him for signs of poisoning. I occasionally wonder if I should worry that she kens so much about them." He exchanged a grin with Gybbon. "There is one that is used so often ye have to wonder why all healers dinnae ken what to look for."
Jolene then spent a long time talking with the housekeeper, who grew more and more upset. She took the woman to a bench under the window and calmed her, talking quietly and seriously until the woman was nodding her head. The head of the guard walked over to Sigimor.
"Your wife thinks someone is poisoning our laird," said the guard.
"Then someone probably is. When it comes to healing I ne'er question my wife."
"Unless she tells you that you have to stay abed," Jolene said, and went right back to talking with the housekeeper.
Gybbon laughed and noticed even the head of the guard was fighting a grin. "It was Robert, wasnae it?" the man softly asked.
"Aye," replied Sigimor. "He also saw to the killing of David and his wife, may have seen to the killing of David's older sons, and is now after the boy, Colin."
"Jesu. There always was a meanness in the lad, but I ne'er would have thought he would do all this."
"Watch your step, Colin. Ye can do nay good if he kills ye, too."
"Och, I ken it, but I am verra good at looking like I am doing what I am told without actually doing it, and I can keep a secret."
"Can the housekeeper?"
"None better. She just has to worry about getting the laird better without telling how she kenned who made him sick. I will watch her as I suspect the cure will be slow."
"Aye. It all depends on how much the lad has given the mon."
"He can clean out his system slowly and it will be messy and ugly," said Jolene.
"So somehow they have to keep Robert from ‘aiding' his da until there is proof of Robert's guilt he will believe."
"That willnae be easy. The other lads? Young Murdoch?" asked Colin.
"It looks as if Robert leads and the others are too afraid nay to follow," replied Gybbon.
"That feels right. It has always been that way, but the old laird wouldnae listen if ye tried to tell him that Robert needed some reining in. He was a mean, often vicious boy." Colin shook his head.
"We will be busy trying to keep the lass and the wee lad safe," said Sigimor.
"Ye shouldnae put yourself in the way, m'laird. Ye have to live here."
"Oh, I ken it. 'Tis why we are handing that job over to the Murrays." Sigimor clapped Gybbon on the back. "But if ye think there needs to be someone other than a clan member to do something, ye ken where I am most days, Colin."
"I certainly do. Thank ye."
"We best go now. Housekeeper is about to give the laird the first of the cleansing tonics he must drink," Jolene said softly, and started for the door.
"This is going to be bad, aye," said Colin, and cast a longing look at the door. "It always is when a healer says cleansing."
"Just verra messy, I fear."
Sigimor said their farewells to Colin and got out of the room. Just as Sigimor was shutting the door behind them they heard that the ordeal had begun. He slammed it shut and hurried down the steps. At the bottom stood Robert and his brothers. Murdoch looked wretched even though his bruises appeared to be healing. Robert looked furious, whereas Lachlan and Duncan moved carefully until they flanked Murdoch.
"What are ye doing here?" Robert barked.
"We came to see your father," Sigimor said as he kept moving forward, until Robert stepped out of the way. "Ye do ken that we make an effort to keep the three clans around here close and friendly so all is peaceful. I thought that this time my wife's skills at healing might be helpful."
A woman went racing up the stairs with a bucket and two others followed with mops and rags. "What have ye done?" Robert demanded, foolishly glaring at Jolene.
"His system is being cleansed as he appears to have eaten or drunk something poisonous. He should get better now with the housekeeper tending all he eats and drinks. Colin will oversee it all." Ignoring the man before her, she slipped her arm through Sigimor's and said sweetly, "Shall we go now, m'love?"
Sigimor just nodded and led her out the door. Gybbon followed and saw Murdoch slip out after him. He turned to face the youth and felt badly for him. It was not a trap he would like to be in. If Murdoch angered Robert he would pay, but his loyalty was to his father in the end.
"Do ye want something?" Gybbon asked.
"It was poison, was it?"
"Oh, aye. Lady Jolene kens her healing arts and she says so."
"Thank ye, and get the lass and the boy away from here." He turned and went back into the keep.
"What was that about?" asked Sigimor as they started the ride back to the manor.
"Murdoch just wished to be certain it was poison," Gybbon replied. "Then he told me to get the lass and the boy away from here."
Jolene sighed. "He is afraid his brother will increase his efforts to be rid of them now that the laird is being watched."
"And so ye shall do as he asks, as soon as possible," Sigimor said.
"Aye. To Gormfeurach and shut the gates on her as soon as I can."
Chapter Ten
Mora woke up slowly and stretched. It felt good to be able to do so, even tentatively, yet not feel the pull and pinch of stitching. Jolene had removed the stitching last night and declared her wound healed with a caution: she could still not ride a horse for a while. Mora was not pleased by that but knew she would do everything the woman told her to.