Diarmot. "I am devastated."
Ilsa rammed her elbow into Diarmot's stomach. A part of her was pleased to hear his breath leave in a gasp and another part of her was a little appalled by her actions. A brief peek at her husband revealed him bent over clutching his belly as he fought to regain his breath. She winced, but quickly turned her attention to her brothers again.
"Curse it, Ilsa," snapped Sigimor. "Now we have to wait until he can breathe again. Wouldnae be fair otherwise."
"Listen to me while he recovers then. I ken what ye heard in the village,"
she began.
"Then ye ken why ye cannae stay here. The mon poisoned his last wife."
"Nay, he didnae. She poisoned herself."
Sigimor snorted in disbelief. "From what little I have heard of the woman, she wasnae the type to kill herself."
Ilsa was pleased to hear that Sigimor had learned some of the ugly truths about Lady Anabelle. It would make it easier for him to believe what she had to tell him. It also meant she did not have to say too much about the woman's behavior while Diarmot was listening. She desperately wanted to avoid reminding him too much of all the betrayals he had suffered in the past. Lady Anabelle's malevolent shadow caused her enough trouble already.
"She didnae try to kill herself," Ilsa said. "She was trying to rid her body of a bairn."
"Is that what he told ye?"
"Nay, Fraser told me all about it when I asked her why such rumors were being whispered about."
"She would defend him. He is her laird."
"Actually, although he is my laird now," Fraser said, "I came here as Lady Anabelle's companion."
Ilsa realized Fraser and Gillyanne had moved closer, obviously hoping their presence would cause the men to hesitate before coming to blows. "There, ye see, Sigimor? She would ken the truth better than most. Lady Anabelle didnae want the bairn and asked Glenda the village healer to give her a potion. Glenda refused for she doesnae deal in such things. So, Lady Anabelle got one from someone else or e'en tried to mix one up herself. It rid her womb of the bairn, but it also drained away all of her life's blood."
"That makes no sense. Why rid herself of a bairn? She had already had one and she was married."
"It wasnae Diarmot's bairn. It couldnae be and most all here would ken that."
"Aha!" Sigimor raised his fists a little. "That is why he gave her the potion that killed her. He couldnae abide the fact that she carried another mon's child. Tis said he already had to bear that shame once."
"Wee Alice isnae a shame," Ilsa snapped, "and I best nay hear ye say so again. Try thinking, Sigimor, if it willnae cause ye too much pain to do so."
She ignored his scowl and Tait's snicker. "The mon has a nursery full of children most men would ignore or disdain. I doubt the five women who gave him those bairns were all virgins when he bedded them, so he would have questioned their claims that he was the father of their children. Yet he took them in, he accepted the responsibility for them. Does that sound like a mon who would give a woman a potion to kill the bairn in her womb?"
"Weel, mayhap he didnae ken there was a bairn. He was just trying to be rid of his wife."
Her brother had stumbled upon one truth, but Ilsa was not about to let him know that. Sigimor and Tait were looking calmer. Agreeing that Diarmot had not known his wife carried some other man's child would start them on yet another round of arguments and explanations.
"And exactly who told ye the rumors that would cause ye to make such an accusation?" she demanded.
"A young mon named Wallace," began Sigimor.
"Och, aye, Wallace. He is the same one who whispered poison in my ear in the market. The same Wallace who accused poor Glenda the healing woman of giving Lady Anabelle the potion, e'en calling her a witch. He was one of Lady Anabelle's lovers, ye ken. It doesnae make him a verra unbiased talebearer, does it. Howbeit, if ye must accept the word of a mon who would betray his own laird in such a
Ilsa rammed her elbow into Diarmot's stomach. A part of her was pleased to hear his breath leave in a gasp and another part of her was a little appalled by her actions. A brief peek at her husband revealed him bent over clutching his belly as he fought to regain his breath. She winced, but quickly turned her attention to her brothers again.
"Curse it, Ilsa," snapped Sigimor. "Now we have to wait until he can breathe again. Wouldnae be fair otherwise."
"Listen to me while he recovers then. I ken what ye heard in the village,"
she began.
"Then ye ken why ye cannae stay here. The mon poisoned his last wife."
"Nay, he didnae. She poisoned herself."
Sigimor snorted in disbelief. "From what little I have heard of the woman, she wasnae the type to kill herself."
Ilsa was pleased to hear that Sigimor had learned some of the ugly truths about Lady Anabelle. It would make it easier for him to believe what she had to tell him. It also meant she did not have to say too much about the woman's behavior while Diarmot was listening. She desperately wanted to avoid reminding him too much of all the betrayals he had suffered in the past. Lady Anabelle's malevolent shadow caused her enough trouble already.
"She didnae try to kill herself," Ilsa said. "She was trying to rid her body of a bairn."
"Is that what he told ye?"
"Nay, Fraser told me all about it when I asked her why such rumors were being whispered about."
"She would defend him. He is her laird."
"Actually, although he is my laird now," Fraser said, "I came here as Lady Anabelle's companion."
Ilsa realized Fraser and Gillyanne had moved closer, obviously hoping their presence would cause the men to hesitate before coming to blows. "There, ye see, Sigimor? She would ken the truth better than most. Lady Anabelle didnae want the bairn and asked Glenda the village healer to give her a potion. Glenda refused for she doesnae deal in such things. So, Lady Anabelle got one from someone else or e'en tried to mix one up herself. It rid her womb of the bairn, but it also drained away all of her life's blood."
"That makes no sense. Why rid herself of a bairn? She had already had one and she was married."
"It wasnae Diarmot's bairn. It couldnae be and most all here would ken that."
"Aha!" Sigimor raised his fists a little. "That is why he gave her the potion that killed her. He couldnae abide the fact that she carried another mon's child. Tis said he already had to bear that shame once."
"Wee Alice isnae a shame," Ilsa snapped, "and I best nay hear ye say so again. Try thinking, Sigimor, if it willnae cause ye too much pain to do so."
She ignored his scowl and Tait's snicker. "The mon has a nursery full of children most men would ignore or disdain. I doubt the five women who gave him those bairns were all virgins when he bedded them, so he would have questioned their claims that he was the father of their children. Yet he took them in, he accepted the responsibility for them. Does that sound like a mon who would give a woman a potion to kill the bairn in her womb?"
"Weel, mayhap he didnae ken there was a bairn. He was just trying to be rid of his wife."
Her brother had stumbled upon one truth, but Ilsa was not about to let him know that. Sigimor and Tait were looking calmer. Agreeing that Diarmot had not known his wife carried some other man's child would start them on yet another round of arguments and explanations.
"And exactly who told ye the rumors that would cause ye to make such an accusation?" she demanded.
"A young mon named Wallace," began Sigimor.
"Och, aye, Wallace. He is the same one who whispered poison in my ear in the market. The same Wallace who accused poor Glenda the healing woman of giving Lady Anabelle the potion, e'en calling her a witch. He was one of Lady Anabelle's lovers, ye ken. It doesnae make him a verra unbiased talebearer, does it. Howbeit, if ye must accept the word of a mon who would betray his own laird in such a
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