Page 54 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
Calum nodded grimly. “I’ve heard some of the murmurs. Folks are uneasy. They dinnae ken who to trust.”
“Trust is earned by action, nae empty speeches.”
Calum shifted slightly in his saddle, his brow furrowed. “I dinnae ken if anyone is expectin’ ye to say anythin’ today.”
“Of course they are.”
“Ye reckon the killer is the same?” he asked.
“I dinnae ken,” Archer admitted. “Two dead bodies so close to one another, and the death at the smithy was suspicious. If itwere an accident, I wouldnae think twice about it, but I cannae help but feel that there’s somethin’ festerin’ inside the castle. Ye’ve nae heard anythin’?”
“If someone is here on O’Gunn’s behalf, they’re bein’ mighty sleekit about it,” Calum admitted. “I would say they’re quieter than a church mouse—but even church mice make some noise. Either nay one has infiltrated us, or we might nae ken who has until it’s too late.”
“Then we need to be more vigilant than ever,” Archer said.
The two men slowed their horses as they reached the kirkyard. The stone kirk was small, but it was a place that brought people together, and on the occasions Archer had been inside to pray, the building had overflowed.
It overflowed again on that muddy morning. Several small villages surrounded the castle, and while the dead men had come from separate villages, there was no difference when it came to the clan. The men and women were all brothers and sisters. There were too many for the kirk, so they stood outside beneath the pale grey sky, surrounding the two freshly dug holes and the covered bodies beside them.
Many of them looked toward Archer as he approached, and the feeling in his heart mirrored the looks on their faces. He didn’t know the man from the smithy well, but he mourned him. The guard, he did know reasonably well, and the man had laid down his life for him.
Before Archer dismounted, he saw an unexpected face in the crowd. Eileen stood among the mourners, looking toward the graves, not yet noticing his arrival.
Perhaps seeing her there should not have surprised him so much, but it did. He stared at her, the sad expression on her face, the emotion encompassing her, the paleness of her skin under the clouds that threatened rain, and he felt proud that of all the women he could have chosen to fake a betrothal with, he had chosen her.
He and Calum dismounted, and council member Henry Millar approached first, holding out his hand to shake the Laird’s.
“The villagers welcome ye warmly on this cold day,” Henry said. “There’s a lot of whisperin’, even at a funeral. Are we any closer to kennin’ who killed yer guard?”
“Nay,” Archer replied. “But when I do find out who was behind it, I’ll strangle the dog meself.”
Henry nodded and let out a long breath through his nose. “They’re ready to start, now that ye’re here.”
He walked back into the crowd, while Archer and Calum stood at the back. They were both tall enough to see the minister from the back if they craned their necks.
They started with a short prayer, and everyone bowed their heads except for Archer. He looked over the congregation fora second, hoping to spot signs of nervousness or someone not bowing their head in shame for what they’d done.
If the same person had killed the man in the smithy and the guard, they’d want to blend in. Staying away from the funeral might seem suspicious.
Are ye here today, ye scoundrel? In good time, I’ll have an eye for an eye, which means ye’ll be covered in dirt like them, but ye willnae have anyone mourn ye.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” the minister started.
The people raised their heads to listen to the minister as he spoke about the two men they were about to lower into the ground.
“Whatever ye need,” Archer whispered to Calum. “Take more men to search out the venomous snake who did this. I want them found.”
“Aye,” Calum said, his head still bowed.
Where did Archer’s trust stop? Calum’s father had been with his father, and Calum had worked for Archer long enough for him to know that the man would never turn against him. But what of everyone else?
Had O’Gunn sent multiple men to infiltrate the castle? Had he gotten to someone close to Archer? A member of the council? One of his guards? Anyone could be bought if they were given enough money.
Almost anyone. Archer knew he couldn’t be bought, and he was just as sure that Calum couldn’t either.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” the minister said as he ended the short service.
Archer felt a compulsion. He could have skirted around the crowd, but he pushed his way through it. The villagers took notice, parting as he carved a path to the front, where the minister stood clutching his holy book in both hands. The minister smiled tensely as the Laird approached.
