The men were talking quietly but fell silent when she entered. Suspecting they would wait for her to leave before continuing their conversation, she merely carried the tray over to set on the table beside Domnall and turned quietly to leave.
Her gaze slid up the hall to the rooms at the opposite end, and she listened for a moment, reassured when all she heard was silence. Hoping Kade's father and brother were sleeping and would not cause trouble tonight and scare off those servants who had returned today, Averill made her way to the room she shared with Kade and slid inside.
She was tired enough that she'd forgotten to grab one of the torches in the hall to light a candle, but a lit one sat on the chest by the door. She peered down at it with surprise, then whirled around when a rustle sounded behind her.
Averill stiffened, eyes going wide when she saw the man moving toward her.
Chapter Sixteen
"Br-Brodie!" Averill gasped with surprise, and instinctively began to back away when he started forward. "I-I...W-what are y-you d-doing here?"
"I came to see me brother's new bride," he growled, following her. "And to ask ye why ye've been poisonin' me."
Eyes widening with alarm, Averill glanced sharply to the door, but she'd already backed too far away for it to be a useful escape. Her next thought was to scream for Kade, and she opened her mouth to do so, but before even a peep of sound could leave her lips, Averill found Brodie's hand covering her mouth. His body immediately followed, pressing against hers as he forced her to continue backward, steering her toward the bed.
"I thought someone might be messin' with the whiskey when it started me barfin' every time I drank it," Brodie told her grimly, as they moved, "but I didna ken fer sure until tonight. Tonight, after I ate, I was feelin' much better, and used the secret passages to sneak out o' the keep and down to the inn fer a nip o' whiskey. And diya ken what happened?"
When she merely stared at him wide-eyed over his hand, he gave her a little shake. "Diya ken what happened?"
Averill quickly shook her head.
"Nothin'," he said silkily. "I didna toss up me meal all o'er the inn. I didna e'en feel a tetch queasy. I felt fine as rain. So I had another one, and sat to ponder who here at Stewart would want to make us all ill? And diya ken what?"
Averill quickly shook her head to prevent him shaking her again.
"I recalled 'twas always you bringin' the whiskey. Smilin' sweetly and offerin' it like some heaven-sent angel, all the while cautionin' me about how me body may no' be able to stand it anymore, and 'twas the drink makin' us sick." He shook her furiously. "But 'twas ye, wasna it?"
Averill swallowed, not sure how to answer that one. Did she shake her head and possibly infuriate him by lying, or did she nod and definitely infuriate him? Either way, the result wouldn't be good, so Averill merely stared at him, wishing she'd shrieked for Kade the moment she realized Brodie was in the room.
"Wasna it?" he repeated, full of fury. Brodie shook her so hard then that Averill saw stars, and for the first time, feared he meant to kill her.
Closing her eyes, she nodded.
"I kenned it, ye murderin' bitch," he spat, and threw her away like so much filth.
Averill gasped in panic as she felt herself falling, then grunted with surprise when she landed hard on the bed at an angle with one leg on and one leg off. She opened her mouth then to cry out for Kade, but Brodie was on her at once, knocking the wind from her and slamming one of his beefy fists into her head.
Groaning, Averill closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to get past the pain and fight off the darkness trying to claim her. If she lost consciousness now, she knew she was dead.
"I'm gonna kill ye," Brodie growled into her ear as he dragged her skirts up. "But first, I'm goin' have a little fun."
Panic ripping through her, Averill jerked her knee up. She caught him square in the bollocks. Brodie immediately reared upward, gasping for breath, and she suspected he was the one seeing stars now, then Morag suddenly appeared behind him, swinging an empty tray over head. Her face was a mask of fury as she brought it down, and she slammed it onto his skull with all the might of a woman who had worked hard every day of her life and the rage of a mother whose daughter had been done wrong.
It did not take two hits this time. Brodie's eyes rolled up in his head, and he slumped on Averill, out cold.
Morag immediately dropped the tray and began to drag at the unconscious man, trying to pull him off and free her.
"Me lady?" she gasped with her effort. "Are ye all right?"
"Aye," Averill said weakly, and raised her hands to help shift the man off her. They ended up rolling him into the middle of the bed, then Averill quickly scooted off the bed to stand. Morag steadied her with a hand on her elbow when she staggered a bit in her rush, peered at her with concern, then turned to look down at Brodie.
"He was always a bad seed, that one," she said grimly. "E'en as a lad. He ran around here, bullyin' everyone and gropin' the lasses."
Averill sighed. "Aye, well, I suspect he will not be a problem after tomorrow. Kade said he would talk to him, and did he not stop drinking, he would ban him from Stewart. I suspect Brodie will choose the banning."
"I suspect Laird Kade willna give him the choice once he sees yer face," Morag said grimly. "The bastard'll be lucky if he's only banned then. And once the laird learns he planned to rape and kill ye..." She shook her head. "I'd guess he's no' long for this world."
Averill grimaced. She had no liking for Brodie, but would not wish Kade to have to live with having killed his own brother over her.
"Mayhap we should keep this incident to ourselves," she suggested quietly.
"What?" Morag asked with amazement, then immediately began to shake her head. "Nay, me lady. He--"
"Was drunk and had a right to his anger. I have been dosing his whiskey," she pointed out.
"Oh, me lady. Doona do it," she said with sad disappointment.
"What?" Averill asked with surprise.
"Yer givin' him excuses like his own mother did. 'Twas ne'er that he was a bad child, 'twas that his da was a bad influence, or he was missin' Kade, Maighread said when he was younger, then when he was older, 'twas no' that he was an evil man, but that the drink had a hold o' him." Morag shook her head. "And now ye, too, will give him that excuse?" she asked with disappointment. "After what he tried to do to ye?"
"I--" Averill began, then paused helplessly to peer at the man.
"Has yer husband ever been angered at ye yet?" Morag asked quietly.
"Aye," Averill murmured, recalling his reaction when he'd caught her dosing the whiskey. He'd been furious because she had gone near his father and brother, and she'd been scared of that fury she'd seen in him.
"Did he lay a hand on ye in anger?" Morag asked.
Averill shook her head. He hadn't harmed a hair on her head.
"Just so. Kade is a good man, and good men doona take out their anger on others," she said firmly, then scowled toward Brodie, and added, "and that one is no' a good man. Doona give him excuses. Tell yer husband what he did. Or I will," she added grimly and turned to leave the room.
Averill stared after her, noting the spilled drink and food on the floor by the door. Morag had obviously just dumped everything the tray had held to use it as a weapon when she'd entered to see Brodie attacking Averill.
A grunt from the bed made Averill glance warily that way, but Brodie was still unconscious. However, she wasn't taking the chance that he would wake up. Averill ignored the mess, moved to the door, grabbed the candle, and stepped out to pull the door closed.
She had to talk to Kade, Averill thought, then stilled as Bess came rushing up.
"What happened? Morag just passed me on the stairs looking like thunder. Did she--?" The maid paused abruptly, as she reached Averill and saw her properly. "My lady! Your face!"
"Shush," Averill murmured, and caught her arm to urge her up the hall. She led her past Will's room and urged her into the one betw
een that and Domnall's. Closing the door softly behind her, she glanced around and sighed, then said, "We need to prepare this room for sleeping."
"Who's sleeping here?" Bess asked with a frown. "And what happened to your face? It looks like someone hit you."
"That would be because someone hit me," Averill said dryly.
"What?" Bess's eyes widened in horror. "Not your husband?"
"Nay. Of course not," Averill assured her, setting the candle down and beginning to strip the bed of the old linens still on it. With a bit of cleaning and dusting, the room would do fine for one night, she thought, then admitted, "'Twas Brodie. He surprised me in my room. He had worked out that I have been dosing the whiskey."
"I knew that would come to trouble," Bess said grimly, moving around the bed to help her.
"Aye, well, it worked well enough for Gawain and his father," Averill pointed out. "And the two of them not drinking is better than all of them being stuck in a keg of whiskey the rest of their lives."
Bess just shook her head. "Your husband will knock him silly when he sees the bruise on your eye. 'Twas bad enough when he was beating on the servants, but now he's starting on you? Bah!" She shook her head.
"Aye, well..." Averill sighed and shook her head.
"You never said who we are making the bed up for," Bess pointed out, as they finished stripping it.
"For Kade and me."
Bess straightened with surprise. "What the devil is wrong with the room you have?"
"Brodie is lying in there unconscious."
Her eyes widened, but she set her shoulders, and said, "Well, we'll move the blackguard. We'll have the men take him and toss him back in his room, or the moat for all I care. There's no need to--"
"I would rather Kade not know Brodie is in there. I would rather he not get the chance to deal with him until the morn, when he has had a chance to get over the worst of his anger," Averill explained, sighing at the thought of Kade's anger when she told him what had happened.
"I see," Bess said dryly. "And how do you plan to explain why the two of you are not sleeping in your own bed tonight?"
"I shall tell him that Morag spilled the tray of food she'd brought up for me, and the bed is no longer fit for sleeping in, at least for tonight."
Bess nodded. "Lie you mean."
"'Tis not a lie," Averill said at once. "Morag did spill the tray...on the floor," she acknowledged, "but she did spill it, and the bed is not fit for us to sleep in with Brodie there."
Bess snorted. "More of your trickiness. I swear you never showed this tendency at Mortagne."
"I was not married at Mortagne," Averill muttered, then straightened. "We will need fresh linens and furs and--" She paused abruptly.
"What is it?" Bess asked, eyes narrowing.
"My linens are all in our room, and we will need the furs from there," she admitted unhappily, not eager to get anywhere near Brodie again.
Bess sighed. "Would it not be easier just to tell your husband--"
"Nay," Averill interrupted firmly, then sighed. "I shall go fetch them. You wait here."
"As if I would," Bess muttered, following on her heals.
Brodie was still dead to the world when they slipped into the room. Relieved, Bess and Averill scampered about, collecting linens, and clothes for her and Kade to don in the morning and carried them to the room they were to use that night. They then went to Brodie's room to fetch the furs on his bed. Averill had hoped they could use those and not bother with the ones Brodie was lying on, but one whiff of them killed that hope. Kade would know at once that something was amiss did she try to make him sleep under the odiferous furs.
Sending up a silent prayer that they could manage it without waking Brodie, Averill led the way back to the room. They took Brodie's furs with them, set them on the floor by the bed, then quickly and carefully rolled Brodie about to get the furs out from under him. Much to their relief, he didn't wake up. Averill then quickly threw his own furs over him on the bed, and they scampered away with the good ones.
Afraid Kade would head to bed before they could finish, they made the bed in record time and threw the fresh furs on. Bess then helped her prepare for bed before rushing off to fetch Kade.
Averill paced the room briefly as she awaited his arrival, practicing what she would say, then whirled to face the door when it opened.
"Bess said ye wished to speak--" Kade began, but then paused abruptly and closed the door when he realized she was wearing naught but a thin nightgown.
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes traveling her length in the flimsy gown. She wanted to raise a hand to cover her face, but forced herself not to. Averill was far enough away from the lone candle in the room that she knew she stood mostly in shadow, and he couldn't see her well enough to make out the bruise there. That was deliberate. Averill wanted to tell him what had happened before he saw what Brodie had done. She was sure it would soften the blow. At least she hoped it would.
"What're ye doing in here dressed like that?" Kade asked finally, his voice a low growl as he started forward.
"I am ready for b-bed." Averill paused to bite her lip as she noted the slight stammer, then forged on, "W-we are sl-sleeping here t-tonight."
Kade's eyes had narrowed at her stuttering, and he slowed his approach as he asked suspiciously, "What was wrong with the other room?"
"M-Morag spilled a tr-tray of food she br-brought for me, and the bed is not fit--"
The words died on her lips as he suddenly closed the distance between them and drew her into his arms for a kiss. It was a deep and sweet kiss that left her sighing.
"'Tis all right," Kade murmured, breaking the kiss to nuzzle her ear. "Accidents happen. I'm no' angry about it...so stop yer stammerin'."
"Aye, husband," Averill breathed, tilting her head to the side to give him better access.
"We can sleep here tonight, I'm sure the bed'll be dry for tomorrow," he continued, his hands roaming over her back.
"Aye," Averill moaned as the fingers of one hand found her breast and began to fondle it through the thin cloth. And then, recalling that she still had to speak to him, she gave her head a shake to clear her thoughts and covered the hand at her breast to still it as she blurted, "B-Brodie figured out I have been d-dosing the whiskey."
Kade stilled at once and slowly lifted his head to peer down into her shadowed face.
"He went down to the village to drink, and when the whiskey there stayed down, he put it all together. He th-thought I was trying to k-kill him and was very angry," Averill said quickly.
Kade released her at once and turned to head for the door. "I shall go talk to 'im. I should ha'e done so ere this anyway."
"You cannot," Averill said quickly, giving chase and catching at his arm to stop him. "He is unconscious. Morag hit him over the head with the food tray."
He paused and swung back, but then froze, his eyes narrowing with rising fury as he saw her face. It was only then Averill realized she'd moved into the candlelight when she'd chased after him. She turned her head away quickly and tried to move back into the shadow, but it was too late. Kade caught her arm and drew her back into the light to examine her face grimly. When he spoke, his voice was cold and calm with a pure rage that was frightening.
"Did he do this?" Kade asked, brushing his fingers lightly over the skin by her eye. Even that light touch was enough to hurt, and Averill winced, but nodded wearily.
Kade released her arm at once and whirled to head for the door again.
"He is unconscious," she reminded him anxiously.
"Then I will beat him awake," Kade growled as he strode out of the room.
Averill followed as far as the door, watching worriedly, but relaxed a little when she realized he was headed for Brodie's room.
Her gaze slid the other way, toward their own room, where Brodie lay in unconscious bliss, then she backed into the room they were sleeping in that night. She eased the door closed and scampered to the bed to climb in.
>
Averill was settled in the bed and was lying waiting when Kade returned. His movements were jerky with anger as he crossed the room, stripping his weapons and plaid away as he moved.
"Is all well?" she asked quietly, eyeing him.
"Aye. The bastard isna in his room or below. He must ha'e regained consciousness and returned to the inn. He'll stay there for a week at least if he kens what's good for him, for he's in for a beating when he returns," Kade said furiously as he tugged off the shirt he wore under his plaid. The use of the damaged muscles in his back and side made him wince, and he sighed unhappily and forced himself to move more carefully as he crawled into bed beside her, arranging himself on his side, facing her.
Averill was biting her lip and worrying about the morning ahead, when Kade suddenly shifted himself closer to where she lay on her back. He then threw his arm around her waist and drew her side against his chest.
When Averill turned her eyes reluctantly to his, she saw by candlelight that his own eyes were open. He stared at her silently, his expression growing more rigid with every moment as he peered at the bruise by her eye.
"Did ye tend to that?" he asked in a low rumble. "Put something cold on it?"
No, she hadn't, Averill realized. In all her worry, she'd neglected to take care of it. But she was reluctant to admit that for fear that Kade would insist and head below to get something to place on it. With the way things were going, did he do that, Brodie would probably wake up and stumble out as he was passing, and all hell would break loose, Averill thought unhappily. She'd rather take her chances and risk not tending to it, she decided, and rather than answer the question, merely said, "'Tis fine."
Before he could say anything else, she rose up on one arm to blow out the candle on the table beside the bed, immersing the room in darkness. The moment Averill reclined again, Kade pulled her back tight against his chest and sighed into her hair.