traveled to see her kinsmen, she would undoubtedly do it alone or risk losing her man to a hastily built pyre in some village.
“Father has discovered a few missing pieces in his lines, a few mysteries. He looks for answers. He begins to wonder if he is truly as pure-blooded as he was told. One thing that stirred his curiosity was how I am—more Outsider than Pureblood. Tis true that a mating of the two produces varied offspring, but I am more akin to my mother than my father in too many ways. That is unusual.”
Efrica was unable to stop herself from being intrigued. Was Jankyn not a full MacNachton? Could he be more akin to his laird than to the ones who spent most of their long, long lives in the caves beneath Cambrun? It did not matter, she told herself firmly. He was more one of the cave dwellers than his laird was. More feral, more a creature of the night. There may be more Outsider blood in him than he thought, but it had obviously been well cowed by that of the pure-blooded MacNachtons. David may be more like his mother, but he still suffered some beneath the sun and still had a taste for blood, even a need.
Once she had left David at his chamber, Efrica sought her own. She was a little surprised to find Barbara there. Although they shared the chamber, Barbara was more often out than in.
“Looking for me?” Efrica asked as she moved toward the basin of water to wash her hands.
Barbara turned a little in the chair she sat in, warming her feet by the fire. “Nay, although I did wonder where ye had gone. I but grew weary of listening to the gossip of women, useful though it can be.”
“I think ye begin to miss your husband.” Efrica poured herself a tankard of cider and sat in the chair facing Barbara. “We can leave, ye ken.”
“Nay. I do miss him and my bairns, but we shall linger here for a while longer. The finding of a husband for ye isnae something one can do quickly. Ye have stirred interest. Best to give it more time.”
Efrica grimaced and drank some of her cider. “I could weel do without some of that interest.” She brushed a clinging rose petal from the skirts of her elaborately embroidered blue gown. “Those two swine who attacked me are out of hiding again.”
“Have they troubled ye?”
“Nay, save that they make my skin crawl. They humbly begged my pardon, blaming drink for their crimes against me, and I gave it. A quick exchange of lies and polite smiles. E’en Lady Eleanor has begged my pardon, proclaiming herself appalled that her innocent, friendly suggestion caused me such trouble.”
“How did she ken it caused ye trouble?”
“A good question. I ne’er told anyone save ye and ye would ne’er tell. Nor would Jankyn.” Efrica stared into the fire. “I believe she aided those two, was fully aware of their intentions.”
“Best to avoid all three.”
“I try. Lachlan and Thomas I can avoid without raising questions. Tis a little more difficult to avoid Lady Eleanor if she doesnae wish to be avoided. Whore she may be, but she is a verra highborn, rich whore who has many a powerful friend. Most of them men, of course. She willnae trick me again, howe’er.” Thinking of how the woman had questioned her about Jankyn and the MacNachtons, Efrica frowned. “Her interest in Jankyn is verra keen.”
“I believe they were lovers for a brief while, but nay since we arrived. Indeed, nay since a long time before.”
That was something Efrica wished her cousin had not told her, although she had suspected it. “She obviously doesnae consider the affair over. Judging by some of her questions, she is also wondering if I am to blame for Jankyn’s sudden loss of interest. Then again, from what ye say, ’tisnae sudden.” She shrugged. “It doesnae matter. She need but look about and she will see that I have naught to do with it.”
“I dinnae like the sound of that. Be verra careful around the woman, Effie. Verra, verra careful.”
“Oh, I intend to be. She chills my blood. I had the passing thought as to how she would react if she saw Jankyn at his most feral, and got the feeling that would stir her lusts.”
“Because of his strength?”
“Oh, that is astonishing and it can be, weel, exciting to see him so. What woman wouldnae be stirred to see a mon so valiantly and impressively deal with her enemies? But nay, I was thinking she wouldnae have stopped him from killing those two pigs, even though it could have put Jankyn in serious danger. Nay, I think she would have encouraged it, reveled in it, had her lusts roused by the bloodiness of it.”
“Oh dear.”
“Exactly. I think that, within Lady Eleanor, is a beast more feral, more bloodthirsty, than any MacNachton e’er was. They at least can be excused because of their nature, their need, their breeding. One they have worked hard to control. Lady Eleanor has no such inclination. As we cannae completely shed the nature of the cat bred into us from that ancient Celtic priestess, thus the MacNachtons cannae completely shed that nature of the predator, the wolf, from their bloodlines. Ah, but Lady Eleanor holds a true darkness of the soul, I think.”
Barbara slowly nodded. “It would explain a lot. And ye are right. As with us, what is within the MacNachtons is the spirit of the beast. It has naught to do with morals or inclinations. It is what it is. But if what ye sense in Lady Eleanor is truly there, that is a sickness of the soul, a dark, hellish thing, and nay natural.”
“I could be wrong,” Efrica felt compelled to say.
“Ye rarely are and I saw it, too. I just couldnae name it as ye have. So, where have ye been?”
“The gardens.” She told Barbara about her meeting with David.
“Ah, so the threat of the sun doesnae completey fade in all the children of mixed blood. A shame. Howbeit, David’s bairns may nay suffer that weakness. And Fiona would be a good choice of bride. I think that beneath that sweet, shy exterior lies a strong heart, too. If the lad wins it, I think all will be weel.”
“I hope ye are right. I think he has already lost his heart. He said he feels the urge to mark her as his mate.”
Barbara smiled faintly. “Fair caught then. I must say, I was appalled when Bridget told me of it, but she said it was naught. A wee sip, she said, and only the once. Somehow I think Fiona willnae balk. Now, about this search Jankyn is on. Ye must direct him to our cousin Malcolm.”
Efrica’s eyes widened with surprise. She had completely forgotten about Malcolm. He was an odd little man with a voracious appetite for gossip, rumor, tales of the past, and any written record of any clan he could get his ink-stained hands on. If any clan had a secret, Malcolm probably knew it and had recorded it. He also lived close at hand. She realized she was eager to tell Jankyn and frowned. Honesty compelled her to admit to herself that one reason she was eager was because it would allow her to see him again.
“Mayhap ye should tell him, Barbara.”
“I fear I cannae,” Barbara said as she stood up and brushed down her skirts. “I am to meet with the ladies Beatrice and Margaret in but a few minutes. Come, Effie, ye cannae hide from the mon forever. If naught else, he abides in the same keep as your sister. There is a great difference between telling him something useful, mayhap escorting him somewhere once, and keeping company, so to speak. And mayhap ’tis best to see if ye can keep something this simple from becoming complicated. If ye cannae e’en take the mon a message, mayhap ye ought to think hard on why
