Page 165 of Taming the Highland Misfits

“It could only be from other guards,” Ailsa said thoughtfully. “Who else can ride and shoot arrows?”

“You do not have to be just a warrior to have taken part in this,” the Laird pointed out. “Someone wrote the letters, and from what I have seen it was quite an educated person. Those notes were not done by someone who could barely write their own name like most of the guards.”

“You are right,” Ailsa said, sighing. Then she sat up straight in her chair. A stroke of inspiration had just hit her. She had seen Kenneth talking to another one of the guards, and they had seemed to be on quite friendly terms. She wondered if he could be of any help. She did not want her enquiries to be gossiped about all over the castle, however.

“Send for a man called Archie,” she told her father. “I have seen them talking together and I think they are friends, so perhaps we could glean some information from him.”

Her father agreed, and the tall guard was duly summoned. When Ailsa and her father sat looking at him across the expanse of his desktop, he looked fidgety and nervous, and Ailsa felt a little sorry for him. He looked completely out of his element. She poured some ale and invited him to sit down, then smiled at him to reassure him.

“Am I in trouble, Mistress?” he asked tentatively. “Tell me what I have done wrong.”

Ailsa shook her head. “No, you are not,” she answered. “Don’t worry. But we think you may be able to help us with something.”

“I will dae whatever I can, Mistress, M’Laird,” he answered fearfully. Clearly, her answer had not done much to reassure him.

“It is about Kenneth Anderson,” Ailsa began. “How well do you know him?”

Archie shrugged. “As well as I know any o’ the other lads I work wi’,” he replied. “He seems nice enough, but I wouldnae call him my best pal or anythin’. Why?”

Laird McBain sat back in his chair and looked at the man, but Archie looked back at him steadily. He clearly had nothing to hide, and the Laird had a good feeling about him; he was a wholesome, honest man.

“Do you have a family, Archie?” he asked, smiling a little.

The man looked a little taken aback. “Aye, M’Laird,” he replied. “Two sons an’ three daughters, one grandson an’ another grandchild on the way.”

The Laird laughed. “You have been busy!” he remarked.

“Aye,” Archie said ruefully, then he smiled widely. “An’ I have the best wife in the world. I wouldnae change a thing about her.” The love on his face was so transparent that Ailsa felt a twinge of envy.

Ailsa and her father exchanged glances, then she asked, “And Kenneth? Does he have a big family too?” She kept her voice light and conversational.

Archie looked at Ailsa with a deep frown on his countenance. “Mistress,” he said slowly, “Kenneth has nae family. None at a’. They were a’ killed in a raid on his family’s farm by bandits. The whole lot o’ them were murdered.”

So the whole story about all his brothers and sisters had been complete fiction, Ailsa realised. She shivered, but despite herself, she felt a stab of pity for the wretched man and wondered if the tragedy in his life had somehow warped his mind.

“Can you tell me if Kenneth has any special friends?” Ailsa asked. “People he talked with, maybe confided in? Has he confided in you?”

Archie shook his head slowly. “No, Mistress,” he replied. “He is friendly wi’ everybody, but I dinnae know anybody special in his life. Mind you,” he grinned, “he looks at the lassies a lot.”

“Oh? Which ones does he talk to?” she asked.

“Well, he likes you, Mistress,” the man answered, a little embarrassed. “But he likes your maid. One night I saw him comin’ out o’ her room.”

“Really?” Ailsa was startled. “When was this?”

Archie thought for a moment, then said, “Some days ago. I think it was the night John Ormond was killed. I thought they were havin’ a love affair, but I decided tae keep it tae myself in case I got anybody intae trouble.”

“You mean Molly?” Ailsa persisted, just to be sure that she had all the facts.

“Aye, Mistress, but the more I think about it, the more it seems tae me now that somethin’ wasnae right.” Archie frowned. “I am sorry. I should have told ye.”

Ailsa stood up, then went over to Archie and patted his shoulder. “You have been very helpful, thank you.” She smiled at him, then added, “Please do not speak about this to anyone.”

“No, Mistress, I willnae.” Archie looked anxious, but he gave them both a salute and left.

* * *

Ailsa stood looking at the closed door for a moment, her mind racing. What had Kenneth been doing in Molly’s room? She was fairly certain he was not the kind of man she would be interested in romantically, and even if he were, Ailsa doubted that she would have allowed him into her bedroom. She turned back to her father, who was watching her closely.