Page 78 of Wolf Heir

“Mayhap Aodhan. I’ve heard it said he wants to learn the truth.”

“Och. Has Hamish or Collum learned of this?” Aisling asked, heading out of the castle.

“I wouldna know. But Morag has spies all over the castle. So if one of them hears of it, they’ll be sure to tell her.”

“Who?”

“The women who wanted you dead, for one.”

“That’s why Morag stood up for them.”

“Aye. Rupert and Osmond also, though now Osmond is banished from the castle and the pack.”

“Two fewer spies then.” Before Aisling could go to the tower stairs, she saw Magnus, Elspeth, and Tamhas coming into the inner bailey. Was Tamhas going to fight too?

But why call on their parents to be here, who looked glum about the whole thing?

Aisling took her mother’s hand and walked her toward them, wanting to learn what was going on.

Now that she got closer to them, she saw Elspeth had tears streaking down her face, and her eyes were red. “What is wrong?” Aisling hugged her.

“Osmond said he was excommunicated from the pack, but he knows far worse things about Morag. He said she denied she had ever been with him, but we all know they’ve been seen together in the stables. What business would she have in them when she never rides?” Elspeth said. “We knew of this before the boys were born.”

“What worse things does he know about Morag?” Aisling asked.

Magnus, Elspeth, and Tamhas shared glances, then looked at Blair.

Aisling had the sinking feeling they knew then about the baby Blair had left by the river, and where it had come from.

“Does Coinneach know about this?” Elspeth asked.

“Aye,” Aisling said.

Magnus wrapped his arm around Elspeth’s waist as if he were afraid she was going to faint.

“And Blair,” Magnus said, sounding a little harsh then.

Blair took a steadying breath and told them what had happened.

“Morag is the devil,” Elspeth said.

“Aye, we all think so,” Aisling said. “But you see the problem? If we tell Hamish what Blair had done at Morag's command, he might want to terminate her. Blair, I mean.”

Elspeth took hold of Magnus’s hand and squeezed. “We could say that Blair brought the babe to us, knowing I had just lost a twin and would take care of both of them. She said the mother had died and she had no one else to care for her.”

“Then my mother would be a liar.”

“It would be worse for her if Hamish learned she had abandoned the baby by the river, hoping a crofter would find him.”

“All right. I’ll tell Coinneach and Aodhan, since they are the other two who know about it,” Aisling said. She raced off before she didn’t have a chance to warn him.

Niven intercepted her. “Morag wants to see you.”

“Why?” Aisling’s heart was beating triple time already.

“Morag wouldna say, and I dinna trust her. She was smiling like a cat that had just caught a mouse.”

Aisling glanced back at the tower stairs. If she didn’t obey Morag’s command, she could get a lashing. Then she saw Hamish greeting his men. She did what she normally wouldn’t have done and changed direction to speak with Hamish. He glanced at her with disdain. She wasn’t one of the men he might challenge to a fight. She was nothing but a lowly cook. What could be so important that he would speak with her?