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was coming out of the kitchen as Cullen entered the keep, but other than that, the great hall was empty. Frowning, he glanced at the maid. "Where is me wife?"

Mildrede's eyebrows rose—probably at his sharp tone of voice rather than the question itself—and she gestured back the way she'd come. "She left through the kitchen door some moments ago. She is not alone," the woman added quickly. "Fergus is escorting her."

Cullen frowned. "Escorting her where?"

"I am not sure," she admitted uncertainly. "I did not get the chance to speak to her. Fergus was ushering her out the door and into the back courtyard as I entered the kitchen."

When Cullen continued to frown, she added, "I know she was looking for Lady Elizabeth earlier. Perhaps they have gone in search of her."

"Who's looking for me?"

Cullen turned to the doors behind him as Biddy let it swing closed and started across the great hall toward them.

"Evelinde," Mildrede answered.

"Well, here I am. What's she wanting?" Biddy asked, as the keep doors opened again, and Gillie, Rory, and Mac trailed Travis inside.

Mildrede shook her head with bewilderment. "I do not know."

"Fergus told her ye were at the cliff," Cullen muttered. "But I told him ye were coming with me to Comyns."

Cursing, he headed for the door to the kitchens.

"What is wrong?" Mildrede asked, following on his heels, worry evident in her voice as she added, "Is not the cliff where your father and first wife died?"

"Aye," he bit out, fear racing through him now.

"Surely it canna be Fergus behind the accidents and deaths?" Biddy asked, but her tone told him she very much feared it might be.

"Fergus?" Tavis echoed the name with surprise as he and the other men began to follow as well. "It canna be Fergus, Cullen. There's no profit for him in these deaths. What would he have to gain from killing me da? Or yours? Or even Maggie?"

"Some of the deaths might have been accidents," Gillie pointed out.

"Aye," Rory agreed. "But 'tis curious he's taking the lass to the cliffs if he kens Biddy isna there."

That comment caused a silence to fall over the group as they hurried out of the kitchens and along the path to the back of the curtain wall. Cullen almost wished they'd continue their blathering. At least it kept him from thinking about what might be happening to his wife right that moment. If Fergus hurt her, he would kill the man with his bare hands. He was not going to lose Evelinde.

Chapter Seventeen

Evelinde stepped through the door in the castle's curtain wall when Fergus held it open for her and moved out onto the small bit of land between the stone wall and the edge of the cliff. Her gaze slid over the lonely, desolate spot, but there was no sign of Biddy. Her attention then moved to the pile of stones that was Jenny's resting place, but there were no flowers there to speak of Biddy's recent visit.

Frowning, she turned back to see Fergus pushing the stone door closed behind them. "She is not here." The soldier peered over the area and shrugged. "Mayhap she's already going back."

"We would have passed her," Evelinde pointed out.

"Nay, there is more than one path. I just picked the quickest one. Biddy may have gone another way." He shrugged again, then raised an eyebrow. "What diya want with Biddy?"

Evelinde managed a crooked smile. She'd been trying to think how to tell him what she'd learned and what she suspected all the way out here and simply been unable to decide how to start her explanations. Evelinde supposed it was actually a good thing that Biddy wasn't here else she'd have led the man blindly into a situation that might have been dangerous.

"Lass?" Fergus prompted. "What are ye needing with Biddy? Mayhap I can help."

Evelinde smiled wryly, knowing he couldn't answer the questions she had for Biddy, but after a moment, she asked, "Fergus, what do you recall of her sister's death?"

"Jenny." He said the name sadly. "Losing her upset Biddy something terrible. She was very fond of her sister."

"Fond enough to kill the man who was responsible for making her kill herself?"

Fergus was silent so long she didn't think he'd answer, but finally he moved over to the grave of stones and peered over them. "Ye found the letter."

Mouth suddenly dry, she asked, "The letter?"

"Aye. Maggie found it some years ago. I should have destroyed it then, but they were Jenny's dying words, and I didn't