Devil of the Highlands Page 0,110

She needed to figure out a plan to save herself, and Evelinde was thinking that she might hit him with a rock and make a run for the door in the curtain wall.

"I was sorry to have to kill little Maggie."

Evelinde's mouth compressed at the words. It seemed to her that Fergus had been awfully sorry over each of the murders, but it hadn't stopped him committing them, or following them with others. He'd no doubt be sorry to have to kill her, too, she thought with disgust, then stiffened as she noted that the door in the curtain wall was open a little. For a moment, she thought Fergus had simply not closed it properly, but then she noted that several faces were crowded in the narrow opening. She recognized Cullen at once, as well as Mildrede, Tavis and—Her heart squeezed as she spotted Biddy and noted the expression on her face. Evelinde had no idea how long they'd all been there listening to Fergus's confessions, but it was long enough to leave Biddy shaken and pale.

"Little Maggie was a sweet lass."

Evelinde forced herself to turn her gaze back to the man lest her distraction warn him they were no longer alone.

"But she had to poke her nose into this business. Like you," he added grimly. "The only difference was she came to me first with her plans to resolve the matter. She fancied Cullen would be so pleased to have his name cleared, he'd vow his undying love for her… the little fool.

"I tried to sway her from looking into it, but she, too, thought Jenny's death might be involved, and turned her suspicions on Biddy. The moment she did that I knew I'd have to kill her. But I liked the lass, and hesitated until the day came when she searched Biddy's room as you obviously did this morn."

Evelinde's gaze skittered in apology to the door, but Biddy's attention was focused solely on Fergus as he spoke.

"When she found the letter, Maggie came running straight to me. I hurried her out here to the cliff. She was so excited telling me of her find, she hardly noticed where I was steering her. If thinking Biddy had killed Darach wasna bad enough, the lass also concluded that Biddy must have killed Liam because he somehow sorted it out.

"And then we stepped through the door and out here onto the cliff, and the wind near to stole the breath from both of us. She turned to me with confusion asking, why we were here and I struck her, knocking her out at once. I then set her on Jenny's grave and tried to sort out what to do. Maggie had to die to protect Biddy, but how? And then I decided just to throw her off the cliff while she was still unconscious. She would just never wake and never suffer."

"And my accidents?" she prompted when he fell silent. "That was you as well."

"Aye. I've been trying to make it look like an accident so no one could turn on Cullen, but ye keep escaping with yer life." He grimaced, then admitted, "And I am sorry about having to kill you, too, as it seems obvious the lad loves ye, but he'll get over ye in time."

Evelinde's mouth tightened at the words. The man had no idea what love was if he thought it was so easily forgotten. However, he was moving forward again, and she searched her mind for another question to keep him talking.

"What of the rumors?" she asked, grabbing at the question, as Cullen began to slide through the partially open door behind the man. "Did you start those, too?"

Fergus paused again. "Not a purpose. It was after Liam's death they started in whispering about murder and wondering about Darach as well. I worried they'd look to Biddy. So, to turn the gossip away from her, I mentioned to someone that I'd heard someone else had seen a dark man fleeing the area about the time that Liam would have died. The next thing I knew the rumor returned to me with Cullen's name inserted in place of 'a dark man.' I have ever been sorry for the trouble that's caused ye, Cullen."

Evelinde had been watching her husband creep slowly and silently up behind Fergus as she listened to the man speak, but his last words made her stiffen as she realized some sound or perhaps her watching had given away Cullen's presence. She glanced sharply