Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Flora pointed to the tankard for him to have a look and realized the drink was meant for her.
Henry peered into the tankard. “It remains more than half full. She may only sleep, though it depends on how much was used. Only time will tell.”
“There is nothing that can be done for her?” Kinnell begged with desperation, hugging Iona’s limp body against him.
“Time. She will either wake or she will slip into a deep sleep and wake no more,” Henry said.
“Iona did not even drink half,” Flora said, trying to reassure Kinnell and herself and silently praying that Iona would survive.
“I will take her to her cottage,” Kinnell said. “When she wakes, she can tell me what to do to help her.”
Torin summoned several warriors to assist him and guard Kinnell, but Kinnell let no one near Iona, keeping her tucked tight in his arms as he carried her out of the keep, whispering to her as he went.
“It was meant for me,” Flora said, turning to her husband, his arm tight around her. “I was too full to eat or drink and offered it to Iona. It is my fault.”
“It is not your fault. You had no way of knowing it was poisoned. Who gave it to you?” Torin asked, fury and fright raging in him, thinking how close he had come to losing his wife and that the attempts on her life continued and far too close at home.
“I do not recall. I was busy talking with Iona.”
“Who gave the tankard to Lady Flora?” Torin shouted.
A trembling servant stepped forward.
“Did someone tell you to give the tankard to Lady Flora?” Torin asked.
“Aye, sir, Verena,” the young woman said.
Verena was quickly fetched.
“Why did you give a specific tankard to my wife?” Torin demanded, impatient for an answer as to how the poison reached her.
“Hadwin gave me some dried leaves he told me Lady Flora might like, so I brewed them separately for her to try.”
“It was poison,” Torin said, and Verena gasped. “Iona drank some and fell ill.”
Verena turned pure white. “I did not know, my lord, I swear I did not know.”
“I will get Hadwin,” Walsh said and rushed from the room, a nod from Torin had two of his warriors following him. He did not know who to trust, so he would trust no one.
He helped his wife to sit, worried by her silence. He expected to hear her chatter endlessly to try and determine what had happened, but she did not say a word.
Hadwin entered with a worried look on his face. “You wished to see me, my lord?”
Torin picked up the tankard with the poison brew in it. “You gave Verena leaves to brew a special drink for Lady Flora?”
“I did. I was going through my cart, searching for a fur-lined cloak I had acquired and came across the sack of leaves I bought from another merchant. I remembered he said the leaves soothed and with all Lady Flora has been through lately I thought they might help her.”
“Have you tasted the brew?” Torin asked.
“I have, my lord. I would never sell a brew I have not tasted myself. I thought it quite soothing,” Hadwin said.
Torin handed the tankard to him. “Verena made a tankard for her. Is this the brew?”
Hadwin took it without hesitation and raised it to his mouth.
Torin snatched it from his hand. “That is all, Hadwin, your action told me what I needed to know.”
“I do not understand, sir,” Hadwin said.
“This tankard of your brew was poisoned,” Torin said.
Hadwin’s eyes rounded in shock and his hand went to his chest. “Poison? I know nothing of poison, my lord.” He hurried a glance to Flora. “My lady, I would never harm you.”
“I never thought you would, Hadwin,” she said with a gentle smile. “I would guess the poison was somehow slipped into the drink or possibly mixed with the leaves while in the kitchen.” Flora looked to Verena. “Bring the pouch of leaves here, Verena. We do not want anyone else falling ill if the poison has been mixed with the leaves.”
The woman nodded and hurried off.
“Sit and have some ale, Hadwin,” Flora said, seeing the man tremble.
“Thank you, my lady,” he said and with a bob of his head to Lord Torin, he went to a table and sat, a servant filling a tankard for him.
“Drink and eat,” Torin called out, to the warriors who had remained silent throughout the ordeal. “All is being seen to and the culprit will be caught, on that you have my word.”
A cheer rang out and soon talk returned but no laughter was heard as before.
Henry stepped closer to the dais, keeping his voice low. “I am sure you know that Walsh fellow is a mercenary, which alone makes him untrustworthy. And it makes me wonder how he was ever friends with your da. If I had not seen with my own eyes that he knew your da, I would be skeptical to believe they shared a friendship. Unless, of course, it wasn’t friendship that brought them together and your da somehow became beholden to the man and was forced to help him in only God knows what nefarious ways.”