He nodded, then turned back to Dougal. “We’re not finished with this.” In that moment, he caught sight of Dougal’s expression toward Vanessa. His jaw fixed in a tight line, and his eyes widened with something that looked like fear.
“We’re finished,” Dougal bit out, then slid from the room.
“I’m sorry,” Vanessa said.
“I’m not.” Graeme yanked the tie from the back of his hair and shook it free. He took a deep breath, then swore. “I think my brother is the one who shot you.”
“What?” Vanessa asked. “Certainly you’re mistaken, Graeme?”
“No, I’ve looked at this from every angle, and it has to be him.”
“What about The Raven?” she asked.
“No,” Graeme said. “If The Raven had held that gun, he wouldn’t have missed.”
She released a shaky breath. “But why? Why would Dougal want to kill me?”
Graeme shook his head. “That I don’t know. I think he’s gotten himself somehow involved with The Raven.” He came and sat next to her, and though he put his arm behind her on the settee, he did not touch her. “What was so important that you wanted to discuss with me?”
“The Stone of Destiny. I think I found another clue,” she said.
He frowned and shook his head. “Where?”
“There was a tapestry in the abbey I noticed during dinner. Randolph said he’d purchased it from a family in London but it was one of the original pieces that belonged in the abbey. I noticed it because it was beautiful, so large and lush and full of detail. It had an image of the stone structure itself, off in the distance, but a closer image of a knight hiding what appeared to be a large stone.”
“That could be anything,” Graeme said with a shake of his head. His brow still furrowed, no doubt concerned about the fact that his brother obviously wanted her dead. “True, but it could be something, another clue. We should investigate it further.”
“Yes, but I need to confront Dougal first.” He turned to leave the room.
She put her hand on his arm and met his gaze. “He’s not going to talk to you right now. Especially now that you’re both angry,” she said.
He exhaled slowly, then cursed again. “You’re probably right. But damn. My own brother.”
“Dougal is merely upset because I’m taking time away from him. Time he normally spends with you,” she offered.
He clasped her hands in his, his large hands dwarfing hers. His green eyes bore into her. “Vanessa, he might have shot you, tried to kill you. There are no reasons. You are my wife.”
Of course, he was right. There were no legitimate reasons for anyone to attempt to kill her. Regardless of the motivation, one thing didn’t change. “But he is your brother. You share blood, a family, and a history together,” she argued. Wasn’t that supposed to matter? Wasn’t she expected to forgive Violet for her indiscretion with Jeremy? Vanessa knew her mother would expect so.
“But you are my wife. If given the choice…” His voice trailed off, and he left it unsaid. But Vanessa knew what he was saying. If given the choice, he’d choose her. His wife over his brother. The fierceness of his loyalty shot straight through her. He would choose her. Something she doubted her own family would do. In fact, she didn’t think anyone had ever chosen her.
She longed to say something. To thank him, but words failed her. But then it occurred to her: Graeme hadn’t chosen her either. Oh, he just said he would if it came down to it. Their marriage had been a spontaneous accident, at best. Neither of them had chosen this union. And perhaps if given that choice, Graeme might not be so loyal to her.
“Let us go and look at this clue you’ve found,” he said, then squeezed her hands. He rose to his feet.
“Didn’t you tell me you found The Magi’s Book of Wisdom in that abbey?” she asked.
“Beneath the building. There’s an ancient chamber where monks hid the church’s treasures. But the men of Solomon’s emptied it out years ago, right after I discovered The Magi’s Book of Wisdom.”
“Perhaps you were looking in the wrong place,” she suggested. “The abbey is a large building.”
“I don’t know.” He growled in frustration. “But if the bloody thing has been there the entire time—” He shook his head without finishing his statement.
“I told Esme we would be coming so they could let us in a door without alerting the household to our presence,” she said. “Let’s go and take a peek at that tapestry, and if you think I’m wrong, we’ll leave. It’s that simple.”
“Nothing is ever that simple with you, Vanessa,” he said.
CHAPTER 17