“’Twas just too convenient that Duncan should be called away the day before Greenweld laid siege to the castle. And then there is also the question of how he and his men managed to get all the way to the castle without news of his approach reaching us. Lady McInnes told me that there is little if anything that the laird of a clan does not know or learn about right quickly. Yet Greenweld marched across not only the better part of Scotland, but the entire stretch of Dunbar land without anyone noticing. He must have had help.”

Allistair smiled his relief at that. “He did. The messenger.”

“The messenger?”

“Aye.” His smiled turned wry. “Greenweld is as clever as he is greedy. He came across the messenger while still in the lowlands. Recognizing the king’s standard and suspecting the message the man carried might have something to do with his wife—”

“My mother is not his wife!” Iliana snapped irritably.

Allistair gave a half-apologetic shrug. “I fear she is.”

“Not for long.”

“Whatever the case, thinkin’ the man might have news he could make use of, Greenweld gave a false name and invited him to join his camp fer the night. Around the fire, he learned he was headed fer Dunbar. He offered his escort. The messenger thought ’twould be safer to travel in a group and agreed. Little did he ken that he actually offered safety to Greenweld.”

Iliana frowned over that and Allistair explained. “He held the king’s banner. We Scots learned long ago not to make trouble with the king’s men; it tends to bring his wrath down on us.”

“So, because Greenweld traveled with the king’s messenger, he traveled safe?”

“Aye. No one even approached to ask what his business was. Most like they just assumed it had something to do with the business Lord Rolfe has been tending to.”

“But once they arrived at Dunbar there was no more need for the man,” Iliana concluded grimly.

“Not once I met with them.”

“That was the day Duncan left?”

“Aye. I truly did notice something amiss when I went to fetch the merchant back. ’Tis hard to hide signs of so many men.”

“So, you returned to seek them out.”

He nodded.

“They could have killed you,” she commented solemnly.

He shrugged. “’Twas a chance, but not much o’ one. In truth, Greenweld needed me as much as I needed him.” Moving back to the barrel, he dipped his tankard in again.

“That explains how he got here unfettered, but there are other things people will question.”

“Such as?”

Iliana moved to sit on the pallet and peered at him calmly. “The message.”

He arched an eyebrow. “What of it?”